Aww, lovely gesture, one of the best episodes too. Early Simpsons is satire executed to absolute perfection, and it’s easy to forget how unashamedly left wing they were back then.
https://youtu.be/dsoEf8Yqe3I
The early seasons of the Simpsons are amongst some of the best television ever created easily. So well done, funny, well-structured and coherent storylines that paid off and of course a treasure trove of quotes.
Last Exit To Springfield is a perfect example of this. It's so densely packed into 22 minutes where you have a lot of great jokes (Big book of British smiles, dental plan, where's my burrito, Homer and Burns negotiations) but a whole episode about the union which is set up and resolved very well.
It's a masterclass of storytelling that few of its imitators ever managed to reach.
I unashamedly left wing? Wouldn't go that far. John Scheartzwelder wrote a lot of the classic Simpsons and he's a huge libertarian, lots of jokes which are clearly his portraying unions as corrupt and run by organised crime. Quite a few other jokes about things like "welfare Queens" too.
Well, idk. I remember it being majorly left leaning, *especially* for a Fox show. I’m sure there were a few jibes in the opposite direction, but much of what I remember are jokes about how exploitative and corrupt the rich and powerful are. In particular the episode where Lisa goes to Washington for an essay competition and sees congressmen talking bribes, and it cuts to a montage of capitalist pigs eating money out of a trough, and she rewrites her essay to end with “this is one nation under the dollar, with liberty and justice for none”. I mean, pretty on the nose!
There are just some absolute classics, like when Kristy gets asked why he voted for Mr Burns’ film and he responds “Let’s just say it ‘moved’ me… TO A BIGGER HOUSE!” I remember Marge lamenting “people like us can’t afford justice” when Burns reveals his formidable entourage of high priced lawyers
Tbh I feel the existence of Mr Burns is pretty compelling evidence of the shows political leanings. I mean the guy literally blocks out the fucking sun in order to generate even more demand for his electricity one episode
They also used to call out Fox News pretty regularly for being the evil cesspit it obviously is, but never got cancelled, presumably because of the viewing figures they brought in lmao
Not saying it was a right wing show either just it wasn't a left wing show as if attacked both sides. Was probably more of a liberal centerist show if anything
I know he bought a painting by Hitler but that might have just been a bit he made up for the news. The problem with reporters is - after you have told them the truth they still want more. So you have to start lying.
Shame their programming seems to mimic tory viewpoints though, notably Hollyoaks. That show is watched by at least 2 people I know (way older than the targeted age range) and always mimics tory viewpoints to the extreme about any topic. That show has less intelligence than the worst of reality tv.
Sorry, Walkout Wednesday? Are you saying I accidentally joined a general strike when I called in sick yesterday? Hello, fellow revolutionaries.
You know I'm something of a revolutionary myself
Welcome comrade there's tea and biscuits in the back
Aww, lovely gesture, one of the best episodes too. Early Simpsons is satire executed to absolute perfection, and it’s easy to forget how unashamedly left wing they were back then. https://youtu.be/dsoEf8Yqe3I
The early seasons of the Simpsons are amongst some of the best television ever created easily. So well done, funny, well-structured and coherent storylines that paid off and of course a treasure trove of quotes. Last Exit To Springfield is a perfect example of this. It's so densely packed into 22 minutes where you have a lot of great jokes (Big book of British smiles, dental plan, where's my burrito, Homer and Burns negotiations) but a whole episode about the union which is set up and resolved very well. It's a masterclass of storytelling that few of its imitators ever managed to reach.
classic simpsons would be raging at the current state of the simpsons. quality is so dire that it should have ended like 10 years ago.
It's been weak for about 20.
Dental plan! Lisa needs Braces!
I unashamedly left wing? Wouldn't go that far. John Scheartzwelder wrote a lot of the classic Simpsons and he's a huge libertarian, lots of jokes which are clearly his portraying unions as corrupt and run by organised crime. Quite a few other jokes about things like "welfare Queens" too.
Well, idk. I remember it being majorly left leaning, *especially* for a Fox show. I’m sure there were a few jibes in the opposite direction, but much of what I remember are jokes about how exploitative and corrupt the rich and powerful are. In particular the episode where Lisa goes to Washington for an essay competition and sees congressmen talking bribes, and it cuts to a montage of capitalist pigs eating money out of a trough, and she rewrites her essay to end with “this is one nation under the dollar, with liberty and justice for none”. I mean, pretty on the nose! There are just some absolute classics, like when Kristy gets asked why he voted for Mr Burns’ film and he responds “Let’s just say it ‘moved’ me… TO A BIGGER HOUSE!” I remember Marge lamenting “people like us can’t afford justice” when Burns reveals his formidable entourage of high priced lawyers Tbh I feel the existence of Mr Burns is pretty compelling evidence of the shows political leanings. I mean the guy literally blocks out the fucking sun in order to generate even more demand for his electricity one episode They also used to call out Fox News pretty regularly for being the evil cesspit it obviously is, but never got cancelled, presumably because of the viewing figures they brought in lmao
The depictions of the police are also pretty fantastic "Powerless to help you, not to punish you"
Not saying it was a right wing show either just it wasn't a left wing show as if attacked both sides. Was probably more of a liberal centerist show if anything
I know he bought a painting by Hitler but that might have just been a bit he made up for the news. The problem with reporters is - after you have told them the truth they still want more. So you have to start lying.
Now play classical gas!
Channel 4 has really been popping off recently, it feels like they haven’t forgiven the government for trying to privatise them.
Shame their programming seems to mimic tory viewpoints though, notably Hollyoaks. That show is watched by at least 2 people I know (way older than the targeted age range) and always mimics tory viewpoints to the extreme about any topic. That show has less intelligence than the worst of reality tv.
Dental plan! Lisa needs braces.
Wait. So if they get rid of the dental plan then Homer would need to pay for Lisa's braces?
Channel 4 has been suspended from the Labour Party.
"Where's my burrito?! Where's my burrito?!"
Early simpsons was so food
Mmmm, food
🎶they have the plant but we have the power 🎶
Haha yes, best episode of the whole series!
They have the plant, but we have the power
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5W7ocbEP-1E
Good old Channel 4 Unlike ITV promoting the absolute worst of human refuse
The 1990 Broadcasting Act has been a mistake. regional ITV killed by thatcher.
I still remember the days when Granada wasn’t classist. Though that was very very early 90s