Matt Groening Meets Apple

Any fan of The Simpsons should suspect the show's creator Matt Groening has a love of Apple Computers: in the episode "Bart Gets Hit by a Car", the devil is revealed using a Mac to run operations in hell. It turns out that Groening wasn't only a fan of Steve Jobs' company: in 1989, he was hired by Apple to provide artwork for a Macintosh brochure. It featured characters from his Life in Hell weekly comic strip, and came out less than a year before The Simpsons became a cultural madness. The brochure is a nice little bit of cultural history (kind of like seeing The Beatles perform in 1962) and gives some good tips on how to use a Mac. To see the whole brochure visit Comics Alliance:

http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/06/13/matt-groening-apple-macintosh-brochure-cartoon/

So That's Where It Got It's Name...

"When Guns n’ Roses began to break into the public consciousness, I was known as a big drinker. In 1988 MTV aired a concert in which Axl introduced me — as usual — as Duff 'the King of Beers' McKagan. Soon after, a production company working on a new animated series called me to ask if they could use the name 'Duff' for a brand of beer in the show. I laughed and said of course, no problem. The whole thing sounded like a low-rent art project or something—I mean, who made cartoons for adults? Little did I know that the show would become The Simpsons and that within a few years I would start to see Duff beer glasses and gear everywhere we toured."

From the autobiography It's So Easy (And Other Lies) by Duff McKagan
http://www.maxim.com/amg/MUSIC/Articles/GunsNRoses+Nearly+Killed+Duff+McKagan

THE SIMPSON'S HOUSE

http://slightlywarped.com/crapfactory/curiosities/2010/simpsons_house.htm

THE SIMPSON'S HOUSE

It really exists in Las Vegas, Nevada and it can be yours for $120,000.

Banksy tags 'The Simpsons' opening sequence

http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2010/10/11/banksy-tags-the-simpsons-opening-sequence

October 11th, 2010
Banksy tags 'The Simpsons' opening sequence
Mark Marino

British street artist Banksy brought his vision to Springfield last night by directing the opening sequence for "The Simpsons," but his work might not necessarily have everyone laughing.

The sequence opens with the camera traveling through the streets of the Simpsons' fictitious hometown, past a billboard tagged with "Banksy" graffiti and landing in Springfield Elementary School, where bad boy Bart is scrawling "I will not write all over the walls" on a blackboard – and on the walls, of course.

Bart journeys via skateboard to the Simpson home and joins parents Homer and Marge and sisters Lisa and Maggie on the couch to watch TV – and then things take a dramatic turn.

Suddenly, the family appears on the giant screen of a grim animation factory, where Asian workers drearily draw the "Simpsons" cartoon while haunting music plays (a reference to the Seoul, South Korea, animation studio where the Fox series is created, perhaps?).

"Simpsons" T-shirts are wheeled through the cavernous factory, which is filled with rats and human skeletons, and cats are thrown into a woodchipper to make stuffing for Bart Simpson dolls, which are then carted off by a panda bear.

The Banksy sequence ends with a malnourished unicorn - which is chained to a wall and used to puncture holes in the center of "Simpsons" DVDs – collapsing before an image of the 20th Century Fox logo is shown surrounded by barbed wire, searchlights and a watchtower.

Katy Perry To Appear On 'The Simpsons' In December

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1648733/20100927/perry_katy.jhtml

Sep 27 2010
Katy Perry To Appear On 'The Simpsons' In December
After 'Sesame Street' canned her skit last week, Perry will perform with 'Simpsons' puppets for Christmas episode.
Gil Kaufman

You can bet good old Moe Syslak will have no problem at all with Katy Perry's low-cut dresses when the singer drops in to visit "The Simpsons" in December. After getting the hook on "Sesame Street" for showing Elmo too much cleavage, Perry is gearing up to add to her comedic résumé with a coveted guest spot on the long-running Fox sitcom on December 5.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Perry will guest in a very special Christmas-themed "Simpsons" episode in which the sallow-skinned denizens of Springfield will join her in live action as puppets. Perry will, of course, play herself in the bit, in which, yes, she will play Moe's girlfriend in an episode titled "The Fight Before Christmas."

