10 Classic ‘Simpsons’ Episodes the Internet Originally Hated
When The Simpsons debuted in 1989, its arrival coincided with another major development: the creation of the World Wide Web, which helped expand the internet into something that became a part of everyday life. Although the internet’s expansion wasn’t fully realized until 1993, newsgroups started becoming a popular way for people (initially college students) to discuss their shared interests.
One of these newsgroups was alt.tv.simpsons, which originated in March 1990, a mere four months after the show’s premiere. It quickly gained popularity as fans would watch the show together and share their favorite Simpsons jokes and quotes. They would also, of course, share their opinions on each episode. And around Season Four, these opinions began to turn more critical — something even the show’s writers took notice of. “We thought we’d find some praise there. We were wrong,” former writer Josh Weinstein recently tweeted about the newsgroup.
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The thing about many of those *cue Comic Book Guy voice* “worst episodes ever,” though? In time, they became regarded as absolute classics. But again, that certainly wasn’t the case when they first aired. In fact, here are 10 beloved Golden Era Simpsons episodes that the show’s die-hards originally hated…
‘Itchy and Scratchy: The Movie’
In 2012, “Itchy and Scratchy: The Movie” was called the “definitive parody of event-movie mania,” but when it first aired in 1992, this fan had a much different reaction: “I thought this was easily the worst episode ever. Simply not funny.”
The negative review continues for seven full paragraphs, concluding, “This episode was an appeal to the lowest common denominator. It exploited cliches instead of exposing them. It twisted character traits in order to go after laughs. It relied on gimmicks that got a laugh in the past. It became a parody of itself. I repeat, this was by far the worst episode ever.”
‘Cape Feare’
“Cape Feare,” the second episode of Season Five, often finds itself ranked among the best Simpsons episodes of all time. Several fans on alt.tv.simpsons felt differently, however. One such fan, perhaps insecure by the amount of jokes that went over their head, exclaimed, “Used to be, this was a funny show. Now, it’s one big inside joke. Like someone posted before, not ha-ha funny.”
The rake sequence, extended by the producers to partially help pad out the running time but also to push the joke to ridiculous lengths, has gone on to be a cherished gag, but was met with mixed reactions in the newsgroup, spawning a whole thread about how “it sucked”:
- “They milked the joke too long. Sideshow Bob stepping on all those rakes again and again had me looking at my watch.”
- “I also thought the rake sequence went on waaaay too long. I thought this whole episode was a little too cartoonish, and not enough ‘Simpsonish.’”
- “That is the developing ‘problem’ with The Simpsons. Too many jokes unrelated to plot development. No matter how funny these jokes are, they disrupt the flow of events that draw you into the show. And when they’re not funny (like the rake incident), ouch!”
‘Homer Goes to College’
This episode was Conan O’Brien’s final episode on The Simpsons. He received sole credit for it before leaving for his late-night show, and it features many classic moments, mostly involving Homer’s hijinks with his nerdy college roommates.
But if you were a member of alt.tv.simpsons, you either liked it or really hated it. Here’s what some of the haters had to say:
- “After watching the last three episodes, I have realized that the show sucks now. Oh, it’s not easy for me to say that, but come on, they’re not putting any thought into it anymore. Satire has been replaced with sight gags. The characters are losing their individual personalities. The storylines have become a series of non sequiturs. The whole thing reminds me of the last season of Moonlighting, and we all know how ugly that got!”
- “Yikes! Really, really bad, and the ‘true’ second show of the new season? My score for it? The same score Homer gets on his final: F.”
- “The college episode was the worst Simpsons episode I’ve ever seen. Are there new writers? I’m embarrassed. I’ve gotten so many people into this show, and now I look stupid.”
‘Bart Gets an Elephant’
Written by Simpsons legend John Swartzwelder, creator Matt Groening called this a "quintessential" Swartzwelder episode. The idea of making Bart’s new pet elephant into a complete jerk rather than a lovable scamp has been praised by many, from the show’s own producer David Mirkin to former A.V. Club writer Nathan Rabin, who wrote, “That’s a whole lot truer to real life than the deification of animals found on other, more sentimental television shows.”
Some in the newsgroup, however, couldn’t have hated it more: “I would give this a worse grade if it existed; this was really, really bad. Worthless plot (let’s give Bart an elephant?), timing was non-existent, flow/pacing was nowhere to be found, nothing redeeming.”
‘Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song’
This was the 100th episode of The Simpsons so expectations were high. Unfortunately, they didn’t meet the high personal standards of some in alt.tv.simpsons.
One newsgroup member wrote a whole thread about all the lousy elements of the episode, opining, “Perhaps I expected too much from the episode celebrating this ‘meaningless milestone,’ and this episode certainly was meaningless.” He went on to summarize, “I expected the 100th episode to be a celebration. Instead, we had a funeral. The script had no meaning, no depth, no punch, and no respect for good taste. Bart and Seymour becoming fast friends was totally unbelievable. What wasn’t cringeworthy in this one was merely mediocre. Pathetic and worthless.”
