By Dan MacCormac

Last year, a classmate, a fellow about twice my age, asked me if I thought The Simpsons would be the defining television show of my generation. Normally, I despise such notions about pop culture being indicative of any generational identity, but I actually had to agree with him. The Simpsons has been a huge element in the entertainment scene over the past 10 years within the minds of its die-hard fans.

What other television show inspires reasonably intelligent adults (i.e. journalism students) to spout off Wiggum quote after Mr. Burns quote with a passion comparable to charismatic religious devotees?

Words of wisdom such as "Well, if you"re going to get mad at me every time I do something stupid I guess I'll just have to stop doing stupid things!" have graced the newsroom walls alongside Jack McAndrew proverbs and city council information.

The Simpsons treads the line between reality and fantasy, which can be a fairly common place for many of us to spend time. The characters may be imaginary, but isn't Homer a modern Everyman? Isn't he the beer drinking, GED holding, unqualified nuclear safety technician in all of us? Apparently many people think so.

The Simpsons have not only won Emmy awards, but also hold the record for the longest-running prime-time animated sitcom in television history. Next year, the four-fingered hands of the Simpson family will grace the Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard. Meanwhile, Bart is considered by Time magazine to be "one of the most important and influencial icons of the 20th century." He even beat out Bugs and Wile E.

All the industry hoopla aside, the show holds something for everyone. I've even noticed my father sitting down for Compass a tad early but just in time to catch the end of The Simpsons and have a chuckle or two. It was he, incidentally, who showed me an article in The Globe and Mail which described how virtually no celebrity turns down an opportunity to guest star on The Simpsons. Hell, any show that animates my heroes, The Ramones, gets props from me.

Of course, some naysayers claim the writing quality has gone down over the past couple of years, and the tragic death of Phil Hartman will no doubt take a toll on future episodes, but this fan isn't worried. Well, I am sort of worried about how to sum up my thoughts here. I mean "Can't someone else do it?" Here's Troy, you may remember him from such Surveyor columns as...

"Yes, The Simpsons have come a long way since an old drunk made humans out of his rabbit characters to pay off his gambling debts. Who knows what adventures they'll have between now and the time the show becomes unprofitable?"