History YMMV / TheSimpsons

** Likewise, [[ComicBook/TheSimpsons the comics]] initially started out as a recurring feature in ''Simpsons Illustrated''[[note]]a short-lived companion magazine from 1991-93 that also featured (among other things) cast and crew interviews, news related to the show, [[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers and even]] an original, separate comic strip by Creator/CraigBartlett (who is Creator/MattGroening's brother in law) that featured the titlular character from his future TV series ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' for Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}. The magazine's title would be [[RecycledTitle repurposed]] in 2012 for a series that reprinted earlier Bongo Comics issues[[/note]], and the popularity of its final issue (which was a one-shot consisting entirely of comics) lead to the establishment of Creator/BongoComics shortly after, with the comics themselves lasting a good 25 years.

** Even many ''Simpsons'' fans describe ''JustForFun/TheItchyAndScratchyShow'', a parody of cat and mouse cartoons like ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' and ''WesternAnimation/HermanAndKatnip'', as a psychotic cat and mouse trying to kill one another, or even that the series mimics the typical structure of the cat being the aggressor and the mouse defending himself. Though EarlyInstallmentWeirdness (particularly their appearances in the ''Tracy Ullman'' era) implied this to be the case, the series quickly settled on the gag being that Scratchy is ''never'' the aggressor and rarely even fights back, with Itchy seemingly murdering him for kicks.

** It's been claimed Lisa is the AuthorAvatar for Creator/MattGroening. In fact, Groening's had little creative input on the show ever since he started working on ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}''. The only time he actually wrote for her was the Tracy Ullman shorts, when she was Bart's DistaffCounterpart.

** The writers' decision to have Moe get engaged to former GirlOfTheWeek Maya in [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS33E4TheWayzWeWere "The Wayz We Were"]] was... divisive. While the majority of fans liked the ''idea'' of Moe [[ThrowTheDogABone getting a wife]], many felt that Maya was a SatelliteLoveInterest with [[FlatCharacter no personality outside of being a little person]]. Instead, the majority of ''Simpsons'' fans prefer to ship Moe with the similarly unlucky-in-love Selma Bouvier, a pairing which WebVideo/TheRealJims made a very convincing case for in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYZ91NskAS4 one of his videos]]. It helps that if Moe married Selma, he'd ''literally'' be the Simpson kids' "Uncle Moe".

** Hubert Wong is often disliked by fans for being a one-note rival to Lisa, and a blatant SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute for [[EnsembleDarkhorse Alison]]. It doesn't help that one of his few significant appearances depicted him as a slimy CorruptCorporateExcecutive and RomanticFalseLead, making him very difficult to root for or sympathise with.

** Hubert Wong is often disliked by fans for being a one-note rival to Lisa, and a blatant SuspciouslySimilarSubstituite for [[EnsembleDarkhorse Alison]]. It doesn't help that one of his few significant appearences depicted him as a slimy CorruptCorperateExcecutive and RomanticFalseLead, making him very difficult to root for or sympathise.

*** There is a very small, somewhat VocalMinority that believe the show stopped being good after season ''five'', and that the show should have ended around that point. While such a claim is absolutely insane to many fans, the style of humor and focus of the show did change somewhat noticeably around that time. Most of the original writing staff left after Season 4 ended, and the new showrunner for seasons 5 and 6, David Mirkin, was far more focused on more outrageous jokes and situations. If one watched the show from the very beginning, and enjoyed the show for its more subtle comedy and down-to-earth relatability, such a shift might turn off said viewers. However, even THESE viewers will almost always claim Season 6-10 were far superior in quality to those afterward.

** Though the show has frequently showed Mr. Burns dating women and turning down [[IgnoredEnamoredUnderling Waylon Smithers]]’ advances, and episodes like “The Burns Cage” and “Portrait of a Lackey On Fire” have showed Smithers dating someone besides Mr. Burns, Burns x Smithers is ''the'' most popular ship in the ''Simpsons'' fandom, with more fanfics written about it than any other '’Simpsons'' ship on Archive Of Our Own. In fact, a few casual fans of the show have mistaken Burns and Smithers for mutual gay lovers.

