Disenchantment and the Struggle for Relevance

My feelings on Disenchantment are complicated, but it comes down to this harsh truth: being cutting edge 30 years ago doesn’t guarantee you’ll be cutting edge today. Disenchantment feels like a show that would’ve been wildly creative a few decades ago, but is unremarkable now. And I hate saying that because it means admitting, as a creator, that I too probably have a limited shelf life.

There are always exceptions, but for the most part, staying relevant is tricky as an artist. It doesn’t help that many of the tropes Disenchantment takes aim at have been targeted more successfully by other comedic deconstructions. It really does feel like a show made by people who are just a step out of touch. As crazy as it might have seemed to have Princess Bean not be your typical princess, no princess is now you’re typical princess in fantasy fiction. Even Disney is eagerly deconstructing that old trope. And many others.

This isn’t just a function of Disenchantment’s creators being older and out of touch. Plenty of new writers think they’ve done something amazing when they’re far behind the curve. But Disenchantment feels like outsiders poking fun at a genre they don’t really understand. The Simpsons worked because it was a study in the family sitcom. Futurama worked because it understood science fiction tropes and how to subvert them. Disenchantment struggles because it doesn’t seem to grasp the genre it’s deconstructing.  What exactly is Disenchantment’s thesis statement? Why does it exist?

Yes, that’s pretentious artist speak, but it still matters.

The Simpsons started out as a takedown, deconstruction, and occasional reconstruction of the Family Sitcom, which had been a television staple for decades. In its beginnings, it took basic sitcom premises and either subverted or exaggerated them. Animation lends itself to such choices, and it was clear that Groening and the creators all understood what they were doing. The golden age of The Simpsons was all about that.

When people complain about The Simpsons losing its way, they’re usually talking about that period where the show ran out of classic sitcom tropes to explore and just fell into general wackiness. This was inevitable. Not only because the show kept running for decades but because the Family Sitcom isn’t nearly as relevant as it once was. It still exists, here and there, but it’s generally fueled by nostalgia. Certainly, it’s not the ubiquitous juggernaut of TV it once was. The Simpsons had a choice. Either circle around an outdated trope or move forward. Either was an imperfect choice, but I’d argue that the show made the right one. I’d also argue that The Simpsons is still funny, if a little slapdash and uneven. It’s just not funny in the way it was when it started.

Futurama is all about science fiction tropes, and if you listen to the commentary track on any episode, you’ll hear a writing staff that understands the tropes and ideas they’re exploring. For myself, when the show was canceled, I thought it was a good thing as they were probably running out of those tropes to explore. And then they moved to Comedy Central and proved that they had. The show started resorting to weird fantasy episodes and fell into general wackiness with a sci fi sheen.

With Disenchantment, it feels like a show that skipped right to the general wackiness step without ever stopping at the relevant exploration. It’s wildly inconsistent in even those elements it chooses to parody. Our kingdom is called Dreamland, which implies a sort of fairy tale send up. But it’s not very fairy tale. Instead, it’s a dark ages world where fantasy conceits take a backseat to cruel reality. And I suppose that could be something people might find interesting. In fact, they already do. It’s called A Game of Thrones, and it’s pretty popular from what I hear. And that seems to be the only reason Disenchantment exists. Because fantasy is popular now, but that’s hardly justification for a show without much to say.

There’s also the harsh truth that there’s a hell of a lot more competition in the animated sitcom arena. When The Simpsons premiered, they were the only game in town. Now, the field is crowded. There are plenty of shows exploring the animated sitcom format in various subgenres. Disenchantment just feels like another competitor, and not a very good one either.

And that really hurts to say because nobody wants to see great creators fail. And no creator wants to think about the prospect of their own possible failures. It’s simple for me to sit here and criticize Disenchantment for being okay, but it doesn’t change the fact that a lot of talented people are working on the show. And it just is okay. I’m reminded of my criticism of Incredibles 2, a film made by talented people that’s also guilty of being merely adequate. Or watching Steven Spielberg create the unexceptional Ready Player One. In all cases, these are artists who have created some of the greatest media of their times and now, they’re simply guilty of making something ordinary.

It’s a possibility that every artist has to face, but we labor on. And I hope that this is merely a hiccup for all these creators, who will go on to create relevant and amazing things in the future. But Disenchantment is just another okay creation from talented creators, and that’s a bummer.

Keelah Se’lai

Fighting the good fight, Writing the good write,

LEE