The Simpsons -- Should Ned date Edna? You can vote online.

[Newspaper Taxi]

Sometimes when I'm bored I eat pizza and watch so-so quality Fox animation re-runs on Hulu. I decided to watch the Simpsons tonight and the episode dealt with Ned and Edna (Bart's school teacher) entering into a romantic relationship but with it's future being left in doubt by the end. Then they gleefully announced that you can vote online at the Simpsons's official website.

I voted yes. Not because I particularly believed in the 'chemistry' between Ned and Edna but because I found the concept of her living next door to Bart quite amusing and thought some decent storylines could come out of that.

The whole stunt is sort of like "Who Shot Mr. Burns" except nobody's talking about it, it seems.

 

[Amaris]

That's because The Simpsons has two things working against it:

1] Most of the original writing team has long since left. Compared to the original writers, the newer guys just can't quite cut it the same way. Their characterizations and writing quality has degraded greatly over time. They've had a bit of an uptick, but they're a shadow of the Simpsons from seasons 2 to 9 (though they are better than Simpsons circa Seasons 13-19).

2] The Simpsons has been on for 21 seasons. It's reused every storyline at least a dozen times, and it's pretty much ran out of gas. There are many more options for animated entertainment, and The Simpsons is now a drop in the pond. I think they hold on mostly for nostalgia reasons, as they just aren't really relevant anymore.

At least, not like they were.

 

[Gil T.Azell]

Edna's been passed around more than a collection plate,
but it could make or some interesting stories.
you can vote Here NEDNA

 

[Peach Wookiee]

I voted yes. It'd be fun... Ned would actually have Biblical precedent.

 

[Broccoli]

1] Most of the original writing team has long since left. Compared to the original writers, the newer guys just can't quite cut it the same way. Their characterizations and writing quality has degraded greatly over time. They've had a bit of an uptick, but they're a shadow of the Simpsons from seasons 2 to 9 (though they are better than Simpsons circa Seasons 13-19).

To be fair, most of the original writing team left at the beginning of the fourth season, and the show drastically increased in quality which lasted for a good 4 to 6 years.

 

[BlobVanDam]

Where do I vote to have the show put down? In my mind the Simpsons ended before Ned's wife died anyway.

 

[Amaris]

1] Most of the original writing team has long since left. Compared to the original writers, the newer guys just can't quite cut it the same way. Their characterizations and writing quality has degraded greatly over time. They've had a bit of an uptick, but they're a shadow of the Simpsons from seasons 2 to 9 (though they are better than Simpsons circa Seasons 13-19).

To be fair, most of the original writing team left at the beginning of the fourth season, and the show drastically increased in quality which lasted for a good 4 to 6 years.

True, but the show was still young and was able to work off of lots of great, new material and stabilize itself on a foundation of great material. Which means, as much as I like him, I think Al Jean just kept on going so long that he burned out and has been coasting ever since.

 

[Newspaper Taxi]

Oh, you don't have to explain how the quality of the Simpsons has dropped to me; I know. I definetly get that.

 

[Jono]

It's too soon. I'm still in mourning for CRABNER...SKINAPPLE...Skinner and Edna's relationship.

 

[Morpheus 02]

I voted yes. It'd be fun... Ned would actually have Biblical precedent.

Like Hosea being asked by God to marry Gomer.

"Homer, meet Gomer"

"Doh"

 

[1001001]

I voted "yes".



Let Edna rock his world.

 

[Peach Wookiee]

I voted yes. It'd be fun... Ned would actually have Biblical precedent.

Like Hosea being asked by God to marry Gomer.

"Homer, meet Gomer"

"Doh"

Exactly. It fits. Ned could read the book of Hosea and see Edna.
Seymour and Edna were ultimately doomed. As long as Agnes Skinner lives, Seymour will never be free. There's a story dynamic... Agnes dies, leaving Seymour alone.

 

[Christopher]

There are many more options for animated entertainment, and The Simpsons is now a drop in the pond. I think they hold on mostly for nostalgia reasons, as they just aren't really relevant anymore.

TV is a business. They don't do things for nostalgia, they do it for profit. The Simpsons is still on because enough people are still watching it to make it profitable. Ratings have never had much to do with quality. A lot of people like familiar, comfortable formulas that let them turn off their brains.

