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The Onion, an online satirical parody newspaper, has published a story about a Simpsons fan committing suicide, complete with a notice riddled with Simpsons references.

TV shows such as The Simpsons and Star Trek could be the best way of teaching science to children, Scottish researchers have claimed. Examples from comedy and drama shows are being used in classrooms to demonstrate how issues such as recycling, solar power and DNA tests relate to real life. Researchers at the Institute for Science Education in Scotland say children learn more effectively when they see the practical application of paternity tests and fingerprinting on Eastenders and The Bill. Project leader Dr Fiona Scott said: “The Simpsons has been used quite a lot. I think the people that write it are quite scientifically minded and understand quite a few of the issues. One episode describes an environmental problem when Homer falls out with the rubbish collection people and the waste piles up in their home. There is a lot more science on television than you realise. Read More >>

For Romeo, you’d better read D’ohmeo. Shakespeare’s best-known lovers have been beaten in the romance stakes – by Homer and Marge Simpson. The cartoon duo, who were born in a TV studio 17 years ago and star in the longest-running sitcom in US history, have been voted the greatest fictional couple of all time. Romeo and Juliet, who were brought to life in a manuscript 409 years ago, came second. This is despite the fact they have been portrayed in countless performances over the centuries and in more than 30 TV and movie adaptations. In third place were Mickey and Minnie Mouse, who made their first appearance together in the 1928 cartoon Plane Crazy. Heathcliff and Cathy from Emily BrontÎ’s Wuthering Heights – immortalised in a dozen movies – were fourth. Read More >>>

Who would have thought that a cartoon family with yellow skin and four fingers could be educational, too? For a handful of Rushworth students The Simpsons show is proving to be far more than a laughing matter. Instead of having her students stuck in the classroom, Rushworth P-12 visual art teacher Anne Maree Klinberg decided her Year 9s should paint a mural – of the world’s most famous cartoon family. “If you choose a topic the kids are familiar with, they will automatically be excited about it,” Ms Klinberg said. “I thought about it a bit and decided on The Simpsons because they are so well known and are flat figures.” This is the second term the students have been working on the project and the mural of the quirky family is all-but complete. As part of the mural project the students were also asked to complete an assignment on the show’s creator Matt Groening.

The Simpsons have hit the cover of TV Guide once again. In the issue on sale tomorrow, our favourite family made it to #6 on their Top 25 Cult Shows Ever list. “Hiding behind the bright colors and big, happy eyes of TV’s most functional dysfunctional family, The Simpsons is the most consistently funny and smart program on TV. Period. The comedy has sold more than 5 million DVDs, inspired more than 5000 products, and Bart has made his weekly chalkboard messages the most deciphered scribbling since the Rosetta stone.” The cover is just one in a set of four.