{"id":32814,"date":"2014-05-20T00:00:34","date_gmt":"2014-05-20T07:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.todayifoundout.com\/?p=32814"},"modified":"2014-05-20T16:16:07","modified_gmt":"2014-05-20T23:16:07","slug":"day-history-may-20th","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.todayifoundout.com\/index.php\/2014\/05\/day-history-may-20th\/","title":{"rendered":"This Day in History: May 20th"},"content":{"rendered":"

This Day In History<\/a> May 20, 2005<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"the-simpsons\"<\/a>On May 20, 2005, The Simpsons<\/em> aired its 400th episode, earning the distinction of being the longest running series in television history. Not bad for a show that started as a cartoon used between sketches for a comedy series.<\/p>\n

Simpson\u2019s creator Matt Groening got the gig on \u201cThe Tracey Ullman Show\u201d in 1987 after producer James L. Brooks came across his twisted comic strip \u201cLife in Hell.\u201d Brooks convinced the executives at Fox that The Simpsons<\/em> would be a hit as a half-hour animated sitcom (something that hadn\u2019t been done since The Flintstones<\/em>) and the series made its debut in December of 1989 with a special Christmas episode called \u201cSimpsons Roasting on an Open Fire.\u201d<\/p>\n

When the Simpsons joined the prime-time line-up, all the other sitcoms such as the The Cosby Show<\/em>, Growing Pains<\/em>, and Full House<\/em> featured perfect families living perfect lives. Not the Simpson clan. They were headed by an oafish, self-centered, beer-swilling dad and an enabling, co-dependent mom, a sociopathic, manipulative son, a gifted yet whiny daughter, and a baby that would probably run away if able. The Huxtables they weren\u2019t.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to imagine now, but at the time the Simpsons were considered questionable, controversial, and even vulgar. Schools were banning kids from wearing Simpsons T-shirts to school, and even President Bush got in on the act when he was running for re-election in 1992. He told prospective voters he wanted American families to be \u201ca lot more like the Waltons and a lot less like the Simpsons.” Showrunner Al Jean\u2019s response was, \u201cTo say Americans should be like the Waltons \u2026 well, they were a very sad family with no money.”<\/p>\n

Clearly, this was years before Eric Cartman killed his enemy\u2019s parents, cut them up, and fed then to his nemesis in a bowl of chili. Ah, how innocent we all were in the early \u201890s.<\/p>\n

Speaking of the early \u201890s, by then The Simpsons<\/em> were beating the The Cosby Show<\/em>, NBC\u2019s hugely popular sitcom, in the ratings. This marked a significant turning point for the show, and signaled to Al Jean and the rest of the Simpsons staffers that, \u201cGee, we aren’t going anywhere. We’re staying.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the years, The Simpsons<\/em> went from a tacky, lowbrow cartoon to a critically acclaimed must-see mainstream pop-culture phenomenon. The show has earn at least 27 Emmys, Time magazine has dubbed it the 20th century’s best TV series, and it has spawned many millions of dollars in merchandizing. Homer\u2019s catchphrase, the always useful \u201cD\u2019oh!\u201d is now included in the Oxford English Dictionary. No, really.<\/p>\n

After 25 years, there are critics who moan that the show has lost its luster and lacks the spark, wit and focus of the earlier seasons. The Guardian\u2019s Ian Jones wrote in 2007 that \u201cThe Simpsons of today revels in big, stupid antics, one-note gags and obvious plot twists,\u201d but to be fair, there were fans complaining that the series was going downhill as early as season two.<\/p>\n

The Simpsons<\/em> paved the way for all the other adult-oriented animated series that followed such as South Park<\/em>, Beavis and Butthead<\/em>, Family Guy<\/em>, King of the Hill<\/em>, and countless others. Bart may seem pretty tame when compared to a Stewie or especially a character like Cartman, but there are legions of fans that insist even after all these years, The Simpsons<\/em> is the Best. Show. Ever. And, as General Disarray lamented to Professor Chaos (a.k.a. Butters) in South Park<\/em>, no doubt reflecting the creators’ own frustrations with coming up with plots for the show, regardless of what plan Professor Chaos came up with, “Simpsons did it!”\u00a0 In fact, when South Park<\/em> produced their 200th episode, the crew over at The Simpsons<\/em> sent them a congratulatory note with the message “Congratulations on 200 Episodes. (We Already Did It.) (Twice.)”<\/p>\n

If you liked this article, you might also enjoy our new popular podcast, The BrainFood Show (iTunes<\/a>, Spotify<\/a>, Google Play Music<\/a>, Feed<\/a>), as well as:<\/p>\n