Review of Stupid TV, Be More Funny

Book Link: https://smile.amazon.com/Stupid-More-Funny-Television-America-Forever/dp/1538742845

I grew up on The Simpsons and many of the scenes or sayings live rent free in my head today like "Batman WAS a scientist", "You don't make friends with salad", "blow up the hospital", "Hey, you OK Grimey?", or "Everything's coming up Milhouse!". I could go on and on and that's not even counting the memes and gifs like disappearing homer, Grandpa walking in/walking out of the brothel where Bart is working, or just "Mmm, pie". All that is to say, I figured I would love this book just seeing the cover and it did not disappoint. Any Simpsons fan will get a kick out of this just hearing some of the famous lines and getting to know some of the writers behind them and the process for coming up with them. This book is much more than a fun nostalgia tour though, it focuses heavily on the people that made it happen and the impact of the show on television and society. I was fortunate to grow up in this time but I was too young to appreciate the cultural impacts of the show in its first few years. I remember not thinking twice about owning a The Simpsons Sing The Blues CD, but looking back on it is incredible that a cartoon could pull off a blues album with entirely new material that was tangential to the episodes and make it popular in a time where you were reliant on Columbia House deals to get new music instead of just streaming for free on Spotify. As an adult looking back, I can appreciate anew the battles they fought against Cosby, George Bush Sr., copyright infringement, and just keeping the "soul" of the show intact over the years. The first 10 seasons were definitely the best 10 in my opinion, but I fully support The Simpsons as they continue to churn out seasons still today (up to season 37!).

If you enjoy The Simpsons even a little bit, this is a great accounting of what it took to make the show and what it was like for the people in middle of it with some nostalgia delecately sprinkled throughout.