June 2012
The second instance of the show losing their spark was when they introduced gore, blood, and boob jokes (Tit-tania in the spring break episode) into the mainstream episodes in season 9 or 10, like the geyser of blood shooting out of Lenny's head in the episode where Burns finds the loch ness monster. There was a football episode where a player kicks his own foot off. Gore should only appear in the Halloween episodes and the Itchy and Scratchy cartoons.
I’m inclined to agree with you, but I think the bit where Lenny gets a silver dollar lodged in his head (in “Monty Can’t Buy Me Love”) is really funny.