MovieChat Forums > The Simpsons (1989) Discussion > Writing doesn't match visuals

Writing doesn't match visuals


I hate when they think of a "clever" joke about the topic 'at hand', but when you look at the visuals or follow the episode AT ALL, you realize it doesn't match whatsoever.

I forgot the main example I had (I am sure it was in Season 21, though), but here is another:

Lisa is thinking of becoming a Wicca, so she's using 'Wiccapedia' (everyone laugh now, come on, it must be funny, as it made the script),on her stereotypical Macintosh. That page has a pentagram on it.

Flanders sees what she's doing, and says something about 'computer from hell', and the kid (Todd?) corrects him, saying 'It actually says Dell' or something like that.

Anyone see anything wrong with that? Sure, 'Flanders + computers + mistaking 'Dell' for 'Hell'' must be funny in someone's mind, but SHE IS USING A GOD DAMN MACINTOSH!

Why make her use a Macintosh, if you are going to make a DELL joke?

It's like no one thinks ANYTHING through before they greenlight it - are all writers on drugs or something?

Ah, remembered my original example.

There's an episode, where Marge drinks wine and becomes a calendar model. At first, she's modest, but as time goes on, she gets more rowdy and brave, and dares reveal more.

Originally the calendar was supposed to feature other women, too, but because of Marge's 'loosening up', the whole calendar becomes about her.

Now, for some reason, the photographer put the photos in the calendar in some kind of chronological order, which coesn't really make sense, unless it's a conscious decision. NOTHING dictates that Januray should feature an earlier photo and December a later one.

None of this would be a terribly big problem (just typical stupidity), if one of the characters wouldn't have thanked Marge for making February the HOTTEST month.

Now, February features the 'earlier photos', so it means Marge isn't very revealing yet, so there's NO WAY February would be the 'hottest' in any sense of the word, even if we talk about the 'attractiveness temperature' (people often call attractive people 'hot' for some reason).

I mean, February is a cold month, and Marge's photo is also pretty darn 'cold' for that month; her photos get 'hotter' further into the year.

Thanking marge this way makes NO sense, but it WOULD make sense to use 'december' instead of 'february'. Why the F would they choose february, unless they deliberately WANTED the writing to not match the visuals?

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I haven't seen this show in over 20 years but it sounds to me like they are just going through the motions. It's almost like this show has some sort of tenure and can't be cancelled so there is no reason for pride or quality control. That leads to the greater question..What is keeping this show afloat?

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Fans who refuse to believe it stopped being funny 25 years ago.

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