How The Simpsons Messed Up Its Own Meta Joke

While The Simpsons season 34 tried to break the fourth wall with a nod to a largely-forgotten earlier episode, the long-running animated comedy made a rookie blunder in the process. The Simpsons is no stranger to self-referential comedy. Since its inception, the series has mocked the tropes of family sitcoms and, at its most ambitious, The Simpsons has lampooned the conventions of television itself with ambitious, fourth-wall-breaking jokes. However, while the experimental impulse behind these gags should be commended, that does not mean all of them have worked.