The Simpsons are going to caricatures

There used to be a time for young television watchers when life revolved around syndicated episodes of "The Simpsons." Fans knew where they were going to be at 5, 6, and 10 p.m. It became a part of everyday life, a passion, even sometimes an unhealthy obsession. Fox tried to make us cut back our "Simpsons" intake by taking away one of those time slots but quickly learned that wouldn't fly. The public outcry was so loud that the cable area we grew up with even ran a commercial apologizing for cutting down the show's airtime to one hour a day. We demanded our healthy doses of "Simpsons" episodes like crackheads geeking out as they search for drugs in the alley. And it wasn't just us. In the late '90s, it seemed as if everyone was collectively in love with "The Simpsons."\nYet in 2007, amidst the hype of "The Simpsons Movie," there is apathy. There is lethargy and listlessness. Some fans have become jaded, weary and indifferent. "The Simpsons" stronghold has weakened, and by 2007 the movie's arrival is 10 years too late. \n"The Simpsons" approached and reached its zenith in seasons three through eight. A young, fresh cartoon sitcom with talented writers, the show had room to breathe and ground to cover. With the aid of syndication, people everywhere were able to catch on to the show's clever writing and it quickly gained a network of diehard fans. There was merchandise -- lots and lots of merchandise. The show had parity and pop culture down to a science. In fact, it was more than a show. It was a pop-culture phenomenon that was built to last, raising the comedic bar higher with each passing season.\nAs years passed, the show remained consistently funny, but also became its own worst enemy. How do you top great writing year after year? \nArguably the funniest and most influential cartoon sitcom of all time, "The Simpsons" preceded "South Park" and "Family Guy" and paved the way for the offensive family dynamic. America's favorite family has earned 23 Emmys and a star on the Walk of Fame and has been named Time magazine's best series of the 20th century. But has it lost its cultural appeal in the 21st? \nEven diehard fans like us wouldn't put it in our top 10 favorite shows currently running on TV. We don't even make it a point to watch it every Sunday. So what went wrong with the show we loved?\nIn the past few years, they've replaced rich dialogue with an overdose of cameos and the horrifically repetitive "The Simpsons are going to ... (Africa, South America, England, Tokyo, Scottsdale)" bit. They went from being fresh and edgy counterculture comedy that scared your mom to caricatures of themselves. It's not so much that there was a big backlash or falling out, but our generation moved on. How long can a family stuck in their own time warp continue to hold our attention? \nTo be fair, "The Simpsons" hasn't completely gone to hell. The show is still clever and witty, just in a different kind of way. The jokes are still funny, in a faster comedic rhythm and without the staying power of old episodes. There are good pop-culture references, whether it be something modern like Homer becoming a Metrosexual or something classic such as incorporating "The Godfather" and "Casablanca" into the shows. But does anyone quote recent episodes?\nSo who really knows what to expect from "The Simpsons Movie"? It will still be a huge draw and do well at the box office. Maybe it will even surprise a few skeptics. Even so, one can't help but wonder what a Simpsons movie would have been like 10 years ago.