Executive producer Al Jean spilled a bit of the reasoning for taking the lovably 2-D characters into the third dimension for the show, which was actually shot in mid-September, before Cleavagegate. "In the wake of Elmo's terrible betrayal, the Simpsons puppets wish to announce they stand felt-shoulder-to-shoulder with Katy Perry," Jean said. Among Perry's duties on the show will be leading the gang in singing "The 39 Days of Christmas."

The turn to comedy is in keeping with Perry's recent foray into acting, including a pair of appearances in skits on the season premiere of "Saturday Night Live" this weekend. In the first, a bespectacled Perry bounced and giggled her way through a "Bronx Beat" bit in which she played a buxom teen named Maureen Dichico who's been turning heads at the local library while reading to kids.

Perry showed decent comedic timing in that one, but was back to her usual forte during an appearance in the night's "Digital Short," in which she sang the theme to the fictional superhero movie "Boogerman." It's all good practice for her upcoming big-screen debut in "The Smurfs" as Smurfette.

Could there be a "Mr. and Mrs. Brand"-type caper in the future for Katy and hubby-to-be Russell?

Homer Simpson Named the Top Pop Culture Character of the Last 20 Years

http://www.b2cmarketinginsider.com/trends-news/homer-simpson-named-the-top-pop-culture-character-of-the-last-20-years-0283

June 1, 2010
Homer Simpson Named the Top Pop Culture Character of the Last 20 Years

In a recent double issue, Homer Simpson beat out Harry Potter and was named the top TV and movie character of the last twenty years by Entertainment Magazine. This should come as no surprise as since The Simpsons debuted on Fox in 1989, the show has generated over $2.5 billion in revenue making it one of the top TV brands of all-time. The Simpsons has been merchandized on everything from clothing to video games to even toothpaste yet their popularity has not suffered from overexposure.

Not only has The Simpsons been entertaining fans for over 20 years but it has also changed our culture. In 2001, “Doh” which was made famous by Homer Simpson, was added to the dictionary. In 2007, the Simpsons clan made their big screen debut with “The Simpsons Movie”, which drew in over $527 million in box office receipts worldwide. In 2008, Universal Studios Theme Parks opened a new 3D attraction based on the loveable family from Springfield.

The strength of The Simpsons’ brand also carries over into the web as online advertising rates for episodes of The Simpsons on Hulu demand a higher rate than its television counterpart.

The Top 10 TV and Movie Characters of the Last 20 Years:

1.Homer Simpson
2.Harry Potter
3.Buffy the Vampire Slayer (played by Sarah Michelle Gellar)
4.Tony Soprano
5.The Joker (played by Heath Ledger)
6.Rachel Green (played by Jennifer Aniston on Friends)
7.Edward Scissorhands
8.Hannibal Lecter
9.Carrie Bradshaw
10.Spongebob Squarepants

South Park Drawing of Mohammad

"In the 14 years we've been doing South Park we have never done a show that we couldn't stand behind. We delivered our version of the show to Comedy Central and they made a determination to alter the episode. It wasn't some meta-joke on our part. Comedy Central added the bleeps. In fact, Kyle's customary final speech was about intimidation and fear. It didn't mention Mohammad at all but it got bleeped too. We'll be back next week with a whole new show about something completely different and we'll see what happens to it."
Matt Stone & Trey Parker

Picture above includes a drawing of Mohammad which ironically has aired in South Park's opening credits...

And from the April 25th Episode of The Simpsons:

Jay Leno triumphs over what's cool

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-leno-demographic23-2010jan23,0,158827.story

Jay Leno triumphs over what's cool
NBC's logic-defying decision to replace him with Conan O'Brien was based on misguided demographics.
January 23, 2010
Neal Gabler
January 23, 2010

Every high school in America has its cool kids, the smart, snarky ones who sit in the prow of culture, and its dorks, the plodding if amiable ones who sit in the middle of the boat and try not to make waves. One needs to be reminded of this in assessing what was really at stake in the headline-making Leno-O'Brien war that ended Thursday with an agreement to pay $45 million to O'Brien and his staff.