** Due to Ralph Wiggum's famous comment in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS10E7LisaGetsAnA Lisa Gets An 'A']]", Superintendent Chalmers is often referred to as "[[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem Super Nintendo]] Chalmers", or occasionally "SNES".

** Also from ''The Simpsons'', [[ViolentGlaswegian Groundskeeper Willie]] is very popular in -- yep, you guessed it -- Scotland. Representatives of Aberdeen and Glasgow [[http://www.scotsman.com/news/civic-war-centres-on-simpsons-star-1-1352999 fought to have their respective cities recognised as his hometown]] and Glasgow City Council grudgingly removed him from their list of "Famous Glaswegians" when it was made official in-universe that he hailed from Kirkwall, Orkney. This is also thought to have given Orkney a tourism boost in the following years.

* MexicansLoveSpeedyGonzales: A strange thing about Apu is that while he has been criticized by Indian-Americans or rather South Asian Americans (since even Pakistanis and Bangladeshis who aren't Indians are confused for the stereotype and accent), Apu is well-liked in India itself for the fact that Apu was one of the few Indian-origin characters in American TV, and that he was in the context of his time, non-stereotypical i.e. not defined entirely by religion, not overtly submissive, and generally shown with the same flaws and quirks as any Springfielder, compared to most Indian characters in Western media.

* LGBTFanbase: In recent years, ''The Simpsons'' has gained a substantial queer fanbase, because not only is there a lot of HoYay (especially between Burns and Smithers, Carl and Lenny, and Skinner and Chalmers), ''The Simpsons'' has been advocating for gay rights and featuring gay characters ever since Season 2, and the Season 7 episode "Homer’s Phobia" had a very clear-cut GayAesop during a time where that was very rare on television. In addition, the two most prominent gay characters on the show, Smithers and Patty, are regular people with traits outside of their sexuality and not over-the-top stereotypes, especially when you compare them to gay characters from later adult cartoons (such as Bruce and Jasper from ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', Mr. Slave and Big Gay Al from ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', and Xandir Wifflebottom from ''WesternAnimation/DrawnTogether''). In fact, some of the gay jokes on the show are so subdued that they are often mistaken for bona-fide ShipTease by younger viewers.

* HollywoodHomely: Selma and Patty are presented as being extremely unattractive [[InUniverse in the show]], but they don't look substantially different from their sister Marge, who's considered to be beautiful.

** Lisa is the AuthorAvatar for Matt Groening. Groening's had little creative input on the show ever since he started working on {{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}. The only time he actually wrote for her was the Tracy Ullman shorts, when she was Bart's DistaffCounterpart.
** The death of Maude Flanders is a direct result of Maggie Roswell leaving the show. Maude got TheOtherDarrin treatment for about a year.

* LGBTFanbase: In recent years, ''The Simpsons'' has gained a substantial queer fanbase, because not only is there a lot of HoYay (especially between Burns and Smithers, Carl and Lenny, and Skinner and Chalmers), ''The Simpsons'' has been advocating for gay rights and featuring gay characters ever since Season 2, and the Season 7 episode "Homer’s Phobia" had a very clear-cut GayAesop during a time where that was very rare in animation. In addition, the two most prominent gay characters on the show, Smithers and Patty, are regular people with traits outside of their sexuality and not over-the-top stereotypes, especially when you compare them to gay characters from later adult cartoons (such as Bruce and Jasper from ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', Mr. Slave and Big Gay Al from ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', and Xandir Wifflebottom from ''WesternAnimation/DrawnTogether''). In fact, some of the gay jokes on the show are so subdued that they are often mistaken for bona-fide ShipTease by younger viewers.

* ItsTheSameNowItSucks: The recurring BreakUpToMakeUp plot between Homer and Marge from the early seasons was revived after Homer TookALevelInJerkass during the Al Jean years. While it was supposed [[WhyWouldAnyoneTakeHimBack to make the audience wonder why someone would put up with him]], Marge increasingly became portrayed as extremely vindictive, to the point where [[UnintentionallyUnsympathetic she began looking like the abusive one at times]].

* PeripheryDemographic: ''The Simpsons'' is very popular amongst {{vaporwave}} fans and artists.

