The Front (The Simpsons) Harvard alumnus who resembles "Simpsons" writer Jon Vitti. At the awards ceremony, "The Simpsons" creator Matt Groening is shown in the audience. Lisa is also seen reading a book titled "How to Get Rich Writing Cartoons" by John Swartzwelder, a "Simpsons" writer credited with nearly sixty episodes of the show. The credits at the end of Bart and Lisa's "Itchy & Scratchy" episode (shown in very small print) are a copy of the credits at the end of "The Simpsons". At the Annual Cartoon Awards, the clip from the nominated "The Ren & Stimpy Show" is merely a black screen
The Simpsons storylines in favor of and overuse of celebrity cameo appearances and references to popular culture. Schembri wrote: "The central tragedy of "The Simpsons" is that it has gone from commanding attention to merely being attention-seeking. It began by proving that cartoon characters don't have to be caricatures; they can be invested with real emotions. Now the show has in essence fermented into a limp parody of itself. Memorable story arcs have been sacrificed for the sake of celebrity walk-ons and punchline-hungry dialogue." In 2010, the BBC noted "the common consensus is that "The Simpsons" golden era ended after season nine",