Tag: miscellaneous

AskMen.com columnist Rich Weir has posted his top ten episodes of The Simpsons in his bi-weekly entertainment article. There’s a couple of strange additions but then we all have different tastes. “Having recently celebrated its 300th show, there’s no better time to honor the ultimate Simpsons episodes of all time. And no, it wasn’t easy; how do you narrow down a plethora of historic installments from what is arguably one of the greatest comedies in television’s history? And since every die-hard fan has his favorites, some classic moments inevitably had to fall through the cracks (the unforgettable visit from Shary Bobbins, Bart and Lisa’s hellish stay at Kamp Krusty, and the climactic answer to “Who Shot Mr. Burns?,” to name a few). Read More >>>

“You’re sitting down to watch TV. One channel’s showing a presidential debate, another a cartoon. Which do you watch? If you want entertainment, you’ll pick the cartoon. But if you want a smart take on current events – well, you still might want to pick the cartoon. Ever since The Simpsons launched the current boom in adult animation, we’ve been more likely to hear pointed social commentary from animated cells than from anyone running for office.” The Simpsons, South Park, and King Of The Hill are discussed as examples in this article from sunspot.net. Read More >>>

Actress Bridget Fonda and composer Danny Elfman were married Thanksgiving weekend, Fonda’s publicist said Friday. The wedding took place near Los Angeles, with the reception at a downtown restaurant, publicist Nancy Seltzer said. The newlyweds are on a two-week honeymoon. Fonda, 39, whose film credits include “Single White Female,” “The Godfather: Part III” and “Jackie Brown,” is part of an acting dynasty that includes father Peter Fonda, aunt Jane Fonda and the late Henry Fonda, her grandfather. Elfman, 50, is the former frontman for the ’80s pop group Oingo Boingo and composer of The Simpsons theme song.

“Homer Simpson is not based on any local resident and Bull’s Tavern is not the basis for Moe’s Tavern in The Simpsons. In short, San Luis Obispo County was not the inspiration for the fictional town of Springfield, despite long-standing rumors inspired by some shared peculiarities — a twin-domed nuclear power plant, a coastline with a huge rock just off the beach, and a former television news anchorman who resembles Kent Brockman, the show’s stiff-haired TV reporter. No way, says Mike Reiss, one of the show’s producers who was one of the first people hired to help write the show some 15 years ago. “San Luis Obispo has less to do with ‘The Simpsons’ than every other town in America.” That’s a compliment.” Read More >>>

What would happen if you pitted Bart Simpson against his father Homer in a simple fitness test? You guessed it, Bart would come out of the test still standing, while Homer would be struggling for breath with his heart rate going through the roof. Young Scientist magazine, published by Institute of Physics Educational Publishing, is running a national investigation into school children’s activity levels. If Bart took part in this, he would have no problems. He obviously hasn’t been taking notes from his father, as Homer would not do nearly as well. The Institute did some research into the Simpsons’ lifestyle. By watching videos of the cartoon and recording how much activity Bart and Homer do in the episodes, as well as how much they eat, Institute staff then worked out how fit and healthy they are. Read More >>>

Scholarly academics and enthusiastic fans of The Simpsons and King Of The Hill filled an auditorium in the Stanford Psychology building Friday afternoon for a discussion with Paul Lieberstein, Greg Daniels and John Collier, three veteran writers of the animated shows. The event was called “Homer, Hank & the American Dream: Social & Political Satire on American Television.” The discussion was preceded by a series of short clips from The Simpsons that drew loud bursts of laughter from the audience, including one clip that made fun of Stanford. The discussion developed into a question-and-answer session on the writers’ approaches to creating episodes and storylines. Read More >>>

D’oh!? Perhaps it really should be ‘Dough!’ With original shows in production, several reruns a day in syndication and thousands of items that now feature the faces and voices of its unforgettable characters, The Simpsons is an industry unto itself. New Simpsons episodes do just fine in the ratings — often in the top 25 for the week — though they rarely break the top 10. But that doesn’t really matter: What the show delivers consistently is a spectacular audience mix of kids and adults, often topping its time slot among viewers 18-34. One of Fox’s key strategies has always been to program to that younger audience, which remains a coveted prize among advertisers, but The Simpsons delivers it in addition to younger children and teens. Read More >>>

Opinion: “Three years ago, I argued The Simpsons had lost its soul and devolved into an uneven, slapsticky mess that needed to be put to a respectable death. At that point, it seemed that the show’s creators were hopelessly on a track to TV hell, allowing the show to drift toward ever-coarser humor and a lowbrow view of the world that bore little resemblance to the subtle work of earlier years. I won’t say they’ve fully cured themselves. Jerkass Homer, as old-time fans called him, can still dominate the screen. But the show has finally evolved into a modern incarnation that retains its heart without feeling tired or bouncing from gag to gag like Homer tumbling down the side of Springfield Gorge.” Read More >>>

Last Thursday we reported that the Fox News Corporation threatened to sue The Simpsons over its news crawl joke. Countless media outlets followed, with the story being published on most major news sites and newspapers. Fox News later denied reports that they ever threatened to sue. “We were all scratching our heads and thought it was hysterical,” spokesman Rob Zimmerman said. “It’s not the first time we’ve been spoofed, you know.” It seems they were telling the truth, with The Simpsons creators releasing an apology on the matter. “Matt was being satirical and certainly there was never any issue between the show and Fox News. We regret any confusion.” Since we were one of the first to publish the story, we thought we’d clear that up.