Is The Simpsons Suitable for Kids?

[Yegor]

What do you think about "The Simpsons"?
Do you like it?
Is it OK when children watch it?
Is it stupid humor or "erudite cultural phenomenon"?

 

[cronxeh]

Simpsons are great, but lately its been like beating a dead horse http://carboninside.com/deadhorse.gif

I think its time to wrap it up.. by .. KILLING HOMER!

 

[Townsend]

Simpsons are great, but lately its been like beating a dead horse http://carboninside.com/deadhorse.gif

I think its time to wrap it up.. by .. KILLING HOMER!

What the? Kill Homer, this is not South Park, you don't just kill main characters...

Besides I think the Simpsons are getting their second wind.

Long live the Simpsons

 

[Smurf]

I havn't seen any of the new episodes, but the old ones are simply brilliant. Brilliantly hysterical.

 

[mattmns]

Yes the olds one are absolute classics. I agree with cronxeh too: I think the simpsons should have ended about 2 years ago. However, I also think that an episode gets better the more you watch it, which may be why the classics are classics.

 

[Gale]

kids shouldn't watch too much tv anyways. and when they do it should be with their parents so they don't do retarded things later...

And anyway, LOVE the simpsons, whatched it ever since i was a young'un. i liked when comic collector guy a few seasons ago in some episode was talking about how the show was starting to suck. and how the plots made no sense.. and blah blah... "worst episode ever!" i thought that was great...

 

[motai]

I guess the Simpsons were like the family I never really had, perhaps an unconscious ideal to look up to considering that my family fragmented early on in my life. When I watched it when I was younger, the show was funny (as it still is today)... but not until now that I rewatch older episodes did I realize how much of a political and social satire the entire series is. The newer ones are a little on the stale side, but it has its good points.

BTW, I have noticed similar things with Family Guy and American Dad... the latter being so blatantly obvious it might as well be a twisted version of political shows like the O'Reilly factor or the McLaughlin Group.

I'm running out of time to watch TV anyway with college becoming a primary imperative. At least NOVA is still cool .

 

[Hurkyl]

Best series ever!

 

[neurocomp2003]

suitable for anyone 2+ my niece loves that show...it hasn't done her harm so far

 

[quantumdude]

Hooray for the Simpsons!

Say, who around here has a long enough tenure at PF to remember the old thread called "The Simpsons" wherein we all posted our favorite quotes? That is, we posted them until Fox made us stop. Lousy copyright laws.

 

[learningphysics]

Simpsons is a great show. But I think Futurama is better.

 

[rachmaninoff]

...But I think Futurama is better.

Hurray! Me too!

 

[neurocomp2003]

Tom: Fox can do that? make you stop posting quotes?

 

[Smurf]

No, they can't. It was probably a reference to something in that thread.

 

[Evo]

No, they can't. It was probably a reference to something in that thread.

Actually they can. I have even pulled up searches on Google where there was a disclaimer that said that that they had to delete a link to a website because they were threatened with legal action unless they removed the link because the website contained copyrighted material without authorization.

If we allowed copyrighted material to be posted here and someone complained to google, they could be forced to remove any links to us. (as crazy as that sounds)

 

[Moonbear]

That's lame that you can't even post quotes when you're clearly attributing the quote to the show. You'd think they'd consider it free advertising.

But I do like the Simpsons!

 

[Evo]

My favorites are the Simpsons Halloween marathons.

 

[Yegor]

By the way, there is a very pleasant evil Bob (i remember someone having question about it) in many episodes.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

My favorites are the Simpsons Halloween marathons.

I thought you didn't care for the slapschtick type humor?

I liked the Simpsons. I also like Futurama and some of the episodes of Family Guy. My favorite cartoons don't exist anymore though.

 

[Daminc]

The Simpsons is great on a lot of different levels. There is often jokes that are targeted at the adult population while children are distracted by the cartoon slap-stick that's going on.

What I do find funny however is where this thread is :)

1. SR question about clock comparisons
2. The Simpsons
3. Autonomous differential equations

Where else would you get that thread sandwich?

 

[honestrosewater]

I would think people on a forum discussing their favorite quotes from a TV show would be fair use. Does anyone know what Fox took issue with? The length of the quotes?

 

[Daminc]

Does anyone know what Fox took issue with?

It's probably as lame as Fox not getting money for it. Big corporations are all the same; sick, greedy b@stards picking on those who can't fight back :(

 

[honestrosewater]

It's probably as lame as Fox not getting money for it. Big corporations are all the same; sick, greedy b@stards picking on those who can't fight back :(

They don't need to make money on it- in fact, other people can make money talking about the Simpsons- tv critics, for example.

Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include —

(1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;

(2) the nature of the copyrighted work;

(3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and

(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.

