Be Thankful for All of "The Simpsons"

2016 is not so bad when every single "The Simpsons" is on in a row

Instead of talking about how rough 2016 has been, I want to talk about something that has made me very happy, that started yesterday. Once again, FXX has made a great, brilliant decision, and they are showing every "Simpsons" ever again. It is like the holidays have come early for me. I went out to have lunch with my wife's family for Thanksgiving yesterday, and when we got home, my wife turned on the TV, flipped to FXX, and there it was. I said to her, "oh, that's cool that they are showing "Simpsons" episodes today", but then she reminded me that yesterday was the start of the marathon. This made me very, very happy. I had totally forgotten that they were doing this again. With college football and the NBA in full swing, I completely spaced that FXX was doing this marathon. It was a wonderful surprise.

After we put our children down for nap/quiet time, we turned it on, and I was so pleasantly surprised that the first episode we watched was "The Crepes of Wrath". I rarely watch the older episodes, but when I do, I am reminded at how great this show truly is. "The Crepes of Wrath" is an all-timer in "The Simpsons" world. It is an awesome, funny, and even at the end, there is a touching moment. This episode shows everything that "The Simpsons" would, and could, become.

Then, as we settled in, we kept the TV on and watched episode after episode. When the kids came out of their rooms, we continued to watch. My son, who is 4, loves "The Simpsons". He has never really seen any of the early episodes, so it was kind of neat for him to see the show at its very beginning. He loved the episode where Homer and Marge go on a date, and the kids have the mean babysitter that they tie up and call the police on. He thought it was hilarious. Call me a bad parent if you want, but I'd much rather my son watch that besides "PJ Masks" or "Shimmer and Shine". At least "The Simpsons" is well written, thoughtful and can teach lessons, if the parent looks for them. The episode with the babysitter showed me, and my son, to stand up for yourself. For example, the babysitter, voiced excellently by Penny Marshall, was a bully, and it showed that you should not take any crap from bullies. All three children stood up for themselves, got together and took a stand against a mean person, and they prevailed. I feel like that is a much better lesson than anything on another little kids TV show on Disney Jr. So, yeah, my 4-year-old was more than happy to sit there and watch "The Simpsons" with us. This makes him extra cool, and let me tell you, my son is pretty god damn cool.

This was my 1 year old's first time being cognizant of "The Simpsons". It has been on in our house, but she never sat still long enough, or was sleeping when it was on. But yesterday, when Bart and Lisa and Maggie where watching the "Little Elves" show, she was glued to the screen. She thought it was funny and exciting. Then, when they went to Bart and Lisa arguing about the show, my daughter was still on board. She loved the interactions between the kids. She was laughing, looking at me and my wife, then looking back at the screen and laughing some more. Then, when she saw Maggie, sucking on her pacifier, she got much more happy. I swear she thought she was looking at a cartoon version of herself. She walks around the house, pacifier in mouth at most times, so she was very pleased to see someone that resembled her. Again, call me a bad parent if you want, but I adore the fact that my 2 children are advanced and smart enough to love this show that I have been watching since I was my son's age. They have great taste, even if my son deviates and watches Disney Jr occasionally.

But, getting away from why my kids rule, again, I was so happy to watch these early episodes once again. "The Simpsons" has been so successful and wonderful since it has been on the air. This is one of the smartest shows that television has ever aired. I have learned more from "The Simpsons" than I ever learned in high school. I have mentioned that fact on the podcast many times. The writing on this show is impeccable. The jokes are laugh out loud funny, but, they can give you heartfelt moments at any time. There are all different types of episodes too. There's drama, sci-fi, political, religious, sports, but above all, comedic episodes. "The Simpsons" can do no wrong, and I will debate this until the day I die.

I guess this blog is my long winded way of giving many thanks to FXX. They have made me so happy two times in the past 2 years. I love the fact that I can turn on my TV at any time for the next 6-10 days, and see "The Simpsons". I hope they continue to do stuff like this, and it is great to have the best television show ever back on TV for your viewing pleasure at any time. Now that I have finished this, I'm going to go back and watch some more great episodes of "The Simpsons". I suggest you all do the same.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is far and away the most cromulent writer on all the internets. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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