Does the Simpsons count as an 80s show?

Does the Simpsons count as an 80s show?


Not really. I think this topic has been done before.

Not really. I think this topic has been done before.



I agree. The Simpsons may have started in the '80s, but its defidently more of a '90s show IMO.

I agree. The Simpsons may have started in the '80s, but its defidently more of a '90s show IMO.

I agree. I was born in 1989 (Same year as The Simpsons started). It's like telling people that I was born in 1989 and my experience living in the '80s was awesome.

The Simpsons = 90's TV

--
Dave.

I would say no. I know the Simpsons existed in prototypical form on The Tracey Ullman Show as a series of short skits in the late '80s, and the very first episode of the longer animated sitcom aired in December 1989. But every single episode since then (and there's been a lot of them) has aired from January 1990 all the way into 2006... so it seems a little dicey to me to call it "an '80s show" based on some crudely-drawn (and rather dull) skits and a single episode very late in 1989. :P

So...
- origins in the '80s
- massive popularity and peak in creativity in the '90s (becoming a genuine cultural phenomenon)
- considerable popularity (though arguably less relevance) in the '00s

There's my very brief history of The Simpsons. ;)

I would say no. I know the Simpsons existed in prototypical form on The Tracey Ullman Show as a series of short skits in the late '80s, and the very first episode of the longer animated sitcom aired in December 1989. But every single episode since then (and there's been a lot of them) has aired from January 1990 all the way into 2006... so it seems a little dicey to me to call it "an '80s show" based on some crudely-drawn (and rather dull) skits and a single episode very late in 1989. :P

So...
- origins in the '80s
- massive popularity and peak in creativity in the '90s (becoming a genuine cultural phenomenon)
- considerable popularity (though arguably less relevance) in the '00s

There's my very brief history of The Simpsons. ;)


I agree with your "very brief history"  ;D. I think OFF started declining in relevance and cultural popularity around 1998 and continued its downward slide to 2004. Maybe it's slightly improved, but I went from being a fanatic to being a disparager.

How on earth could ANYONE consider "The Simpsons" an 80's show??  It's very first episode aired on December 17th, 1989, and the 2nd episode aired on January 14th, 1990

Only 1 episode in the 17 seasons of the shows history even aired in the 80's

It's a 90's show ALL the way

The Simpsons is a 70s show.  It spun out from The Price is Right.  See, Bob Barker had a secret encounter with Marge one night.  He pulled out his Master Key, and ended up giving Marge the grand prize.  Homer walked in and caught them, and killed Bob, but it was too late.  Bart was born 8 months later.  As for Bob?  Through the miracle of science, he was cloned and put right back into the Price is Right.  To this day, Bob has no knowledge that Bart is his kid

;D

Part of me thinks of The Simpsons as an '80s show since I watched The Tracy Ullman Show when they had the Simpsons shorts on there.

Part of me thinks of The Simpsons as an '80s show since I watched The Tracy Ullman Show when they had the Simpsons shorts on there.


I think it originated out of the underground culture of the '80s, you know, all the alternative animation/zine/comic book stuff that Matt Groening was part of, particularly in the PNW, with the Life is Hell comic strip (which I love almost as much as the Simpsons.)

Of course not...but personally, I think for about the first 8 years of its run, the Simpsons were stuck in a timewarp (and not only cos they never aged). It was as if Springfield terminally existed in 1990 - comic books were popular, alot of the sort of TV shows, music.etc popular around the era...Then the producers tried too hard to get with the times and lost a large segment of their audience.

People like to pick and choose what is 80s and what isn't 80s.  I doesn't surprise me that the kids here don't want to count The Simpsons as being 80s, yet other stuff that began in the late 80s is always damned to being "ohmygawd, 80s!".  You feel like it's more yours, so you don't want to admit to it's 80s history.  But other TV shows and movies that had zero origins in the 80s and were concieved of in the early 90s are always called "80s" by kids.  i.e., The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air 

Bart Simpson is a very 80s character, the characters were actually household names in 1989 (before the series even aired) and definately 1990.  But despite this, I'll go ahead and say that this was a bit more of a 90s series.   ;)

Simpsons are nineties. Yeah, I know, Tracey Ullman..but that is not really the Simpsons we know now. The show premiered right before Christmas 1989..but another episode was not shown for over a monthm maybe longer. The Simpsons are still on of course, well into the 00's, but it is still an almost quintessential 90's phenomenon.

People like to pick and choose what is 80s and what isn't 80s.  I doesn't surprise me that the kids here don't want to count The Simpsons as being 80s, yet other stuff that began in the late 80s is always damned to being "ohmygawd, 80s!".  You feel like it's more yours, so you don't want to admit to it's 80s history.  But other TV shows and movies that had zero origins in the 80s and were concieved of in the early 90s are always called "80s" by kids.  i.e., The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air 

Bart Simpson is a very 80s character, the characters were actually household names in 1989 (before the series even aired) and definately 1990.  But despite this, I'll go ahead and say that this was a bit more of a 90s series.   ;)


Who calls Fresh Prince an 80s show?????

