Alf Clausen Fired as "The Simpsons" Composer after 27 Years | My Thoughts

D'OH!

When I was a kid, nothing made me feel lucky to be alive, enjoy television like it was a celestial experience and say getting yelled at and punished by my parents (and even getting my ass kicked by my grandmom) worth it like The Simpsons. This series was like an inspiration to me when almost nothing else in my life was (I did have my school teachers and good friends on Facebook as some, but they didn't give me the feelings and expressions I should back then like it). Watching classic seasons in syndication on my local Fox station in Philadelphia (Fox 29) was my one role of the day as a kid that made me truly happy, and its many elements were the stuff legends made. One of those elements was its compositions by composer Alf Clausen. Clausen held the role of The Simpsons's composer since its second season (way back in 1990) and since then has been the guy that created so many pieces of beautiful original music with his orchestra that helped define the series as a television masterpiece. Whether the scene called for something happy, sad, angry, sobering, exciting or something else on the emotions spectrum, Mr. Clausen and his team make that piece and deliver. Because of this, it helped make many scenes and moments worth being fondly remembered by its many fans all around the world. (even when his services were decreased as the seasons passed, he was still there with his creations).

When I heard that he was fired by the producers, I was truly shocked and speechless. I didn't think his career with the show would just...end like that. Usually, people of this occupation and caliber would retire or even leave on their own terms and later get a big send-off of a sort. Not get their damn pink-slips after over a quarter-century of work at the same show! And to make this worse, he got fired while over the phone. That is just disrespectful. From then, my silent shock turned to silent rage. Because a part of the exclusive article from Variety revealed that the producers want to find a new type of music for it's score.
And it's just unfair.

Now, I haven't watched a new episode of The Simpsons in a long while (I only saw a piece of one on my birthday earlier this year but that's it); that's not his fault--I stopped because the writing got terrible and too many guest stars that would make the last season of Roseanne blush. But since Mr. Clausen's firing, I don't think I'll have the respect to come back to it. Maybe to sample its new sound but I probably won't like it at first.

But hey, at least we'll have his work to enjoy and love all over again when re-watching past seasons.

Mr. Clausen, I'm truly sorry for your firing. But I know you can bounce back soon enough and continue on with your legendary career. You have the love, respect and inspiration from me...and all the longtime fans of The Simpsons. And everyone else in the industry of television.