Something I find particularly endearing about the Simpsons is how people fail to realize how dark it can be just because its a cartoon. It brings it down to a more acceptable level than if, say, it were portrayed in a primetime drama series. Sure, there's humour at the purely slapstick level but sieve through all that and there's social commentary and generalization of the stereotypical family.
I know it's weird bringing philosophy into a Simpsons thread but IMO people should see it as more than just a comedy.