When I was younger, I was always enthralled by the antics of Bart Simpson. I couldn't get enough of him. By the time I entered 4th grade, it was the "cool" thing to wear a Bart Simpson T-shirt. As for me, I had that read, "Bartman" and "Don't Have A Cow, Man!" The Simpsons was probably my favorite show on television, and as I grew older, and the show got older, it wasn't just Bart Simpson that I became enthralled with anymore, but with all of the characters, as well, especially Homer.

Then, something happened. About five years ago, I started to become less and less enchanted with my favorite series. I couldn't explain the reason. I still found it to be funny....sort of. I knew I should have been laughing, anyway, but there was just an emptiness inside, a void if you will. I wanted to laugh, I wanted the show to make me happy, and laugh like a kid, like it used to, but it just stopped doing that for me.

For a long time, I blamed the writers. I figured the show had changed. I had spoken to a few others who were around my age, some a few years older, and they felt the same way I did. They also felt the show had been on the decline for some time now.

But as I thought about it, I asked myself "Has it?" Maybe we have changed. Maybe it is us who have gotten older, not The Simpsons. Eventually, kids turn into adults, and, well, we start to see things through the lens of an adult, and not a child, anymore.

All of his has got me thinking about how some people are unable to appreciate the Star Wars prequels. I am fortunate in that I have not been affected in that area, for I would rather lose my appreciation for The Simpsons, than my love for Star Wars.

The people who were once kids, and loved all things Star Wars, would probably have loved the prequels much the same as the OT, if they had viewed it for the first time during their childhood years.

Now, you would still have your Jar Jar haters out there, and such, just as we had our Ewok bashers back in the day. But I am still confident, that the prequels would have been appreciated by those who seem to have trouble accepting it today.

Anyway, whether it be Star Wars or Simpsons, if we are having trouble accepting any new material into their little universe, it's not the writers who have the problem. I think it's about time that we start looking at ourselves.

As Always,

-The Star Wars Uncle