The Simsponsis often well known for episodes that wind uppredicting future events, but it also produces episodes that wind up being timeless. One of those episodes has come back into conversation, especially with the news that film studios are drafting “superfan focus groups” to help them with marketing upcoming film and TV projects. That episode is the Season 8 classic “The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show,“which alsocementedThe Simpsonsas the longest-running animated show in history— a feat it still holds to this day.
“The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show” finds Homer (Dan Castellaneta) unexpectedly becoming involved with the hyperviolent cartoonItchy & Scratchywhen its ratings start to decline. After Krusty the Clown (also voiced by Castellaneta) threatens to pullItchy & Scratchyfrom his show, a focus group is pulled together to figure out how to right the ship. The end result is Poochie, a “dog with attitude” that Homer winds up voicing. “The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show” is an important episode for many reasons, but it also showsthat you may’t please every fan, every time.
‘The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show’ Was Meta-Commentary on ‘The Simpsons’ Itself
“The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show” was always intended to bea meta-commentary on the state ofThe Simpsons.More specifically, the writers wanted to address the ups and downs of working on an animated show, including being beholden to focus groups & executives. Former co-showrunnerJosh Weinsteinput it best in an oral history celebrating the 25th anniversary of “The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show”:
“We weren’t thinking, Oh, we’re making fun of executives, we’re never going to work in this town again.” It was more, “Goddamn, this can be frustrating. Let’s make fun of it.”
The best example of this comes in a running gag where Roy, a college-aged teenager, is shown hanging around the Simpsons' house. Roy’s presence was actually a response to an exec who suggested adding a teenage family member to the show. However, by the episode’s end, he’s moved out, showing that the writersknew how to poke fun at the often asinine requests of executives. The focus group scenes, and Poochie’s eventual creation, are another great example of this.
Poochie Is Everything Wrong With Executive Meddling & Focus Groups
When Poochie makes his debut in “The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show,“virtually no one except for Homer likes him. He takes away all the focus from Itchy and Scratchy, his description as a “kung fu hippie from Gangsta City” sounds like nothing any human (or anthropomorphic animal) would ever say, and his surfer design immediately makes him feel dated. A large part of this is due to theexecutives who had input into Poochie’s design. While he started out as a regular dog, animation chief Roger Meyers Jr. (Alex Rocco) demands that he be given “attitude” and names him “Poochie” simply because he’s a dog. Very often, studios will chase trends, hoping to catch lightning in a bottle — but what executives forget is that characters become beloved due to their actions and not necessarily their appearances.
The focus group is also responsible for the birth of Poochie. When Lisa (Yeardley Smith), Bart (Nancy Cartwright), and their fellow students are summoned by Meyers to ask what they want out ofItchy & Scratchy, the answers are conflicting. Some want magic robots, while others want more down-to-earth approaches. In frustration, Meyers yells out, “You kids don’t know what you want!” It’s a great way to showhow fans, despite all of their proclamations on the internet, don’t really know what they want.A key example is the Star Wars franchise;Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakenswas an attempt to get back to the series' roots, but fans decried it as a remake.Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jediattempted to push the boundaries of the franchise and caused a backlash. No matter what a studio does, fans will find fault with it — which is encompassed in a certainSimpsonscharacter.
Comic Book Guy Was Forever Solidified as a Metaphor for Fandom
The Simpsonsis full of a wide range of characters, and “The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show” gave one of them a prominent role:Jeff Albertson, aka the “Comic Book Guy.“Comic Book Guy appears periodically throughout the episode, mostly to complain. Toward the end, he delivers what would become his signature catchphrase: “Worst. Episode. Ever.” But “The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show” also had an unintended side effect, asit solidified Comic Book Guy as a vehicle for unhappy fans.
Why Don’t ‘The Simpsons’ Characters Ever Age?
Time is a flat circle in Springfield.
Most episodes where he appears have him declaring something to be “the worst thing ever” or angrily typing away at his keyboard, and it’s a practice that mirrors most interactions with “superfans.” In the case of life shaping art, the catchphrase was inspired by aSimpsonsfan site, where fans would usually declare certain episodes to be the worst thing ever. “In the early days of the internet, when we were just writers, we would log on to alt.tv.simpsons and there were people saying “worst episode ever” about some which are now regarded as the best ever,” Weinstein said.
‘The Simpsons’ Was Trying To Impart Wisdom to Its Audience
When it comes down to it, “The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show” has a single message that studios should take away:films and TV shows need time to grow, and shouldn’t bend to the whims of fans.Lisa, ever the voice of reason, tells Meyers thatItchy and Scratchyhas had a lengthy run, which means it’s bound to shed viewers; the same thing has happened toThe Simpsonsover the years. Homer, when learning that the network plans to kill off Poochie, makes an impassioned speech about how the character can work if given enough love and care. Sadly, it isn’t enough as Poochie “is killed back on the way to his home planet.” Even Bart has a sharp rebuke of Comic Book Guy’s entitlement, “They’ve given you thousands of hours of entertainment for free. What could they possibly owe you?“The Simpsonsis proof that studios don’t need “superfans” to deliver great stories, they need faith in their creatives and to give said creatives the environment to work in.
The Simpsons
The satiric adventures of a working-class family in the misfit city of Springfield.
The Simpsonsis available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.
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