People like to pick and choose what is 80s and what isn't 80s.  I doesn't surprise me that the kids here don't want to count The Simpsons as being 80s, yet other stuff that began in the late 80s is always damned to being "ohmygawd, 80s!".  You feel like it's more yours, so you don't want to admit to it's 80s history.  But other TV shows and movies that had zero origins in the 80s and were concieved of in the early 90s are always called "80s" by kids.  i.e., The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air 

Bart Simpson is a very 80s character, the characters were actually household names in 1989 (before the series even aired) and definately 1990.  But despite this, I'll go ahead and say that this was a bit more of a 90s series.   ;)


*catches the stench of condescension in the air*

You realize, I hope, that a number of those who've responded are not "kids." TheWalkMan and I are 23... Dave79 is 28... and PED is almost 30.  ::)

Simpsons are nineties. Yeah, I know, Tracey Ullman..but that is not really the Simpsons we know now. The show premiered right before Christmas 1989..but another episode was not shown for over a monthm maybe longer. The Simpsons are still on of course, well into the 00's, but it is still an almost quintessential 90's phenomenon.


That's true, but I guess as an impressionable kid, seeing them on the Tracy Ullman show looking really freaky and then morphing into their current looks, it was rather startling and exciting, all the same. I think it borders on late '80s and early '90s.

People like to pick and choose what is 80s and what isn't 80s.  I doesn't surprise me that the kids here don't want to count The Simpsons as being 80s, yet other stuff that began in the late 80s is always damned to being "ohmygawd, 80s!".  You feel like it's more yours, so you don't want to admit to it's 80s history.  But other TV shows and movies that had zero origins in the 80s and were concieved of in the early 90s are always called "80s" by kids.  i.e., The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air 

Bart Simpson is a very 80s character, the characters were actually household names in 1989 (before the series even aired) and definately 1990.  But despite this, I'll go ahead and say that this was a bit more of a 90s series.  ;)


Let's analyze it a bit more closely. I think Homer and Marge belong more in the late 80s (as does Lisa, the classic conscientious, nerdy type) - Homer is sort of an Al Bundy/John Goodman character, while Marge is a pretty boring, every mother. Bart, I think, is unmistakeably from the period 1989-1991 - the comic books, slang.etc, as I mentioned, tells you that. But apart from that, the series doesn't identify too much with any period (just taking influences from when it was first conceptioned in the late 80s), but since all but a year or so of it's run was in the 90s, you couldn't classify the entire series as 80s by a long shot.

Let's analyze it a bit more closely. I think Homer and Marge belong more in the late 80s (as does Lisa, the classic conscientious, nerdy type) - Homer is sort of an Al Bundy/John Goodman character, while Marge is a pretty boring, every mother. Bart, I think, is unmistakeably from the period 1989-1991 - the comic books, slang.etc, as I mentioned, tells you that. But apart from that, the series doesn't identify too much with any period (just taking influences from when it was first conceptioned in the late 80s), but since all but a year or so of it's run was in the 90s, you couldn't classify the entire series as 80s by a long shot.

Yeah, Homer's more of a "goof" than Al Bundy, though. In some ways, I sorta see him as never having quite grown up sometimes (i.e. sleeping/goofing off at the power plant, skipping church to watch TV) which is part of his appeal/humor. He does have his moments of "smartness", but whereas guys like Bundy have some implied elements of, say, sexism in certain episodes, I couldn't quite see Homer capable of that.

Anyway, the series has evolved with time, but the "stereotypical" Simpsons are alot like Home Alone. It's a 1989-92 thing, it's certainly not '80s the way Charles in Charge or Duran Duran were, but has some 1989ish elements.

Bart's "Don't have a cow, man" early persona was sorta like an '80s kid, though.

Yeah, on second thoughts, the Al Bundy comparison wasn't that accurate (I spose I could be forgiven, as I haven't seen 'Married with Children' in over 12 years!). Homer is supposed to be representative of Middle America - he isn't entirely uncomfortable with women in positions of authority, or homosexuals (although his views aren't entirely consistent in every episode), yet sometimes he is quirkier/more open minded than the typical white, middle aged suburbanite male (but it is a cartoon, after all). Springfield is supposed to be a microcosm of America, and even in today's episodes, I still see it as a snapshot of life in America around the turn of the 80s/start of the 90s.

Yeah, on second thoughts, the Al Bundy comparison wasn't that accurate (I spose I could be forgiven, as I haven't seen 'Married with Children' in over 12 years!). Homer is supposed to be representative of Middle America - he isn't entirely uncomfortable with women in positions of authority, or homosexuals (although his views aren't entirely consistent in every episode), yet sometimes he is quirkier/more open minded than the typical white, middle aged suburbanite male (but it is a cartoon, after all). Springfield is supposed to be a microcosm of America, and even in today's episodes, I still see it as a snapshot of life in America around the turn of the 80s/start of the 90s.


Very much so. Yeah, even though they never say where Springfield is (and it's one of those recurring things in the series, which isn't totally consistent), it's meant to just be "anytown suburban Middle America".

I never was quite sure what to make of Homer's intelligence. It sways wildly on certain situations (like Beavis and Buttheads' do ;D ). I don't want to say he's dumb at all, but maybe just naive with some things, or just too into his own world.

Very much so. Yeah, even though they never say where Springfield is (and it's one of those recurring things in the series, which isn't totally consistent), it's meant to just be "anytown suburban Middle America".

I never was quite sure what to make of Homer's intelligence. It sways wildly on certain situations (like Beavis and Buttheads' do ;D ). I don't want to say he's dumb at all, but maybe just naive with some things, or just too into his own world.


Homer is categorically stupid - in a semi-endearing, semi-exasperating way. Bart, on the other hand, is a bit of a mystery. Sometimes he can be really clever and crafty (I could name many instances), but other times he is characterised as rather thick-headed like his father (like in 'Bart Gets an F', when ever when he isn't mucking around, he can't seem to grasp it), and many other epsodes. I tend to think Bart is actually of rather normal intelligence, but due to his ADHD.etc, is not capable of reaching these heights.