If the Simpsons go down, it will be after one great ride

by Nancy Natividad

There are many splendors in life that may go unnoticed. The lucky people are those who find their joys before they’re gone. Some joys are sunrises, fresh mountain air after hours in a stuffy brick building, and most of all: “The Simpsons.”

Halfway through its ninth season, “The Simpsons” has brought us the rare gift of true entertainment. Amidst the collection of worthless sitcoms that appear on TV, “The Simpsons” is more than just a generic cartoon — it’s a mirror to society with its social commentary, satire, and precious moments of sentimentalism.

The cartoon series by Matt Groening began in 1990 with the typical nuclear family unit living in Springfield, Ill. “The Simpsons” consists of classic family roles as well as the typical townspeople such as Barney, the town drunk, Mr. Burns, the sinister businessman, and Ned Flanders, the hard-core, religious fanatic who also happens to be the Simpsons’ next door neighbor and owner of a left-handed store.

Over the course of eight and a half years, Groening has brought the television industry timeless episodes like “Hullapalooza,” an inventive satire of Lollapalooza,  “Sideshow Bob Runs for Mayor,”  with Springfield’s version of Rush Limbaugh and the conservative revolution, and “Homer’s Softball Team,” where Mr. Burns hired Major League baseball players to play for the nuclear power plant team.

“The Simpsons” has introduced countless morals and lessons in a comical cartoon family that lives in a less-than-perfect world. With the show playing a large role in our childhood memories and also upbringing, we’ve seen the growth the characters have gone through and see a part of ourselves and people we know on the flickering screen.

“The Simpsons” has something for everyone and is a show everyone can relate to. Its continuous references to current events maintains the freshness of the show and keeps the novel touch the Simpsons brings to everyday, mundane life.

The TV series encases one important advantage over other sitcoms that have come and gone during the life-span of the show: It’s a cartoon. The beauty of a cartoon is that kids never have to grow up, flashbacks are easily accomplished, and stunts are maneuvered with no injury to the actors.

Rumors have flown of this year being the final season of the cartoon series. The mourning the country will endure is obvious, but the best thing to do is to bask in the sunshine of greatness that the Simpsons brings each time the famous theme music is heard.

As the a nation of fans hang on the edge of their seats waiting to find out if this year marks the end of a cartoon empire of satire or if there is but one more year in the life of the show, there is still time to enjoy the moments of bliss “The Simpsons” bring.

There is little that would be more satisfying than seeing “The Simpsons” air when the X-Generation has become the Depends-Generation. But regardless of whether or not the turn of events lengthens the life of the show or terminates it, “The Simpsons” will always be great.

Because of this show’s timeless sense of humor and realism, we tip our hats and shout with vigor: “Last year of the Simpsons? D’oh!”

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