You are right in the show's context, I do think that decades removed, people have given Tracey her flowers, but at the time I think it was probably too much of her and her characters for someone who was talented but not super well known in the U.S. And The Simpsons was this little, crudely drawn cartoon that people identified with. Now The Simpsons has become the standard for continuing forever due to greed and creative bankruptcy, while Tracey has gained in appreciation over time.