Almost three decades after its premiere, 'The Simpsons' still matters

Here is a broken down the history of 'The Simpsons' into six distinct eras, based on the ways its humor has changed over the years

For the past three decades, there has been one constant in America’s comedy landscape: The Simpsons. With that animated sitcom now approaching the start of its 30th season, on September 30, it’s a good time to reflect on how The Simpsons has evolved during its unparalleled run, and how each era in that evolution has reflected — or failed to reflect — the state of comedy, and of the culture, as a whole.

Neither The Simpsons nor history has stood still since the show debuted in 1989. The first family of Springfield has witnessed five American presidents, the dawn of the