Others agreed: “All the 100th episode hype and this is what we get? A hackneyed setup that leads to a warm and fuzzy ‘moral’ ending? Only redemption came from Willie, great as always; on the downside, everything else.”
“Better fire the new writers and hire the old ones back,” added someone else. “The Simpsons is in real trouble and living on past glories. Pains me to write it.”
‘Homer Loves Flanders’
“Homer Loves Flanders” ranks among the favorites of Season Five and the show’s entire run. It also contains what is maybe the most meme’d moment of the series’ entire history: Homer disappearing through the bushes.
It was nothing but lamentable, though, for the denizens of alt.tv.simpsons. “This show has stopped being genius and started becoming a cartoon,” one such critic complained. “I used to know these characters and now I don't. They’ve become cartoons.”
“I think that we can end the debate over the worst episode ever after watching Homer Loves Flanders,” another concurred. “This one just stunk. It seemed like they weren’t even trying. I really doubt that there’s anyone who enjoyed this one.”
‘Sideshow Bob Roberts’
“Sideshow Bob Roberts” is often lauded for its political satire, but it definitely hit a sore spot with some users online. It’s crazy that some of these comments were posted 30 years ago, considering where both the show and country are today:
- “SUCKED really, really, really bad. Without a doubt it was the worst episode ever. The Simpsons new ‘direction’ is clear, and I don’t like it one bit. I’m really starting to feel stupid taping this show. Grade: E-”
- “The really sad thing is that the episode had no humor value, and was a blatant attack on political views… in a cartoon! Welcome to sleazy politics in the nineties.”
- “The latest episode of The Simpsons was terrible. Why the rip on Republicans? Someone’s very afraid of the upcoming elections. The media is back to their spreading of propaganda and misinformation. No wonder nobody trusts them anymore.”
‘Bart vs. Australia’
Vanity Fair named “Bart vs. Australia” as the second best Simpsons episode ever in 2007. However, it received mixed reviews from Australian fans and members of the newsgroup alike. This user comment probably sums up the newsgroup’s dismay best: “Ouch, that was the single worst Simpsons I’ve ever seen. It was hard to figure out what the hell it was trying to say, I mean if I want to here about caning or ecosystems I’ll read Newsweek.”
‘A Star Is Burns’
“A Star Is Burns” is controversial because it was the first time The Simpsons was used to promote another show — in this case, The Critic, which was created by then-former Simpsons showrunners Al Jean and Mike Reiss. Fox had picked it up for a second season, and both shows were produced by James L. Brooks, who helped push the idea behind “A Star Is Burns.” However, Simpsons creator Matt Groening wasn’t a fan of The Critic and didn’t appreciate “his” show being associated with it, so he had his name removed from the credits.
But since “A Star Is Burns aired, it’s gone on to generate the most internet memes from any single episode — e.g., “I was saying ‘Boo-urns,’” “That’s the joke,” saying “the quiet part loud and the loud part quiet” and “Man getting hit by football.”
Many fans online, though, were on Team Groening:
- “I was impressed by the joke where Bart was watching TV and remarked ‘The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones? Oh, no, not another stupid tie-in cartoon,’ and Jay and the rest of the Simpsons family walk in. But otherwise, it sucked.”
- “This was a blatant sell-out. A show with no plot (or a rehashed several times over plot). The jokes were horrendous, the writers were taking ridiculous stabs at nothingness.”
- “Tonight’s show was easily one of the worst Simpsons ever. It seemed crass, nothing more than a thirty-minute promo for the Critic. Simps ons (sic) as a billboard, an advertisement. It was truly sickening.”
‘Two Bad Neighbors’
Writers Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein took over running the show in Season Seven, and they probably had the most direct connection to the fanbase on alt.tv.simpsons, sometimes treating fans to behind-the-scenes exclusives as well as responding to questions via email.
Like every entry above, “Two Bad Neighbors” now appears on pretty much all the lists of best Simpsons episodes ever. But fans online weren’t having it in the moment — or cutting Oakley and Weinstein any slack. “This has to be the most bizarre show of the year,” one wrote. “It also was pretty bad. The concept of having the Bushes move into the neighborhood was pretty dumb to begin with, and they made it worse by sticking a cliched plot onto it (Bart annoys Bush? Bush and Homer get into a feud? Wow, originality!) Pretty lame.”
“Bart is an unsophisticated, totally out of character, immature little brat who does things like disrespect his neighbor and Homer is at an all-time worst,” added someone else. “The slam on Bush is unspeakably tasteless. Laced with flat-jokes, empty-dialogue and mindless gags that go nowhere. Shameful.”
“FOX should’ve pre-empted this episode indefinitely instead of just one hour,” a third hater argued, before bringing it all home, again, in true Comic Book Guy fashion. “This episode was unfunny, mean-spirited, out-of-character, and I absolutely abhorred it. Worst Simpsons episode ever? Do you HAVE to ask?”