This comprehensive account of the meteoric rise of The Simpsons combines incisive pop culture criticism and interviews with the show's creative team that take readers inside the making of an American phenomenon during its most influential decade, the 1990s. The Simpsons is an American institution. But its status as an occasionally sharp yet ultimately safe sitcom that's still going after 33 years on the air undercuts its revolutionary origins. The early years of the animated series didn't just impact Hollywood, they changed popular culture. It wasn't a watercooler show; it was a show that altered the way we talked around the watercooler, in school hallways, and on the campaign trail, by bridging generations with its comedic sensibility and prescient cultural commentary. In STUPID TV, BE MORE FUNNY, writer Alan Siegel reveals how the first decade of the show laid the groundwork for the series' true influence. He explores how the show's rise from 1990 to 1998 intertwined with the
