Xixax Film Forum

i just saw the simpsons and they had a diss on south park they do this a lot

they had this joke once about all these homer simpson clones and in the crowd was peter from the family guy

and then they had this joke about how boring king of the hill is

this sounds to me like they think all cartoons are rip offs of them

thats walking into howard stern territory, that whole thing about anyone else doing something in the same genra is a ripoff and a threat

I see most Simpsons dissing as playful. I don't think it has to be playful to be funny- some of the less affectionate stuff, like South Park or Strangers with Candy, has me rolling on the ground with laughter. But in the case of The Simpsons, it always seems like more of a wry, slightly sarcastic observation than a vicious put-down.

Quote from: godardianI see most Simpsons dissing as playful. I don't think it has to be playful to be funny- some of the less affectionate stuff, like South Park or Strangers with Candy, has me rolling on the ground with laughter. But in the case of The Simpsons, it always seems like more of a wry, slightly sarcastic observation than a vicious put-down.

:roll:

I agree with Godardian.

me too. as mentioned before, they do the same thing by being purposelly not pc. they dont mean anything by it, just a friendly little jab.

its coming across as being petty

did you see the king of the hill joke

the bunch line was "this is boring"

a word i would never use to describe king of the hill , i have however used that a lot of times on the simpsons post 1997

i dunno i see it as petty on their part, to say that peter from the family guy was a homer simpons clone

how is he like homer ? because they are both fat and kind of out of there


its petty

The importance of the simpsons seems to be at the beginning they were doing what south park is doing now; being very edgy but yet completely smart. It felt like something new but simpsons has stepped back in really trying to push it and south park is by far the funniest show on tv now. Even if simpsons did poke fun at south park, Matt Groening calls the creators of South Park "demented geniuses".

~rougerum

I believe that both The Family Guy and [definitely] King Of The Hill were produced by the same people as The Simpsons. So, technically, these playful jabs are like The Flintones Meet The Jetsons stuff, you know what I mean? The Simpsons aren't on a power trip, the producers are having fun being producers.

Anyhow, The Simpsons are no longer a satire, but a cartoon. If you get my drift. That is why South Park and the likes are funnier now.

i like the episode of south park where butters is trying to come up with an evil plan to destroy the earth and his evil henchman keeps telling him that the simpsons already did it. that was pure gold!

Okay, the South Park parody was sort of obvious, but I still laughed. And I really laughed at the PAX parody, as well as the faintly disturbing parody of the famous Annie Liebovitz photo.

It may not be as "edgy" as it once seemed, but it still makes me laugh.

How did the Simpsons parody South Park?

i like all of the shows mentioned



the joke may of been meant one way but it came across as being petty

kind of bloated Like they rule all of cartoonslavia and everyone else should kneal before them .

It was tonight's episode. A literal parody, where the kids are watching it.

Later, Bart says, "Boys will be boys," and Marge says in an irritated tone, "I am so tired of that tautology!"

I still say this show is just hilarious and very well-written when it's "on."

i am not sure dana gould has been good for the show

97 was the best season and the last great one

They preceeded the jab at South Park with one about The Simpsons themselves.

Millhouse and Bart are watching South Park:

M: "I hear they really have adults doing the kids voices."

B: "I don't care. I just wanna know how they keep it fresh after so many episodes."


The parody of The Beatles memorabilia was great. Even Homer knows Michael Jackson owns their songs.

Quote from: MacGuffinThey preceeded the jab at South Park with one about The Simpsons themselves.

Millhouse and Bart are watching South Park:

M: "I hear they really have adults doing the kids voices."

B: "I don't care. I just wanna know how they keep it fresh after so many episodes."

yeah i thought about that

but then they went and made south park look like pure stupid shit

Quote from: SantaClauseWasA BlackMan

yeah i thought about that

but then they went and made south park look like pure stupid shit[/quote]

I thought they just exaggerated its absurdist/celebrity-centered humor a little bit.

my take was they made south park look like it is just about fart jokes

since none of us were there when the episode was written it will have to be left up to interpatation

I don't know why everyones getting pissed at 'The Simpsons' cause they take shots at other shows. Its part of the industry. It's funny and, I beleive, that's the point. It's like when the Simpsons take shots at Fox. They don't mean anything by it and its funny.

Quote from: RecceI don't know why everyones getting pissed at 'The Simpsons' cause they take shots at other shows. Its part of the industry. It's funny and, I beleive, that's the point. It's like when the Simpsons take shots at Fox. They don't mean anything by it and its funny.

the fox jokes are great

and they work

the ripping on other cartoons just comes across as them being petty

I know Pubrick will kill me for this, but I think the simpsons has gotten worse. They have stepped to far out of their own world and gotten away from plot and stories. I like King of the Hill best now, and I hate South Park.

Quote from: RecceI don't know why everyones getting pissed at 'The Simpsons' cause they take shots at other shows. Its part of the industry. It's funny and, I beleive, that's the point. It's like when the Simpsons take shots at Fox. They don't mean anything by it and its funny.

It's like "jabbing" at your friend when you know he/she is standing right next to you.  It's all in good fun.

The Simpsons have been lacking in quality in the last few years, yes, but I don't think they're half as bad as alot of other shows on Network Television, which consists now of 90% "Reality" TV.

Quotethe ripping on other cartoons just comes across as them being petty

You too are coming across as being petty. Quite.

Quote from: The Silver BulletYou too are coming across as being petty. Quite.

i concur.

king of the hill isn't funny enuff, i'd watch it if i felt like seeing sumthing with a "moral". south park isn't shocking anymore, but it's still funny.

I think Kill of the Hill is hilarious, but I could see how someone who doesn't live anywhere NEAR Texas wouldn't find it so.

If you really get a feel for the show, you understand that it's kind of making fun of morals.

and that second episode of the Simpsons last night was funny.

i missed it yet again b/c of work. i have a hard time finding friends/family to tape it for me b/c no one has VCRs anymroe. so yeah, i missed it. it sucks. i also would have loved to seen some of those parodies of the other shows.

Quote from: RegularKarateI think Kill of the Hill is hilarious, but I could see how someone who doesn't live anywhere NEAR Texas wouldn't find it so.

I like how he says Vidya Games

Quote from: RegularKarateI think Kill of the Hill is hilarious, but I could see how someone who doesn't live anywhere NEAR Texas wouldn't find it so.

If you really get a feel for the show, you understand that it's kind of making fun of morals.

and that second episode of the Simpsons last night was funny.

uhh i think you missed the point, i can see you looking at this show and goofing on it and thinking it is ironic

when it is very stright forward

they are not making fun of hank for his conservative views, they are celerbrating them and thats why the show is so great

Quote from: RegularKarateI think Kill of the Hill is hilarious, but I could see how someone who doesn't live anywhere NEAR Texas wouldn't find it so.

If you really get a feel for the show, you understand that it's kind of making fun of morals.

and that second episode of the Simpsons last night was funny.

I really like King of the Hill, too. I've never lived in Texas, but my dad is still sort of like Hank in a lot of ways. I think Hank is hilarious and I sympathize with him, too; he needs order and has arranged his life so that order is not disrupted, but it's very tenuous and he's constantly horrified by the real, outside world sneaking up on him. It's perfect that he has a free-spirited son and a wife who's more than convinced of her intellectual superiority. I actually think all the characters can be really hysterical at times. It's a comedy of vanity in so many ways; the people who think they've got everything down pat and figured out, whether it's Hank or Bobby's overzealously eco-friendly junior high school teacher, get ribbed for it. I find myself laughing at it very frequently.

Quote from: SantaClauseWasA BlackMan

uhh i think you missed the point, i can see you looking at this show and goofing on it and thinking it is ironic

when it is very stright forward

they are not making fun of hank for his conservative views, they are celerbrating them and thats why the show is so great

Well, maybe I didn't make myself clear... and they're not necessarily celebrating Hank's conservative views... they're just showing how he has to adapt them in the modern world, raising Bobby.

It evens out really... it shows both sides of it...

They really do make fun of conservative ideals though... that's for sure... they just don't lay off the liberal end either.

have you ever read any interviews with mike judge on this topic

he says that the show is not meant to be ironic in any way

and that they stick up for things that would be deemed un cool in hollywood

thats why the show is so fucking awsome, it shows that you can be conservative and not be a bad person

and in the end hanks ends up being right about things, where as on a lesser show hank would learn some p.c lesson in the end and he would be wrong .

like the boy modeling episode remember how in the end he was right  in the hands of some swarmy type the show would be shit, the show respect and real insight to the world they are showing

and in that respect even in brooklyn people get the show

But that's the thing... sometimes Hank is wrong... sometimes he's right... either way, it's give and take... and THAT'S why the show's so good... and yes, I've read interviews with Mike Judge about the show.

Quote from: RegularKarateBut that's the thing... sometimes Hank is wrong... sometimes he's right... either way, it's give and take... and THAT'S why the show's so good... and yes, I've read interviews with Mike Judge about the show.

fair enough

but for their respect of conservative/all american values

they stand alone. And that kind of makes them very cool

my point is when other people do this kind of material they are very judgemental

and thats the part that bugs me, i do not want to see a king of the hill type show created by someguy who grew up in manhhatan and went to harvard

and i could also say that i would not want  to see someone like hank hill write a show like seinfeld

The Simpsons Voice Cast Stage Walkout
Source: Variety

The Simpsons voice cast have not shown up for two table reads in the past few weeks, reports Variety, holding up production on the show's 2004-05 season (its 16th).

Decision to miss work comes as negotiations to renew the contracts of Dan Castellaneta (Homer), Hank Azaria (Moe, Apu and others), Harry Shearer (Mr. Burns and others), Yeardley Smith (Lisa), Julie Kavner (Marge) and Nancy Cartwright (Bart) have hit an impasse.

Each of the cast is reportedly asking for approximately $360,000 an episode, or $8 million for a 22-episode season. Each member of the group currently pulls down $125,000 an episode.

The current work stoppage is reminiscent of the actors' salary negotiations in 1998. Back then, the cast made $30,000 per episode. Twentieth Century Fox TV went as far as hiring casting directors in five cities to replace the voice talent.

Apparently the actors work just six to seven hours to voice an episode -- which would mean $360,000 for a day's work, a figure that even Everybody Loves Raymond star Ray Romano doesn't match. It's also unclear whether the long-awaited "Simpsons" feature film, now in development, has any bearing on the series negotiations.

What it is: Greed is the desire for material wealth or gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual. It is also called Avarice or Covetousness.

Associated symbols & suchlike: Greed is linked with the frog and the color yellow.

this onion article is just brilliant:

Suicide Letter full of Simpsons References (http://theonion.com/news/index.php?issue=4023&n=2)


and whoever gets this picture is also brilliant..
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi5.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy154%2Fpubrick%2FSimpsOnion-article2815.jpg&hash=003da2752ed2a3bfc2f699570231b32e566324f5)
hint: it's not about the quote.

'Simpsons' to open the closet
Source: Los Angeles Times

One of the veteran cartoon stars of "The Simpsons" is coming out of the closet. The betting on who it might be would seem to favor sniveling yes-man Waylon Smithers, who for years has harbored a secret crush on his boss, the evil nuclear tycoon Mr. Burns. But the show's producers refused to tell the audience at last weekend's Comic-Con if he's the one.

"We have a show where, to raise money, Springfield legalizes gay marriage," producer Al Jean said in San Diego. "Homer becomes a minister by going on the Internet and filling out a form. A longtime character comes out of the closet, but I'm not saying who."

Matt Groening, the show's creator, joked to the audience: "It's Homer!"

The cartoon's corrupt Mayor Quimby will also face a recall election in a forthcoming episode, similar to what befell former California Gov. Grey Davis last year. The producers won't say whether Rainier Wolfcastle, the Austrian action-star and Arnold Schwarzenegger parody, will run him out of office.

Groening said he still plans to make a feature-film version of "The Simpsons" but probably won't start on it until the conclusion of the TV series, which is heading into its 16th season.

am I way too late on the simpsons vs. south park vs. king of the hills discussion?  please say no.
I just caught up with this thread just now, and alguienEP was right about the lack of "moral" at the end of the King of the Hills shosws.  But on the same token, is anyone else sick of the "radical" morals that South Park has been attaching to the end of all their episodes?  I find them kind of lame.  And I know that show's riddled with irony and whatever, but I can tell the writers are actually trying to mean what they say in the end, and they're not as poignant as they think themselves to be.

I actually don't think it's annoying coming from South Park because I've never thought of it as anything more than their opinion with funny stuff and then that's it.  Nobody is looking to it for settling an argument (just look at the pro/antiwar 100th episode)

However, I saw a Simpsons a while back where it was SLAMMING you over the head with shit about how Rupert Murdoch/corporations are bad.  It goes beyond whether or not I agreed with it because it just wasn't funny and it wasn't clever in the least.  This gay episode sounds like it's going to be more of that.  It's so disappointing

Well, in the beginning, South Park WAS incredibly poignant.  That's what made it so great: its scathing social commentary that was also SUBTLE.  And subtlety is the key word.  South Park has totally lost it now, and has become a shadow, a formulaic parody of its former self.  Some of the turnabouts in the beginning seasons, where you think the episode is about one thing, but it turns out to be another, are really just genius.  The Simpsons was the only other show that ever did that.  The Critic didn't go that deep, Family Guy hasn't tried, and only Futurama has come close.  I don't even consider King of the Hill in the same universe as these, as it's just so poor an effort.  But wow, this thread is really old, and the subject has been discussed here (http://www.xixax.com/viewtopic.php?t=4975&highlight=family+guy+simpsons+critic) and here (http://www.xixax.com/viewtopic.php?t=5649&highlight=simpsons+family+guy+south+park), too.

I think one of the cleverest South Parks in a while was the Violence/Nudity episode, and it fits into your turnabout definition I think.

Also, I'd like to clarify that I didn't mean people looked to the Simpsons to solve anything, I just feel that they suck now and that makes me mad.

Quote from: ono.bot.opoeiaWell, in the beginning, South Park WAS incredibly poignant.  That's what made it so great: its scathing social commentary that was also SUBTLE.  And subtlety is the key word.  South Park has totally lost it now, and has become a shadow, a formulaic parody of its former self.

I need some elaboration on that because, though the show has always been funny, this last season has been the best one in a couple of years.  They're not any less subtle or any more silly or over-the-top than they ever were.

Quote from: hacksparrowI need some elaboration on that because, though the show has always been funny, this last season has been the best one in a couple of years.  They're not any less subtle or any more silly or over-the-top than they ever were.

Watch episode 608 - Red Hot Catholic Love.  Not incredibly subtle, but it illustrates a sort of turnaround I was referring to.  The way things came full circle in this episode was inspired.  Still trying to find an even older episode that illustrates this, too, while blocking out the memory of most of season three ('cept Rainforest Schmainforest).  Oh, and 501 - Scott Tenorman must die is probably the most brilliant episode plotwise, and the whole twisting thing applies there, too.

Quote from: ono.bot.opoeia

Quote from: hacksparrowI need some elaboration on that because, though the show has always been funny, this last season has been the best one in a couple of years.  They're not any less subtle or any more silly or over-the-top than they ever were.

Watch episode 608 - Red Hot Catholic Love.  Not incredibly subtle, but it illustrates a sort of turnaround I was referring to.  The way things came full circle in this episode was inspired.  Still trying to find an even older episode that illustrates this, too, while blocking out the memory of most of season three ('cept Rainforest Schmainforest).

I don't remember the end of Red Hot Catholic Love or How To Eat With Your Butt but the Goobacks episode from this season is proof that they still have it.  That was one of the most brilliant ideas they've come up with on the show. Who would think to devote an entire episode to outsourcing (unless King of the Hill did, I don't know, I haven't watched the show since the first season)?  And the Good Times With Weapons episode? That's one of the best turnarounds they've ever had.  They've still got it.  