- http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html#107

The 1961 Report of the Register of Copyrights on the General Revision of the U.S. Copyright Law cites examples of activities that courts have regarded as fair use: “quotation of excerpts in a review or criticism for purposes of illustration or comment; quotation of short passages in a scholarly or technical work, for illustration or clarification of the author’s observations; use in a parody of some of the content of the work parodied; summary of an address or article, with brief quotations, in a news report; reproduction by a library of a portion of a work to replace part of a damaged copy; reproduction by a teacher or student of a small part of a work to illustrate a lesson; reproduction of a work in legislative or judicial proceedings or reports; incidental and fortuitous reproduction, in a newsreel or broadcast, of a work located in the scene of an event being reported.”

- (emphasis mine) http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html

I don't understand why Fox would want to stop people from talking about how much they like the Simpsons. But I'm just wondering what their beef was.

 

[BobG]

My favorite episode is episode #2, where Bart cheats on an IQ test and is sent to a school for gifted children and the teacher tells a joke that uses the chain rule.

Early episodes were very high quality with several layers of humor. Newer episodes are about average sitcom quality - brainless way to pass the time.

 

[quantumdude]

Tom: Fox can do that? make you stop posting quotes?

They can, and they did. The really screwed up thing was that we were Googling them and copying from other websites.

 

[quantumdude]

But I do like the Simpsons! :D

My favorites are the Simpsons Halloween marathons.

Just out of curiosity, what are your favorite episodes?


If they happen to be the ones written by Conan O'Brien, you will never hear the end of it.

 

[Moonbear]

They can, and they did. The really screwed up thing was that we were Googling them and copying from other websites.

Of course it could be that it wouldn't hold up in court if you hadn't deleted them, but is it really worth risking the site, court costs and possible fines to fight them over something that's so insignificant to the purpose of the site? There was a time not long ago when the entertainment industry was cracking down on people all over the internet, and sadly, they seemed to go after the little guys first, probably figuring they'd set an example with them before trying to go after the real offenders who they know would put up a fight.

 

[quantumdude]

They didn't even make us delete them. They just said to stop doing it, so Zero locked the thread.

 

[Moonbear]

Just out of curiosity, what are your favorite episodes?


If they happen to be the ones written by Conan O'Brien, you will never hear the end of it.

Does he write for the show?

I don't have favorites; I'm not really the sort of person who memorizes episodes and dialog from shows or movies from watching it once. I'm pretty sure that requires a Y chromosome. (I was joking with another friend the other day about that...I told him that men have the gene for instantly remembering every detail of every TV show, commercial and movie they watch, but women have a much more important gene, we remember every detail of every conversation that might in any way be used in a future argument to incriminate the man we're talking with ).

 

[Evo]

Just out of curiosity, what are your favorite episodes?


If they happen to be the ones written by Conan O'Brien, you will never hear the end of it.

There was a Simpson's Halloween marathon a few years ago and had "Dial Z for Zombies", "The Devil and Homer Simpson", I can't remember the other one. I haven't been able to watch The Simpson's in the last few years, but I loved the earlier episodes.

Don't tell me Conan wrote these.

 

[quantumdude]

"The Devil and Homer Simpson",

From Treehouse of Horror IV. Conan wrote for that episode.

Looks like you've got some on ya!

 

[Evo]

From Treehouse of Horror IV. Conan wrote for that episode.

Looks like you've got some on ya!

That particular episode "The Devil & Homer Simpson" wasn't written by Conan. (sticks tongue out)

Fifth Season (1993/1994)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WRITERS
Cape Feare - Jon Vitti
Rosebud - John Swartzwelder
Homer Goes to College - Conan O'Brien
Marge on the Lam - Bill Canterbury
Treehouse of Horror IV:
wraparounds - Conan O'Brien
The Devil & Homer Simpson - Greg Daniels & Dan McGrath
Nightmare at 4 1/2 Feet - Bill Oakley & Josh Weinstein
Count Burns - Bill Canterbury

http://www.mts.net/~davehall/writers.html

 

[Moonbear]

From Treehouse of Horror IV. Conan wrote for that episode.

Looks like you've got some on ya!

Well, all it means is he's better at writing than doing stand-up. You can have great jokes, but if you don't have the right delivery, it just doesn't work.

 

[Moonbear]

That particular episode "The Devil & Homer Simpson" wasn't written by Conan. (sticks tongue out)

Fifth Season (1993/1994)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WRITERS
Cape Feare - Jon Vitti
Rosebud - John Swartzwelder
Homer Goes to College - Conan O'Brien
Marge on the Lam - Bill Canterbury
Treehouse of Horror IV:
wraparounds - Conan O'Brien
The Devil & Homer Simpson - Greg Daniels & Dan McGrath
Nightmare at 4 1/2 Feet - Bill Oakley & Josh Weinstein
Count Burns - Bill Canterbury

http://www.mts.net/~davehall/writers.html

I don't think I've seen the episodes Conan wrote. I know Cape Feare, Rosebud and Marge on the Lam, but I don't know the others in that list. I might have seen them and just don't recognize episode names since I don't often pay attention to those (I only read credits in the Halloween episodes since they have joke credits in those).

