The "purist" spergs of this fanbase are the worst. The fanbase of this show doesn't like their own show, lol.
It's funny, cause these self proclaimed purists would be laughed out of the room by even bigger spergs. There are unironically people who think only the Tracy Ullman shorts and the first 2 seasons are untouchable gold and everything else is pure garbage.
There are dinosaurs who grew up with Dallas and Married with Children that thought Season 4 was terrible and too cartoony. That season 1-8 thing isn't a universal thing. There are people that think everything after season 4 sucks and if you think otherwise you're an idiot. It exists.
And they are wrong.
There are some lows and stinkers after Season 9, but the show is relatively good until Season 16 or 17 and even a little beyond that in spurts.
I'm a hypocrite because I hate the HD-era, but if you only think the first 3 or 4 seasons are good then come on. You're not a real fan of this fucking show.
The show would have sucked if they didn't introduce the "rubber band reality" thing, and yes, the Scully years broke those rules too much and I'm against that. I don't think that Homer should shoot lasers from his eyes at Bart and that anything can go but that narrative that it's a "Yellow King of the Hill" was dropped after the third season and most people don't even think those are the best seasons.
They obsess over rules this show has broken since being in it's third season. If you want something 100% grounded with human beings that just happen to be animated, watch King of the Hill. I kinda like that it has several eras, you get a "best of several worlds" kind of thing with it.