Celebrities and critics are still taking sides -- the younger, hipper ones decrying how shabbily NBC had treated poor Conan; the older, statelier ones backing Leno -- giving us a clear demonstration of just how much this was a function not so much of money or ratings but of demographics. O'Brien and Leno stood across a cultural and generational divide: young vs. old, cool vs. uncool.

The origins of this battle actually go back to 2004 when NBC decided to boot Leno to the curb five years down the road and replace him with Conan O'Brien, 13 years Leno's junior, after Leno had been helming "The Tonight Show" for 17 years. Aside from Leno, no one seemed particularly startled by this succession, though it turned television logic on its head. Leno was drawing huge ratings, regularly beating the pants off of his CBS competition, David Letterman. By the time he left, he was attracting 5 million viewers a night, and "The Tonight Show" was one of NBC's most profitable franchises. And though Leno's ratings, like all ratings on broadcast television, had declined in his last year, he was still unassailable.

Which was precisely what NBC had expected when Leno took over "The Tonight Show" in 1992 after being tapped over Letterman. Everyone agreed then that Letterman was edgier than Leno, more iconoclastic, and, to a lot of people, funnier. Letterman wore the self-deprecating dork's mantle, but it was a ruse. He was the cool, droll kid who had reinvented late-night television, and NBC decided he might not be the best fit for the square "Tonight Show," where middle-American Johnny Carson had held forth for 30 years.

As it turned out, NBC was right. Leno had been an edgy -- and very funny -- comedian once, but he had gradually drifted to the center where the larger audience was. If that meant blunting his comedy, Leno was willing. By the time he took over "Tonight," Leno's basic commodity was not his humor, which had become toothless, but his likability. He was your grandmother's comedian -- the comedian of the Silent Majority.

Meanwhile, Conan O'Brien was handed Letterman's vacated spot after Leno. O'Brien had never been before the camera. He was a writer. But he was a great idea for a late-night show host: Harvard-educated, then trained at the writers' tables on "Saturday Night Live" and "The Simpsons." It didn't get any cooler than that. Even if he was as jittery as a nervous Chihuahua and milked his handful of jokes for everything they were worth by shameless mugging, he was young and different -- a hipster.

More important, he was the beneficiary of a sea change in television. Over the 16 years from O'Brien's first appearance on late night to his taking over "The Tonight Show," Leno didn't change his nice guy persona and O'Brien didn't get any more comfortable on stage. They remained pretty much the same. It was the culture that changed around them. And that's where demographics came in.

Few people alive today remember that television was once measured, reasonably, by how many people actually watched a particular program. You either had the most viewers or you didn't, and advertisers paid accordingly. The problem with this system was that year in and year out, actually 20 out of 21 years from 1955 through 1976, CBS got the highest ratings. ABC and NBC couldn't make a dent. So ABC, typically mired in third place, devised another strategy. It got the brilliant idea of finding a slice of the audience in which it could compete with CBS -- never mind that the choice was arbitrary. That's how ratings suddenly got divided into demographic segments -- which was like a football team saying that while it lost the game, it outscored its opponent in the third quarter and that ought to count for something. ABC boasted that it got younger viewers than CBS.

All of this is relevant to Leno and O'Brien because of the way ABC and NBC justified this magical and nonsensical confabulation. Younger viewers, they said, were better viewers. They were more susceptible to advertising blandishments. They were more likely to decide on a product and maintain loyalty to it for life. And they were harder to reach and therefore more desirable. Whatever the excuse, the result was that older viewers -- and old meant over 50 -- were suddenly worthless in television terms. Losing Conan O'Brien, should O'Brien have gotten restless and decided to leave NBC when his contract was up, wouldn't have been much of a loss on its face. Even if he had gone to Fox or syndication, there was no way he could have competed against Letterman, much less Leno. He would have been the Irish Arsenio.