 

[Evo]

I don't think I've seen the episodes Conan wrote. I know Cape Feare, Rosebud and Marge on the Lam, but I don't know the others in that list. I might have seen them and just don't recognize episode names since I don't often pay attention to those (I only read credits in the Halloween episodes since they have joke credits in those).

Yeah, the credits are funny.

Ok, I've got to watch some more Simpsons.

 

[Moonbear]

Yeah, the credits are funny.

Ok, I've got to watch some more Simpsons.

I have to call my friends who have all the episodes on DVD and spend more time with those DVDs!

 

[Hurkyl]

Homer Goes to College -- I imagine that's the one where Homer had to take Nuclear Physics 101, and met the three nerds. "Nerds are my mortal enemy!" (Or something like that -- I can't remember it for sure)

The Devil & Homer Simpson is the episode where Homer sold his soul to the devil (Ned Flanders) for a donut. "Mmmm, forbidden donut!"

Nightmare at 4 1/2 Feet was the episode where bart kept seeing a monster on the side of the bus, taking it apart. "Otto, there's a gremlin on the side of the bus!" Of course, as in the twilight zone episode, nobody else saw it when they looked.

Count Burns is the episode where Mr. Burns was a vampire, but Marge was the head vampire. (She do have a life outside of the home, y'know)

I can't guess the others from the titles.

 

[Gale]

I have to call my friends who have all the episodes on DVD and spend more time with those DVDs!

but not the friends who own them... people who own lots of tv shows on dvd are WEIRD! [size=small] though i'd really really like to get a few seasons of Xena![/size]

 

[Moonbear]

but not the friends who own them... people who own lots of tv shows on dvd are WEIRD! [size=small] though i'd really really like to get a few seasons of Xena![/size]

I wondered if anyone would catch that. Yeah, they're hopeless geeks, so that's why they own all those DVDs (the other complete collection is Stargate...as long as I don't slip and let them get onto that topic, they're okay).

 

[Evo]

I like Xena, Warrior Princess. You've got to love that yell.

I like the movie "Stargate", but I could never get into the tv series.

 

[Gale]

hahaha... did anyone notice my little size error... WHOOPS!

but i love the warrior princess! when i grow up, I'm going to be Xena

 

[Evo]

hahaha... did anyone notice my little size error... WHOOPS!

but i love the warrior princess! when i grow up, I'm going to be Xena

You'd make a great Xena! Of course Gabrielle with that staff isn't shabby either.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

You'd make a great Xena! Of course Gabrielle with that staff isn't shabby either.

I liked her better myself. Odd since I don't usually go for blondes.

 

[Gale]

i'm a big Gabrielle fan too... she'll make an excellent, (and hot) sidekick when i become Xena. if i could chose, i'd probably rather be a Gabrielle... but I'm just too brunette... that's ok... Xena kicks some hard core assage...

 

[Hurkyl]

The problem with being Xena is that Xena doesn't fly.

I liked Gabrielle better too.


I thought the Stargate series was pretty good. I don't think I've managed to see the movie yet!

 

[Gale]

The problem with being Xena is that Xena doesn't fly.

BUT LUCY LAWLESS DOES! WOOT!

 

[Gale]

oh and hey, you know what? i have the simpsons trivia game... good times

 

[Moonbear]

I thought the Stargate series was pretty good. I don't think I've managed to see the movie yet!

I haven't seen the movie either. I used to like the series, but it's only on late at night on weird nights on network TV, so I could never be a regular watcher of it (I have not found any show yet worth paying the exhorbitant fees they charge for cable around here). Even though it's good, it's still not something that I'd get all fanatic about.

 

[Evo]

I liked Gabrielle better too.

Gabrielle is both cute and hot! Uhm, from a male perspective.

I thought the Stargate series was pretty good. I don't think I've managed to see the movie yet!

The movie was 10 times better, at least. SEE THE FREEKING MOVIE. The series premise holds pretty true to the movie, so seeing the series won't hurt seeing the movie. But, the movie "is" better. The actor cast as the alien is very good, very creepy. James Spader is HOT. He's not hot anymore.

 

[Hurkyl]

Ooh, Simpson's trivia! So, if I told you one of my favorite episodes involved Project Arcturus, you'd know which one it is?

Gabrielle is both cute and hot!

Yes, she's cute. But the main thing is that I didn't really find Xena attractive, and she's not exactly a likable character (though fun to watch in a fight!). And that Gabrielle's cute.