Yeah, the Michael Jackson episode was less-than-inspired, especially compared to some of the gems they've pulled out in past seasons.  But it was still funny.  Matt & Trey may not be quite as scathing as they used to be but the success of the show, for me anyway, has never hinged entirely, or even mostly, on how topical they are (though it does enhance the show sometimes: opening the Osama episode with the kids wearing gas masks was pure perfection).  

For me, it comes down to one thing (besides it being funny): are the kids still kids?  Yes.  The best thing about the show is that, after suffering constant disillusionment, disappointment, and flat-out ignorance for all these years, they're still the same 8 year old kids they were in the first episode.  That all-encompassing joke still makes the show worthwhile, best illustrated by Cartman crying after Kyle hit him at the end of the Saddam/Christmas episode in season 7.

And cut 'em some slack with Season 3... they were working on the movie at that point.

I actually got How to Eat With Your Butt and Red Hot Catholic Love confused, with good reason.  So ignore the former one as far as examples go, for now anyway.

Good Times With Weapons, if that's the episode I was thinking of, was brilliant, yes.  And if you'll look at the South Park thread here, you'll see I was really into the new season for a while.  The Passion of the Jew was horrible, though.  I never did see The Jeffersons 'cause it just looked so bad.  The only think I liked about "You Got Fucked in the Ass" was Butters' side story.  The death by tapdancing schtick.  So incredibly morbid, so vintage South Park.  But where the show lost me for a bit was when it started picking out such obvious targets and then trying to lampoon them in such a pedestrian manner.  They even saw fit to mock how at the end of most of the early episodes Stan or Kyle looks at the camera and starts saying something like "You know, I really learned something today."  The classic example, if I recall correctly, is the one about the coffeehouse and underpants gnomes.  The War episode, the 100th episode, was great in being up front about the show's own style.  For a while, though, the show just seemed to forget what it was good at, and again, become a parody of itself.

I don't really want the show to be topical.  I just want it to be funny and somewhat insightful and smart.  If it tries to be topical, it becomes obvious and flat.  The best shows are the ones that have the dichotomy going for it where you don't know what the show's really about until about 18 minutes in, or until the credits roll.

Title: The Simpsons
Released: 21st December 2004
SRP: $49.98

Further Details
Fox Home Entertainment has officially announced season five of The Simpsons which will be arriving in shops this December. The set will be available to own from the 21st December, priced at around $49.98. Each of the episodes will be presented in 1.33:1 full frame along with English Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Stereo and French Stereo tracks. Extras will include a commentary on Homer's Barbershop Quartet by Matt Groening, Al Jean, Hank Azaria, Jon Lovitz, Jeff Martin and Mark Kirkland, a commentary on Cape Feare by Matt Groening, Al Jean and Jon Vitti, another commentary on Homer Goes to College by Matt Groening, David Mirkin, James L. Brookes, Conan O'Brien, Jim Reardon and David Silverman, and a commentary by Matt Groening, David Mirkin, Wes Archer and David Silverman on Rosebud. The final commentaries will be on Treehouse of Horror by Matt Groening, James L. Brookes, David Mirkin, Conan O'Brien, Greg Daniels, Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein and David Silverman and Marge on the Lam by Matt Groening, David Mirkin, Mark Kirkland, David Silverman. Completing the package will be animatics and storyboards with illustrated commentary, commercials, Tree House of Horror Sketches and deleted scenes entitled Homer's Barbershop Quartet, Cape Feare, Homer Goes to College, Rosebud and lastly Treehouse of Horror IV. I'm afraid the artwork has yet to be released, but we'll bring you that shortly. We're also awaiting further details from Fox as to whether or not further commentaries will be included.

might as well post this, yesterday's news..

'Simpsons' creator wants to run through 2009

Simpsons creator Matt Groening wants to keep the show going until at least 2009, he told the Media Guardian today.

The cult cartoon is about to enter its sixteenth series in the US; staying on air for another five years would take it to a milestone twentieth season, making it the longest-running entertainment show in US TV history to beat Gunsmoke, which ran for 20 series.

"A few years ago I thought, well, we've got to run out of steam soon and that we'd be done by now," said Groening. "We're not, in fact we're going full steam ahead."

He also confirmed that plans were underway for a Simpsons movie, due out towards the end of the decade. "Everyone on the show this year seems really re-energised and we're starting to throw out ideas for the movie and I think that will either kill the show or completely re-invigorate it."

The show is currently renewed through 2006; the vocal actors are contracted through 2008.

"The show gets harder and harder every year because we are trying to keep surprising the audience, and trying to surprise ourselves", the 50-year-old told British tabloid The Sun.

"I'd love to get to 365 episodes, so there's one for every day of the year with no repeats", he said.

He also hinted some lesser-known characters, such as Bart's mate Milhouse, will get more prominent roles in the future.

"I think we'll see more and more stories about the other characters of Springfield," he said.

hmmm... so no more commentary on every episode?  And Simpsons watered down enough to make it last til 09?  hmmmm... I don't know about this... how about bring back Futurama instead?

so, i figured i was an expert on this show; but i can't pinpoint this one moment....homer is playing cards over at lenny's house and lenny has one of those radars that cops use to check driver's speed.   i remember one part, homer was looking through it and said, 'what could be going at one hundred miles per--" and gets punched in the face and then later on he's told that he's slow and it goes to his brain saying, 'uh oh, they just called you slow, better think of a comeback' and then it leaves his brain and it's night time, lenny is in his pajamas and tells him to get the hell out of his house.  can someone please tell me the name and season of this episode!!!! i haven't seen it in so long; unless i always just seem to miss the beginning.

Quote from: classical gasso, i figured i was an expert on this show; but i can't pinpoint this one moment....homer is playing cards over at lenny's house and lenny has one of those radars that cops use to check driver's speed.   i remember one part, homer was looking through it and said, 'what could be going at one hundred miles per--" and gets punched in the face and then later on he's told that he's slow and it goes to his brain saying, 'uh oh, they just called you slow, better think of a comeback' and then it leaves his brain and it's night time, lenny is in his pajamas and tells him to get the hell out of his house.  can someone please tell me the name and season of this episode!!!! i haven't seen it in so long; unless i always just seem to miss the beginning.

the problem is that ur thinking of two different episodes.

the radar gun is from The Springfield Connection, season 6, where marge becomes a cop and the fellas are all smoking cubans and gambling at homer's place.

(https://xixax.com/files/P/lennycards1.JPG)

the second joke u remember is from Secrets of a Successful Marriage, season 5, where they are playing cards at Lenny's. and it's not that homer couldn't think of a comeback, its that he took hours to recognise that he was insulted in the first place.. when lenny calls him slow again, it resets his thinking "sumthing said, not good.."

(https://xixax.com/files/P/lennycards2a.JPG)
(https://xixax.com/files/P/lennycards2b.JPG)
(https://xixax.com/files/P/lennycards2c.JPG)

i don't use the term 'expert' lightly..

How are you gonna top that one for post #10000?

I've always been a Simpsons fan but lately my love is back by watching some old episodes, early this week I saw Homer's Night Out and remembered the brilliance of the show but yesterday they showed Homer Bad Man, wow, that episode has so many bright moments, it's hysterical, P you should do some caps of this one, or for old times sake, what about 'a visual defense' on the simpsons? Yes, it's been done before (Josie, Lyndon and others) but I'm sure as hell this guys deserve one (although they don't need one).

Some funny dialogue from Homer Bad Man, without caps.  :(

Homer: So, a graduate student, huh?  How come you guys can go to the moon but you can't make my shoes smell good?
Ashley: I'm sorry?
Homer: Aw, nobody's blaming you.  Hey: could you take the wheel for a second?  I have to scratch myself in two places at once.

Homer: [fearfully] Marge?  Kids?  Everything's going to be just fine. Now go upstairs, and pack your bags...we're going to start a new life...under the sea.

Announcer: Today on "Ben": mothers and runaway daughters reunited by their hatred of Homer Simpson.  And here's your host, Gentle Ben.
[a bear wearing a helmet with a microphone runs out]
Woman 1: I just have one thing to say: let's have less Homer Simpson and more money for public schools.
Woman 2: Ben, I have a question -- [Ben runs over to tables piled with food]
Man: No, Ben, no! [Ben swats him away; men shoot tranquilizers into him]
Ben is about to collapse onto the crowd, but the screen goes blank just in time.

thanks pubrick, that was bugging the hell out of me

alas, i am no expert....

Five more years?  The show has been good for about half of its current 16 seasons.  It should have been cancelled a couple of seasons ago, but I'd be fine with it finishing out the current season.  Who cares if it beats Gunsmoke if the show sucks?

Britons want Homer Simpson as U.S. president

LONDON -- Doughnut-chomping, beer-guzzling Homer Simpson may not be the model father but he has won the hearts of British TV fans who want the nuclear power plant worker to be the next U.S. president. Former president George Bush notoriously said American families should be "closer to the Waltons than the Simpsons" but Homer was overwhelming favorite in a Radio Times magazine poll on which U.S. TV character should take over at the White House. As Americans ponder tax and security pledges from President Bush and Democratic rival John Kerry ahead of the November 2 poll, television fans have been considering Homer slogans such as "No big government, just big waist sizes."

We currently have Homer Flanders in the White House.

So... another season of the Simpsons... and a generally shrug-worthy treehouse of horror.  It started off promising (I lost my shit when they kicked up the 'Perfect Strangers' theme song), and 'The Ned Zone' was decent.  The last two segments were blah... they've really raped and pillaged every story they could by now, where can they go in future years?

we all know that seasons 2-8 1/2 are the best.  but, i was hoping to own one of the dvds from christmas.  they've been showing season 3 here lately on syndication and it's probably one of the best, but i was thinking of asking for season five, because i haven't seen most of those episodes in a while and i remember them to be mostly perfect and there's 22 episodes.  so, would anyone agree with me on season 5?  which season is the greatest?  my family isn't made of money and neither am i, so i need to get my simpsons fix right....help!

of course this is all subjective, but it should be interesting nonetheless.

season five has the 'cape fear' one right?, but not the 'lisa on ice' :(

I'd say start at season 4. But yes, season 5 has Cape Feare.


As for the greatest season, Ask Pubrick.

pubrick says that season four to eight are the golden ones.

my vote is for season five

But you're the one that gets seasons confused  :?

true....but i can't really go wrong with anything between 3-6, right?


what?  how did i confuse the seasons?  aside from that one post i made a month ago that p corrected me on....

Quote from: classical gastrue....but i can't really go wrong with anything between 3-6, right?

Right.

Quote from: classical gaswhat?  how did i confuse the seasons?  aside from that one post i made a month ago that p corrected me on....

I'm just guessing that wasn't your first time..  :?

i'm getting better....if only i were 15 again....i'd be on fire on the subject....

Season 5 is great, but it doesn't come out until December 21st and that's usually cutting it close as far as X-mas shopping goes.

If that's a problem, you should get season 4

true, i was just on snpp.com and realized i had not seen most of season 5 in quite a while.  
and i'm convinced that the episode where homer becomes union president for his plant and lisa needs braces is the best episode ever.  sorry, it came on tonight and i had to share that.

Quote from: classical gasi'm convinced that the episode where homer becomes union president for his plant and lisa needs braces is the best episode ever.  sorry, it came on tonight and i had to share that.

i hav gone on record to say that seasons 4-8 will redeem mankind.. Last Exit to Springfield gets at least 20% of that credit.

DENTAL plan!

Groening Promises More 'Simpsons'

The Simpsons creator Matt Groening has allayed fears the upcoming 350th episode will mark the beginning of the end for the long-running show - by insisting he's still dreaming up new ideas for future series. Writers on the animated comedy are already working on scripts for the 17th series - a TV sitcom record - quashing reports the escapades of Homer and his disaster-prone family are destined for the archives. And Groening has promised to continue making The Simpsons until they run out of ways to excite the show's loyal fans. He says, "That's what you're looking for in television - surprise. I think they're as sharp and surprising as anything we've done since the beginning of the show. I don't see any end in sight. I want to get to 366 (shows) so we have one for every day of the year, including leap years." The 350th Simpsons show will be screened in America on Sunday.

Now we're at the point where half the seasons were good and half suck.  I've seen plays that were better than the current Simpsons.  Honest to God, plays!

Simpsons Film Is On
"Now we're actually doing it," says Cartwright.
 
Simpsons creator Matt Groening has been promising a feature film for some time now, but as the hugely popular animated series heads into its seventeenth season, there's not a lot of pressure to move quickly on a movie.

Nevertheless, BBC Radio reports that production is finally getting underway on an untitled Simpsons film. The word came straight from Nancy Cartwright, the actress who has performed the voice of Bart Simpson and several other characters throughout the show's run. While Cartwright was in London for her biographical performance 'My Life as a Ten Year Old Boy', she told the broadcaster that the project had already begun.

"You know what? We've just done the table read for the Simpsons movie so although we've been promoting that we're going to do it, now we're actually doing it and are in production.

"I don't know the name of it and I can't go into details about it and we'll just have to see how it goes, but I think it's going to be great and the fans are going to dig it."

Cartwright added that she expected the film to be out in a few years, but no later. Meanwhile, there's no end in sight for The Simpsons on the FOX network. Watch for updates.

Fox has announced The Simpsons: Season 6 for 8/16 (SRP $49.98 ). No word yet on extras.

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedigitalbits.com%2Farticles%2Fmiscgfx%2Fcovers4%2Fsimpsonss6dvd.jpg&hash=a472c15eac4da60e7e1d7ca266111a40523ad9cc)

Quote from: RaviNow we're at the point where half the seasons were good and half suck.  I've seen plays that were better than the current Simpsons.  Honest to God, plays!

:bravo:

*anti page flipping admin-edit

Quote from: MacGuffinFox has announced The Simpsons: Season 6 for 8/16 (SRP $49.98 ). No word yet on extras.

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedigitalbits.com%2Farticles%2Fmiscgfx%2Fcovers4%2Fsimpsonss6dvd.jpg&hash=a472c15eac4da60e7e1d7ca266111a40523ad9cc)

they're breaking the mold with the packaging.  whats up with that?

they'll double dip.



haha, has it ever been done?  double dip a tv season?

Twilight Zone, and soon Twin Peaks.

whoa.


my guess is that they will be doing this til season 10

they're on season 15 already no? or 16?

16 just ended.

that gives us 8 amazing ones and 8 less than amazing.

to summarize:

THE PROOF OF GOD
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.

the forgivable
1, 2.

the unforgivable
13. FUCK. 13.

the barely-watchable
11, 12.

the mostly-watchable
14, 15, 16.

feel free to print that out for future reference.

that was gorgeous.

15 and 16 had some good episodes, don't you think?

from 15 i liked Fraudcast News and Milhouse Doesn't Live Here Anymore.

16 had a priceless bob dylan imitation.

Quote from: cronopio15 and 16 had some good episodes, don't you think?

thats why he said mostly-watchable..  :yabbse-lipsrsealed:

yeah but i was waiting for one of those enlightening replies. some of those episodes felt from the better seasons.

pub , have you read the time machine did it?

