This sounds fairly depressing when I say it out loud, but coming home after an exhausting day of elementary school and watching hours on end of The Simpsons with my brother are many of my happiest childhood memories.  The feeling as I dug my elbows into the fringe carpet and rested my chin on my palms as I craned my neck to look up at the TV is simply irreplaceable.  I was utterly transfixed by the show’s warm, inviting glow and all 58 lbs of me proceeded to shake violently with laughter.  That memory remains so distinct and gives me the type of nostalgic high everybody our age craves to relive, but it is only now that I realize The Simpsons is much more than a safe space for me to retreat to after a long day.

When I say The Simpsons has completely shaped how I view the world, it is real, unfiltered truth, man.  The Simpsons is a cartoon but it is really meant for intelligent adults.  The show has as an anarchistic spirit that, as a child, is highly intoxicating.  The writers of The Simpsons made it their mission to show that authority figures can be inept and not nearly as smart as we think they are.  I remember when Lisa questioned the nature of a project her class was assigned and asks “isn’t this just pointless busy work?’  Her teacher, Ms. Hoover, responds with “bulls-eye, now get cracking.”  After hearing her response, I literally wanted to do cartwheels and call up all of my friends to tell them “their secret is out,” but I was far too busy laughing.

The Simpsons had the exact opposite affect on my brain that adults say it will.  They say too much television will turn your brain to mush, but The Simpsons taught me the importance of questioning authority and formulating my own opinions, instead of following everyone else.  The show also helped me develop a sense of humor that, to this day, is a huge part of me.

I still watch The Simpsons because now I understand at least 95 percent of all the jokes and references.  Lately, I have been watching The Simpsons far more than usual.  Stranger days lie ahead and while I am excited, there is still a part of me that wants to return to that safe space where everything is yellow.