Hell, if there are enough people with no taste to justify giving a hack like Seth McFarlane three shows, it doesn't surprise me that The Simpsons is still hanging on. Even at its worst, it's more watchable than McFarlane's stuff -- and I'm saying this as someone who recently gave up on watching The Simpsons altogether.

 

[Admiral_Young]

Seth McFarlane is a hack? This is amusing. How is Seth a hack Christopher? I ask as a fan of his. I haven't watched "Family Guy" in years due to disinterest and a dip in quality but I would hardly call him a hack. "American Dad" is a funny show. I couldn't be bothered with "The Cleveland Show".

 

[BlobVanDam]

There are many more options for animated entertainment, and The Simpsons is now a drop in the pond. I think they hold on mostly for nostalgia reasons, as they just aren't really relevant anymore.

TV is a business. They don't do things for nostalgia, they do it for profit. The Simpsons is still on because enough people are still watching it to make it profitable. Ratings have never had much to do with quality. A lot of people like familiar, comfortable formulas that let them turn off their brains.

Hell, if there are enough people with no taste to justify giving a hack like Seth McFarlane three shows, it doesn't surprise me that The Simpsons is still hanging on. Even at its worst, it's more watchable than McFarlane's stuff -- and I'm saying this as someone who recently gave up on watching The Simpsons altogether.

Not even close for me. Even at it's worst, Family Guy will get at least a few laughs from me (and there have been several seasons I've considered bad, and even episodes I have flat out refused to rewatch).
Every time I have attempted to watch a post-2000 Simpsons episode, I have literally gotten pissed off at the show for ruining every character and groan at the few points I can tell they're even attempting a joke. Most of the time I actually can't tell that they're trying jokes.

I know it's the in thing to dump shit on Seth Macfarlane, but he's not that bad. Family Guy has been very inconsistent overall, but the past couple of season have been fairly consistently good again, and American Dad has had a solid run so far. And the Cleveland Show is garbage (although I'm not sure he's had as much to do with that one anyway). But he'd have to do another decade of shit to reach the level that The Simpsons is currently at.

 

[Christopher]

^Listen here -- I don't do anything because it's "in." Never have been a slave to fashion, never will be. I form my own opinions -- I don't copy other people's. I put down McFarlane because I think his work stinks, not because someone told me to think that. Got it?

 

[BillJ]

^Listen here -- I don't do anything because it's "in." Never have been a slave to fashion, never will be. I form my own opinions -- I don't copy other people's. I put down McFarlane because I think his work stinks, not because someone told me to think that. Got it?

I think he's a one-trick pony. There honestly isn't much difference in any of his three shows.

 

[Broccoli]

^Listen here -- I don't do anything because it's "in." Never have been a slave to fashion, never will be. I form my own opinions -- I don't copy other people's. I put down McFarlane because I think his work stinks, not because someone told me to think that. Got it?

Which has really nothing to do with what prior two posts. Did anyone ever actually suggest that you had to like McFarlane's work and that you were wrong if you didn't?

AY asked you why you though McFarlane is a hack, which you didn't address.

BlobVanDam simply disagreed with you and explained why he liked McFarlane. Yeah, he off-handedly said that it is popular to "dump on" McFarlane (which, in some circles, it kinda is), but he was clearly speaking in generalities and not to you specifically.

Yet, somehow, all this caused you to post emotionally defensive response?

 

[BlobVanDam]

^Listen here -- I don't do anything because it's "in." Never have been a slave to fashion, never will be. I form my own opinions -- I don't copy other people's. I put down McFarlane because I think his work stinks, not because someone told me to think that. Got it?

I was generalizing, it was not specifically aimed at you. And I wasn't disregarding your opinion based on that generalization, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered posting my own alternative opinion. And I tried to make it clear that I was only posting my opinion, and not saying you were wrong. Sorry if there was any ambiguity there.

 

[Admiral_Young]

No one is talking about conforming to popular opinion here. All I did was ask WHY you thought Seth McFarlane was a hack. I happen to disagree with that opinion and said so in my post. No need to get defensive about things.