'Simpsons' fails to garner deserved comedic honors

This week Emmys were handed out to shows the Academy deemed worthy. But as the writers of "The Simpsons" have been quick to point out in episode-after-episode, these awards have very little validity. For one, "The Simpsons" has never been nominated, let alone won an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series. Yes, the show often wins the award for Outstanding Animated Series (as it did this year) in a ceremony held two weeks before the televised prime time Emmys, but this is hardly compensation.

So, while the mediocre "Frasier" set the record for most consecutive Emmy wins (five) for a comedy series, the creators of "The Simpsons" have to sit back and revel in the fact that they have borne, nevertheless, the best show on television. Scratch that. "The Simpsons" is the second greatest show in the history of television - behind David Lynch's "Twin Peaks."

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox The ever-quintessential American family portrait.

Though the series has had some rough spots in the last two years, between the '92 and '96 seasons there was nary a poor episode. "The Simpsons" creators' commitment to blending satire and parody has elevated the standard that half-hour comedy must live up to. Thanks to its animated format (or perhaps despite it), "The Simpsons" have tackled difficult subject matter - illegal immigrants, the failure of the two-party democratic system, Middle America's unwillingness to accept homosexuals - that so-called "intelligent" live-action comedies won't go near.

"The Simpsons'" wit and intelligence has influenced a new wave of adult cartoons in the United States. Both "King of the Hill" and "South Park" are two of the funniest and best shows on the airwaves.

With its 10th season starting Sunday, "The Simpsons" is the longest running sitcom on television. And the season premiere proves that it certainly hasn't lost any of its creative thunder.

The episode revolves around Homer coming to the conclusion that he's accomplished nothing in his 39 years - despite participating in a space mission, fighting in a heavyweight championship bout, winning a Grammy and fathering three children. This results in Homer idolizing Thomas Edison, quitting his job and becoming an inventor.

In the midst of this, Homer manages not to understand a Bill Clinton sex scandal joke (with amazing foresight by the show's writers, seeing as one show takes six to eight months to complete), reveals that an ugly incident has left him barred from the public library and tells Bart and Lisa, "Both of you go to your rooms and spank yourselves."

On Homer's quest to become a respected inventor, the show's writers manage to throw in some brilliant comic asides - a trademark of "The Simpsons" - with the subject matter ranging from "Knightriders'" KIT to a Lazyman Reclining Toilet Chair. Despite this, the show manages to say something about feeling like a nobody.

Homer represents the everyman for who life has passed by with little fanfare. Because his life has been consumed by television, he strives to have the perfect life of a television character. With television characters having access to money and a way of life most humans never will, that ubiquitous little box has created an unreal expectation.

As such, when Homer comments "I need to be more like Thomas Edison," and bores everyone with the facts of Edison's life, it's not only funny, but also poignant. Homer Simpson has learned it's not enough to be a good husband and father - he has to accomplish something worthy of getting his face on a stamp.

In an era when movie and television executives too often pander to the lowest common denominator, going for the cheap thrill rather than tickling the intellect and entertaining at the same time, "The Simpsons" prove that quality and smarts can be popular if given a chance. Not that the Emmy voters know that.

09-18-98