[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 25 (Thursday, February 25, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E253]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          RECOGNIZING THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF ``THE SIMPSONS''

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE QUIGLEY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 25, 2010

  Mr. QUIGLEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the 
anniversary of an important milestone in our shared cultural history.
  December 17, 2009 marked the 20th anniversary of the debut episode of 
``The Simpsons.'' The Fox Broadcasting Company, which airs the show, 
spent the entirety of 2009 commemorating this milestone, and ended the 
celebration on January 10, 2010 with an hour-long special.
  In 1989, Fox took a chance and gave ``The Simpsons'' creator Matt 
Groening an opportunity to produce a half-hour primetime animated show 
for the network.
  Since then, the program has become world renowned. It has been 
honored with 25 Primetime Emmy awards, a Peabody award, and was named 
the 20th century's best television series by Time Magazine.
  It holds the distinction of being the longest running American 
animated program, the longest running American sitcom, and the longest 
running American primetime television program. In 2007, a feature-
length film entitled ``The Simpsons Movie'' was released to worldwide 
box office success.
  While the show is renowned for its cultural references, it has 
achieved a cultural iconic status in its own right. A testament to this 
is the addition of ``Doh,'' a frequently used exclamation of the show's 
lead character Homer Simpson, to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2001.
  Madam Speaker, I congratulate ``The Simpsons'' on its milestone, and 
I thank creators Matt Groening, James L. Brooks and Al Jean for the 
many years of laughs and the many more to come.

                          ____________________