But Conan was young and hip; and, astonishingly, he had over the years gotten increasingly favorable reviews and growing cachet, especially as Leno was denigrated by the press for having gone mainstream. O'Brien became a critical darling. Reversing the logic that had prompted it to reject Letterman, NBC apparently concluded that O'Brien was the pompadour of the future. If it lost him, it would lose his cool.

Leno, for all his ratings prowess, was just too square for NBC in the age of the almighty 18-to-34 demographic that everyone now lusted after. In a way, NBC, like an aging suitor, was addled by youth.

There was just one complication. Leno, unlike O'Brien, actually could take his Silent Majority elsewhere, uncool or not. When NBC at the eleventh hour offered Leno the 10 o'clock slot, it wasn't because it expected him to reap great ratings against dramatic shows or even because it wanted cheaper programming. It was a defensive maneuver to keep him from defecting to another network and demolishing O'Brien on "The Tonight Show," its cash cow. NBC didn't really want him, but it didn't want to have to compete against him either.

What NBC didn't seem to have reckoned was just how much its desire to play with the cool kids would cost them -- not in terms of ratings at 10 where it knew Leno would be swamped, but in the weak lead-ins to the local news that sparked an affiliate revolt and in sagging ratings for "The Tonight Show" itself. O'Brien's supporters may think he is the neatest kid in class and that he is therefore entitled to occupy the host's chair, but he is pulling half the ratings Leno got and recently is even down from Leno in the coveted demo. And O'Brien isn't doing any better than Letterman.

In his defense, O'Brien claimed he needed time to build his audience, though detractors could parry that he had 17 years to build an audience. Put less charitably, O'Brien may have been modish, but he wasn't funny.

But this was never about funny -- if it was, neither O'Brien nor Leno would have inherited "The Tonight Show." This was about image. In the great high school of life, NBC opted to follow the siren call of cool. And now, for what may be the first time since 18 to 49 became the American grail, the system has blown up, so much so that NBC was willing to pay O'Brien tens of millions of dollars just to get rid of him and restore Leno to "Tonight."

And that is the real significance of the Leno/O'Brien smackdown. Say what you will about Leno, his return is a cultural milestone.

As O'Brien faded into the evening last night with bundles of cash and newfound martyrdom, the baby boomers have finally gotten some small measure of revenge, however old and dorky and undesirable they may be.

'The Simpsons' marks 450th episode with special

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100104/ap_en_tv/us_tv_simpsons450th

'The Simpsons' marks 450th episode with special
By FRAZIER MOORE, AP Television Writer
1-4-2010

NEW YORK – To speak of the latest milestone by "The Simpsons" seems to restate the obvious.

Long before now, enduring life for "The Simpsons" and its brightly jaundiced folk was simply assumed. What began 20 years ago as a fluke then erupted into a pop-culture juggernaut has continued to spin yarns, spawn characters and lampoon society with no end in sight.

On Sunday at 8 p.m. EST on Fox, "The Simpsons" is airing its 450th episode. "Once Upon a Time in Springfield" will be followed by an hourlong documentary from Morgan Spurlock ("30 Days," "Super Size Me"), fancifully titled "The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special in 3-D on Ice."

During this season, when NBC's "Law & Order" boasts of having tied "Gunsmoke" as TV's longest-running prime-time drama, "The Simpsons" has seized the mantle as TV's longest-running scripted nighttime series — period. Ay, caramba!

"I think we could do it for another 20 years, actually," Matt Groening, "Simpsons" uber-creator, told The Associated Press at a recent "Simpsons" tribute by Los Angeles' Paley Center for Media. Then he dissolved into giggles.

"Omigod! Another 20? We'll TRY," he chortled. "We'll do our BEST!"

Here's hoping the spectacular ensemble of voice talent keeps talking to the end. After 20 years, Dan Castellaneta remains full-throated as portly, dimwitted dad Homer, Julie Kavner is tower-tressed mom Marge, Nancy Cartwright is lippy first-born Bart and Yeardley Smith is oversmart daughter Lisa.

