Why does it seem that new Simpsons episodes are made for people with extremely...

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63MikeRhcp

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...bad senses of humor? I do not hate The Simpsons at all. I love them, their earlier episodes were what made them great. But now the show has no more smart ideas, no memorable jokes, no good quotes and the characters have changed so significantly that they don't even seem accurate anymore. The humor I especially hate; every joke is explained before it even happens, the writers literally point to where the audience is supposed to look or listen for the joke. It is almost insulting to be told how to react to it, when I was perfectly capable of understanding everything before. But the saddest thing, is that people who are new to the show are watching these new episodes first and are liking them for all the wrong reasons. The original semi-believable story of what The Simpsons was is completely gone now. The randomness that they are trying so hard at is not working, Family Guy started with the randomness from the beginning and it is what the audience expects and hopes for. The Simpsons just adds dumb things and true fans know it is not funny. The only reason it keeps going is because new generations are being sucked into it with the assumption that it is still worth what it was. And because it is the longest running show now; who cares? end it with pride and dignity, not after all the best ideas are bled dry from the writers.
 
I believe there are several answers to your question:

1. The Simpsons used to be completely unique, but with other shows catering to a similar market (Family Guy mainly), they are trying to retain their viewers and gain new ones by appealing to the modern convention. Short-attention span jokes and esoteric jokes are all too common in the modern market, thus obscure pop-culture references and repetition/explanation are believed to be needed for the animated sitcom.

2. 20 years of time will reduce the idea pool for any television show without a specific tie to current events. The Simpsons writers have been doing it for 1/5th of a century now and it's common for other shows to have lulls after just a few years.

3. Laziness...I do believe that as long as The Simpsons is still making money, even with the easier to write, worse humor; there is no reason for them to change. If enough viewership is lost, they will either try to revitalize it, or end it (probably more likely the latter).

I stopped watching most episodes of the Simpsons in 2002 because I thought the same thing then.

One more thing to keep in mind, by the way, is that there have been very few shows that continue going much beyond the existence of a feature film (think about it, usually the feature film happens before the show, or after the show). Maybe you should throw in the towel on the Simpsons and move on to other programming (I could personally recommend the upcoming CBS monday comedy block [How I met your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, and Two and a Half Men]).
 
"...every joke is explained before it even happens, the writers literally point to where the audience is supposed to look or listen for the joke. "

I have to totally agree with you there. I am a hardcore Simpsons fan and I'll watch no matter what, but it does seem like they have "dumbed down" the show; this was especially evident in the most recent season.
 
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