Friday, September 14, 2018

SPRINGFIELD CONFIDENTIAL: JOKES, SECRETS AND OUTRIGHT LIES FROM A LIFETIME WRITING FOR THE SIMPSONS

By Mike Reiss and Mathew Clikstein. New York: Harper Collins, 2018.

Informative but desperate at the same time.

Simpsons writer and one-time show-runner Mike Reiss tells us the history, inner workings and his personal history with the show, as well as providing us with his autobiography and talking about the side projects he's been involved with, such as writing children's books.

Though the book is funny, interesting, informative, and helpful for the aspiring comedy writer, Reiss's (and probably someone else's higher up?) attempt to justify "The Simpsons'" continued production approaches being painful to read, or listen to in my case since i listened to the audiobook, which Reiss does an excellent job at narrating.

The fact is, "The Simpsons" is long past due for cancellation. I quit watching the show ten years ago in the period after the Hollywood writers strike because it was just the same old jokes. From what I hear, it's only gotten worse. Some people say the later seasons would still make a fairly decent sitcom, but that's faint praise indeed for a show that changed the face of television and influenced society to an unbelievable degree.

Even as far back as season 9 one could see it coming. Principal Skinner is no longer the perfect authority-loving mama's boy but some hood from the mean streets of Capital City. Barney is no longer a drunk but a guy who drinks coffee. Lisa is no longer the one who'll escape Springfield but more and more a typical tween, concerned about whether she's fat and watching "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody."

The fact the show has to create controversy such as Homer and Marge getting a divorce, Harry Shearer deciding to leave and then not leaving and of course the latest flap over the character of Apu (the only decent male character on the show) demonstrates how terrible and unpopular it's become.

Also, Reiss's attempt to refute "The Simpsons" use of predictive programming, such as telling us 9/11 was going to happen and predicting Donald Trump would be president is pathetic. Those who control things are a small tribe of people and they planned those aforementioned events years in advance. I don't for a second think they'd hesitate to taunt us with hidden hints of what was coming in a program as popular as "The Simpsons."

All in all, Matt, Mike and crew, please cancel this show before you embarrass yourselves even further, if that's indeed possible.

Purchase this book here.https://www.amazon.com/Springfield-Confidential-Outright-Lifetime-Simpsons/dp/0062748033

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