Quote from: cronopiopub , have you read the time machine did it?

nope, but i hav read
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi5.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy154%2Fpubrick%2Fthefront-howto.jpg&hash=3b5af56222016c59c54d9b99786bbd72c9de0361)

in regards to ur initial question,

Quote from: cronopio15 and 16 had some good episodes, don't you think?

totally. even 11 and 12 had Eight Misbehavin', Behind the Laughter, Skinners Sense of Snow, and HOMR. (that's pretty much all they had tho  :yabbse-sad: )

Homer Simpson, This Is Your Wife!
July 21 » Posted By Adam » Source: ContactMusic

Details of Ricky Gervais's Simpsons episode have been gradually released but this article should give you a full rundown of the episode. The episode titled "Homer Simpson, This Is Your Wife" is set to air next season in the month of February. The episode will see Homer and Marge going on a 'Wife Swap' style reality show, but while Homer only enters it to win a widescreen television set. Charles, Gervais's character, is smitten by the raspy-voiced matriarch. He explains, "I play this bloke who works in an office and is downtrodden by his wife. She goes to live with the Simpsons and she thinks they're monsters. But Charles can't believe he's met someone like Marge and he falls in love with her. He tries to woo her with a love song." And fans of The Office won't be disappointed, Gervais promises there are elements of the irritating David Brent in his animated alter-ego.

So...gimmicky...can't...watch...

Quote from: RaviSo...gimmicky...can't...watch...

gimmicky?  Every episode of the Simpsons has a guest voice.

Gimmicky was when they had Jay Sherman on and they played up the gimmic and made fun of it.

Quote from: RegularKarate

Quote from: RaviSo...gimmicky...can't...watch...

gimmicky?  Every episode of the Simpsons has a guest voice.

Gimmicky was when they had Jay Sherman on and they played up the gimmic and made fun of it.

True, but the parodying of every flavor-of-the-month only exacerbates it.

Quote from: cronopiowhoa.
my guess is that they will be doing this til season 10

http://www.dvdanswers.com/index.php?r=0&s=1&c=7357&n=1&burl=

I consider myself a simpson's fan but i don't have any of the DVDs and don't know the titles of any of the shows.  

a few things...

what do you think of the trash episode where they have to move springfield?   that's my favorite episode ever.

also, what's so bad about season 13?  can you name a few episodes?

Quote from: JimmyGatorsimpson's fan

even a simpsons hater wouldn't butcher the name like that.

Quote from: JimmyGatoralso, what's so bad about season 13?  can you name a few episodes?

i won't dignify that with a response.

Quote from: JimmyGator
also, what's so bad about season 13?  can you name a few episodes?

Um, EVERY EPISODE.

Those of you who happened to pick up 20th Century Fox's The Simpsons: The Complete Sixth Season today will find a little card inside your packaging... "For all those that fear change." Basically, if you don't like the new "character head" packaging, Fox is offering to send you (for the cost of the postage) replacement packaging for the Season 6 set that matches the packaging for Seasons 1-5. All you have to do is call 1-888-223-2369 for instructions (the insert mistakenly says it's a 1-800 number - it's not), OR visit the special www.simpsonsbox.com website the studio has created to handle the replacement program.

thats crazy!

just sent mine in...now all i have to do is wait a cool 4 to 6 weeks...starting.....now.

Season 5
Homer goes to college
Bart gets an elephant
Deep space homer
Secrets of successful marriage
Sweet Skinner's baadasssss song...

Season 6
Lisa on ice
Grampa vs. sexual inadequacy
Homer the great
Bart vs. australia
A star is burns
Who shot Mr. burns part 1...

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi17.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb59%2F72teeth%2Fgary20coleman201.jpg&hash=3c6255e5fe351e35d0b6693dad8e2324c5a3131d)

he meant seasons 10 through 16

:-D oopps, sorry 'bout that Willis...

Quote from: Hedwighe meant seasons 10 11 through 16

fixed

Quote from: GaramYeah, 10 had some half-decent episodes. I thought it was on series 17 now. I lost count.

Theres occasionally some gems in 11-12 too. Like the tale of two Springfields with the Who.

agreed, feel free to read the rest of the thread.

actually just ignore the first couple pages/anything from 2003, and start here (http://xixax.com/viewtopic.php?p=146981#146981).

it must suck to be you.

Quote from: GaramI've read enough Simpsons vs South Park vs Family Guy vs King of the Hill vs Futurama threads over the internet in my time that i'm sure it doesn't hold anything new for me.

i guess that makes sense, since ur the same age as the simpsons..

Quote from: GaramIs that supposed to be an insult?

oh, no way, i would never disrespect my elders.

they hav so much experience.

Simpsons Movie Will Have Refined Look
But don't expect it any time soon.

No one ever said The Simpsons was breaking new ground in animation; but then, it's never had to. However, the simplistic cel artwork we've grown to love over the last 16 seasons (and counting) is going to get a bit of a makeover when the new Simpsons movie arrives. Exactly how it will look, though, has not been decided.

"We're looking at various tests to get the right look," producer Dave Mirkin told the Houston Chronicle. "We're taking it into the realm of cinema but not too far from how it looks on the show."

Mirkin added that the movie is still just in the writing stages, with no production or release date scheduled. "It's all about the quality – the writing – which we're working on now. We are very quality conscious, and we don't want the series to suffer because of the movie."

Hahaha this will so suck

i will so send u a letter bomb.

i heard that pixar will animate it. :shock:

Quote from: Pubricki will so send u a letter bomb.

Yeah and I will throw it back to you with YOUR OWN BOOMERANG. Sweet irony ha ha ha

"That throwing stick stunt of yours has boomeranged on us!"

Quote from: MacGuffinWe are very quality conscious, and we don't want the series to suffer because of the movie."

I don't think it could get any worse.

P, the EXTENDED OC parody and the Oklahoma daydream = total family guy randomness. your thoughts?

Quote from: modageP, the EXTENDED OC parody and the Oklahoma daydream = total family guy randomness. your thoughts?

Except, unlike "Family Guy" randomness, that bit wasn't even a tiny bit funny.   When they're not even as funny or witty as the show they're awkwardly parodying, it's time to pull the damn thing off life support.

Remember when to be a "Simpsons" writer was considered the ultimate achievement for anyone interested in TV writing?  I don't think that's the case anymore.

My feeling is that the problem is analogous to what Kurt Vonnegut has always said about writers: the best writers of tomorrow aren't going to be the creative writing majors.  In other words, to be a good writer, have a frame of reference beyond writing.  The problem with today's "Simpsons" writers is that their only frame of reference is "Simpsons" writing.  As a result, everything they come up with is either a stale version of something that was funny on "The Simpsons" in the past, or it's something new that's simply not funny.  

Watching "The Simpsons" now is like watching a sequel to "Magnolia", written by Akiva Goldsman.  I try not to think about it too much, because it hurts too much to do so.   :yabbse-cry:

Quote from: polkablues
My feeling is that the problem is analogous to what Kurt Vonnegut has always said about writers: the best writers of tomorrow aren't going to be the creative writing majors.  In other words, to be a good writer, have a frame of reference beyond writing.  The problem with today's "Simpsons" writers is that their only frame of reference is "Simpsons" writing.  As a result, everything they come up with is either a stale version of something that was funny on "The Simpsons" in the past, or it's something new that's simply not funny.  

Perfect, end the thread until something drastic happens to the Simpsons.

Quote from: Gamblour

Quote from: polkablues
My feeling is that the problem is analogous to what Kurt Vonnegut has always said about writers: the best writers of tomorrow aren't going to be the creative writing majors.  In other words, to be a good writer, have a frame of reference beyond writing.  The problem with today's "Simpsons" writers is that their only frame of reference is "Simpsons" writing.  As a result, everything they come up with is either a stale version of something that was funny on "The Simpsons" in the past, or it's something new that's simply not funny.  

Perfect, end the thread until something drastic happens to the Simpsons.

It also applies to filmmakers whose main point of reference is cinema.  Tarantino's the only one who can do it well.

FG is so filled with references and parodies that its writers too seem to only have TV and pop culture as a reference.  Even Seinfeld was heavier on the references in its last two seasons than in previous seasons.

Quote from: modageP, the EXTENDED OC parody and the Oklahoma daydream = total family guy randomness. your thoughts?

episode hasn't shown here. i don't watch every new one anyway, it wouldn't surprise me if what u said was true tho. polka is dead on about the writers forgetting how to write.

Quote from: 72teethjust sent mine in...now all i have to do is wait a cool 4 to 6 weeks...starting.....now.

...and...i just recived it...cool......im board, now what do i do.....

Quote from: 72teeth...and...i just recived it...cool......im board, now what do i do.....

read:

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abilitynet.org.uk%2Fmyway%2Flanguage%2Fspelling%2Fimages%2Fdictionary_thesaurus.jpg&hash=23cc3e58824dae09d7e7b9ecf91cc9106552ba53)

YAY, they're speeding things up. hi , christmas present

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mcnally95.com%2Fgraphics%2Fnews1%2FSimpsons_S7.jpg&hash=3819301aabe51c6286a44a9bc76e5503c6c58b48)

Quote from: Ravi

Perfect, end the thread until something drastic happens to the Simpsons.

It also applies to filmmakers whose main point of reference is cinema.  Tarantino's the only one who can do it well.

FG is so filled with references and parodies that its writers too seem to only have TV and pop culture as a reference.  Even Seinfeld was heavier on the references in its last two seasons than in previous seasons.[/quote]

It also applies to SNL writers, experimental filmmakers, gus van sant, and Jackie Chan's assistant choreographers.  heartbreaking all around.  it's inevitable, the information explosion in the mid to late 90s is partially responsible.

however, I think the conan writers are really good and really funny precisely because of the same reason.  they're more abundant with tv and talkshow injokes than they've ever been before, totally took the letterman concept 100 miles further.

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi11.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fa175%2FLeven321%2Fthesimpsonsseasartpics.jpg&hash=7e16052d72cf1a411244093f00e452a5e74563ef)

it's odd that lisa's necklace is showing but her mouth isn't.

These news cases suck.  Very odd shape, doesn't fit well on my DVD rack, and god damn it, what about MY needs!?

Quote from: w a l r u sThese news cases suck.  Very odd shape, doesn't fit well on my DVD rack, and god damn it, what about MY needs!?

Quote from: On Page 7, MacGuffinThose of you who happened to pick up 20th Century Fox's The Simpsons: The Complete Sixth Season today will find a little card inside your packaging... "For all those that fear change." Basically, if you don't like the new "character head" packaging, Fox is offering to send you (for the cost of the postage) replacement packaging for the Season 6 set that matches the packaging for Seasons 1-5. All you have to do is call 1-888-223-2369 for instructions (the insert mistakenly says it's a 1-800 number - it's not), OR visit the special www.simpsonsbox.com website the studio has created to handle the replacement program.

Is there a picture of those alternate boxes out there?

And the dvd packaging, while looking nice on the outside, is just a horrible mess inside. How'd they ever think people would like it or that it would be easy to use?

haha, even the dvd packaging has jumped the shark.

Quote from: GamblourIs there a picture of those alternate boxes out there?

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.simpsonscollectors.com%2Fimages%2Freleases%2FS6-DVD-AltCover1.jpg&hash=84951cc24d4c8e706b0dd17346dde4b685776100)

Awesome thanks.

Quote from: DVD Answers
The [seventh] season will be available in both a limited edition molded pack in the shape of Marge Simpson's head, as well as the standard packaging.

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi11.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fa175%2FLeven321%2Fsimpsonsseas7r1art.jpg&hash=cd27303bffae64ebc4b8524a895028c4a86d3310)

fellow xixaxers-- i desperately need your help.

i am looking for a clip (an MPEG would be great) from the episode when Homer goes to see a financial planner (it's that woman character who always play the lawyer/advisor/accountant role in the show). the scene goes something like this:

FINANCIAL PLANNER: Well, Mr. Simpson, it looks like you're going to have to declare bankruptcy ... several times. The interesting thing is-- you'll continue to lose money even after your death.
HOMER: What should I do?
FINANCIAL PLANNER: I'm a financial planner, not a financial consultant. Now, I'd like my fee please?

i've scoured Simpsons sites and my own collection and have been unable to find it. any help would be GREATLY APPRECIATED! (i'll even try to somehow work in a 12-pack of beer to the person who can find it)

your best bet is downloading a good torrent of season 12, keeping "Homer vs. Dignity" and converting it from .avi to .mpeg.

http://www.torrentz.com/torrent_143983.html [theres links to other torrent sites from this one too]

Gervais: "'Simpsons' Role Was Dream Come True"

British funnyman Ricky Gervais has hailed his cameo on cult cartoon The Simpsons as the pinnacle of his comedic career. The Office and Extras star, who refers to the Matt Groening-created show as "the greatest TV comedy of all time," admits he's still in shock at the opportunity to appear alongside his yellow heroes. He tells the New York Daily News, "It was like I'd won a competition. I'm genuinely worried that Hollywood got together and talked to my doctors and found out I've only got a few months to live and said, 'Just let him do what he wants to do.' I'm in awe of (The Simpsons) and have been for at least 10 years. When I first got into comedy, my ambition was to get a joke on The Simpsons. So to write and star in one is ridiculous. Remarkably, I've got to a place where I'm cherry-picking jobs and I'm cherry-picking jobs (with) my heroes. I mean, really! The Simpsons!" Gervais' episode airs on March 26 and sees Homer and long-suffering spouse Marge picked for a wife-swap reality show.

this episode alone will redeem the entire season.

Quote from: modage on March 04, 2006, 01:54:34 PM
this episode alone will redeem the entire past seven season seasons.

Well, it might redeem that one episode, anyway.

Last Sunday, the most horrible thing happened.  I watched The Simpsons at 8:00, then I watched American Dad at 9:30.  And American Dad was so much better.

AMERICAN fucking DAD, for fuck's sake!  What is this, some sort of sick joke?  Have I been kidnapped and deposited in a Truman-Show-esque world where everything is exactly the same except that the Simpsons sucks ass?

Seriously.

:yabbse-angry:

Quote from: polkablues on March 05, 2006, 12:40:44 AMHave I been kidnapped and deposited in a Truman-Show-esque world where everything is exactly the same except that the Simpsons sucks ass?

that has nothing to do with the Truman Show.

Quote from: picolas on March 05, 2006, 03:00:02 AM

Quote from: polkablues on March 05, 2006, 12:40:44 AMHave I been kidnapped and deposited in a Truman-Show-esque world where everything is exactly the same except that the Simpsons sucks ass?

that has nothing to do with the Truman Show.

Truman discovers he is living in a fake world (produced by Christof) that is meant to be an exact replica of the "real" world with actors playing family, friends, co-workers, teachers, etc., with the exception that he is restricted from travelling abroad, pursuing his thirst for exploration. In polka's Truman-Show-esque world, everything is meant to be a replica of the "real" world with the exception that The Simpsons is no longer good, it is bad.

the Truman Show wasn't the real world with one exception, nor was it meant to be an exact replica.

Quote from: picolas on March 05, 2006, 06:03:05 PM
the Truman Show wasn't the real world with one exception, nor was it meant to be an exact replica.

You're taking this a tad too literally.

but you and hedwig are ignoring the facts and my biggest pet peeve is misuse of the word trumanshowesque.

hahahah, too brilliant.

More "Simpsons," "King of the Hill" on Fox

Fox is loading up on animated comedies "The Simpsons" and "King of the Hill."

The network has ordered two more seasons of "The Simpsons," its 18th and 19th, and one more of "King of the Hill," the show's 11th.

The two-year renewal for "The Simpsons," the longest-running entertainment primetime series on the air, guarantees it will be on the air at least through the 2007-08 season, during which the show will hit its 400th episode.

The show's principal voice cast, which includes Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith and Hank Azaria, who threatened to go strike a few years ago until they got better deals, are all said to be locked in for the duration of the new pact.

After a two-month hiatus, production on "King of the Hill" recently resumed, after new deals were sealed with principal behind-the-scenes talent, including showrunners/executive producers John Altschuler and David Krinsky and co-creator/executive producer/voice actor Mike Judge.

Because "King of the Hill" has been a subject of frequent pre-emptions for Fox's NFL football coverage, the network has enough fresh episodes for the rest of this season. The show is slated to return for its 11th season in January.

Simpsons Movie Moving Along
Voice talent are already recording dialogue.