** Early on, Principal Skinner was not discussed much, and while his episodes were generally praised, he didn't have a fervent fanbase. Then "The Principal and the Pauper" came out and revealed that he was an imposter named Armin Tamzarian who took the place of the real Seymour Skinner, which turned his entire pre-established characterization on its head and created all sorts of disturbing implications in the process. This episode is widely considered the point at which the "Simpsons Golden Age" ended and the "[[AudienceAlienatingEra Simpsons Dark Age]]" began. The shadow of the Tamzarian twist loomed large over Skinner for many years, and it was very hard to discuss him in ''Simpsons'' fandom without getting into debates over whether said twist added more depth to his character, or completely ruined it. The fact that the Dark Age would go on to use Skinner as a punching bag (breaking up his relationship with Edna Krabappel, [[{{Flanderization}} making Bart’s pranks on him even nastier]], and having him undergo severe BadassDecay) only made things worse. However, during the 2010s, Skinner would become a FountainOfMemes, and one particular meme involving him, “[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS7E2122ShortFilmsAboutSpringfield Steamed Hams]]”, caused a NewbieBoom of young fans to discover ''The Simpsons'' and adore it. And to a modern audience, Skinner ended up coming off as more sympathetic than he was intended to be in the past[[note]]for instance, living with one’s parents has become more common after the housing crisis, making Skinner’s struggles with his [[MyBelovedSmother beloved smother]] relatable to many millennials and zoomers; likewise, conditions like PTSD are treated with a lot more weight now, so while Skinner’s Vietnam flashbacks were PlayedForLaughs back then, to a modern audiences it makes him come across as a [[TheWoobie Woobie]][[/note]]. Not to mention, these new fans had the advantage of coming in after Matt Groening had declared "The Principal and the Pauper" to be non-canonical. Nowadays, Skinner is a ''massive'' EnsembleDarkhorse, and is so widely beloved that Universal Studios [[https://www.reddit.com/r/UniversalOrlando/comments/159rqgv/you_can_buy_carnival_prizes_skinner_was_5120/ has begun producing and selling plush toys of him]], which is a big deal for a human character that isn’t conventionally "cute".

** During the early years of ''The Simpsons'', Principal Skinner was not discussed much, and while his episodes were generally praised, he didn't have a fervent fanbase. Then "The Principal and the Pauper" came out and revealed that he was an imposter named Armin Tamzarian who took the place of the real Seymour Skinner, which turned his entire pre-established characterization on its head and created all sorts of disturbing implications in the process. This episode is widely considered the point at which the "Simpsons Golden Age" ended and the "[[AudienceAlienatingEra Simpsons Dark Age]]" began. The shadow of the Tamzarian twist loomed large over Skinner for many years, and it was very hard to discuss him in ''Simpsons'' fandom without getting into debates over whether said twist added more depth to his character, or completely ruined it. The fact that the Dark Age would go on to use Skinner as a punching bag (breaking up his relationship with Edna Krabappel, [[{{Flanderization}} making Bart’s pranks on him even nastier]], and having him undergo severe BadassDecay) only made things worse. However, during the 2010s, Skinner would become a FountainOfMemes, and one particular meme involving him, “[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS7E2122ShortFilmsAboutSpringfield Steamed Hams]]”, caused a NewbieBoom of young fans to discover ''The Simpsons'' and adore it. Due to the meme and his traits coming off as more sympathetic to a modern audience than they were intended to be in the past[[note]]for instance, living with one’s parents has become more common after the housing crisis, making Skinner’s struggles with his [[MyBelovedSmother beloved smother]] relatable to many millennials and zoomers; likewise, conditions like PTSD are treated with a lot more weight now, so while Skinner’s Vietnam flashbacks were PlayedForLaughs back then, to a modern audiences it makes him come across as a [[TheWoobie Woobie]].[[/note]]. Not to mention, these new fans had the advantage of coming in after Matt Groening had declared "The Principal and the Pauper" to be non-canonical. Nowadays, Skinner is a ''massive'' EnsembleDarkhorse, and is so widely beloved that Universal Studios [[https://www.reddit.com/r/UniversalOrlando/comments/159rqgv/you_can_buy_carnival_prizes_skinner_was_5120/ has begun producing and selling plush toys of him]], which is a big deal for a non-"cute" human character.

