The Simpsons were monumental characters in my life. Every one of the fictional members of the imaginary family spoke to me in some way.
There was Marge: a caring mother of three who suppressed every ounce of emotion; Lisa: the young hippie who in the end of it all really just desired acceptance; Bart: the mischievous boy who causes an immense amount of trouble at Springfield Elementary, and Homer: the bald, wide-eyed oaf whom you can't help but love. Today, they have all taken different roles as exemplified on the terrible Simpsons movie that compromised the integrity of almost all the characters, but back then they were simply a cartoon focused on the humor in everyday mishaps.
I learned about all of them from years of eating my dinner in front of the TV. There were no other cartoons on at this time if you didn't have cable but that half hour, sometimes an hour depending on the FOX lineup that year, was a time of adventure and fun.
There was also a late night showing which I always begged my mom to let me see and the day she did I barely made it to the opening credits. When you don't have much growing up, you appreciate the small things you have, like the brief time spent with a certain yellow family.
