The Simpsons: I think I could spend the rest of my life talking only in quotes from The Simpsons

Growing up means knowing The Simpsons is spectacular - and learning that Homer is the absolute worst.

“Let’s just say it moved me, TO A BIGGER HOUSE. Oops, I just said the quiet part loud and the loud part quiet.”

You know, I don’t think I’ve come across a single situation in life that I couldn’t find a Simpsons quote for.

From the famous (”Attempted murder! Now honestly what is that? Do they give a Nobel prize for attempted chemistry?!") to perhaps the more obscure (”it’s Kurns, stupid”), there are very few conversations that aren’t improved with a well placed Simpsons gag.

It’s almost impossible now to think of any gag or joke that hasn’t appeared in The Simpsons at some point. The cartoon is now in its 35 season, with 766 episodes out there in the wild.

When I was a young un, The Simpsons used to be on at 6 o clock, on Channel 2, just before Malcolm in the Middle I think. And you know something is really funny when even your parents stop to watch a few moments of it, and chuckle along.

When the famous Who Shot Mr Burns aired, kids in my primary school were gathering together, talking about who could have dunnit.

I can’t really think of anything else that had such a profound impact on me as a child, and my developing sense of humour, than that silly yellow cartoon. And yes, I know a few episodes haven’t aged well. And I know some of the characters are, to say the least, incredibly problematic. We can still love things while acknowledging their flaws.

One of the things that strikes me the most as I watch it now, a fully fledged adult, is how completely awful Homer is. and I mean awful. I can’t stand him. Even my love of the show can’t get me through a few of the episodes - like when Marge joins the police - and Homer is downright cruel to her. I know it’s meant to be part of the joke, that he’s the worst and Marge is the absolute best, but it’s become more and more brutally unbearable to me as time goes on.

When I was a child, I thought he was a lovable idiot, now I think that Marge should be packing her bags and calling the taxi pronto, taking the kids with her. That’s what I call maturity and growth.

Anyway, I digress.

Barring a few of the particularly egregious Homer episodes though, the rest is basically still pure gold.

There are very few comedies I can think of that I know better than my own soul, but still makes me relentlessly laugh out loud. Sometimes when I’m not even watching it, but just thinking about a joke (”My eyes! The goggles do nothing”). The episodes can still bring comfort, and giggles, and nourishment for the soul. It’s silly and satirical and sweet.

For anyone who hasn’t seen it in a while, I urge you to dip your toe back in and enjoy. It’s (almost) pure, yellow, sunshine.