** The reputation of Principal Seymour Skinner, however, had an almost inverse trajectory to what happened to Apu, going from a divisive character to a widely beloved one. During the early years of ''The Simpsons'', Principal Skinner was not discussed much, and while his episodes were generally praised, he didn't have a fervent fanbase. Then "The Principal and the Pauper" came out and revealed that he was an imposter named Armin Tamzarian who took the place of the real Seymour Skinner, which turned his entire pre-established characterization on its head and created all sorts of disturbing implications in the process. This episode is widely considered the point at which the "Simpsons Golden Age" ended and the "[[AudienceAlienatingEra Simpsons Dark Age]]" began. The shadow of the Tamzarian twist loomed large over Skinner for many years, and it was very hard to discuss him in ''Simpsons'' fandom without getting into debates over whether said twist added more depth to his character, or completely ruined it. The fact that the Dark Age would go on to use Skinner as a punching bag (breaking up his relationship with Edna Krabappel, [[{{Flanderization}} making Bart’s pranks on him even nastier]], and having him undergo severe BadassDecay) only made things worse. However, during the 2010s, Skinner would become a FountainOfMemes, and one particular meme involving him, “[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS7E2122ShortFilmsAboutSpringfield Steamed Hams]]”, caused a NewbieBoom of young fans to discover ''The Simpsons'' and adore it. Due to the meme and his traits coming off as more sympathetic to a modern audience than they were intended to be in the past[[note]]for instance, living with one’s parents has become more common after the housing crisis, making Skinner’s struggles with his [[MyBelovedSmother beloved smother]] relatable to many millennials and zoomers; likewise, conditions like PTSD are treated with a lot more weight now, so while Skinner’s Vietnam flashbacks were PlayedForLaughs back then, to a modern audiences it makes him come across as a [[TheWoobie Woobie]].[[/note]]. Not to mention, these new fans had the advantage of coming in after Matt Groening had declared "The Principal and the Pauper" to be non-canonical. Nowadays, Skinner is a ''massive'' EnsembleDarkhorse, and is so widely beloved that Universal Studios [[https://www.reddit.com/r/UniversalOrlando/comments/159rqgv/you_can_buy_carnival_prizes_skinner_was_5120/ has begun producing and selling plush toys of him]], which is a big deal for a non-"cute" human character.

* CharacterPerceptionEvolution: Throughout the '90s and much of the 2000s, Apu Nahasapeemapetilan was generally praised as a positive and nuanced portrayal of a South Asian character, especially among first-generation immigrants from the region, thanks to him being a benevolent character who supports himself through a successful business. However, his reputation would grow increasingly divisive in the 2010s due to those same immigrants' descendants pointing out how his portrayal both created new stereotypes for South Asians while reinforcing old ones, not helped by the fact that he was voiced by [[Creator/HankAzaria a white man]]. Consequently, viewers today are split on whether Apu's portrayal is no different than the show's caricatured white cast or if his stereotypical traits, placed in the context of comparatively low minority representation in media, make him an EthnicScrappy.

* DesignatedMonkey: In the later seasons Bart is often depicted as a ButtMonkey in a similar vein as Hans Moleman. This is lampshaded by Lisa in The Man Who Grew Too Much when she decided to work with Sideshow Bob because he only tried to kill Bart. However, unlike Moleman Bart reacts to the abuse he suffers with more than DullSurprise causing him to be MadeOutToBeAJerkass because it forces the SympatheticPOV character to suffer the consequences of their action. Basically, anytime Bart reacts negatively to, tries to subvert, or even is unable to function as a human stress ball the show invokes TheComplainerIsAlwaysWrong and HonorThyAbuser. Making things worse, the things happening to Bart will be called out when it’s done to another character, even by his abusers themselves.

* JerksAreWorseThanVillains: [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Mr. Burns]] and [[TheSociopath Sideshow Bob]], the two central antagonists, are considered to be very entertaining to watch -- the former for being LaughablyEvil and the latter for being EvilIsCool. [[ApatheticTeacher Ms. Hoover]] and [[ObnoxiousEntitledHousewife Helen Lovejoy]], and [[EvilOldFolks Agnes Skinner]], on the other hand, are considered to be the most dislikable characters in the series for having no such stand-out qualities.