Harry Shearer, one of the talented voice actors from The Simpsons, has confirmed active work on the first Simpsons feature movie. Shearer broke the news during an appearance on the Mancow radio show, and a listener sent in a report to the AICN website:

"Harry Shearer … mentioned the two year contract extension [for the TV series] and then was asked … if this [would] delay the movie project by two years. His response was that it would not delay it, because they were recording dialogue for it right now."

In response to another query, Shearer stated that the language of the movie is going a little more edgy than what is run on TV, but not enough to receive a "restricted" rating. Shearer's own characters, which include Ned Flanders, Rev. Lovejoy, Mr. Burns, and Waylon Smithers, won't be any different on film.

Shearer's comments show just how quickly progress is being made on the Simpsons movie. When we reported on it last September, not even a script had been completed yet.

Quote from: Garam on March 22, 2006, 03:31:02 PM
I'm expecting a spectacular opening.

By that you mean its going to be a giant anus?

'The Simpsons' to Show Live-Action Opening

Ever wonder what Bart Simpson would look like in human form?

"The Simpsons" is about to show you. The long-running Fox animated series will unveil a live-action opening sequence Sunday (8 p.m. EST), a Fox spokeswoman said Thursday.

In it, the dysfunctional cartoon family — Bart, Homer, Marge, Lisa and Maggie — will be seen as they would appear in real life, played by lookalike actors.

"I'm just amazed there are people who want to be known for looking like the Simpsons," said Al Jean, the show's executive producer, in a statement.

A team from British network Sky One created and commissioned the live sequence, which apes the series' memorable opening shots: Bart writing on a chalkboard, Homer pulling a nuclear rod out of his shirt, and Maggie and Marge at the supermarket.

"The Simpsons" was recently renewed for two more seasons, its 18th and 19th.

Hah, that's pretty cool.  Was it shown before an episode of The Simpsons or a promo or something?

Hahah. Love it all except for human Lisa.  :(

Quote from: Garam on March 24, 2006, 02:46:32 PM
My favourite part is when human Bart grows 2 feet when he jumps on the car.

also maggie magically appearing on the couch.

they went to all that effort with computer effects and everything, and they didn't hav bart swinging from the pole (skating).

So it was basically David Brent meets the Simpsons...to the extent that the usual Gervais lip-biting and camera-looking was drawn in. Regardless, I found it pretty amusing, and enjoyed watching it because I know it's Gervais' dream to do it. The two very David Brent moments ("I like elbows....not sexual" and about the genie joke "Offensive, but just a tiny bit amusing?") were very welcome but I would've like to see an episode w/o any Office references, but oh well, funnier than usual.

Quote from: Gamblour le flambeur on March 26, 2006, 07:34:54 PM
So it was basically David Brent meets the Simpsons...to the extent that the usual Gervais lip-biting and camera-looking was drawn in. Regardless, I found it pretty amusing, and enjoyed watching it because I know it's Gervais' dream to do it. The two very David Brent moments ("I like elbows....not sexual" and about the genie joke "Offensive, but just a tiny bit amusing?") were very welcome but I would've like to see an episode w/o any Office references, but oh well, funnier than usual.

Pretty much how I felt.  I laughed more than I usually do at most new Simpsons episodes, but I was a little disapointed to find so many recycled Office jokes.
The two best parts were where Homer tell Gervais' character "you take forever to say nothing" and Homer's report on CSI Miami.

Quote from: RegularKarate on March 27, 2006, 12:14:43 AM

Quote from: Gamblour le flambeur on March 26, 2006, 07:34:54 PM
So it was basically David Brent meets the Simpsons...to the extent that the usual Gervais lip-biting and camera-looking was drawn in. Regardless, I found it pretty amusing, and enjoyed watching it because I know it's Gervais' dream to do it. The two very David Brent moments ("I like elbows....not sexual" and about the genie joke "Offensive, but just a tiny bit amusing?") were very welcome but I would've like to see an episode w/o any Office references, but oh well, funnier than usual.

Pretty much how I felt.  I laughed more than I usually do at most new Simpsons episodes, but I was a little disapointed to find so many recycled Office jokes.
The two best parts were where Homer tell Gervais' character "you take forever to say nothing" and Homer's report on CSI Miami.

"Then I woke up and Letterman was talking to Alias."  That was the biggest laugh for me.

I missed the first half, though.  What I liked about what I saw is that, while it wasn't really normal Simpsons humor, it took a few steps back from the Family Guy direction the show's been heading towards, with their recent gags that go on too long and so forth.

it had two or three good parts like the uppity machine but it was mostly bad. moe having a tray of celery for no reason and then throwing it on the ground for no reason is classic shitty simpsons and i was disappointed by how much was imported from the office. the unscripted-sounding voice acting reminded me of family guy a lot actually.

Quote from: picolas on March 27, 2006, 02:19:11 AM
the unscripted-sounding voice acting reminded me of family guy a lot actually.

i havn't seen the gervais episode, so i might be wrong in guessing this, but i always think of Dr Katz being the originator of the style you refer to.

Yeah, I laughed harder at that ep than... gosh, I can't remember when the last time an ep was that funny.  It wasn't classic, but definitely good.  Double points for Homer yelling at Dan C. from the Fox tram.

i'll have to check out this ep

Quote from: Pubrick on March 27, 2006, 04:34:37 AM

Quote from: picolas on March 27, 2006, 02:19:11 AM
the unscripted-sounding voice acting reminded me of family guy a lot actually.

i havn't seen the gervais episode, so i might be wrong in guessing this, but i always think of Dr Katz being the originator of the style you refer to.

And Bob Newhart.

Aint It Cool News and, more importantly, my 11-year-old cousin recently reported that a Simpsons teaser is being shown before "Ice Age: The Meltdown." it obviously hasn't shown up on the internet yet which means I might be forced to (gulp) leave the house in order to see it. One of the teasers is reportedly just a static shot of Homer sleeping, the other is a riff on Superman.

Fox has set the DVD release of The Simpsons: The Complete Eighth Season on 8/15. The Simpsons will include a massive slate of extras too numerous to list here (but expect bonus material similar to what's been on recent season sets for the series). Two different packaging options will be available - Digipack and a plastic Maggie head.

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedigitalbits.com%2Farticles%2Fmiscgfx%2Fcovers3%2Fsimpsonss8maggiedvd.jpg&hash=e5b6acc5f820d893c270e5f446e8e4d972c05d5c)

Quote from: MacGuffin on May 12, 2006, 10:14:31 PM
Two different packaging options will be available - Digipack and a plastic Maggie head.

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.overstock.com%2Ff%2F102%2F3117%2F8h%2Fwww.overstock.com%2Fimages%2Fproducts%2FL10300572.jpg&hash=4d06254e7e5fcb0f1911826f9dfa15311b4d17a6)

Haha, alright. We get Grimey on the side.

Quote from: Gamblour le flambeur on June 22, 2006, 08:16:17 AM
We get Grimey on the side.

I love that incoherernt exclamation when he goes off the deep end.

Eedhugh, ADAHGH! ADHAGH!

Guest Voices Announced for The Simpsons
Source: FOX

The list of impressive and eclectic guest voices continues to grow, with actors like Kiefer Sutherland, Natalie Portman, Michael Imperioli, Joe Pantoliano, Joe Mantegna, The White Stripes and Dr. Phil McGraw making voice appearances next season on "The Simpsons" airing Sundays (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

Homer becomes a made man in the 18th season premiere episode "The Mook, The Chef, The Wife And His Homer," airing Sunday, Sept. 10 (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT). After Lisa befriends Fat Tony's (Mantegna, reprising his role as Springfield's infamous mob boss) son Michael, Fat Tony invites the Simpsons over for dinner as a sign of gratitude. Shockingly, Fat Tony is shot by a rival family moments after Michael admits he would rather be a chef than take over the family business. Fat Tony's main thugs, Dante and Dante Jr. (guest voices Pantoliano and Imperioli), want Michael to be the new kingpin, but when he declines, Homer steps up and leads the family on a major mob spree.

The White Stripes guest-star as themselves in "Jazzy And The Pussycats" Sunday, Sept. 17. After Bart's arm is mangled by a tiger that Lisa rescued from the local pound, Bart organizes a benefit concert to raise money for an operation to repair his drumming arm.

Dr. Phil McGraw, Fran Drescher and comedian Richard Lewis stir up tricks and treats in the annual "ghoultide" Halloween trilogy, "Treehouse of Horror XVII," Sunday, Nov. 5.

In "GI (Annoyed Grunt)," Sunday, Nov. 12, after Bart gets out of a commitment to join the Army at 18, Homer falls prey to a couple of Army recruiters and lands himself in basic training. Homer, of course, treats this like summer camp and infuriates his hard-nosed colonel (Sutherland) when he is unfazed by the constant hazing and humiliation.

Other upcoming guest voices include famed authors Tom Wolfe, Gore Vidal, Michael Chabon and Jonathan Franzen. Later in the season, Portman, Lovitz, White, Hamlin and Idle also pay Springfield a visit.


Breaking TV News: THE FOX NETWORK REVEALS THE SIMPSONS WILL GO ON FOREVER
Don't count on the beloved cartoon to go off the air any time soon as Fox hopes to find a fifth animated wheel to add to Sunday nights 
Source: iF Magazine

THE SKINNY: As the Television Critics Summer press tour winds down, Fox was the last network to present their schedule and Entertainment President Peter Liguori today revealed that THE SIMPSONS will likely be on the network, long after the current two year pick-up it was recently given.

"I think I will be dead and buried before THE SIMPSONS ever gets removed from our air," says Ligouri. "And that's really a testament to what Al [Jean] and Matt [Groening] and Jim [Brooks] are doing with that show. It's really exciting just to go to their offices. They are as sharp and dedicated as they've ever been. Plus, there's going to be a SIMPSONS movie, which we think will introduce a whole new, young audience to the franchise."

Additionally Ligouri says Fox is constantly searching for the fifth wheel to their animation comedy block on Sunday night, but have yet to find the perfect fit.

"We are being aggressive and we are committed to trying to get a fifth animated show on that night," says Ligouri. "And it's somewhat frustrating to us. We push and we prod and we kick the tires and we offer opportunities for many animation creators to come to us. And there is no greater advertisement to the creative community that every Sunday night, when we're out there, and you see us go for two consecutive hours  from KING OF THE HILL down to FAMILY GUY and then all of a sudden there's a live action show. We're hoping that we're going to be able to crack that this year. It's a major priority for us. That's been a very successful night. The return of FAMILY GUY and AMERICAN DAD has really helped us solidify our Sunday night and really helped us with younger males. We want to extend that." 

I hardly ever watch the Simpsons anymore... but for a second it would have been real cool if Jack Bauer showed up at the house.

I saw an episode a week or two ago where Marge has amnesia.  How many times can one show jump the shark?  At this point its more like raping the shark.

Welcoming Homer the tree-hugger
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5237038.stm

Whether you are a hypocrite, a poseur or a plain bozo, the environmental movement needs you, says George Meyer in The Green Room - either that, or a move to Jupiter beckons.

Quote" That said, if we did turn the earth into an apocalyptic hellscape, a sick part of me would find it thrilling.

I would enjoy watching dazed stockbrokers and ad men clawing at the dirt for edible roots. I'd remind them that they'd been warned of their folly, right here on the BBC website. "

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060813/ap_en_tv/china_cartoon_ban

China bans 'Simpsons' from prime time TV
By JOE McDONALD, Associated Press Writer 34 minutes ago

BEIJING - D'oh! China has banished Homer Simpson, Pokemon and Mickey Mouse from prime time. Beginning Sept. 1, regulators have barred foreign cartoons from TV from 5 to 8 p.m. in an effort to protect China's struggling animation studios, news reports said Sunday. The move allows the Monkey King and his Chinese pals to get the top TV viewing hours to themselves.


Foreign cartoons, especially from Japan, are hugely popular with China's 250 million children and the country's own animation studios have struggled to compete. Communist leaders are said to be frustrated that so many cartoons are foreign-made, especially after efforts to build up Chinese animation studios.

The ban hasn't been formally announced, but newspapers already were criticizing it Sunday as the wrong way to improve programming.

"This is a worrying, shortsighted policy and will not solve the fundamental problems in China's cartoon industry," the Southern Metropolis News said. "The viewing masses, whether adults or children, will have no choice but to passively support Chinese products."

Chinese animators produce hundreds of hours of programs a year but aren't known for flair or originality. They draw on traditional stories such as "Journey to the West," about the adventures of the Monkey King, and have yet to invent characters to match the appeal of Mickey Mouse or Japanese icons such as Pokemon.

The cartoon campaign comes amid efforts by President
Hu Jintao's government to tighten control over other pop culture, ranging from movies to magazines and Web sites.

TV stations have been told to limit foreign programming, stop showing scary movies in prime time and have their hosts dress more conservatively and use fewer English words on the air.

Most cartoons on China Central Television, the national broadcaster, are Chinese-made. But more freewheeling local broadcasters show everything from "The Simpsons" to Japanese, South Korean and European cartoons dubbed into Chinese.

Film studios have been pushed to merge in order to create big, well-financed competitors. Officials have set up 15 animation centers to nurture the industry, invoking communist guerrilla vocabulary by dubbing them "production bases."

"The reason for the regulation is clear. It is to protect domestic cartoon production," the Southern Metropolis said.

The newspaper cited what it said was a recent study that found that 80 percent of Chinese children surveyed liked foreign cartoons and disliked domestic animation.

Chinese studios employ thousands of skilled animators, but many focus on doing work subcontracted by Walt Disney Co., Warner Bros. and other Western or Japanese studios.

Broadcasters were told to limit use of foreign cartoons in 2000 at a time when Japanese animation dominated the market. In 2004, the government stepped up controls, saying Chinese cartoons had to account for at least 60 percent of the total shown in prime time.

In February, regulators banned programs that mix animation with live characters in an apparent effort to protect Chinese studios, which don't produce such programming. Regulators haven't released details, but the ban could affect popular children's TV shows such as "Blue's Clues" from the United States and Britain's "Teletubbies."

The government also protects Chinese film studios by limiting imports of foreign titles. But that strategy appears to have backfired by creating a market for pirated movies, which both foreign and Chinese studios say robs them of box office revenues.

On Sunday, Chinese moviemakers accused TV stations of becoming part of the nation's thriving movie piracy industry, airing up to 1,500 pirated Chinese movies a year.

Beijing also has thrown up barriers to other pop culture.

In April, the government disclosed it was no longer granting publishing licenses for foreign magazines in an effort to protect its domestic industry. That came after a joint venture that published a Chinese edition of "Rolling Stone" was forced to dissolve after a single issue.

Metallica and the White Stripes have their stops in Springfield scheduled for next month. The metal legends rock the back of a pickup truck for the September 10 season premiere of "The Simpsons," while Meg and Jack White meet up with a drumming Bart — who picks up the sticks at a child psychiatrist's urging — in the September 17 episode.

'Simpsons' creator: 'Let's keep doing it'
From the Associated Press

As Bart Simpson skips into his 18th season of TV mischief, fans will be glad to know that creator Matt Groening sees no end in sight for the wayward lad or "The Simpsons."

Groening's reasoning is sound: The show, which returns on Fox Sunday night, is fun to make, fun to watch, just earned its 23rd Emmy and is finally jumping to the big screen with a summer 2007 movie about Bart and the rest of Springfield's first family.

"My attitude at this point is, as long as the people who work on the show are having a good time, let's keep doing it," he said. "We've always tried to entertain ourselves and figured that the outside world would be entertained if we were making ourselves laugh."

wow, minutes long michel gondry reference.   :shock:

you stole my post. 

