Mission Statement

I've been a fan of "The Simpsons" ever since I was a little kid. Taking its obvious quality out of the equation, there's something inherently fascinating about a show that's been on the air for almost as long as I've been alive. "The Simpsons" premiered on December 17 of 1989, while I premiered a few years earlier in November of '85.

I've been meaning to go back and watch the series from the beginning for years and I, as of yet, haven't quite gotten around to it. Besides the fact that I'd get to experience all of the great episodes from early in the run all over again, I also thought it'd be something akin to a science experiment (only, y'know, fun). The show has been subject to a lot of criticism in recent years over its declining quality. I'm sure you've heard it before. "'The Simpsons' isn't good anymore. It hasn't been good in years. 'The Simpsons' sucks now." All of that.

Well, I kind of want to find out if it's actually true.

I mean, I've been guilty of the above in the past. Who hasn't caught the random episode here or there over the last few years and though "Eh, 'Homer versus the Eighteenth Amendment' was better" or "Ugh, how do you go from 'Bart the Daredevil' to this?!" While I'll always hold the early years of the show up in the highest regard possible, I really do want to find out if the show got as bad as everyone seems to think it did.

Additionally, because the show has always been so steeped in pop culture and the world around it, I also figure it would probably be like taking a look at the longest time capsule ever.

So my idea is this. Every day, Monday through Friday, I watch an episode. I post a short review. I repeat. It'll actually be less of a review and more of a "Here are my random and valueless thoughts on the thing I just sat and looked at" kind of a post. I work my way up through modern times, and at the end step back and think about what I've learned. All reviews will follow the same basic format, allowing me to get in and get out as efficiently as possible.

"The Simpsons" is currently (still) airing on Fox on Sunday nights. It's in its 24th season, at the end of which will be its 526th episode. Plus I'll be watching "The Simpsons Movie," which was released in 2007. If I watch five episodes a week, it'll take me roughly 105 weeks to go from beginning to end. Add in another couple of weeks to take general attention span issues and an unavoidable lack of interest into consideration, and we'll take it up to an even 110. Which is a hair over two years.

Hmm.

I've never seen that written out like that before. Kind of seems like an incredible waste of time when you look at it like that.

Oh well, I suppose.