Alumnus Writes Book on the First and Most Influential Decade of ‘The Simpsons’

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It didn't take long for Alan Siegel, B.A. '05, to feel at home on campus in his first year at George Washington University, and some of the credit goes to "The Simpsons." A shared affection for the animated series-entering its 37th season this fall-helped Siegel's group of friends cohere almost as fast as bumbling Homer Simpson could say "D'oh!" They gathered often to watch episodes, getting to know one another while sharing laughs. More than 20 years later, many in that circle of college pals are still close, and Siegel, a journalism major, has written a book about the show.

As a senior staff writer for The Ringer, a website covering sports and pop culture, Siegelhad done preliminary interviews with some of the creators of "The Simpsons" when he started work on "Stupid TV, Be More Funny" (Hachette Book Group, 2025). In its pages, written after extensive further interviews, he concentrates on the show's "golden era," the first several seasons when it is generally agreed to have been at its creative peak.

"This is the story of how the early days of 'The Simpsons' changed pop culture forever," Siegel writes, by presenting a worldview that has become more common since: "The way the show saw it, American life was one crushing defeat after another. And still not a lost cause. That contradiction remains one of the only ways left to make sense of a reality so absurd that not even 'The Simpsons' could've imagined it."

The series is "the most influential TV show in the history of TV," Siegel said. "'The Simpsons' is an institution now-it's safe, family-friendly and beloved across the board. But that first eight-to-10 year period was really revolutionary. It was considered dangerous, subversive and transgressive. And that's the time that fans of the show most often quote, talk about and think about."

To a rare degree, Siegel said, "The Simpsons" held strong appeal for adults and children alike. He illustrated his point by citing an earlier groundbreaking show, the sitcom "All in the Family."

"As revolutionary and broadly appealing as 'All in the Family' was," Siegel said, "a child couldn't necessarily take something away from it. And in terms of influence, just to give you a practical example, every one of today's adult-oriented animated shows, like 'King of the Hill,' 'Bob's Burgers' and 'South Park,' would not exist without 'The Simpsons.' And the dense, joke-packed way that a lot of sitcoms are written now reflects this influence, too."

Preparing to write the book, Siegel immersed himself in episodes of the show-to the point that he worried it might dampen his enjoyment. But he remains as big a fan as he was in his sophomore year at GW, living in Schenley Hall (now closed) with a giant cardboard Homer Simpson in his window. Back then, when he told strangers where he lived, they would ask, "Are you the guy with the Homer cutout in the window?"

When "The Simpsons" first aired, adults worried that Bart set a bad example with his mischievous antics and the catchphrase "Eat my shorts!" Needless to say, his language and his disrespectful attitude toward teachers and other adults were catnip for younger viewers. But the show's creators intentionally counterbalanced the subversiveness with warmth, and even some traditional values-the Simpsons went to church every week. Episodes focused on parents Homer and Marge as well as their children, Bart and Lisa (and even baby Maggie).

"They were supposed to be a regular Middle American family who would go to church and bicker like any family, but then come together at the end of every episode," Siegel said. "Bart was the breakout character. He was on T-shirts. But the writers realized that they needed to open the world of the show, to make it more about the adults. You could have things like Homer becoming an astronaut or going to clown college. Bart stayed the same, but the show got bigger."

Watching "The Simpsons" as a child, Siegel said, he saw himself as Bart's friend Milhouse-"a little bit of a dork." But as time went on, he began to identify with Lisa.

"Lisa is the show's moral center, the smart one who's always bucking authority and speaking out against injustice. As I get older, I appreciate her more. There are some great episodes highlighting Lisa and Homer. They're so different from one another, and the way they clash is really interesting-funny, sweet and sad."

The new season of "The Simpsons" is scheduled to begin airing on Fox on Sept. 28.