Thoughts and Ravings:
Similarities Between Metallica and The Simpsons

As I watched the Simpsons: Season 3 DVD and then listened to Ride the Lightning, something occurred to me: there are some eerie similarities between Metallica and the Simpsons.

At one point I was a huge fan of both. Every Sunday I would be in front of my TV at 8pm to watch The Simpsons. I would even watch the syndicated reruns at 6pm (I didn't care about the news). I was often listening to a Metallica album. I liked the band so much that I made and regularly updated a website dedicated to them. I never thought twice before spending $40-$60 on a Metallica concert.

Now a days, I never watch the Simpsons on Sunday. I rarely update this webpage and I certainly didn't spend $80 the last time Metallica was in town. I still watch The Simpsons DVD sets for seasons 1-4; I even watch the syndicated reruns while eating dinner - so long as they aren't too new. I also still listen to the old Metllica albums (pre-load).

So is that the similarity - that Metallica and The Simpsons just aren't as apealing to me as they once were? Thats part of it, but not all of it. Though I never noticed it at the time, the decline of both is very similar and well defined.

Both had a golden age - when they were the best. For Metallica this was from Kill Em All through Metallica and for The Simpsons this was the first 7 seasons. After this they had a transition region where they just weren't as good as they used to be, but they were still good enough that you still enjoyed it and maybe didn't even notice (or mind) the decline. This transition region was from season 8 (or maybe even 7) to 10 for the Simpsons. For Metallica, it was from Load to S&M.

The final part of the decline is the part no one ever likes to see: when it continually gets worse and worse to the point where it is unbearable. Have you ever tried watching the new Simpsons episodes? They're aweful and each week they manage to reach a new low. Metallica isn't quite to that point yet, but they're getting there. St. Anger wasn't very good, the "Some Kind of Monster" CD is just a shameless attempt to cheat fans out of money, and something tells me its only going to get worse.

Though the decline is clear to any reasonable person who follows The Simpsons or Metallica, there are people who will continously defend them. Now we all agree that old Simpsons and old Metallica are great; but that doesn't mean that you should defend the new stuff despite how bad it is. The "die-hard fans" (or as I call them, idiots) continue to defend them for whatever twisted reason.

Usually, the best defense they can come up with is "It might not be as good as before but its still better than anything else out there." Well thats not even close to being true. South Park and ATHF are both better than The Simpsons. Futurama and Family Guy were both better than the Simpsons at the time they were cancelled (I'll never understand why they were cancelled). Up until Harry Goz died, Sealab was also better than The Simpsons. Tool, Sevendust, System of a Down, and many other bands are all putting out better music than Metallica now.

The Simpsons and Metallica have given us hours upon hours of entertainment, and for that we should be grateful. However, they need to know when to call it quits. I know its hard to resist the piles of money, but the greed hurts the true fans - the fans who fondly remember the good ole days and are pained by the current state of their old favorites.

It's time to accept the inevitable. At the end of their current tour, Metallica should retire to their million dollar mansions. If they don't want to stop playing, they could just seperate and move on to new musical projects; that would take real courage. Matt Groening already took a risk by trying something differnt and making Futurama; but he needs to realise that The Simpsons is no longer the great show that he set out to make. Fox will never cancel it (it still anchors their "LOL Sunday"), so he's gonna have to stop making them and just be happy with his residual checks from syndication and DVD sales.

I'm sure plenty of people agree with me. I also know many people out their will disagree with the above and everyone is entitled to their opinion and free to share it with me if they really care enough to take the time.