The Biggest Misconceptions About ‘The Simpsons,’ According to Twitter

Opinions about The Simpsons are like blue checkmarks — the most obnoxious people on Twitter have them. But that doesn’t mean those Springfield sentiments are always correct. The Twitter account Out Of Context Simpsons Couch Gags (@OOCCouchGags) recently asked its followers, “What’s the biggest misconception people have about The Simpsons?” The answers do a good job of course correction for all the misguided fans out there. Here are some of the most popular misconceptions, according to Twitter users intent on setting the Internet straight.

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A lot of people echoed this misconception, although this particular line in Simpsons sand was drawn in a variety of places (others say the fallacy is that the show hasn’t been good since Season 10, or 12, or 4, or since the movie). While no one is arguing that the show has been hitting it out of the park for 34 straight seasons, several came to the defense of recent standout shows. “It's just changed to a completely different format from the first seasons,” tweets @McFinnaPants. “Most prefer the classic show with fairly timeless themes and jokes but some prefer the newer satire and celebrities. It's a necessary shift for a big long running franchise.”

“That's a good one,” replied @Scott_N_W_No, taking the opportunity to pile on Matt Groening. “I only found out fairly recently how little he had to do with the show, even in the early years. I'm guessing by season 3 or 4, when the show really picked up in quality, his headline credit was pretty much honorary.”

Several users cited this Simpsons misread, but early pop culture references like Alf and Pogs are here to prove otherwise. “I actually thought the same thing,” tweeted @RealGermanPeter, “until I realized that I had just been watching all the older episodes from the 90s whose references I didn't even get.” 

I prefer to believe that The Simpsons can see into the future, but Alec is probably right about the show’s lack of Nostradamus abilities. The Simpsons' lack of fortune-telling skills was probably the most cited untruth. It doesn’t help, as @RainDingRandom points out, when “clever” meme-sters doctor Simpsons art to make it seem like its crystal ball actually exists.

The show has always been political, argues @mjwatts1983. “See Mr Burns runs for gov, Lisa’s essay, Sideshow Bob runs for mayor, Bear Patrol/Immigration, Lisa at the military academy, teachers’ strike, power plant strike…”

A few users chimed in to come to the defense of the Simpsons patriarch, shooting down online complaints about his lack of parenting skills (or compassion or intelligence). Come on, Homer screws up now and then, but the guy is no Peter Griffin.