Stupid TV, Be More Funny: How the Golden Era of The Simpsons Changed TV-and American-Forever

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Alan Siegel

Stupid TV, Be More Funny

How the Golden Era of The Simpsons Changed TV-and American-Forever

Alan Siegel

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Hardback

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English

Grand Central Publishing
03 July 2025

Film, TV & Radio; Television; Popular culture

This comprehensive account of the meteoric rise of The Simpsons combines incisive pop culture criticism and interviews with the show's creative team that take readers inside the making of an American phenomenon during its most influential decade, the 1990s.

The Simpsons is an American institution. But its status as an occasionally sharp yet ultimately safe sitcom that's still going after 33 years on the air undercuts its revolutionary origins. The early years of the animated series didn't just impact Hollywood, they changed popular culture. It wasn't a watercooler show; it was a show that altered the way we talked around the watercooler, in school hallways, and on the campaign trail, by bridging generations with its comedic sensibility and prescient cultural commentary.

In STUPID TV, BE MORE FUNNY, writer Alan Siegel reveals how the first decade of the show laid the groundwork for the series' true influence. He explores how the show's rise from 1990 to 1998 intertwined with the supposedly ascendent post-Cold War America, turning Fox into the juggernaut we know today, simultaneously shaking its head at America's culture wars while finding itself in the middle of them. By packing the book with anecdotes from icons like Conan O'Brien and Yeardley Smith, Siegel also provides readers with an unparalleled look inside the making of the show.

Through interviews with the show's legendary staff and whip-smart analysis, Siegel charts how The Simpsons developed its singular sensibility throughout the '90s, one that was at once groundbreakingly subversive for a primetime cartoon and shocking wholesome. The result is a definitive history of The Simpsons' most essential decade.

By: Alan Siegel
Imprint: Grand Central Publishing
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 232mm, Width: 154mm, Spine: 28mm
Weight: 520g
ISBN: 9781538742846
ISBN 10: 1538742845
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 03 July 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Los Angeles-based Ringer senior staff writer Alan Siegel specializes in pop culture retrospectives that take readers inside the making of iconic movies, television shows, and albums. Over the last 10 years, there's no subject that he's written about more than The Simpsons. He's interviewed dozens of the show's writers, producers, actors, guest stars, and fans for features that are some of his most popular articles.

Reviews for Stupid TV, Be More Funny: How the Golden Era of The Simpsons Changed TV-and American-Forever

""Stupid TV, Be More Funny is, without a doubt, the best Simpsons book ever. Rest assured that I was on the Internet within minutes registering my delight throughout the world with this loving account of the first, funniest decade of the greatest TV show of all time.""--Alan Sepinwall ""If someone in the future wants to understand this F'd up, broken, consumer, faltering empire moment we're in right now I'd show them five or six all-time Simpsons episodes with no explanation. Or maybe an hour long time share video sales pitch. But no one's writing a whole book about time share sales pitches so here we are...""--Adam McKay