There might be many contenders for Barney’s evident alcoholism or Homer’s uncontrollable temper.
The Simpsons didn't pull its punches when it came to mocking the saccharine image of happy families or picket-fence Americana that was expected from network comedies of the time either. However, even The Simpsons usually avoided getting too dark, which is what led to the show’s true low point with season 18’s "The Boys of Bummer".
Unlike most contenders for worst episode, it’s not immediately obvious why Simpsons' viewers hate "The Boys of Bummer" so much, and have done so since it debuted shortly before the release of 2007's The Simpsons Movie. This episode sees Springfield gang up against and bully Bart to the brink of suicide when he misses an easy baseball play, and in the process, the episode depicts the entire town as cruel, spiteful people.
This is the sort of dark, Simpsons' episode "Homer At The Bat." So why is "The Boys of Bummer" so widely hated?
The same theme of the town being filled with horrible people also showed up at the tail end of “Miracle On Evergreen Terrace,” but there, their greed and cruelty aren’t the main focus. In contrast, the collective awfulness of Springfield is unavoidably front-and-center in "The Boys of Bummer," which is what led to most fans disowning the episode entirely and branding it even worse than The Simpsons' many embarrassing celebrity cameos or smug self-aware plots.