The Martlet

I am 20 years old, and at an age when I am not supposed to feel old. But Bart Simpson turning 20 gives me the urge to put a baseball cap on backwards and start skateboarding. Or, take up the guitar.

This is what pop culture does: it immerses, conquers the brain and spits you out with no recognition of time until Fox decides to tell you that 20 years have gone by.

It seems like just yesterday that Homer stopped the Monorail with a lasso tied to an M which gets stuck to a gigantic Doughnut (not to mention the priceless cameo by Leonard Nimoy) — but that was already 16 seasons ago.

In it’s 20th anniversary, there is really no way to judge the significance The Simpsons had to pop culture. From being the launch pad of prominent comedic television writers, to the social commentary that it provides, there are countless books and websites that try to accumulate the Simpsons’ universe.

Many people laugh at the mere mention of, “Dental Plan, Lisa Needs Braces.” And 52,000 Youtube views can attest to that. I don’t know what Matt Groening was thinking when he created the show 20 years ago, but I do know that it was vital to my first few years in Canada and helping me learn an alien language (and I think a lot of other immigrants can vouch for that).

I know that it changed the way we view cartoons, from simply moving pictures for children to the edgiest programming on TV. It also changed the way social commentary and social accountability is handled by Hollywood.

Am I giving this one program too much credit? Perhaps. But it is crazy to imagine a world without The Simpsons. Not a lot of things get to that level, with Wikipedia and Facebook recently making the list.

Although the quality of the episodes have declined recently, I have given a few new episodes a try and must say there is still some charm left in the adventures of Bart, Homer, Lisa, Marge and Maggie. They are like the home that we know will always be there for us. Best of all, they are always just a click away. As the 450th episode credits rolled, a message in the sky told us what we hope stays true.

Thanks for the 20 wonderful years. The best is yet to come.