Two American Kids Doin' Best They Can

Last night I was taking a break from a project and I flipped on the television and was able to unwind to an episode of The Simpsons. Later I saw a commercial about their upcoming episode of the annual “Tree House of Horrors.” It was at this point that my mind began to wander.

I can still remember the very first episode of The Simpsons I ever watched. My friend recorded it in 5th grade and gave me the tape at school. I had to wait for my parents to be gone to watch it cause they didn’t like it at all. They felt that is was inappropriate for kids. (the episode in question was the one in which the head of the town founder was cut off the statue in the town square.) But as I tought about this I wondered how far have we come. Simpsons is no a moral vacuum that parents fear. In fact characters like Ned Flanders are praised for their devotion and good deeds. How far has our idea of entertainment sunk that The Simpsons are now considered good quality family entertainment?

Don’t get me wrong I love that crazy household, but as one of the longest running series of all time you can really see all the things that have changed since they began.

(Heading lyrics – Jack & Diane, by John Mellencamp)