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Popular Culture Without... The Simpsons

Fantastic piece, I'm really glad Ryan wrote this. Fox and Sky's rise makes sense and I hadn't considered it for years.

I guess the Apu controversy would also be absent in an ATL without the Simpsons - the impact of no Apu would itself have a passive role in attitudes to Indian-Americans, but the lack fo the controversy might not force the issue in the same way. Who's to say another iconic brownface character wouldn't emerge, etc. I guess it's too hard to speculate meaningfully.
 
I read every article this site publishes and enjoy them all a great deal. I never really comment because I don't have anything to say.

But they're enjoyable. I enjoyed this. Well done @RyanF.

It's a rather classic example of the butterfly effect that it's difficult imagine precisely what comedy would be like without the simpsons because presumably the thing that everyone else loved and would try and do would be something else. I mean just focusing on one of the little things you mentioned, Spaced itself was so influential in terms of careers it launched that a different Spaced could have huge effects. Same with the Office and the brand of humour, on both sides of the atlantic, that it launched.

The challenge of building up a completely different pop culture is one that most AH, rightfully shies away from as being difficult to explain, but when you think about how much of my casual conversation involves using phrases, references and ideas I've picked up from pop culture. it's boggling to think how different a person I'd be in a world with a different bunch of media out there.
 
The world without the Simpsons definitely seems to be a poorer place but that may be OTL bias. Still it kind of makes the entertainment world seem small when you realize how many big names you can tie to one project.
 
Seems very appropriate this went up on the fourth of July.

Fantastic piece, I'm really glad Ryan wrote this. Fox and Sky's rise makes sense and I hadn't considered it for years.

Thanks, there's a nice irony to two corporations we associate with Newscorp and Murdoch ironically making it because of something that was at the time really counterculture.

It's a rather classic example of the butterfly effect that it's difficult imagine precisely what comedy would be like without the simpsons because presumably the thing that everyone else loved and would try and do would be something else. I mean just focusing on one of the little things you mentioned, Spaced itself was so influential in terms of careers it launched that a different Spaced could have huge effects. Same with the Office and the brand of humour, on both sides of the atlantic, that it launched.

The challenge of building up a completely different pop culture is one that most AH, rightfully shies away from as being difficult to explain, but when you think about how much of my casual conversation involves using phrases, references and ideas I've picked up from pop culture. it's boggling to think how different a person I'd be in a world with a different bunch of media out there.

In this sense it's much easier to destroy than create, it's much easier to say what we wouldn't have had if Star Wars or The Simpsons was never made but much more difficult to say what might have rose instead. Often it wouldn't be one thing, The Simpsons isn't just one niche to fill entertainment wise but multiple ones.

Interesting point about the Cornetto Trilogy!

It's amazing the pathways that are formed, you've covered a great many pop culture ones in your Consequences series!

The world without the Simpsons definitely seems to be a poorer place but that may be OTL bias. Still it kind of makes the entertainment world seem small when you realize how many big names you can tie to one project.

Something might have rose to fill the gap, but given how much of a perfect storm The Simpsons was it would likely take many disparate programmes to fill its show and because they're not lightning in a bottle they might not have the same impact.

Absolutely, especially when you consider how insular creative talent like Golden Age Hollywood or the BBC or professional wrestling could be... arguably still are.
 
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