Nicely Said
Published January 11, 2004 @ 13:05 in The Simpsons

I thoroughly enjoyed The Observer's list of "300 Reasons We Love The Simpsons". In particular, I appreciate #23 on their list. I've reprinted it below.

Ideally, you should be able to watch each episode anew at five distinct stages in life. As a toddler, marvelling at all the bright colours; as a teenager, enjoying the tilts at authority; as a student, relishing the in-jokes and movie references; as an adult, musing on the truths about life, love and death; and in your dotage, marvelling at all the bright colours.

The Brits got it dead-on. This explains why James and I share the same favourite show. He's marvelling at all the bright colours while I'm musing on the truths about life, love and death. There must be a bit of a student left in me as well, because I also relish the in-jokes and movie references. And perhaps I'm still a teenager at heart because I do enjoy the tilts at authority. I marvel at all the bright colours too.

By the way, tonight's episode, entitled "I, D'oh-Bot", is a new one. Here's the description from SNPP.com: "Homer and Bart build a Robot Wars-style robot, but when they discover they don't know as much about building killer robots as they thought, Homer decides to get inside of it; Marge and Lisa are under the impression that Snowball II 'went to kitty heaven'". Enjoy!

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Hooray For Everything Name Origin
Published January 7, 2004 @ 12:50 in Raging Storm, The Simpsons

With the name Hooray For Everything being retired, I thought we'd take one last trip down memory lane to explore the origin of the name. For the record, Hooray For Everything as a ball team was extremely successful. In four seasons, we won the championship three times. Where did the name come from? The name Hooray for Everything comes from "The Simpsons", and is a tribute to our enduring love of the show.

Hooray for Everything first appears in episode 7F07 "Bart vs Thanksgiving". During halftime of the traditional Dallas Cowboys game on Thanksgiving, Hooray for Everything perform "Get Dancin'" by Disco Tex and his Sex-o-lettes. Here's an excerpt:

Announcer: And now, get set for our fabulous halftime show, featuring the well-groomed young go-getters of `Hooray for Everything!'
Homer: Oh, I love those kids. They've got such a great attitude!
Announcer: Ladies and gentlemen, 'Hooray for Everything' invites you to join them in a salute to the greatest hemisphere on earth, the Western Hemisphere! The dancingest hemisphere of all!

Hooray for Everything next appeared in episode 9F11 "Selma's Choice". While the Simpsons watch TV, an ad for Duff Gardens sounds like this:

Announcer: Come to Duff Gardens, where roaming gangs aren't a problem anymore. Now featuring the clean-shaven sound of "Hooray for Everything"!
Hooray for Everything: Hey, kids. Take a walk on the wild side!
Hooray for Everything: And all the races sing... Shoo-be-doo, shooby-dooby-doo, shoo-be-do, shooby-dooby-doo, yeah!

Hooray For Everything will be missed.

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The Smart Simpsons
Published December 14, 2003 @ 10:36 in The Simpsons

An interesting article appears today in The Baltimore Sun.

This article touches on the fact you get a far smarter take on current events by watching cartoons like The Simpsons than you do watching political debates and such. Jesse Walker writes, "Ever since The Simpsons launched the current boom in adult animation, we've been more likely to hear pointed social commentary from animated cells than from anyone running for office."

Part of the reason I adore The Simpsons so is the fact it's intelligent. No institution is safe. Everyone and everything is a potential target for a comedic jab or satire. If you're not following current events, you're missing a third of the jokes. It's not necessarily a liberal or a conservative agenda either, as this article points out, the show's fans range from the conservative columnist Jonah Goldberg to the leftist linguist Noam Chomsky.

Is this show I've watched religiously since I was 15 the reason for my obvious genius? Perhaps.

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The Simpsons
Published November 20, 2003 @ 19:06 in The Simpsons

James is a huge fan of The Simpsons. When he sees the clouds parting in the beginning of the opening credits he smiles and excitedly chirps "Homer, doh! Homer, doh!". I'm fairly certain the writers for The Simpsons don't have the toddler audience in mind when they're hacking away at their keyboards, but it's the one show James will watch in its entirety without boredom setting in. Although impossible (I think), it's almost as if he comprehends the subject material.

I suppose I'm to blame for this obsession. Since his birth he has been a witness to the joy this show brings me. By the time he was six months old I figure he had witnessed a solid 200 hours of Homer and the gang from Springfield. This, combined with the fact it is a cartoon, probably made his interest in the show inevitable.

Some would suggest I'm poisoning the boy by allowing him to watch a show centered around an overweight buffoon who is frequently found getting loaded in the local bar while his son causes mischief and mayhem. I've always believed that watching The Simpsons instills the exact values that make someone a healthy, well rounded adult. I see The Simpsons as the most moral show on television that teaches its viewers true life lessons. A recent article in the National Post agrees with me. Robert Thompson, director of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University, is quoted as stating parents should be thankful their kids are drawn to The Simpsons. He even sees it as a "cause for some celebration". Finally, some validation. I may very well be father of the year.

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Cosmic?
Published September 23, 2003 @ 18:55 in The Simpsons

The other day, Taryn and I were watching TV when we saw a PSA about bullies in the school yard. This sparked a brief discussion about what we would tell James if he was being tormented by a bully. Right on cue, I went into a dialogue about how I'd teach James to fight dirty because "we Boons sometimes have to bend the rules a little in order to hold our own". I even did my best Homer and threw in a little "and there's nothing wrong with hitting someone when his back is turned". These references, obviously, are to Bart the General, an episode of The Simpsons from their first season.

This discussion was taking place as we awaited the beginning of an episode of The Simpsons. As the clock hit 10:28, I quickly turned the channel to WUTV. As if the Simpsons gods were smiling down upon us, guess which episode we were in store for? Bart the General, the very same episode I had just finished quoting. Out of over 300 episodes, we were about to enjoy Bart the General. How was this possible? It's not as if the PSA on bullies was on the same channel. Some would chalk this up to coincidence, but I'm not sure. Some things are greater than you or I. Some things are cosmic.

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The Simpsons 3rd Season
Published August 25, 2003 @ 12:03 in The Simpsons

Tomorrow is a great day for devoted fans of The Simpsons. Season three will finally be released on DVD. The third season was a landmark year for my favourite show. All 24 episodes are gems. What more can I say about a season that includes "Colonel Homer", "Homer Alone", "Flaming Moe's", "Like Father, Like Clown", "Homer at the Bat" and "Stark Raving Dad"?

I can't wait to get my copy and watch every episode followed by every episode with the commentary jacked. This is why DVD was invented.

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