So. It’s come to this. In the back of our heads, we knew that it had to be this way. We were naive to think that FOX would put the show out of its misery before we had to cross this bridge. But now, here we are; there’s no decorum when there’s money to be made. The Simpsons will never be allowed to leave the air with its dignity in tact. Ironically, it was Troy McClure who said it best in “The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular”:
Yes, the Simpsons have come a long way since an old drunk made humans out of his rabbit characters to pay off his gambling debts. Who knows what adventures they'll have between now and the time the show becomes unprofitable?”
Last night, Harry Shearer announced that he wasn’t returning to "The Simpsons." He posted about it on Twitter, stating that the producers were not giving him the flexibility or the means to pursue other work opportunities. Shearer, by his own admission, embraces his role as the turd in the punch bowl, particularly during contract negotiations. It isn’t the first time he’s spoken out against the show, its ruling powers, and its creative direction. Nor is it the first time that he’s threatened to leave the show for greener pastures. But this time, he actually followed through on his threats. He left 14 million dollars on the table, for what amounted to stubborn principles.
There will be a lot of ink spilled over this decision in the coming days. The producers have already disputed Shearer’s version of events. Executive producer James L. Brooks and showrunner Al Jean both say they hope they can work something out, but maybe this time they can't. We can debate the prudence and mindset of all parties' decisions. To find something wrong with being paid 14 million dollars to make funny voices seems like the epitome of a first world problem; to limit a voice actor's other opportunities might also be short-sighted. But in a larger context, the show itself is going to suffer. It will struggle to withstand such a public blow — with an emphasis on public.
There are enough vocal "Simpsons" fans who are calling for the show’s head without this debacle on top of that. Go onto any Internet forum, or start a conversation with the most casual of fans, and the topic is always the same: When, exactly, did "The Simpsons" jump the shark? What’s the worst season? What’s the worst episode? Who’s responsible for the downturn in quality? The dialogue is overwhelmingly negative, and these are the fans, mind you, who love the show so much that they don’t want to see it decline further. There are even fewer fans that still watch the show on a weekly basis, or consider it to be can’t-miss television on a Sunday night. We’re over a decade removed from those days.
And furthermore, Shearer is crucial to what remains of the show’s legendary dynamic, because of the sheer volume of what he does. Yes, Yeardley Smith, who voices Lisa, is a crucial component to the show, but Lisa is the only character that Smith performs. Julie Kavner voices Marge and her sisters, but Kavner’s vocals are limited exclusively to the Bouvier family.
But Shearer (along with Hank Azaria) voices nearly the entire town — scores of characters over the past 26 years. Mr. Burns. Smithers. Principal Skinner. Dr. Hibbert. Kent Brockman. Ned Flanders. And many, many more. And because he’s been with the show since its beginnings, Shearer is more than the voice of these characters; he’s the creator of these characters, and he’s done a wonderful job of cultivating them, from cartoons to fleshed out protagonists.
You see, the strength of "The Simpsons" has always been the sheer number of fully-realized players. Most cartoons — most TV shows, for that matter — deal with a single family or environment. The typical TV show has (if you’re lucky) five well-defined characters; everyone else is a sidekick or an archetype for our heroes to interact with. And for the first couple of seasons, this was true for "The Simpsons" as well. But by Season 3, the show truly came into its own, because it elevated numerous minor characters to main players, even basing entire episodes around characters who would be background extras in lesser shows. The town, once flat, is now a living, breathing, three-dimensional community. And with Shearer’s absence, Springfield is bound to lose some of that depth and oral history.
It’s already been announced that Shearer’s parts will be recast to other, talented voice actors. But even if they get actors whose imitations sound exactly like Shearer’s voice (they won’t), there are other inherent problems. The few, remaining fans will be hypercritical of the new episodes, and will be on high alert for vocal inconsistencies and minor problems. It’s such a bad way to start a new season. And most of the older fans? They don’t even watch the show and couldn’t care less. Apathy is the kiss of death to a show’s relevance.
Have you ever watched a washed-up musician who continues to perform way past his expiration date? He can still draw an aging, nostalgic crowd, but he’s numbed by the repetition of doing the same shit every night. So instead of retiring, he starts mixing up his act. He sings his old songs differently, but never better, and his entire demeanor takes on a schlocky professionalism and artifice. That will be the fate of "The Simpsons." It will continue to be dragged out onstage, as long as there’s money to be made. Until it’s unrecognizable. Until it’s little more than a tribute act to its former self.
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