Terrible.  Unfortunately, it's not the worst episode I've seen... but it was terrible and extremely desperate.

watch it for yourself here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwJ_dFPX1WY&eurl=

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi5.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy154%2Fpubrick%2Fsimps%2Ffg_122.jpg&hash=81e9eee2ed2e0dea8515b6fda8a8b753d676caba)

Costner Current Simpsons Writers: We're sorry. We're really sorry. Uh.. we don't know
what we were thinking, but seasons 2 to 10 were good, right?  Made us all believe again..

Quote from: Garam on September 18, 2006, 10:50:46 AM
And OH, that clip. God, I'd have thought i'd be desensitised to awful new Simpsons by now, but that clip still managed to depress the hell out of me.

Guess what... that was the best part and wittiest part of the episode that was full of jokes like Homer putting on a Mexican wrestling mask in a hospital room (out of the blue, of course) and losing to one of those displayed skeletons.  And other things just wasting time like spending a long time on jokes that you know are just there to jerk you around like when some jazz players that Lisa wanted to jam with come up to her and spend half a minute saying, "Will YOU, Lisa Simpson, do us the extreme honor of... sitting in that chair in front of the stage?  We want to jam with your brother."  Or just randomly putting Ralph on stage (again, out of the blue).

It's like they don't even care anymore.

The more you watch the more you give them incentive to make more.

It's like they don't even realize that their output is so bad, because people still watch it hoping (futilely) a good episode will come.

Quote from: Garam on September 18, 2006, 10:50:46 AM
What episode is that one from, again?

Monty Can't Buy Me Love. third last episode of season 10.

Quote from: Chest Rockwell on September 18, 2006, 01:45:42 PM
The more you watch the more you give them incentive to make more.

It's like they don't even realize that their output is so bad, because people still watch it hoping (futilely) a good episode will come.

both of those points are true. the ratings are as high as ever but that alone isn't making them think they're still doing great work.. the worst part is they are STILL WINNING AWARDS. for example at the 2006 Writers Guild of America Awards the 6 nominees for best writing in an animated show were all from the simpsons. and it's been that way since the category was introduced in 2003. the only saving grace of that year was that the award went to Ken Keeler for his enlightening Futurama episode Godfellas, but every year after that has been the simpsons getting recognition for their WORST YEARS EVER. on a side note, 2003 was the first time they were recognized by the Golden Globes with a nomination in the best show category -- the irony here is season 13 was quite possibly the worst season ever. meanwhile that year Futurama had another classic Jurassic Bark in the running for the emmy but lost to you know who. i mean, this was Jurrassic Bark people! even if you don't care about the award recognition you can agree that all the recent misguided praise is not doing The Simpsons or television in general any favours.

it's not just that fans are watching waiting for a return to form, it's the writers themselves who are completely deluded. the problem is a complicated one i think and it's NOT the writer's fault completely. it began when nascent internet losers began calling every episode "worst episode ever", this was in the middle of the classic period! the writers were paying attention then, and as i've talked about elsewhere, they foresaw this with the creation of the Comic Book Guy. eventually this lead to Itchy & Scratchy & Poochy, and the episode titled Worst Episode Ever. they just stopped listening to the fans, they don't give a SHIT what the fans say anymore. and understandably so. the idiot losers who complained in season 5 because the situations were not as realistic as season 2 must be killing themselves now. nowadays when people complain it's nothing new to the writers, according to the hardcore idiots (and yes i hate them passionately) they've been doing subpar work since season 4.

so where does that leave us. thankfully the worst part of television is also the best part. by this i mean the rise and fall of the simpsons is symptomatic of the fickle nature of TV. the series may go on forever and the movie may make 100millions (unless they go on every talk show and pre-empt its release with talk of "this movie will be the biggest of the year" cos that shit always fails see: king kong, superman who?) but i don't expect the show to recover. instead, the redemption has come and will come again in the form of Futurama. this fantastic show, still underrated due to the overhype of family guy, benefitted inversely from the decline in quality of the simpsons. the ultra nerds either got jobs or realised that they had sabotaged the simpsons by complaining too much, futurama got its fair share of nerds (it's mainly for them) but never got a chance to even gain a real following beyond them. there was no need to seem elitist too early cos the show sank as soon as it hit the water. so now in its resurrection i have total faith that it will continue in the timeless satirical tradition of the simpsons.. that was the true spirit that was lost.

if the simpsons was jesus, futurama was mohammed. praise be to Allah.

Quote from: Pubrick on September 19, 2006, 02:17:17 AM
the ratings are as high as ever but that alone isn't making them think they're still doing great work.. the worst part is they are STILL WINNING AWARDS. for example at the 2006 Writers Guild of America Awards the 6 nominees for best writing in an animated show were all from the simpsons. and it's been that way since the category was introduced in 2003. the only saving grace of that year was that the award went to Ken Keeler for his enlightening Futurama episode Godfellas, but every year after that has been the simpsons getting recognition for their WORST YEARS EVER. on a side note, 2003 was the first time they were recognized by the Golden Globes with a nomination in the best show category -- the irony here is season 13 was quite possibly the worst season ever. meanwhile that year Futurama had another classic Jurassic Bark in the running for the emmy but lost to you know who. i mean, this was Jurrassic Bark people! even if you don't care about the award recognition you can agree that all the recent misguided praise is not doing The Simpsons or television in general any favours.

it's not just that fans are watching waiting for a return to form, it's the writers themselves who are completely deluded. the problem is a complicated one i think and it's NOT the writer's fault completely. it began when nascent internet losers began calling every episode "worst episode ever", this was in the middle of the classic period! the writers were paying attention then, and as i've talked about elsewhere, they foresaw this with the creation of the Comic Book Guy. eventually this lead to Itchy & Scratchy & Poochy, and the episode titled Worst Episode Ever. they just stopped listening to the fans, they don't give a SHIT what the fans say anymore. and understandably so. the idiot losers who complained in season 5 because the situations were not as realistic as season 2 must be killing themselves now. nowadays when people complain it's nothing new to the writers, according to the hardcore idiots (and yes i hate them passionately) they've been doing subpar work since season 4.

so where does that leave us. thankfully the worst part of television is also the best part. by this i mean the rise and fall of the simpsons is symptomatic of the fickle nature of TV. the series may go on forever and the movie may make 100millions (unless they go on every talk show and pre-empt its release with talk of "this movie will be the biggest of the year" cos that shit always fails see: king kong, superman who?) but i don't expect the show to recover. instead, the redemption has come and will come again in the form of Futurama. this fantastic show, still underrated due to the overhype of family guy, benefitted inversely from the decline in quality of the simpsons. the ultra nerds either got jobs or realised that they had sabotaged the simpsons by complaining too much, futurama got it's fair share of nerds (it's mainly for them) but never got a chance to even gain a real following beyond them. there was no need to seem elitist too early cos the show sank as soon as it hit the water. so now in its resurrection i have total faith that it will continue in the timeless satirical tradition of the simpsons.. that was the true spirit that was lost.

if the simpsons was jesus, futurama was mohammed. praise be to Allah.

This post, I like.  Insightful and even... strangely moving.

I'm catching up on Futurama via the back-to-back episodes every weeknight on Cartoon Network.  It is indeed wonderful.

Quote from: Pubrick on September 19, 2006, 02:17:17 AM
futurama got its fair share of nerds (it's mainly for them) but never got a chance to even gain a real following beyond them. there was no need to seem elitist too early cos the show sank as soon as it hit the water. so now in its resurrection i have total faith that it will continue in the timeless satirical tradition of the simpsons.. that was the true spirit that was lost.

I hope Futurama gains a larger following, because its really not just a show for nerds.  I'm not into sci-fi, but I love the show.  A lot of the ideas an jokes come from sci-fi stories and films, but its always funny even if you don't get the reference or parody.  Its never, "Hey, remember the time you had lunch with Stanley G. Weinbaum?"

what a fucking disgrace. i was expecting something different with this episode because the season start was okay, but fuck. i won't even talk about it. 
that jesus -mohammed analogy was tops, pubrick. islam is the most sophisticated of religions.

Quote from: Pubrick on September 19, 2006, 02:17:17 AM

both of those points are true. the ratings are as high as ever but that alone isn't making them think they're still doing great work.. the worst part is they are STILL WINNING AWARDS. for example at the 2006 Writers Guild of America Awards the 6 nominees for best writing in an animated show were all from the simpsons. and it's been that way since the category was introduced in 2003. the only saving grace of that year was that the award went to Ken Keeler for his enlightening Futurama episode Godfellas, but every year after that has been the simpsons getting recognition for their WORST YEARS EVER. on a side note, 2003 was the first time they were recognized by the Golden Globes with a nomination in the best show category -- the irony here is season 13 was quite possibly the worst season ever. meanwhile that year Futurama had another classic Jurassic Bark in the running for the emmy but lost to you know who. i mean, this was Jurrassic Bark people! even if you don't care about the award recognition you can agree that all the recent misguided praise is not doing The Simpsons or television in general any favours.

it's not just that fans are watching waiting for a return to form, it's the writers themselves who are completely deluded. the problem is a complicated one i think and it's NOT the writer's fault completely. it began when nascent internet losers began calling every episode "worst episode ever", this was in the middle of the classic period! the writers were paying attention then, and as i've talked about elsewhere, they foresaw this with the creation of the Comic Book Guy. eventually this lead to Itchy & Scratchy & Poochy, and the episode titled Worst Episode Ever. they just stopped listening to the fans, they don't give a SHIT what the fans say anymore. and understandably so. the idiot losers who complained in season 5 because the situations were not as realistic as season 2 must be killing themselves now. nowadays when people complain it's nothing new to the writers, according to the hardcore idiots (and yes i hate them passionately) they've been doing subpar work since season 4.

so where does that leave us. thankfully the worst part of television is also the best part. by this i mean the rise and fall of the simpsons is symptomatic of the fickle nature of TV. the series may go on forever and the movie may make 100millions (unless they go on every talk show and pre-empt its release with talk of "this movie will be the biggest of the year" cos that shit always fails see: king kong, superman who?) but i don't expect the show to recover. instead, the redemption has come and will come again in the form of Futurama. this fantastic show, still underrated due to the overhype of family guy, benefitted inversely from the decline in quality of the simpsons. the ultra nerds either got jobs or realised that they had sabotaged the simpsons by complaining too much, futurama got its fair share of nerds (it's mainly for them) but never got a chance to even gain a real following beyond them. there was no need to seem elitist too early cos the show sank as soon as it hit the water. so now in its resurrection i have total faith that it will continue in the timeless satirical tradition of the simpsons.. that was the true spirit that was lost.

if the simpsons was jesus, futurama was mohammed. praise be to Allah.

Beautifully said; you clearly know more about the two shows than I. Reminds me of how tragic Futurama's loss was--it really was just getting into its stride 3rd and 4th season. I saw an episode on Adult Swim last night that I hadn't seen before in which Fry dies and Leela has dreams about him. Not only was it genuinely trippy and had a 2001 reference, but I'll be damned if I didn't feel like crying at the end of it. The Simpsons once was able to evoke the same reaction in me when I was a kid; the one when Bart experiences his first unrequited love for that older girl that went to Jimbo created some powerful emotions in my young self. But after some season I eventually just stopped caring, when they moved away from intelligent satire to self-indulgent returns to old plots and characters and endless pop gags. I think it was the N*Sync one that did it. I haven't seen an episode in a while because I know it just won't be the same; it really is a little painful seeing the show limp around because of still-descent viewership.

Quote from: modhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwJ_dFPX1WY&eurl=

What can I say about that clip that can't be said about why I can't really stand Family Guy anymore?

I feel stupid now for preferring Family Guy over Simpsons, but it makes sense to me now why I did.  Family Guy was new and Simpsons wasn't hitting as hard as it used to, but when the Simpsons were at their peak, it was a combination of me being too young to remember and the lack of availability to see them again unless I caught a rerun. 

Once the DVD's were coming out, I picked up the Seasons that had my favorite episodes only to find there was so much more to them than just a storyline.  Simpsons created it's own brand of humor that has been diluted by Family Guy and then they readopted it.  Family Guy has little replay value to me, while primse Simpsons rarely grow stale. 

What mostly confuses me, speaking now in total hindsight, what made Seth Green think what he was doing was original?  Was he trying to beat the Simpsons' formula because that's all he could do?  Just compete with the popular instead of forging something new?  Even American Dad, a bigger failure than Family Guy (yikes), has the same setup.  And I'm really sick of the argument "Well, Simpsons has the basic cast, it's no surprise Family Guy and American Dad copied it."  You look at other successful cartoons that are still quite innovatie like Futurama and South Park.  Futurama was a huge risk and turned out amazing (though wasn't as well received as it was due) and South Park still tried something new and eventually came into its own, which was still quite new from their "swearing children" phase.

Family Guy makes no attempt to be different, just more obscure to try to outwit the Simpsons or something, and as a result, has had some very toxic effects on the Simpsons.

Quote from: Walrus on September 20, 2006, 05:32:50 PM
What made Seth Green think what he was doing was original?

You mean Seth McFarlane, the creator.

Seth Green, in addition to being a popular actor in such runaway hits as Party Monster and Knockaround Guys, merely provides the voice of Chris on Family Guy.  He also has his own show on Cartoon Network called Robot Chicken.

The end.

Whatever.

Quote from: Walrus on September 20, 2006, 05:32:50 PM
Family Guy makes no attempt to be different, just more obscure to try to outwit the Simpsons or something, and as a result, has had some very toxic effects on the Simpsons.

hahahah WHAT? more obscure? the difference is the simpsons' references were integrated into the storyline, getting the references enhanced your viewing and added a joke that was otherwise missing from the rhythm of the episode.. or in most cases just added one more hilarious level to what was already happening. see: the hippy reciting his poem of "how now brown bureaucrat" while beating a drum when homer has a fantasy of dropping a bomb a la slim pickens.

Family Guy was never obscure, it was just fucking stupid and pandering to dribbling idiots who enjoy random shit being thrown at them like a baby playing peekaboo. the randomness of whatever shit reference they make IS the whole joke. not what they reference, just that it's random, THAT was the joke. and it was clear to everyone, ppl even defended it as "yeah isn't it great?". what the hell was ever hard to see about that? the simpsons are replayed up the wazoo. you only have to see an FG episode once to know that you won't be watching it again unless you're with a dumb girl who loves it and she's got you by the balls.

so does this "turnaround" mean there's a new fad happening now where FG fans realise what everyone else has been saying since the show started? whatever. once an FG fan, always an FG fan. some ppl are just born to follow.

Quote from: Pubrick on September 21, 2006, 06:30:21 AM
Family Guy was never obscure, it was just fucking stupid and pandering to dribbling idiots who enjoy random shit being thrown at them like a baby playing peekaboo. the randomness of whatever shit reference they make IS the whole joke. not what they reference, just that it's random, THAT was the joke. and it was clear to everyone, ppl even defended it as "yeah isn't it great?". what the hell was ever hard to see about that? the simpsons are replayed up the wazoo. you only have to see an FG episode once to know that you won't be watching it again unless you're with a dumb girl who loves it and she's got you by the balls.

When I was a kid, even if I didn't get that a certain joke was a reference I still found it funny because it was funny and relevant beyond the reference.  Then when I was older I got the references and found it funny on a different level.

Quote from: Pubrick on September 21, 2006, 06:30:21 AM
once an FG fan, always an FG fan. some ppl are just born to follow.

I like FG in high school, but after I started watching it on Adult Swim, I wondered why I liked it so much.

Quote from: Ravi on September 21, 2006, 12:57:05 PM

Quote from: Pubrick on September 21, 2006, 06:30:21 AM
once an FG fan, always an FG fan. some ppl are just born to follow.

I like FG in high school, but after I started watching it on Adult Swim, I wondered why I liked it so much.

absolutely.  i tried to watch a complete episode a month ago and i just couldn't. what bothered me this time was the animation, it's so shit.  makes beavis and butthead look even more glamorous. i have to admit that the animation is the one thing where the simpsons are untouchable as far as animated series. BUT STILL.

