Why don't the Simpsons characters age?

I think G. Devine basically gets it right: it's a convention of cartoons generally that the characters remain static, both visually and dramatically. read more

A lot of characters are adults and always will be adults 30 or older. 1989 was 27 years ago. Ned Flanders is 60 years old. If he had aged normally starting at Season 1, he would be 87 and I just can’t have that. People like The Simpsons because they never age. This means they never mature. Homer will always be dumb. read more

The aging of characters in The Simpsons has been a subject of common fan debate. The passage of time is clear, but characters only show minor, if any, signs of aging, despite openly saying that years have passed. The children also remain in the same grades at school. The writers and character designs seem to ignore the issue of aging. read more

Is it that: In the present the Simpsons are a certain age. As 'the present' moves from 1995 to 2015 it doesn't matter because in the moment they are always the same age. From the present, however, when they look into the future or the past then they are different ages. read more