While The Simpsons has produced some historically terrible episodes over the years, season 34 proved that the series could acknowledge its biggest missteps with self-deprecating humor. Of course, The Simpsons has made fun of its imitators a lot over the years, but to be fair to the long-running animated sitcom, the family comedy has always been able to mock itself, too. In one famous instance, The Simpsons season 13, episode 17, “Gump Roast,” featured a parody of Billy Joel’s hit song “We Didn’t Start the Fire” entitled “They’ll Never Stop The Simpsons” which mocked the show’s weakest plots and suggest some uninspired stories that the series could purse next.
Usually, when The Simpsons makes meta-jokes about the show’s critical reception, they are subtler gags that causal viewers might miss on first viewing. However, occasionally, The Simpsons goes for the jugular and directly makes fun of the show’s worst missteps. One gag in The Simpsons season 34, episode 16, “Hostile Kirk Place,” did just this as Kirk Van Houten took over a school board meeting to complain about how his family was portrayed in Springfield Elementary’s school curriculum. Kirk claimed that his family’s portrayal made him and, by extension, the town of Springfield look bad, prompting a brutal self-effacing joke.
The Simpsons Season 34 Admitted Lady Gaga’s Cameo Was The Worst Episode
Arguing against Kirk’s whitewashing, Martin Prince’s parents stated that every dark chapter in Springfield’s history should be enshrined in history. In the most brutal celebrity joke The Simpsons has made in some time, they claimed that even ”Lady Gaga’s visit” should be taught to their children, implying that this was one of the most shameful events in the show’s long run. This does align with what critics and fans have long said about The Simpsons season 23, episode 22, “Lisa Goes Gaga.” While initial reviews of the outing were mixed, the reputation of “Lisa Goes Gaga” has significantly worsened in the years since it aired.
“Lisa Goes Gaga,” like Elon Musk’s equally self-indulgent cameo in The Simpsons, is now frequently listed as one of the show’s worst episodes. Even the show’s creators appear to know this as, while The Simpsons season 34 repeated old plots in earlier episodes, this gag from “Hostile Kirk Place” made it clear that the series has no intention of bringing back Lady Gaga’s maligned role. That said, this joke was also a little internally contradictory since Martin Prince’s parents also named one of the best episodes of The Simpsons as a candidate for Springfield’s most shameful moment in the town’s history.
Why The Simpsons Season 34 Gag Was Confusing
One of the other examples that the Princes provide is Springfield’s monorail collapse. Admittedly, in-universe, that was a historical disaster. However, in meta-terms, The Simpsons season 4, episode 12, “Marge Vs the Monorail,” is often considered one of the series’ best episodes. This resulted in a Simpsons season 34 mystery, as it is unclear whether the Princes were talking about fan response or in-universe impact. In-universe, Lady Gaga’s visit was one of the best days of Lisa’s life, whereas, in meta-terms, it is considered one of the worst Simpsons episodes. As such, The Simpsons season 34 didn’t entirely clarify its self-critical gag.
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