My Year of DVDs: The Simpsons Season 8, Disc 3

Series: The Simpsons
Season: 8
Disc: 3
Episodes: "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show", "Homer's Phobia", "Brother From Another Series", "My Sister, My Sitter", "Homer vs. the 18th Amendment", "Grade School Confidential", "The Canine Mutiny"

If someone who had never seen The Simpsons sat down and watched the show in its current form, they might find it funny, but would be puzzled as to why it had lasted 19 seasons. To give them a proper answer, you could lecture for hours upon hours about the history, acclaim, and cultural significance of the show. Or you could just show them some old episodes, and hope they would get all they needed from that.

If you were limited to only pick one disc from an existing DVD set, this disc would be a strong contender. Most of the episodes on this disc showcase why The Simpsons has been going strong since 1989. From the cutting social satire, to the wacky humor, to the zany characters both major and minor, this is a very enjoyable disc.

I must admit I really wasn't in a mood to do this. The first five discs of this feature are from TV shows, which makes it harder to pull together a theme for the post. However, once I realized what the episodes were on this disc, it didn't really matter any more.

"Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie" is probably my favorite episode of all time. The best thing about it is that it has only gotten better as time goes on. We are multiple generations of crap away from the original XXtreme to the MAXXXXX!!!!! craze, and Poochie still is an excellent piece of satire on the soulless, focus-group built characters that dominate our entertainment. Even discounting all the other greatness of that episode, it would still be notable for the birth of "Worst. Episode. Ever.".

I have a feeling that as this feature rolls on, some of The Simpsons and The West Wing discs are going to feel like slogging through a muddy cornfield. Considering there are 17 combined seasons worth of discs between the two, that is a lot of the same stuff to wade through. However, the first disc I delved into about the famous family of five from Springfield was certainly a treat.