To paraphrase Marx, sitcoms repeat themselves, first as satire and then as farce. Or maybe just as self-parody.
That's the case with The Simpsons, America's longest-running scripted TV series, longest-running animated show, and longest-running sitcom. Once an engagingly genial yet subversive part of American popular culture whose creator, Matt Groening, sharpened his talents in alternative comix, The Simpsons soldiers on in its 35th season as a pale, tired imitation of its earlier self, one that no longer delights as much as it disappoints. It is almost certainly asking too much for The Simpsons or any other creative offering to keep a sharp edge for this long, but the show's latest controversy provides an object lesson in how pedantic and tedious American culture can become.
