Here's a completely random epiphany that I thought might be interesting...
I was in my doctor's waiting room yesterday (fun fact: my appointment was for 5:50, and I actually got in to see him around 7:20), and at one point, a newer episode of The Simpsons came on the TV.
As I watched the show, I noticed that it hasn't improved much on the utter mediocrity that made me stop watching it a few years ago, but it still has its occasional moments. At the same time, something was missing from what was once the funniest show on television.
I always attributed this to the writers deciding that "Homer gets a wacky new job" (which, incidentally, was the main plot of the episode I saw) is still a useful premise. And I stand by that to some extent. But a little while ago, I realized that the very feel of the show has changed, and not just the plotlines.
It's hard to explain, but when I go back and watch episodes from the first few seasons, I get the impression that the characters are talking to and interacting with one another, even though they're cartoons. In the new episodes, however, it seems like they're just putting on a show for the audience, and every line and plot point is there to get a particular reaction, rather than to tell a coherent and enjoyable story.
Of course, I realize that since The Simpsons was a huge part of my late childhood/early adolescence, I could be letting nostalgia get the best of me, but I find that unlikely. After all, I still laugh at the older episodes, because they're genuinely funny. On the other hand, when I laugh at a newer one (which is rare), it's usually preceded by a quick "oh, I guess that was the joke" moment. Again, hard to explain, but I never really thought of it this way before, so maybe I'll have a clearer understanding of it later.
This entire post is, of course, meaningless to people who haven't seen The Simpsons, but I needed to get this in writing before I forgot about it.
UPDATE
I thought about it a little more, and it occurred to me that The Simpsons is the Chris Chelios of TV shows. It was an all-star at one point, but it's clearly past its prime, and it's just kind of sad and pitiful to watch it attempting to relive its glory days.