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Aye Carumba! It's The Simpsons!

Margarita Rossi reviews Season One and Two on DVD.

By Margarita Rossi

Like most people my age, I love The Simpsons. I faithfully (or is that zombie-ishly?) watch at least one episode a day (thanks UPN re-runs!) relishing every intelligent and clearly satirical joke the show dishes out. I also love DVDs, especially the cool extras they feature, like commentary tracks where the filmmakers talk about what it was like making the movie in question and give little tidbits of trivia about the movie. So, of course, I love The Simpsons DVDs. I even got to discuss DVDs with Matt Groening after the Youth Radio interview. How cool is that?

Currently Season One and Season Two have been made into DVDs, with Season Three on the way. I own both DVD sets, and they are well worth the rather exorbitant cost of DVDs. Since both sets are very different, I will write about them separately.

Season One
The Season One set of DVDs offers an interesting glimpse into the history of The Simpsons, covering its birth and its evolution. The special features include an original short from the first appearances of The Simpsons on The Tracy Ullman Show, commentary on every episode by Matt Groening and other prominent Simpsons staff, original scripts of three episodes (including notes and Matt Groening doodles), a BBC documentary, and hilarious outtakes of Albert Brooks adlibbing the role of Jacques the bowling instructor.

The episodes themselves are not the best of The Simpsons (but compared to the rest of what television has to offer they are pretty darn good) and there are still some gems like "The Crepes of Wrath" (Bart gets shipped off to France), "Life on the Fast Lane" (where Marge almost cheats on Homer), and "Bart the Genius"(Bart cheats on an IQ test and gets placed in an advanced school).

Obviously my favorite feature is the commentary. I was five years old when The Simpsons premiered. I couldn't watch the controversy over this satirical and very different show unfold, so I found the discussions about the controversial beginning of The Simpsons interesting. In 1989 there was a bit of hoopla over the "unwholesomeness" of The Simpsons. The family was always bickering and the critics seemed to think that Bart was a potentially dangerous (and rebellious) role model. The commentators point out what was objected to in 1989, as well as pointing out some of the shaping influences on The Simpsons and the rather innovative philosophy Matt Groening tried to apply while creating The Simpsons. They also, true to Simpsons form, crack many a joke. The Season One set is very entertaining, with a lot to offer a Simpsons fan.

Season Two
The Season Two set of DVDs offers more and better material than Season One. Almost every episode of season two is stellar, including some of my all time favorites like "Lisa's Substitute" (Lisa has a rather Freudian crush on her substitute teacher), "The Way We Was" (the first flashback episode of The Simpsons), and "Treehouse of Horror" (the first Halloween episode). "Treehouse of Horror" is the first in what would become an infamous Simpsons tradition. What other show is willing to take such glee in killing their own characters?

In addition to all the episodes of the second season, the DVD includes some rare and downright weird extras. A few of the weirdest are two quaint (but pretty awkward) Bart Simpson music videos, a promotional film on the creation of an episode featuring a nervous Simpsons staffer, and to top them all off a live appearance of Nancy Cartwright (the voice of Bart) in a foam Bart costume, presenting at the American Music Awards. That last one is pretty creepy. The commentary on Season Two is good (especially for the American Music Awards debacle) but repetitive, and the best moments on the commentary come when the staffers are goofing around with each other. One of my favorite moments is when they point out which characters are actually based on Simpson's staffers (Otto and Mr. Bergstrom to name a few).

Spend Your Money Now! Or Maybe Not…
If you only purchase one of these sets (which is most likely at around 40 bucks a pop) I'd suggest Season Two as your first investment in The Simpsons series. But why pay that much when you can probably rent both at your local video store? Or better yet, pester a friend or relative to buy one, and then borrow it from them. (Here's a tip, show them this article to convince them that they absolutely must own the DVD. Oops, I've just foiled your fiendish plan!)

The Simpsons is in my opinion the best television show ever made. Its longevity, ingenuity, social commentary and consistent brilliance are what make this show great. While most other shows rely on trite formulas and clichés to bluff their way through the seasons, The Simpsons actually rely on excellent original scripts, beautiful animation, creative direction and its own unique style to tell its stories. It deserves to be preserved, and enjoyed. At least until the next video format comes out.

— Margarita Rossi doesn't want you to have a cow, man.