The Simpsons Billie Eilish Appearance Could Fix The Show’s Cameo Problem
While The Simpsons does over-indulge in celebrity cameos, the show’s upcoming Billie Eilish appearance proves that the animated sitcom might be able to avoid this tendency going forward. The long-running show has a lot of issues—not the least of which is the confounding Bleeding Gums Murphy/Dr. Hibbert paradox—but one of the most longstanding and pervasive problems on The Simpsons is the show’s over-reliance on celebrity cameos.
At their best, celebrity guest appearances can be a major boon for The Simpsons. Some of the most moving outings of the family comedy relied on big-name guests, whether it was Michael Jackson, Dustin Hoffman, or Danny DeVito. However, these stars all crucially played original characters with interesting stories of their own, rather than fictionalized versions of themselves designed to cash in on their brand recognition. In contrast, many later season Simpsons episodes rely on big-name guest stars in place of engaging plots or interesting storylines.
Related: The Simpsons Bleeding Gums Recasting Creates A Weird Springfield Paradox
Of the first eleven episodes of The Simpsons season 33, ten featured at least one guest star. The Simpsons season 33's Netflix spoof alone featured appearances from Brian Cox, Chris O’Dowd, Cristin Milioti, Timothy Olyphant, and Jessica Pare, not to mention recurring guest Joe Mantegna. However, the forthcoming Simpsons short «When Billie Met Lisa,” set to premiere on Disney+ on April 22, may have found a way for the show to better handle its celebrity cameos. Since pop star Billie Eilish’s cameo will be limited to a self-contained short, it is unlikely to have the same struggles as full episodes revolving around famous faces.
The show's biggest cameo issue is how
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