Stupid Tv, Be More Funny: How the Golden Era of the Simpsons Changed Television-And America-Forever

By Alan Siegel

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 best Simpsons book ever."―Alan Sepinwall​, Rolling Stone's chief television critic and author of The Soprano Sessions and TV (The Book)

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 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 supposedly ascendent post-Cold War America, turning Fox into the juggernaut we know today, simultaneously shaking its head at America's culture wars while finding itself in the middle of them. By packing the book with anecdotes from icons like Conan O'Brien and Yeardley Smith, Siegel alaso provides readers with an unparalleled look inside the making of the show.

Through interviews with the show's legendary staff and whip-smart analysis, Siegel charts how The Simpsons developed its singular sensibility throughout the '90s, one that was at once groundbreakingly subversive for a primetime cartoon and shocking wholesome. The result is a definitive history of The Simpsons' most essential decade.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1538742845
• ISBN13: 9781538742846
• Release Date: June 2025
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.24 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

A Deep Dive Into the 90’s

While this book is overwhelmingly for Simpsons fans, there’s more to this book than just a fun retelling of the show’s history. It’s a throwback and look into everything that led up to the show from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and how it has changed television and pop culture after its golden era of the 90’s. The author spoke to virtually every name behind the show’s success (including the very talented cast) and spilled all the tea fans of the show would like to know. For the animation fan in your life, consider giving them this book to embiggen their appreciation for one of the best shows on TV.