Quote from: Ravi on September 21, 2006, 12:57:05 PM
When I was a kid, even if I didn't get that a certain joke was a reference I still found it funny because it was funny and relevant beyond the reference.  Then when I was older I got the references and found it funny on a different level.

This is a pretty common experience, I think.  It's certainly also true with me.  In a strange way, it's actually kind of powerful.

Quote from: cronopio on September 21, 2006, 10:16:41 PM
i tried to watch a complete episode a month ago and i just couldn't. what bothered me this time was the animation, it's so shit.  makes beavis and butthead look even more glamorous. i have to admit that the animation is the one thing where the simpsons are untouchable as far as animated series. BUT STILL.

I don't know if you've been watching The Simpsons lately, but it's been gravitating towards that Family Guy style of animation (characterized by something happening out of the blue and with very few frames inbetween).  It also has far less command over the storytelling through camerawork than it used to--it's something I've come to appreciate more and more from the good seasons, thanks to some of the storyboards and stuff on the DVDs.

Quote from: Pubrick on September 21, 2006, 06:30:21 AM

so does this "turnaround" mean there's a new fad happening now where FG fans realise what everyone else has been saying since the show started? whatever. once an FG fan, always an FG fan. some ppl are just born to follow.

Jesus Christ, get over yourself.

I liked Family Guy because it was such a departure.  I had sort of given up on Simpsons because it felt obsolete compared to the new Family Guy, also keeping in mind I was 12 at the time.  Simpsons kept going over my head and Family Guy was so easy to digest.  But as I grew up and watched the Simpsons again, I found that Family Guy doesn't offer anything and Simpsons is much thicker and has more depth.

You think everything moves in fads, but it was a simple matter of maturing and finding an emptiness in Family Guy.

Quote from: Walrus on September 22, 2006, 01:34:03 PM
You think everything moves in fads

no i just think you do sometimes.

the age thing is also not an excuse. i'm younger than walrus and the truth about The Simpsons and family guy has always been obvious to me.

Quote from: Hedwig on September 22, 2006, 10:21:50 PM
i'm younger than walrus and the truth about The Simpsons and family guy has always been obvious to me.

That the Simpsons used to be great and now sucks, and Family Guy used to be good and still is?

i liked family guy when it was first on. i think i started to turn after the first cancellation/return. i think the exact moment i began to utterly dislike it was the G.I. Joe reference, where the joke was that they had referenced G.I. Joe. i saw a clip recently where Stewie is watching Bewitched in a theatre and Will Ferrel says "Guess what? I'm a Clippers fan." and Stewie leaves the theatre, buys a plane ticket to Hollywood, takes a cab to Ferrel's house, rings the doorbell, slaps him and says "not funny!" and it was disturbing. i think my biggest problem with Macfarlane's writing isn't that it has become so random and referency and substanceless (though i hate that too), but more that it's so oddly righteous/aggressive.

Quote from: Hedwig on September 22, 2006, 10:21:50 PM
the age thing is also not an excuse. i'm younger than walrus and the truth about The Simpsons and family guy has always been obvious to me (except for a brief period in SIXTH AND SEVENTH GRADE).

Quote from: Hedwig on September 22, 2006, 10:21:50 PM
the age thing is also not an excuse. i'm younger than walrus and the truth about The Simpsons and family guy has always been obvious to me.

There wasn't one thing you liked as a kid that you later found shallow or unfunny? I find it hard to believe your intelligence and sense of humor has been consistent from pre-pubescence to now. And even if that were the case, I'm pretty sure that's not common, therefore it would be an "excuse" for most people. At that, I don't see why people should be held accountable for what they find funny; it's not like they can just turn on and off what personally gets them laughing.

I hope your being facetious again.  I'm pretty sure Hedwig was referring soely to this particular situation, not everything ever "from pre-pubsence to now." 

but still, the age thing is of, course, an excuse. just take a look at anyone's first posts in this website ('cept the ones that came from the anderson boards cos they were mature already).   i once liked korn and limp bizkit and tamagotchis. big deal.

Quote from: Chest Rockwell on September 23, 2006, 11:48:57 AM

Quote from: Hedwig on September 22, 2006, 10:21:50 PM
the age thing is also not an excuse. i'm younger than walrus and the truth about The Simpsons and family guy has always been obvious to me.

There wasn't one thing you liked as a kid that you later found shallow or unfunny? I find it hard to believe your intelligence and sense of humor has been consistent from pre-pubescence to now. And even if that were the case, I'm pretty sure that's not common, therefore it would be an "excuse" for most people. At that, I don't see why people should be held accountable for what they find funny; it's not like they can just turn on and off what personally gets them laughing.

that's not what i was talking about at all.

we're talking about preferring FG to The Simpsons, and how walrus kept saying "keep in mind i was 12." yeah i saw the show and thought parts of it were funny, i even chuckled at some of the idiotic extended random bullshit, but i never, ever, for one millisecond thought that it was anywhere close to being as great as The Simpsons. using age as an excuse for not being able to see the difference between the subpar humour of Family Guy and the brilliance of prime Simpsons is ridiculous, especially for someone who is 19 or whatever. i never said anything about holding people accountable for what they find funny. i was commenting on the turnaround. maybe it was the word "excuse" that threw you off.

Quote from: polkablues on September 23, 2006, 12:29:16 AM

Quote from: Hedwig on September 22, 2006, 10:21:50 PM
i'm younger than walrus and the truth about The Simpsons and family guy has always been obvious to me.

That the Simpsons used to be great and now sucks, and Family Guy used to be good and still is?

You're lucky you're avatar is cute, polkablues.

Quote from: Ravi on September 23, 2006, 01:38:34 PM

Quote from: polkablues on September 23, 2006, 12:29:16 AM

Quote from: Hedwig on September 22, 2006, 10:21:50 PM
i'm younger than walrus and the truth about The Simpsons and family guy has always been obvious to me.

That the Simpsons used to be great and now sucks, and Family Guy used to be good and still is?

You're lucky you're avatar is cute, polkablues.

I know, espousing unpopular truths is always a dangerous prospect.  But here's the evidence as I see it.  New Family Guy episodes make me laugh.  New Simpsons episodes make me cringe.  Were you to chart a bell curve showing the respective qualities of the shows over the years, Simpsons would look like Mount Everest, while Family Guy would be a straight line through the middle.  So don't blame me.  Blame the math.  Fucking math.

nobody is arguing that the new simps episodes don't suck. that's hardly an "unpopular truth".

have fun arguing with nobody.

Quote from: Hedwig on September 23, 2006, 03:23:02 PM
nobody is arguing that the new simps episodes don't suck. that's hardly an "unpopular truth".

have fun arguing with nobody.

The unpopular truth is that Family Guy is and always has been a viable source of humor.

Quote from: Hedwig on September 23, 2006, 12:59:50 PM

Quote from: Chest Rockwell on September 23, 2006, 11:48:57 AM

Quote from: Hedwig on September 22, 2006, 10:21:50 PM
the age thing is also not an excuse. i'm younger than walrus and the truth about The Simpsons and family guy has always been obvious to me.

There wasn't one thing you liked as a kid that you later found shallow or unfunny? I find it hard to believe your intelligence and sense of humor has been consistent from pre-pubescence to now. And even if that were the case, I'm pretty sure that's not common, therefore it would be an "excuse" for most people. At that, I don't see why people should be held accountable for what they find funny; it's not like they can just turn on and off what personally gets them laughing.

that's not what i was talking about at all.

we're talking about preferring FG to The Simpsons, and how walrus kept saying "keep in mind i was 12." yeah i saw the show and thought parts of it were funny, i even chuckled at some of the idiotic extended random bullshit, but i never, ever, for one millisecond thought that it was anywhere close to being as great as The Simpsons. using age as an excuse for not being able to see the difference between the subpar humour of Family Guy and the brilliance of prime Simpsons is ridiculous, especially for someone who is 19 or whatever. i never said anything about holding people accountable for what they find funny. i was commenting on the turnaround. maybe it was the word "excuse" that threw you off.

I don't think I was thrown off at all. It's perfectly reasonable that someone would like one show (for instance, Family Guy) more than another (Simpsons) at one point and then grow to appreciate the latter more than other when they grow older, appreciate the humor more, etc. Just because you didn't, doesn't mean that everyone else that did are lesser because of it.

What exactly is your point about him being 19? Family Guy started in 1999, so Walrus would have been roughly 12. One's sense of humor changes quite a bit in that timespan; he's learning more and really becoming his own person after puberty. I'm perfectly willing to admit that I thought Family Guy was hilarious when it first came out. Big deal.

I was using being 12 to illustrate a point, it wasn't the glue in the argument.  I'm saying my logic was flawed and I matured.  Clearly, Hedwig, you grew up so much faster than I did and you were always on the Simpsons band wagon.  Congratulations.

I guess I wasn't such an avid fan of the Simpsons, and as a result of them coming out on DVD, I'm getting back into them.  I realize they've been putting them on DVD for a while, but when I looked back on my particularly favorite episodes (mainly Season 7 and 8) I was so shocked at all that I had missed that I had to go back and watch 6 - 1.  I see the mistake I had made now, preferring Family Guy since I was only watching Family Guy. 

Quote from: Chest Rockwell on September 23, 2006, 09:43:21 PM
I don't think I was thrown off at all. It's perfectly reasonable that someone would like one show (for instance, Family Guy) more than another (Simpsons) at one point and then grow to appreciate the latter more than other when they grow older, appreciate the humor more, etc. Just because you didn't, doesn't mean that everyone else that did are lesser because of it.

What exactly is your point about him being 19? Family Guy started in 1999, so Walrus would have been roughly 12. One's sense of humor changes quite a bit in that timespan; he's learning more and really becoming his own person after puberty. I'm perfectly willing to admit that I thought Family Guy was hilarious when it first came out. Big deal.

i am not making a "big deal" or saying anyone who liked FG is "lesser because of it." no idea where you got that from. zillions of people preferred and still do prefer FG to the simpsons partly because they haven't even seen the prime simpsons episodes. again. and they were on all the time so it had nothing to do with age. i was young and i saw them. i'm repeating myself now. my point about walrus being 19 is that he was the right age to have seen enough simpsons in order to tell the difference. but he didn't, and neither did millions of other FG fans, and it had nothing to do with age. for the last time.

whoa, wait, look at this.....

Quote from: Walrus on September 23, 2006, 09:53:30 PM
I see the mistake I had made now, preferring Family Guy since I was only watching Family Guy.

that was exactly my point.

i think in the end we can all rejoice that walrus eventually saw the light. it's a good thing, whether it could've happened 2 years ago is another matter. at least it didn't take him 2 more years. unfortunately not all FG fans get to that point. i chose the period 2 years because of the following quote, which highlights the most frustrating thing for me: not that it takes ppl forever to realise a mistake but that the mistake was pointed out to them years before and they were just unwilling to fix it..

Quote from: Pubrick on January 03, 2004, 02:37:24 AM
family guy fans are consistently less informed on their "rival" shows, and a bit late on the knowledge train, quite frankly.

[this post is obsolete and has been left here to bump my other post into the next page. read on, future internet archaeologist]

20th Century Fox has set The Simpsons: The Complete Ninth Season for release on 12/19.

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedigitalbits.com%2Farticles%2Fmiscgfx%2Fcovers3%2Fsimpsonss9dvd.jpg&hash=e1725f2cfb81a17989beb28b1abf3540161ce35a)

according to TV Shows on DVD (http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=6494), swartzwelder has finally agreed to do a commentary for season 9 on The Cartridge Family. i wonder if it's just him saying "no."

for people who don't understand:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Swartzwelder

Quote from: Lucid on October 24, 2006, 10:32:38 PM
... an Iraq war satire that may rank as the most pointed political statement the show has ever made.

Sure, if by "pointed" you mean POINT, POINT, POINT!!!

Quote from: Lucid on October 24, 2006, 10:32:38 PM
its final line: "This sure is a lot like Iraq will be." That line may not make it to the air; some of the writers want it cut, says Jean, though not because it's politically loaded. "The debate is whether people already get it and we're being too obvious," he adds.

holy shit. the fact they're not sure if ppl will get it, and some writers feel the need to shove it down our throats, is indicative of just how out of touch they are with subtlety. along with other things they used to be known for. this is really sad. it makes me feel sorry for them.

i feel like homer at the end of C. E. D'oh where Mr Burns has been up all nite sealing him in a tomb and he wakes up, feels pity for mr burns, and gets him a jacket. mr burns remains completely unaware unaware as homer puts the jacket on him and says "there you go.." .

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi5.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy154%2Fpubrick%2Fsimps%2Ffg_431.jpg&hash=7cb7fb19e2c3f248aa6d1feb6cc7f009a3378bc9)

poor old man.

Quote from: Lucid on October 24, 2006, 10:32:38 PM
Anyone who thinks Hollywood is run by a liberal cabal won't change his mind after watching The Simpsons' annual Halloween special. The episode, which airs Nov. 5,

ok.  now, this really REALLY pisses me off.  why do they air the fucking halloween special AFTER halloween?  is there ANY reason on Earth they couldn't just air it THIS sunday, you know 2 days BEFORE halloween?  the last couple years the season has premiered so late (in nov) i had thought maybe htey just couldnt get it ready in time.  but this year the shows been on the air for over a month, there is no excuse. 

Quote from: modage on October 25, 2006, 09:19:26 AM
is there ANY reason on Earth they couldn't just air it THIS sunday, you know 2 days BEFORE halloween?   

As long as Fox has the World Series, you will never see the Halloween episode before Halloween.

I just watched the newest episode, the Treehouse of Horror, oh man, that was a great last segment! Probably my favourite moment from The Simpsons in a looong time, mostly because of Maurice LaMarche and his amazing Orson Welles Impression.

"Nose bud...Nosebud..."

Hahaha!

meh. last line totally ruined what would have been a good ending.

Well, they didn't go with the "This is what Iraq will be like" line.  But what does it matter?  The episode was terrible.

I agree about the ending, it was stupid, but that's only because the writers suck and can't figure out how bring their stories to a close. I'm thankful at least that they actually had an interesting story this time around. That 7 minutes was probably better than any episodes will end up being this season.

(i saw the version w/ the iraq ending line on youtube one day prior to airing.)

That's the one I saw as well....

Huh.  I was pretty sure mine didn't have the line, but I could be wrong.  There was the "You said we'd be greeted as liberators" line, but I recall some other ending line (I don't remember) and then the shot craning up to see the destroyed town with no dialogue for a while, then it ended.

Simpsons Movie Sneak Peek Tonight
Sunday Nov 12, 2006; Source (http://www.simpsonschannel.com)
The highly anticipated trailer for the Hollywood adaptation of The Simpsons TV series has been scheduled to debut on Fox. Fans of The Simpsons will get their first peek at the film version of the perennial TV favorite when Fox airs the trailer during tonight's episode of the show. Harry Shearer says it's amazing we're getting to see anything, considering the tight security surrounding the film. The movie has a code name, so only the cast knows which soundstage they're recording their lines in. And once they finish a scene, those script pages are shredded. The preview airs in North America during the episode tonight, and in Australia, viewers can catch it several hours later, immediately following Futurama at 7.30pm Monday on Ten. We'll bring you an online version via our front page as soon as it becomes available, so come back if you miss it!

-----------------------------

season 9 dvd art
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi11.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fa175%2FLeven321%2Fprotectedimage.jpg&hash=23f7aca75e9a47c83132784f80bfcd7757d358a5)

only 1 more essential season left!

