My favorite television show of all time has been and probably always will be The Simpsons. Sure, it is a popular thing to be down on the show and say it should have ended years ago, but I don't care. I still love it. I still watch it. And I'll most likely continue to watch it as long as it remains on air (honestly, I am kinda hoping it outlives me). So it was an easy decision to pick up Springfield Confidential: Jokes, Secrets, and Outright Lies from a Lifetime Writing for The Simpsons by Mike Reiss, a man who has won four Emmy Awards for his work on the show. Genre, Themes, History: This is a nonfiction book that begins, appropriately, with Reiss explaining one of the many hidden jokes that appears in the opening credits of the show. From here, Reiss will talk about the birth of America's longest-running prime time television show, how he got started in comedy, how he ended up on The Simpsons staff, why he eventually left, and then why he returned. In between, Reiss introduces the reader to the other showrunners, the characters, the cast, the fans, and even tells stories about a handful of the many guest stars that have been on the show. Reiss also answers eight "burning questions" that he often gets from people, possibly the most popular of which is "Where is Springfield?" (the answer: it isn't real...also, Oregon). The book is an insight not only into how The Simpsons works and how the show is run (which seems like a brutal and hellish process), but how comedy works - or sometimes doesn't - and the inner workings of network television, as well as movies and even children's literature. It would possibly have made more sense to write this kind of book after the show ends, but as The Simpsons is about to air its 30th season, and shows absolutely no signs of stopping, this is as good a time as any. Also included are Reiss' thoughts on fan theories (they are fun but always wrong), how Lisa became the heart of the show, and his own insight into why the show has lasted for so long.
My Verdict: Reiss is a wealth of information and experience, as well as laughs. It is difficult for a book to have the comedic timing of a television show. It is even more difficult for a nonfiction book to have the comedic timing of a television show, especially one as fast-paced as The Simpsons. But Reiss pulls it off, managing to have me laughing out loud at several moments throughout the story, a few of which I probably wasn't supposed to find funny. I even think someone who is not all that big a fan of the show would enjoy this book. There are some many people that Reiss name drops that every reader would find at least one anecdote to be funny or interesting. My personal favorite, of course, was Michael Jackson. My only quibble is with Reiss' assertion (albeit it was made in jest...probably) was that the people of Texas don't read. First of all, how dare he. And second, I'm still laughing.
Favorite Joke: On having attended Harvard University: "I spent four years at Harvard and I hated the place. I'm not alone: In a 2006 poll, the Boston Globe ranked schools in terms of fun and social life. Harvard came in fifth...from the bottom. Amazing. I couldn't imagine four schools less fun than Harvard. But then I saw the list. The four schools ranked below us were:
Guantanamo Tech
Chernobyl Community College
The University of California at Aleppo, and
Cornell."
Favorite Quote: On Internet trolls who complain about the show: "One fan complained, 'In Season 8, Homer smuggled beer. Then in Season 27, he smuggled snakes. Rip-off.'
Yes, we did two vaguely similar stories, nineteen years apart. But the fan who complained was only fourteen years old - we hadn't even repeated ourselves in his lifetime!"
Favorite Photo Caption: Included in chapter 7 is a picture of the author with Dan Castellaneta, and a statue of a pig between them. The caption reads, "(Left to right:) Dan Castellaneta, Harvey Weinstein, and me." Well played.
Recommended Reading: Reiss and I both agree that Born Standing Up by Steve Martin is an excellent memoir.
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