It's hard to believe The Simpsons turns 30 this December. Dec. 17, to be exact.
I didn't discover the show until it's second or third season, when our local TV station started to broadcast it. It was a controversial program back in the day due to what was then deemed "racy" humour (tame by today's standards) and its portrayal of a family who loved, but couldn't quite stand, each other.
When you think about it, The Simpsons is probably the most accurate depiction of a family put on screen, but I digress...
I became obsessed with the show when I moved to The Big City, where reruns ran daily, and I was able to catch new episodes as they aired. I loved it. Could quote entire episodes. And although I'm biased, I figure the first eight or nine seasons are among the best television ever made.
Flash forward 24 years, and my son discovers The Simpsons on YouTube. Not entire episodes, just clips from various shows, mostly from the last few seasons, which I haven't seen. Rarely have I heard him laugh so loud. The other day, he asked to watch an entire show.
He and I began watching the earlier seasons, the ones I remember best. Episodes like Bart the Murderer, Treehouse of Horror V (the one with The Shinning... "you don't want to get sued") and Boy-Scoutz in the Hood. My boy and I have had an awesome time viewing these together; he for the first time, me for the thousandth.
My dad always said one of the best things about becoming a father is getting to revisit your youth through someone else's eyes. He was right. It's easy to become jaded and wonder why a show like The Simpsons has been around for 30 years. Watching these earlier episodes again, and seeing a new fan born, it makes perfect sense.
So cheers to The Simpsons turning 30. I'm sure my boy will be watching it with his kid many years from now.
I didn't discover the show until it's second or third season, when our local TV station started to broadcast it. It was a controversial program back in the day due to what was then deemed "racy" humour (tame by today's standards) and its portrayal of a family who loved, but couldn't quite stand, each other.
When you think about it, The Simpsons is probably the most accurate depiction of a family put on screen, but I digress...
I became obsessed with the show when I moved to The Big City, where reruns ran daily, and I was able to catch new episodes as they aired. I loved it. Could quote entire episodes. And although I'm biased, I figure the first eight or nine seasons are among the best television ever made.
Flash forward 24 years, and my son discovers The Simpsons on YouTube. Not entire episodes, just clips from various shows, mostly from the last few seasons, which I haven't seen. Rarely have I heard him laugh so loud. The other day, he asked to watch an entire show.
He and I began watching the earlier seasons, the ones I remember best. Episodes like Bart the Murderer, Treehouse of Horror V (the one with The Shinning... "you don't want to get sued") and Boy-Scoutz in the Hood. My boy and I have had an awesome time viewing these together; he for the first time, me for the thousandth.
My dad always said one of the best things about becoming a father is getting to revisit your youth through someone else's eyes. He was right. It's easy to become jaded and wonder why a show like The Simpsons has been around for 30 years. Watching these earlier episodes again, and seeing a new fan born, it makes perfect sense.
So cheers to The Simpsons turning 30. I'm sure my boy will be watching it with his kid many years from now.
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