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffc01.deviantart.com%2Ffs14%2Ff%2F2007%2F005%2Fe%2F0%2FThe_Simpsonzu_by_spacecoyote.jpg&hash=2f83033bbc67848b2e7acb8c05939ba7f7971359)

http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/46036660/

so otto is howard stern?

homer will never look good as anything but a simpsons character. every single rendition i've seen has been painfully bad, live-action or animated. i guess the simpsons are harder to desimpsonize than the futurama characters are to defuturamize because they're yellow. and lisa's hot.

Quote from: Hedwig on January 13, 2007, 05:08:42 PM
and lisa's hot.

you're just saying that cos you're milhouse.

which episode is this brilliant clip taken from? thanks.

"bart's april fool joke"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkohmry0Occ

Quote from: mogwai on April 05, 2007, 01:58:26 PM
which episode is this brilliant clip taken from? thanks.

So It Has Come To This: The Simpsons Clip Show

Quote from: MacGuffin on April 05, 2007, 02:04:03 PM

Quote from: mogwai on April 05, 2007, 01:58:26 PM
which episode is this brilliant clip taken from? thanks.

So It Has Come To This: The Simpsons Clip Show

my bad, which season is it from?

season 4.

thanks y'all. :yabbse-smiley:

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedigitalbits.com%2Farticles%2Fmiscgfx%2Fcovers4%2Fsimpsonss10finaldvd.jpg&hash=c31ffe4da2597b995289438e6b83d85534078aaf)(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedigitalbits.com%2Farticles%2Fmiscgfx%2Fcovers4%2Fsimpsonss10bartdvd.jpg&hash=acb505b529e7c00ff5119717146c216bedcdc199)

that's it ppl. the last season you'll ever need to buy.

blame it on whatever, but i enjoyed most of the last season.  could it be a 9 season cycle between good seasons and bad seasons?

The Future of The Simpsons?
Source: ComingSoon

Next Friday, the beloved cartoon family The Simpsons will be coming to the big screen in The Simpsons Movie and ComingSoon.net had a chance to attend a small press conference with the creators, where they told us a bit more of what to expect on the show's next season and the ubiquitous question of a sequel.

"This coming season on the TV show, which is in the works, is just about our most ambitious yet," "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening admitted, before passing the baton to producer Al Jean, the current showrunner, for a brief preview.

"Yeah, the premiere is September 23rd," Jean told us, "Stephen Colbert plays a life coach that Homer gets because he wants to turn his life around and he's great, the next week we have a show that has Placido Domingo and Maya Rudolph as guest stars, where Homer becomes an opera star, and he has these groupies who are these middle-aged matrons that chase him around and Marge is really jealous. We also have Jon Stewart coming up later in a political show where they move Springfield's primary to first in the nation and the candidates come and invade the town and the town is so disgusted, they all write in 'Ralph Wiggum' so we're actually trying to start a 'Ralph for President' boom in 2008."

Jean also told us that there would be a "couch gag" at the beginning of the first episode of the new season that refers back to what happens in the movie. "The key to the show is that each episode sort of goes back to Square One, it's like a cosmic Moebius Strip, so the movie will work its way into the show, but you don't have to have seen the movie to like the show."

Having just finished the movie after working on it for four years, it was probably way too early to say whether or not they'd want to make a sequel to the movie, even though it's likely to make a bucketload of money next weekend.

"We've finished the movie so recently," series creator James L. Brooks concurred. "As you know, we have a joke about it."

Al Jean took the more serious approach to the question: "I would think too that it would be the same role of this movie in that we'd do a sequel if we had a great story, and we wouldn't do it just to do a sequel. You see movies that come out where you're like 'Why did they do another one? I loved the first one so much.'"

Groening got the last word on the sequel question with, "So what we're saying is 18 years from now."

Matt Groening also briefly spoke about his other series "Futurama" which will be returning in a big way later this year. "We're doing four straight-to-DVD 'Futurama' movies and then new episodes on Comedy Central starting in 2008. The first DVD for 'Futurama' will be out for the holidays."

Quote from: MacGuffin on July 20, 2007, 12:01:16 PM
"... the next week we have a show that has Placido Domingo and Maya Rudolph as guest stars, where Homer becomes an opera star, and he has these groupies who are these middle-aged matrons that chase him around and Marge is really jealous. We also have Jon Stewart coming up later in a political show where they move Springfield's primary to first in the nation and the candidates come and invade the town and the town is so disgusted, they all write in 'Ralph Wiggum' so we're actually trying to start a 'Ralph for President' boom in 2008."

Yeah see no.

enjoy!
http://www.joeydevilla.com/2007/09/22/simpsons-scenes-and-their-reference-movies/

by the way i thought the season premiere was very funny and sweet, except for that horrible stupid ending . and the itchy and scratchy part was brilliant

so matt groening and the simpson team are... TARANTINO

The episode that aired last night was entitled "Any Given Sundance" and it involved Lisa making a documentary that gets accepted at the Sundance film festival. Not a great episode by any means but worth it for Nelson's film which owes more than a little (including it's final image) to M. Truffaut. Oh and you've also got Skinner and Chalmers forming Chalmskin Productions to finance these films.

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fen%2Fthumb%2F9%2F9b%2FAnyGivenSundance.jpg%2F559px-AnyGivenSundance.jpg&hash=23aec528bfb6f4197e09f87ac477bd0345ee595d)
Yes, that is Jarmusch and John C. Reilly!

'Simpsons' voice actors reach deal
Top actors will get nearly $400,000 per episode
Source: Hollywood Reporter

The standoff between "The Simpsons" voice cast and series producer 20th Century Fox TV is over.

After months of negotiations, the cast of Fox's long-running animated series reached a new four-year deal with the studio during the weekend.

Under the pact, the top actors will be paid nearly $400,000 per episode. While this is lower than the reported $500,000 the cast originally sought, it remains a significant increase from their current paychecks of about $300,000 an episode.

Additionally, Dan Castellaneta, who voices Homer Simpson and has penned several "Simpsons" episodes over the years, is being named a consulting producer.

Castellaneta and most of the other key "Simpsons" voice players -- Julie Kavner (Marge), Nancy Cartwright (Bart), Yeardley Smith (Lisa) and Hank Azaria (Moe) -- are slated to begin work on the upcoming 20th season today with a table read.

As of Monday, the status of Harry Shearer, who voices Mr. Burns and Ned Flanders, among other characters, was unclear. Because of a last-minute snag, his deal did not close with the other cast members', and it was not clear if he would show up for today's table read.

As a result from the drawn-out contract negotiations, the upcoming season of "The Simpsons" has been reduced from 22 to 20 episodes. While the deal makes the voice cast available for four more seasons, Fox has yet to order the animated comedy beyond season No. 20.

The "Simpsons" cast and 20th TV have been down this road before. Most recently in 2004, the actors held up production of the 16th season by skipping two table reads during the renegotiations that ultimately resulted in the cast members more than doubling their previous salary.

Holy shit you guys see last night's ep in HD, it was pretty fucking sweet. It almost did not feel like the Simpsons. I have a link for a dload in 720p if you have a rapidshare account.

HD won't make it suck less.

Quote from: Ravi on February 17, 2009, 09:13:45 PM
HD won't make it suck less.

Well I guess not since I did not laugh once during the ep but it looked really good

Fox renews 'Simpsons'; set to surpass 'Gunsmoke' as longest-running primetime TV series
Source: Hollywood Reporter

Longest. TV show. Ever.

Fox has ordered two more seasons of "The Simpsons" that will make the animated hit the longest-running series in primetime TV history.

The 44-episode pickup will bring the show to a whopping 493 episodes.

"Gunsmoke" has held the record as the longest-running series and was on the air for 20 years (airing on CBS from 1955 to 1975 with 635 episodes). "The Simpsons" and NBC's "Law & Order" have been closing in on the Western classic, with Fox's comedy tying "Gunsmoke" this year and "Order" currently airing its 19th season.

With this renewal, "The Simpsons" (which debuted in 1990) will easily take the lead. And with NBC shedding its 10 p.m. hour and the "L&O" flagship pulling modest numbers, the chances of the crime drama outlasting "The Simpsons" seems unlikely.

"The Simpsons" launched in 1990. Twelve years ago, the show surpassed "The Flintstones" as the longest-running animated series. Outside of ultra-competitive primetime, other programs have been on the air considerably longer. NBC's "Meet the Press" has been around since 1947. CBS' soap "Guiding Light" has been airing since 1952 and NBC's "The Tonight Show" has been in production since 1954.

The "Simpsons" pickup came after 20th TV closed a new deal with James L. Brooks' company Gracie Films on Wednesday. The voice cast was already secured for two more years as part of their most recent contract negotiations.

'Super Size Me' Director Morgan Spurlock To Honor 'The Simpsons'
Source: MTV

This isn't really movie news, but there's a movie based on "The Simpsons" and Morgan Spurlock is an Oscar-nominated director. Put the two of them together, and that's enough for me to write it up here. Especially since I'm a pretty serious "Simpsons" nut.

Fox has announced that Spurlock is producing a for-TV documentary special to air on January 14, 2010 in celebration of "The Simpsons"' 20 years on television. Spurlock's "The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special in 3-D on Ice" will cap off Fox's "Best. 20. Years. Ever." campaign, which launched last January to celebrate the long-running TV series' irreplaceable contributions to our culture. Where else could we have a quote like: "Alcohol is a way of life, alcohol is my way of life and I aim to keep it."

While I'm guessing that the upcoming special will be neither "in 3-D" nor "on ice," Spurlock is uniquely suited to examine "The Simpsons" as a cultural touchstone. He's the right age, for starters. He also has a knack for exploring modern day obsessions: in "Super Size Me" he committed to living on McDonald's meals for a month and his TV series "30 Days" is all about immersing a person in a particular lifestyle. Of course it doesn't hurt that Spurlock is a fan of "The Simpsons" as well.

"When they first called me about this, I thought it was a prank and I hung up," Spurlock said. "And then my agent called back and said, 'No, no, this is for real,' at which point I fainted. Then when I woke up, I called everyone I knew because it was the coolest thing I could ever get to do in my career."

I hear you Morgan. Now you just have to go into hiding until this thing is in the can, lest some crazy obsessive "Simpsons" fan (coughMecough) takes you out for a shot at the job. In all seriousness, I think Spurlock is a top-notch choice for this special and I can't wait to see what he comes up with.

Creator Matt Groening's "The Simpsons" started life in 1987 as a recurring short on "The Tracey Ullman Show," a sketch comedy series conceived by the oft-disguised comedian and voiced by the show's cast members. The first proper episode — "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" — hit the airwaves on December 17, 1989.

I've been tuning in since that very first episode. While I haven't caught every single episode as it has premiered, I have seen them all over the years. Anyone who knows me is always prepared to be assaulted with random, often nonsensical "Simpsons" quotes; as I am fond of saying, there's (at least) one for every occasion.

hmmmm.....

ugh.

Is there any talk of this in any other thread?  The new episode "Homer the Whopper" that was written by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen was hilarious.

Comic Books Guy gets a fairly quality episode.  This is one of the best new Simpsons episodes I've seen in a while.

haha I was about to come here to post that this was the worst of em all. If there was a funny joke, I didn't get it. And the whole velociraptor eating ben kingsley was way too Family Guy.

Little jab at Entourage from Rogen there...

the HD opening sequence makes me die a little every time i see it.

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.dailymail.co.uk%2Fi%2Fpix%2F2009%2F10%2F10%2Farticle-0-06C4C006000005DC-776_468x576.jpg&hash=946a1e3cd60641d37cfd9a0a4725de6b1b30bb4a)


Marge Simpson is Playboy cover star
Animated celebrity features on front cover of glamour magazine
Source: guardian.co.uk

She is a devoted wife and mother-of-three. Now the yellow-faced Marge Simpson is about to go blue as the first animated character to grace the cover of Playboy magazine.

Pictures of the November issue were released yesterday showing the television matriarch posing behind a tactfully placed "bunny" chair, wearing only her signature blue barnet.

The glamour magazine cover shoot comes as part of celebrations that mark the 20th anniversary of The Simpsons.

Playboy's founder, Hugh Hefner, hinted recently of a possible Simpsons-Playboy collaboration, tweeting: "Marge Simpson has a surprise for her fans in the November issue of Playboy."

Hefner has also promised an alternative cover featuring Victoria's Secret model, Alina Puscau, photographed by film director Brett Ratner.

Hefner added yesterday: "True fans will want both."

"The Marge Simpson pics were shot by Homer."

Pictures and an interview with Marge will also feature in a three-page centrefold. She follows in the footsteps of Marilyn Monroe and Farrah Fawcett.

Playboy's new CEO, Scott Flanders, says the aim is to attract readers in their 20s to a magazine whose readership currently averages at 35.

He told the Chicago Sun-Times that the shoot is "obviously somewhat tongue-in-cheek. It had never been done, and we thought it would be kind of hip, cool and unusual."

Leave it to Ratner to fuck up a really, really awesome news article.

Fucking Ratner.

I was prepared to come here and say that The Simpsons has been getting better over the past half a year or so.  They must've changed writers because the shift in storytelling strategy is obvious, i.e., there are stories now.

But then I saw today's episode and it was absolute garbage.  Sasha Baron Cohen was guest-starring so they just let him ramble away as a pointless and annoying character.  The plot has Flanders wanting to save Homer rather than hate him, so Flanders invites the Simpsons to join him on his trip to Jeruselem.  But all that follows is a bunch of dumb Jew jokes which were offensive in their inanity.  They were less actual jokes than they were "Hey, Jewy words sound funny, let's say them a lot."  It was also borderline anti-Semetic in places, not in the form of any possibly legitimate criticism of Israel (not that I would expect that from this show, but they do bring up Palestine in one super lousy joke where Homer goes into a strip club called--you guessed it--the Gaza Strip), but just plain ol' stereotyping and pointing fun.  Homer reverts back to being a thoroughly mindless pig, after a few promising episodes of him having some semblance of character and personality.

Terrible.

But still, while the quality has been really uneven, that's still a general boost in quality when the last 7 or 8 seasons have been wall-to-wall crap.  It's a different show now than when it began, because the characters have all become caricatures of themselves, but the good new episodes have re-introduced character-based storytelling and use that to examine the caricatured elements of the characters as they've become.  Some of that has been interesting, so I still want to give them a thumbs up for that.  In the good episodes, the Simpsons actually relate to each other as a family and characters have a reason to do what they do.  Oh, and sometimes it's even actually funny and clever.  It varies wildly, though.

The good new ones are nowhere as good as the classic Simpsons (of course), but it's pulled itself out of the nosedive, which is good news for those of us (and it seems like there are very few indeed) who still bother to watch The Simpsons.

No, the show hasn't been getting better. None of the new ones are good. This one was especially awful. They haven't changed the writing staff (significantly) in a good 3-4 years. Everything is based on the "so ridiculous it's funny" bullshit. I blame that assclown Matt Selman. Also, the new HD opening sequence literally makes me sick every time i see it, lucky for me my PVR usually cuts off the beginning.

Futurama>>Simpsons (ALWAYS)

Actually, after some reconsideration, I have to retract saying that any of the new episodes are good.  But, I'll stick with saying that some of the new episodes are putting in more story, whereas seasons 13-19 are a solid block of nonsensical random scenes stuck together based on some wacky idea like "Homer does this crazy thing."  These days, many of the episodes are making me laugh, and the story thing, by which I mean that a character causes an incident and reacts which causes another incident until they make a decision that brings things back to normal, and learn something, and the A, B, and C stories connect in some meaningful way.  Just doing that is not really enough to call them good, I know that, and they don't do it deftly anymore, but they're at least doing story.  The crassness of the references to pop culture are still as terrible as always.  But I haven't been able to help being loyal to the show, in that I want to see every episode... so after years of not laughing at The Simpsons, being able to laugh a bit means a lot to me.  It's pathetic, yeah.  But I can't stay away from this show.

