Go to Hachette Book Group home

Search

Site Preferences

Show prices in:

By clicking “Accept,” you agree to the use of cookies and similar technologies on your device as set forth in our Cookie Policy and our Privacy Policy. Please note that certain cookies are essential for this website to function properly and do not require user consent to be deployed.

Stupid TV, Be More Funny

How the Golden Era of The Simpsons Changed TV-and America-Forever

Coming Soon
Stupid TV, Be More Funny Open the full-size image

Contributors

By Alan Siegel

Formats and Prices

Price

$30.00

Price

$40.00 CAD

Format

Format:

  1. Hardcover $30.00 $40.00 CAD
  2. ebook $16.99 $21.99 CAD
  3. Audiobook Download (Unabridged) $27.99

Also available from:

This comprehensive account of the meteoric rise of The Simpsons combines incisive pop culture criticism and interviews with the show’s creative team that take readers inside the making of an American phenomenon during its most influential decade, the 1990s.

The Simpsons is an American institution. But its status as an occasionally sharp yet ultimately safe sitcom that’s still going after 33 years on the air undercuts its revolutionary origins. The early years of the animated series didn’t just impact Hollywood, they changed popular culture. It wasn’t a watercooler show; it was a show that altered the way we talked around the watercooler, in school hallways, and on the campaign trail, by bridging generations with its comedic sensibility and prescient cultural commentary.

In STUPID TV, BE MORE FUNNY, writer Alan Siegel reveals how the first decade of the show laid the groundwork for the series’ true influence. He explores how the show’s rise from 1990 to 1998 intertwined with the supposedly ascendent post-Cold War America, turning Fox into the juggernaut we know today, simultaneously shaking its head at America’s culture wars while finding itself in the middle of them. By packing the book with anecdotes from icons like Conan O’Brien and Yeardley Smith, Siegel also provides readers with an unparalleled look inside the making of the show.

Through interviews with the show’s legendary staff and whip-smart analysis, Siegel charts how The Simpsons developed its singular sensibility throughout the ‘90s, one that was at once groundbreakingly subversive for a primetime cartoon and shockingly wholesome. The result is a definitive history of The Simpsons’ most essential decade.

Genre:

On Sale
Jun 10, 2025
Page Count
304 pages
Publisher
Grand Central Publishing
ISBN-13
9781538742846

You May Also Like

The World of Sanditon: The Official Companion
The World of Sanditon: The Official Companion $40.00 $50.00 CAD
The Little Box of SpongeBob SquarePants
The Little Box of SpongeBob SquarePants $9.95 $12.50 CAD
From Yesterday to TODAY
From Yesterday to TODAY $14.99 $19.99 CAD
Brady, Brady, Brady
Brady, Brady, Brady $13.99 $17.99 CAD
Court TV’s You Be the Judge
Court TV’s You Be the Judge $6.99 $8.99 CAD

Alan Siegel

About the Author

Los Angeles-based Ringer senior staff writer Alan Siegel specializes in pop culture retrospectives that take readers inside the making of iconic movies, television shows, and albums. Over the last 10 years, there’s no subject that he’s written about more than The Simpsons. He’s interviewed dozens of the show’s writers, producers, actors, guest stars, and fans for features that are some of his most popular articles.

Learn more about this author