The Simpsons: 10 Golden Age Episodes That Foreshadowed Its Decline
9. Bart Gets Famous
A little bit of a meta inclusion perhaps, but it’s sad that The Simpsons used to be not only so self aware, but so pop culture savvy. Now they’ve lost all of that, resorting to gimmicks, catchphrases and their sizeable legacy to stay afloat. The Simpsons (Homer in particular) have become the ‘I Didn’t Do It’ Boy.
In Bart Gets Famous, he climbs to the top of show business accidentally, ruining Krusty’s sketch then quipping, ‘I didn’t do it’. He becomes a flash in the pan celebrity, but is desperate for more, even going on a chat show with (former Simpsons writer) Conan O’Brien to show himself to be a fully rounded person. This ultimately fails, and he fades back into obscurity.
It’s a storyline they turn to again with Homer in Season 11’s Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder, where he bowls a perfect game. They mix it with All About Eve for All About Lisa in Season 19 but neither hit Bart Gets Famous’ heights.
This one doesn’t so much foreshadow the decline as it does play out the narrative of where the show is heading, churning out catchphrases until the audience turns off.