I don't really know any details about Matt Selman, but for some reason, I've come to instinctively hate him, too.  I notice his name attached to particularly terrible episodes.  I didn't know he had enough power to be worth blaming for the whole show's derailing, though.

I agree with that the new opening is terrible.

Futurama might well be better than The Simpsons.  I mean, it's certainly true of any of the Simpsons post-season-10, but you might even be right that Futurama as a whole is better than The Simpsons as a whole.  BUT, The Simpsons has been with me practically every day since I was 6 years old or so.  I can't let it go.  I'll always worship at this temple, even if it means that I'm so pathetic that I'm grateful for one or two laughs in a new episode as opposed to none.  Oh well.

Quote from: matt35mm on March 29, 2010, 02:31:31 AM
I don't really know any details about Matt Selman, but for some reason, I've come to instinctively hate him, too.  I notice his name attached to particularly terrible episodes.  I didn't know he had enough power to be worth blaming for the whole show's derailing, though.

He's an executive producer and i've heard podcasts where claims to "practically be a showrunner." When I hear him talk, i definitely see connections between his brand of comedy and the "jokes" simpsons episodes usually contain.

The problem is the whole staff seems totally burnt out, but wont admit it beacuse being a writer for the simpsons is obviously a really sweet gig. Its no coincidence that the show was at its best when there was a new showrunner every two seasons and the writing staff switched up more regularly. Most of these guys have been around since seasons 10,11,12... there's obviously only so much you can do with these characters and now they're out of ideas (well they have been for awhile).
yes, there has been an attempt to put a little more effort into developing story, but they're still in love with that camera winking "aint that crazy but hey its the simpsons!" style of storytelling, mostly characterized by the overuse of deus ex machina as a comedic device. This show lacks sincerity.

as for futurama, i'm excited for its return but these movies have been pretty underwhelming except for the first one (thanks to the great Ken Keeler no doubt). I would say at its very best Simpsons still comes out on top, but for consistency over four seasons i might give to edge to futurama.

there is a south park thread.

http://xixax.com/index.php?topic=2440.msg274606#new (http://xixax.com/index.php?topic=2440.msg274606#new)

Lisa's getting married tomorrow.

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F29.media.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_l6g2qcu27I1qzpwi0o1_500.jpg&hash=ab030cff7839e0945cb00e056662bc304c4f184d)

Thanks for reminding us!  I'll dry clean my tux.

Simpsons intro made by Banksy

edit: link no longer works, better to make a search @youtube as most of them are being taken down because of copyrights.

Its also on Hulu:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/184819/the-simpsons-banksy-opening (http://www.hulu.com/watch/184819/the-simpsons-banksy-opening)

That was funnier and more brilliant than everything in the last 10 seasons.

I wish this show would just shut up. It's sad to have to say that, but it's getting very tired at this point

Retrospective on the 20th anniversary of "Homer at the Bat".  I miss The Simpsons...  :yabbse-cry:

http://deadspin.com/5886723 (http://deadspin.com/5886723)

great read, I have to catch up on my old Simpsons dvd's, I forgot how untouchable the writing on this show used to be.

Quote from: ddiggler on February 27, 2012, 01:08:18 PM
I forgot how untouchable the writing on this show used to be.

everyone under the age of 25 has forgotten.

it's almost embarrassing to defend the simpsons against other shows now because i spend half the time defending the show against itself.

the major problem is there are more BAD seasons than GOOD ones, and so people compare those two amounts as if they are equally valid and decide the show could not have been as good as the old folks say. the amount of people who get simpsons references has dwindled to a miserable amount. it used to be a great unifier but now hearing a good simpsons reference is as rare as people who go around quoting classic books.. everyone is left scratching their head.

there needs to be more popular recognition that the simpsons is the greatest show of all time because of how good it was for at least 8 years straight.. not how long it lasted or how recognizable "d'oh" is. it wasn't just good on a children level, or even on an adult level, it was good on a SMART adult level.

this is probably what will happen to pixar.

Quote from: Pubrick on February 27, 2012, 10:02:25 PM
this is probably what will happen to pixar.

Even if that happens to Pixar, people can at least say "The early movies were better." People often see a TV show as a single unit, forgetting that one season may not be representative of other seasons, especially when the last 10 to 12 seasons have sucked. Does Matt Groening have an expensive Faberge egg habit? Why drag the show out interminably well beyond its expiry date?

Quote from: Ravi on February 28, 2012, 11:57:19 AM
Does Matt Groening have an expensive Faberge egg habit? Why drag the show out interminably well beyond its expiry date?

Speaking of great references...

I think Groening had very little to do with the show's brilliance, and at times existed at odds with it. The show lived and died by it's writers, as evidenced by the last ten years. The sad thing is when the show finally does end and there is a non stop string of clip shows and interviews, they're going to marginalize all the greatness with the crap. This show is a cautionary tale in knowing to quit while you're ahead.

'The Simpsons' Live In Oregon, Matt Groening Tells Smithsonian Magazine
BY THE DEADLINE TEAM

The Simpsons has aired more than 500 episodes and been the subject of numerous analytic and academic examinations, so it seems there can be little mystery remaining regarding the family at the center of Fox's animated series that is the longest-running situation comedy in American TV history. But Simpsons creator Matt Groening did solve one of the few remaining mysteries in an interview with Smithsonian magazine: the native of Portland, Ore., revealed that the fictitious Springfield where Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson live is in fact based on a town not far from where he grew up.

"Springfield was named after Springfield, Oregon," Groening told Smithsonian. "The only reason is that when I was a kid, the TV show Father Knows Best took place in the town of Springfield, and I was thrilled because I imagined that it was the town next to Portland, my hometown. When I grew up, I realized it was just a fictitious name. I also figured out that Springfield was one of the most common names for a city in the U.S. In anticipation of the success of the show, I thought, 'This will be cool; everyone will think it's their Springfield.' And they do."

In the 2007 feature film The Simpsons Movie, Ned Flanders takes Bart to a hill top and tells him to look around at the four states that border Springfield: Ohio, Nevada, Maine and Kentucky.

What he says in the article and what they claim in the headline are not remotely the same thing.

I thought there was gonna be a live action Simpson's play or something. Sounded much cooler.

He admits the inspiration for it, which is basically that the Simpsons live everywhere. The biggest thing the article misses is that it's been over a decade since anyone gave a shit.

(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s320x320/383408_401836949838360_100000361753228_1388933_679427574_n.jpg)

haha, did you ever notice that? Barney's gotta be his Dad, right?

http://teamcoco.com/video/simpsons-serious-jibber-jabber

http://deadhomersociety.com/zombiesimpsons/

Terminally Ill 'Simpsons' Co-Creator Vows to Give Away Fortune
Sam Simon faces down his terminal cancer diagnosis by spending his vast fortune (how much? "I don't know") on animal rights and feeding the hungry: "I get pleasure from it. I love it."
Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Called both "brilliantly funny" and "mentally unbalanced" by Simpsons co-creator Matt Groening, television writer-producer Sam Simon, 58, has become known throughout Hollywood for his philanthropy since leaving the iconic animated series in 1993 (he retained a highly lucrative executive producer title). A Stanford grad who grew up in Beverly Hills and Malibu -- and rose in the industry at a young age to become the showrunner of Taxi at 24 -- Simon confesses, "I don't know," when it comes to estimating his charitable donations to date.

His contributions include founding the Malibu-based Sam Simon Foundation (worth nearly $23 million as of 2011) that rescues the hungry (humans -- but with vegan foods only) and strays (dogs, of any variety). His other pet charities include PETA, which in February thanked him for his support by naming its Norfolk, Va., headquarters the Sam Simon Center; international nonprofit Save the Children; and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, a global marine conservation organization. His contributions led it to name one of the four ships in its fleet of vessels, used to hinder whaling and illegal fishing, the M/Y Simon in 2012. He also turned a Malibu spread into a canine haven that rescues dogs from kill shelters and trains them as companions for the deaf.

Five months ago, the nine-time Emmy winner -- whose post-Simpsons projects have included directing (The Drew Carey Show), hosting (the short-lived poker reality series Sam's Game for Playboy TV) and consulting (currently on FX's Anger Management) -- was diagnosed with terminal colon cancer. He confirmed during a May 16 WTF With Marc Maron podcast that he was given the prognosis of three to six months to live and that he will donate nearly all of his sizable Simpsons royalties -- which he has said earn him "tens of millions" annually -- to charity. (Simon's marriages to Jennifer Tilly and Playboy Playmate Jami Ferrell were childless, or child-free, depending on your point of view.) "I think it's really nice for him that he's doing it now and he gets to see the results of his philanthropy," says Tilly. "He really does have a passion to survive, and the longer he's on the earth, the more good work he can do." On July 1, Simon spoke frankly to THR about what goes on in the mind of someone who has much to give but not a lot of time to give it.

The Hollywood Reporter: How are you feeling these days?

Sam Simon: It's basically one week of chemotherapy on, one week off. It used to be that when I was off, I would bounce back and start feeling good. But I get every possible side effect -- fatigue, nausea -- and the chemo accumulates in your body, so today and tomorrow are, like, my two good days for the month. So I'm feeling pretty good today, and, you know, we shall see.

THR: What is your work schedule like?

Simon: I do half a day a week on Anger Management on FX. Whatever they're doing, I just sit in with the writing that day. And I do my radio show [on Radioio.com]. That's a good workload for me. I'm not supposed to drive anymore, but I do. I got into three accidents on my way home between Wilshire and 16th to here. I think they give me too much Ativan. That's the way it is now.

THR: How active can you be with your charitable work right now?

Simon: I was never that hands-on with any of it. I've just been fortunate to find great people to run things. Frankly, one of the pleasures of the foundation is hanging out with the people because they are some of the nicest people in my life.

THR: How did you get involved in animal rights?

Simon: I was just an animal lover. Everything that the Sam Simon Foundation does is supposed to help dogs and people -- that's our mission. I like dogs and meeting people whose dogs we've saved with our free-surgery day. When The Drew Carey Show did a show about greyhound racing, I was on the show and asked the writer for a script change. I didn't think it affected the story at all, but they didn't want to do it. I didn't want to take any money from this episode and [wanted] to make a statement about dog racing, so I donated my money from this episode to PETA. So PETA set up this photo shoot and were supposed to get these six dogs from this California greyhound rescue on this [race] track. I got up there, and there were no dogs. They said that the greyhound track found out about the PETA shoot, so if they put their dogs in the shoot, they were going to kill the six dogs that the rescue was going to get the next month. I just thought that was pretty startling. Then I started hanging around with those PETA maniacs, and it's a slippery slope, and I just slipped all the way down to the bottom.

THR: How did that grow from there? There's no question that you're a major philanthropist.

Simon: The sort of lifetime achievement stuff that I'm getting now is kind of like Tom Sawyer's funeral because they all know I'm sick. I am getting buildings named after me and awards and stuff. The truth is, I have more money than I'm interested in spending. Everyone in my family is taken care of. And I enjoy this.

THR: Were there influences that pushed you in a certain direction?

Simon: Paul Watson [of Sea Shepherd] presented the idea for the ship. Charlie MacCormack at Save the Children is great. And Ingrid [Newkirk, of PETA] -- these are pillars of pure dedication who inspired me. When I was sick, I got to summon people to my hospital room. Ingrid and I got this fun idea. I started to buy these zoos and circuses in December. I just wanted to have some days where I get to see animals walk in grass for the first time. Through PETA, we rescue animals in roadside zoos and circuses. They are some of the most abused animals in the country. Freeing those animals, that's something I'm not sure I would do if it weren't for the cancer.

THR: Do you get frustrated with bad things happening to good people? Like, why didn't someone else get this cancer?

Simon: No. I don't think that's what karma is. It never crossed my mind. But I don't think the spirit of Hollywood is such a spirit of generosity. I think people really begrudge giving. In New York, it's like that. A lot of charities spend a million dollars on a fundraiser to make $15,000. It's a social swirl. They do some great stuff and then -- it's called mission drift. It becomes more about the parties. You know, I'm not married, and I don't have kids. I had an emergency operation when I was septic, and I really did come very close to dying. My colon cancer perforated my colon. When I woke up in the hospital, even though I did have a will, it did become that much more important to me to set this stuff up for the future. And the Rockefeller Foundation has consultants [Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors] who have been amazing. We found fantastic trustees. It's something that will be living after I'm gone.

THR: You said to Marc Maron on his podcast that you've been aggressive about the giving you've done, that you are giving most of all you can give. At what point did you feel morally compelled to go all the way?

Simon: One thing is, I get pleasure from it. I love it. I don't feel like it is an obligation. One of the things about animal rights, which is not the only thing that I care about in this world, is that your money can bring success. I see results. There is stuff happening, really good stuff, every week. I'm not sure you get that with a lot of disease charities. If you were donating to environmental causes for the past 20 years, do you think your money is doing anything? Because I don't, and I used to support some conservationist stuff -- Sierra Club, World Wildlife Fund. They're treading water. Climate change is a big part of their problem. The environment has been destroyed, basically.

THR: What change do you want to see in the world?

Simon: I want medical experiments on animals stopped. They don't do anything, and they don't work. Veganism is an answer for almost every problem facing the world in terms of hunger and climate change. It helps people's health. Meat is the biggest greenhouse gas producer. There's also the cruelty and suffering aspect. When people do meatless Mondays, and when people adopt instead of buying a dog, that's a PETA victory.

THR: Do people ask why you don't give to another cause?

Simon: Of course. The food bank -- we distribute at the Tom Bradley Center on Pico and then further down off of Koreatown south of the 10 -- is the one where we feed 200 families a day, and they go, "That's great!" Then I say that it's cruelty-free vegan food, and they go: "Ohhh. I see. What if the people aren't vegan?" I tell them then they can go eat at your food bank.

THR: So you've decided to scale up the foundation?

Simon: We are going to expand all this stuff. We do a day in our mobile clinic where we do dog and cat surgeries for free except complicated procedures. For the first nine months, we couldn't fill up the truck. But now it's a huge success. It just took a while for the community to find out about it. And now I think we're going to add another day for free surgeries. The Sam Simon Foundation is going to be very well endowed, and there's a lot of stuff I want them to do.

THR: What allows you to do more?

Simon: The Simpsons money got bigger and bigger. When I left The Simpsons, no one thought that this thing was going to still be around. It's the cumulative effect. It's like, "Oh my God, 25 years later, and it's still coming in."

THR: Has having cancer changed your view of humor?

Simon: No. There's some stuff on TV that I'm like, "With the time I have left, do I really want to watch Wipeout?" But I have a problem when it comes to watching Big Brother. I got my shows. TV for a cancer patient.

from march6 and millions of people have watched it. did you watch it? i just did. Sylvain Chomet made a simpsons intro

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOi5OF7gAiM

(curveball): for pubrick
and people who like Chomet
and watched the simpsons
for normal people

They also had a Ghibli sequence which was cool. The Chomet intro was a bit unnerving but very well done.

Man, this show to be the best. I should go out and buy the rest of the early seasons.

What's the best season in your humble opinions? Because I haven't watched this which used to be my favorite show in so long that I feel like something is truly lacking from my life and I'm ready for a binge. Whatdya got?

edit: chose season 7

IT'S HAPPENNNNNIIIIIINNNNG!

http://www.avclub.com/article/fxxs-simpsons-world-will-just-hook-it-your-veins-207163 (http://www.avclub.com/article/fxxs-simpsons-world-will-just-hook-it-your-veins-207163)

WOOH! a reason to use my cable!!!!

A reason to use my friend's mom's Comcast login!

Don Hertzfeldt did last nights couch gag and it rules.  I only watch couch gags now.

Apparently, Barry Lyndon and Eyes Wide Shut were paid homage in tonight's episode.

This segment made Pubrick roll over in his grave