Whenever a discussion of The Simpsons starts, the internet inevitably pivots to the 'why isn't it as good anymore' discussion. Like historians breaking down the collapse of an empire, they'll point to specific writers, episodes, and trends that pushed the show out of its Golden Age.

This week, Carter and Sydney look at three specific episodes - Marge vs the Monorail, Homer Simpson in: Kidney Troubles, and The Day the Earth Stood Cool - to analyze what defines the Golden Age of the show, why newer episodes feel 'different,' and how flanderization and the rise of copycats has affected the show's perception.

Woo-Hoo! As Summer begins, the Disney Desk is heading to Springfield!

The Simpsons is one of the handful of undeniable cultural institutions left in the Internet Age. Everyone has their 'Era,' their favorite episodes, their opinions on the state of the show. A single month almost certainly isn't enough to capture the enormity of the seminal Fox show, but Carter and Sydney are hoping to break down their place in the show's history and enjoy maybe the breeziest series of watches they've ever done.

To kick off, we are talking about The Simpsons themselves, picking an iconic episode for each member of the family and using it as a springboard to get a baseline for their character and the strengths of the show.

Homer at Bat, Itchy & Scratchy & Marge, Mrs. Lisa Goes to Washington, Krusty Gets Busted, and Rosebud are the five episodes that kick off this exciting month!

As we at the Disney Desk prepare to kick off our Summer Slate with a new themed month, we realized how many interesting things have occurred on the Disney and animation scene that we just haven't had time to cover. So once again, it is time for an episode-long Internet Minute!

Today, we talk about the Glitch Production "Drama," Bluey coming to the Disney Parks, and the return of the Disney Store.

Did you know Carter's phone took on too much water just before Memorial Day Weekend and fried the battery? He only did right after recording a two hour episode! So, in place of the final episode of Brad Bird Month, Carter and Sydney are presenting the first Patreon Exclusive in quiet some time!

As Bird prepares to release his long awaited Ray Gun on Netflix, the Disney Desk takes time to cover K-Pop: Demon Hunters, the biggest animated hit of last year.

Over a decade and a half, Brad Bird felt like he couldn't miss. The critical darling Iron Giant. The massive successes of The Incredibles and Ratatouille. Pivoting to live action and helping resurrect the Mission: Impossible franchise. It felt like Bird was set up to be one of 'The' directors. What couldn't he do?

Well, 2015's Tomorrowland provides the answer.

An odd film that serves as a confluence of trends, tastes and artistic visions, it is somehow one of the most notable and interesting film's of its era and one that goes through you like a breeze. Tune in as Carter and Sydney talk plot vs story, cynicism, and kindof just putter around, because good lord this film is confounding.

After the box office failure of The Iron Giant, Brad Bird once again found himself in the woods. His demanding, exacting style of animation was deemed not financially viable to put up with. But with an undeniable critical success on his hand, some old friends decided to roll the dice on his talent.

John Lasseter and the founders of Pixar went to CalArts with Bird, and when it came to 'mix things up' and bring new talent into the studio, he became an obvious choice. The script he would bring in, a Super Hero Suburban Comedy titled The Incredibles, would become one of Pixar's greatest successes, an instantly iconic film for a generation, and the undeniable hit that would make Bird a 'Director of Import.'

Tune in as we talk Jack Kirby, Pastich, and Alexander the Great.

It's no secret that we here at the Disney Desk love our themed months. One idea that Sydney and Carter have been batting back and forth with each other is the idea of covering a single artist's work for an entire month. If we pride ourselves on being a modestly educational show, why not lean in and use an individual creative to demonstrate how their career and animation have evolved over time?

So this May will be the month of Phillip Bradley Bird! Signed to an 'unofficial internship' with Walt Disney Animation at age 14, Bird was a prodigy who bridged the gap between the Nine Old Men and the Renaissance Animators. His rise, fall, return and redemption tie together the Disney Renaissance, the start of Pixar, The Simpsons, and the return of Tom Cruise as a major movie star somehow.

To kick off, we start at the ground floor: his feature directorial debut The Iron Giant. Tune in as we talk WB, Americana, and what makes a soul.

After seeing Porco Rosso for the first time, Sydney was inspired to suggest a long-form mini-series for the podcast. Going through the works of Hayo Miyazaki, the Disney Desk would create a curated collection of Ghibli films that would eventually lead to the director's alleged final work: 2023's The Boy and the Heron. This week, that promise is finally being fulfilled!

The semi-autobiographical story of a boy moving to the countryside in the time of war and being spirited away to a magic kingdom received critical acclaim, awards, acknowledgment, and massive success at the box office. But three years later, it is still one of Hayo's most polarizing works.

Tune in as Carter and Sydney ask each other: How do you live?

As we continue on through our themeless April, the Disney Desk decided it was time to go back to the always fun world of debates and games!

A topic that has been on the docket for almost an entire year has been that of Mascots. What makes a good mascot? What separates 'The Face of a Franchise' from a true-blue Company Mascot? Can one set out to create a Mascot or does the audience need to declare one a Mascot?

Sydney and Carter sit down and make a tier list for Mascots from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Nintendo and more as we see who can truly stand up to the standard Mickey sets (while also trying to survive an alarmingly difficult allergy season).

As Bob Iger's reign as Disney CEO (probably) comes to an end, it's time to look back. 2007's Meet the Robinsons wasn't the first Disney Animation release under his administration, but it was the first to undoubtedly be impacted by it. With Pixar officially under the Disney banner, the two studios worked together to shape an aspirational tale of growth, learning through failure, and looking toward the future.

The only problem? Carter and Sydney don't really have any nostalgic memories of this film. While prominent in their childhood, neither of them views the film as 'theirs.' Fortunately for them, there is someone who has been behind the scenes of the Disney Desk who does have nostalgic memories for the Robinsons!

Sydney's boyfriend Danny comes on to take us on a tour of his favorite childhood film. Tune in as the trio talk retrofuturism, Jimmy Neutron and the hope of the future.