Why The Simpsons is Not As Good As It Used to Be
In season 13, the episode "Gump Roast" has a clip show that ends in NRBQ performing "They'll Never Stop The Simpsons," a parody of Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire." Along with summarizing the crazier stories over the years like Homer's marijuana use or when Homer thought Bart was gay, it made fun of their current lack of stories with an image of Homer jumping a shark along with joke lyrics like "Have no fears we've got stories for years!" and for the longest time I believed it. While the later seasons were never "classic" territory, there are still plenty of examples I use to show how good it is like "Pray Anything," "The Fight Before Christmas," "500 Keys," and "The Day the Earth Stood Cool." I am one of the few people out there that wanted it to go on forever.
But after watching the latest train wreck of a season, and after learning that the showrunners plan to legally separate Homer and Marge for the upcoming 27th (!) season, I'm giving up. Regardless of whether or not this is meant for a single episode, separating Marge and Homer or playing with the idea in order to get fans talking feels more like grasping at straws than ever before. And with the way The Simpsons is currently written, this can only turn out badly.
This old gray mare, she ain't what she used to be.
[Short Film] The Duet from Disney Animator Glen Keane
Animation might just be one of the most beautiful utilizations of art in existence. The ability to watch someone's imagination dance across a screen is an act that has always amazed me. Like most other children, I had a particular fondness for classic Disney films such as The Little Mermaid and Pocahontas. Toddler Mackenzie had no idea who to thank for these masterpieces, but Glen Keane is the answer for this. His animations have graced a variety of households with works also including Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and Tangled.
While most of his work may be within the Walt Disney Animation Studios, Keane found the time to produce his own short animated film called The Duet. The story, entirely animated and directed by the great animator himself, follows characters Mia and Tosh from birth to adulthood as their individual paths in life find themselves continuously intertwining. The illustrations from one scene and period in life for each character flows with such ease on the eyes, and the simplicity of the color scheme adds a beautiful aesthetic that has become extremely underrated with the advancement of animation technology over the years. The film is merely 3:42 long, but the story that unfolds within has a beautiful impact that lasts for a lot longer. Keane always seems to have a way to reach into the hearts of all who watch the films he's involved with, and I must say that his work with this one is absolutely no exception. I can't wait for whatever he plans to surprise us with next!
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