The Simpsons

On January 31st, The Simpsons returned after a brief hiatus with an episode entitled “Million Dollar Maybe.” Having seen all 20 previous seasons of the show repeatedly, I tune into The Simpsons each week not so much in the hopes of being surprised and delighted by at least some amount of pitch-perfect writing – that’s a given – but more in anticipation of catching up with a very old and familiar friend. The satirical blog “Stuff White People Like” listed The Simpsons back in 2008, saying, “You have to be prepared to list the specific period in which you enjoyed the show or else you might be seen as someone with poor taste.” Indeed, the program seems to be undergoing some sort of reverse aging process, becoming less staid and rather more hyperactive, but I personally have few difficulties remaining a loyal fan.

“Million Dollar Maybe” starts out with Homer and Marge rehearsing a musical wedding toast together. Predictably, Homer fails to show up to the wedding in question. After cracking open a fortune cookie that tells him it’s his “lucky day,” he stops off at the Kwik-E-Mart for a lotto ticket before speeding off and getting into an accident on the way to the ceremony. Homer wins the lotto jackpot but is unwilling to tell Marge the reason for his having to speed in the first place, so he keeps his winnings a secret and surreptitiously spends the money on things that his family wants or needs – a washing machine, tickets to the philharmonic, etcetera. The subplot finds Lisa buying a “Zii” for the senior citizens at the retirement home, which allows them to enjoy virtual tennis games.

In the spirit of other recent episodes, “Million Dollar Maybe” is simply a cheerful hodgepodge of clever jokes. It doesn’t have the philosophic depth that a surprising number of earlier episodes do possess – “Bart of Darkness,” for example, in which Bart sells his soul and embarks on a desperate quest to regain it – and is less quotable and more forgettable. It delivers the inevitable moral, but it feels obligatory and therefore a bit forced. It probably doesn’t help that the same moral (love conquers all, or some version thereof) has been hashed out hundreds of times. I think I can safely say that next week’s episode will convey the same messages. In short, The Simpsons seems to be getting lazier.

Of course, I have seen the show so many times that I may just be getting tired of it, even if I don’t want to admit it. To a more casual viewer, The Simpsons may be as fresh as ever. Either way, I’m not about to stop watching – although I occasionally long for the days when Bart was still saying “cowabunga, dude.”

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CelebSelect

Danielle Panabaker's Top Pop Picks
- Favorite Band: The Avett Brothers
  
  "I'm really into the Avett Brothers as of late."
- Favorite Book: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
  
  "My girlfriends are I - we are very nerdy. We started a book club and the first book we read was Gone Girl."
- Favorite New Movie: Silver Linings Playbook
  
  "I thought it was a great film and I thought Jennifer Lawrence was incredible, you know those angry tears, I've certainly experienced that."
Paul Van Dyk: Current Favorites
- School of the Seven Bells
  
  The New York-based band unites Benjamin Curtis of "Secret Machines" and Alejandra Deheza. Formed in 2007, the duo is named after a mythical South American pickpocket training academy of the same name.
- Linkin Park
  
  The Californian rock veterans have come a long way since 'Hybrid Theory.' Back now with their fifth studio album in over a decade, 'Living Things' is one of Paul Van Dyck's favorite albums this year.
- Jupiter Jones
  
  The German punk rock band formed in 2002, but has already released several LPs, including an eponymously-named album in 2011.
- Depeche Mode
  
  The legendary Essex electronic band from the 80s remains a classic for Van Dyk. It was also recently among 'Q' magazine's "50 Bands That Changed The World!".
Cody Simpson
- Favorite Movie
  I'm still really into the Ocean's series. I got into them recently. I was always too young to watch them.
- Favorite Book
  This book called Contest by Matthew Reilly, he's an Australian author.
- Favorite Album
  Drake's Take Care — big fan of that
- Favorite TV Show
  The Mentalist
Styx's Lawrence Gowan
- Bossypants by Tina Fey
  
  "That’s got me laughing hysterically on airplanes."
- Making Mirrors by Goyte
  
  "I thought that was a tremendous record."
- The Artist
  
  "It really impressed me."
- Keane
  
  "They’re really strong."
90210's Michael Steger: My Favorite Stuff
- Favorite TV Show: Rome
  
  HBO's series starring Cirian Hinds
- Favorite Album: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
  
  "Either that or The Gypsy Kings."
- Favorite Book: The Fountainhead
  
  "Probably my favorite book of all time."
- Favorite New Movie: Attack The Block
  
  “It reminded me of The Goonies.”