* OnceOriginalNowCommon: Hoo boy, the impact this show had on pushing television content and what can be done with animated shows makes it the equal to, if not surpassing, ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' itself. With the significant rise of more mature television The Simpsons can seem almost quaint and hard to understand the immense backlash. These days, it barely (but occasionally) raises a blip on the MoralGuardian's radar, thanks to [[Creator/TreyParkerAndMattStone Matt & Trey's]] ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' and Creator/SethMacFarlane's cartoons being far more obscene across the board.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: Hoo boy, the impact this show had on pushing television content and what can be done with animated shows makes it the equal to, if not surpassing, ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' itself. With the significant rise of more mature television The Simpsons can seem almost quaint and hard to understand the immense backlash. These days, it barely (but occasionally) raises a blip on the MoralGuardian's radar, thanks to [[Creator/TreyParkerAndMattStone Matt & Trey's]] ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' and Creator/SethMacFarlane's cartoons being far more obscene across the board.
** In the early years, this cartoon was criticized for being a cartoon with some language, shocking violence and smutty content (Groening never intended it to be targeted towards kids, the bright colors was intended to be attention grabbing). But such moments are actually few and far between, many episodes played out similar to the typical live action sitcom. It was more the animated styled violence (like Homer choking Bart) that confused many people, as that would be hugely inappropriate if it wasn't animated.
** The animated family {{sitcom}} formula is OlderThanYouThink (several references are made to ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones'' as a predecessor), but the show banked on the family being the center of a surreal town with a colorful population and loads of characters that can drop in, drop out or [[ADayInTheLimelight even take the focus of an episode itself]]. The RapidFireComedy that they refined can be seen emulated in shows ranging from ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' to ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle'' to ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'' to ''Series/TheOfficeUS'' (Michael Scott is basically Homer Simpson, which made sense since creator Greg Daniels use to be a writer for the show).
** The characters, specifically Bart and Homer, were seen as [[UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist bad role models and horrible people in general]]. In reality, a lot of effort is made so that they seem relatable but have their own failings. Bart loves [[TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior playing pranks and picks up some bad language from Homer]] but is subject to being bullied and can be sensitive in his own way, an early episode "Bart Gets an F" has him try studying for a test, STILL failing and slowly have an emotional breakdown. Homer can be aloof, lazy and inattentive to his family but also deals with a stressful, soul sucking job; he also adores his family more than he lets on and is often more excited for family outings than the kids.
** The depiction of them as a DysfunctionalFamily in an animated sitcom was seen as an assault on traditional family values, with UsefulNotes/GeorgeHWBush famously even commented how the American family needs to be more like ''Series/TheWaltons'' rather than The Simpsons. But the show itself was intended to be a {{Deconstruction}} of the typical sitcom family, specifically ''Series/TheCosbyShow'' in showing attentive parents with only minorly inconvenient kids. Homer was designed to be a hard working dad who got burned out at work during the day and just wanted to have a beer and watch TV at home, only to get interrupted by troublemaking kids. Bart was a troublemaking, prank pulling kid with a potty mouth who nonetheless had issues with being bullied at school. The Itchy and Scratchy cartoons were a parody of the outlandish violence seen in classic ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Tom and Jerry}}'', with even a reference to ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones'' trying to remind audiences that the show is not as revolutionary as was claimed. The show itself started [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness exaggerating various facets of its own style]], but with many other animated shows taking the real life situations, violence and language to more extreme levels, it's hard to catch on to why this was controversial.

* JerksAreWorseThanVillains: [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Mr. Burns]] and [[TheSociopath Sideshow Bob]], the two central antagonists, are considered to be very entertaining to watch -- the former for being LaughablyEvil and the latter for being EvilIsCool. [[ApatheticTeacher Ms. Hoover]] and [[ObnoxiousEntitledHousewife Helen Lovejoy]], on the other hand, are considered to be the most dislikable characters in the series for having no such stand-out qualities.