Of course, these off-screen stars of "The Simpsons" are well served by visual artistry that, among things, keeps them shielded from the passage of time.

The show's writers play a huge role, too, with fastidiously crafted scripts that, by comparison, leave most sitcoms in the dust. (Granted, some fans may complain "The Simpsons" isn't as sharply realized as in earlier years, but still.)

"What I love about 'The Simpsons' is, it's so collaborative," Smith said. "The actors do a third, the animators do a third and the writers do a third. That's how I see it."

Also part of the acting troupe is Hank Azaria, a go-to guy for numerous characters including police Chief Wiggum, Comic Book Guy and convenience-store owner Apu Nahasapeemapetilon.

Rounding out the core cast is Harry Shearer, whose stable of roles includes Mr. Burns, Waylon Smithers, Ned Flanders, Reverend Lovejoy, Kent Brockman, Dr. Hibbert and Principal Skinner.

Besides "The Simpsons," Shearer, 66, is best-known from his role as bassist Derek Smalls in the 1984 mock musical documentary "This Is Spinal Tap," and subsequently in the real-life group that film inspired.

But Shearer, who began his career as a child actor on such early TV series as Jack Benny's weekly show, keeps a multiplicity of projects under way. These currently include a new DVD, "Unwigged & Unplugged," reteaming him musically with Tap bandmates Michael McKean and Christopher Guest. He hosts his own signature channel on the "My Damn Channel" comedy Web site.

And for a quarter-century, he has churned out "Le Show," a mostly solo act of wry humor, satirical sketches and blistering commentary, plus music (some performed by his singer-songwriter wife, Judith Owen).

"Le Show" is available through numerous radio and Web outlets, and by podcast. It's a weekly passion project that Shearer has always done gratis — which means he's free from any vexing business entanglements.

"I never have a meeting, I never see a memo," he says. "It's between me and my audience."

Sipping an early morning orange juice during a Manhattan stopover a couple of weeks ago, Shearer describes "Le Show" as a place for him to give voice to whatever's on his mind.

"I'm an insatiable news junkie," he says, "so the reading that I do, I would do anyway. The show just gives me a way to answer back."

The sensibility of "Le Show," and much of Shearer's creative output, is conveniently echoed by "The Simpsons," even though he plays no part in its writing.

"Matt has a satirical, anti-authority streak," says Shearer. "From the beginning, 'The Simpsons' was taking the side of the family against all the authority figures and institutions that buffeted them in the modern world. Certainly, that resonated for me."

Shearer recalls the show's first script, whose characters assigned to him were highlighted in yellow. In the next script, other characters' dialogue would be highlighted for him.

Much of the time, he didn't see drawings of the new characters until months after he had created their voices, when the episode was finished: "Oh, THAT'S what he looks like!"

How many different voices has Shearer done on "The Simpsons" in all?

"The one real influence that Bob Dylan has had on my life is that, every time I'm asked that question, I give a different answer," says Shearer. "So: hundreds," he replies in a raspy Dylan-esque voice.

As the years passed, Shearer's many voices were part of the emerging world of Springfield, an oblivious community that seemed satisfied to settle for less in nearly everything: public education; organized religion; TV news and kids programming; government, law enforcement, business, and food and drink intake; and certainly environmental issues, such as the nuclear power plant that employs Homer Simpson, of all people, as a safety inspector.

What's the message of "The Simpsons"? That people, for all their highfalutin talk, are willing to settle for less if it's easier or saves them a buck?

Has "The Simpsons" taken on a new, unexpected relevance thanks to the current economic downturn, when standards for everything seem under threat?

"You look around and the only person who ostentatiously and repeatedly proclaims his pursuit of excellence is Rush Limbaugh," says Shearer, then does a perfect imitation of Limbaugh: "I'm presenting broadcast excellence."

"That's got to tell you something," Shearer says. "Everybody ELSE is just getting by."

But he, unlike most people taking stock of "The Simpsons" at this moment in its run, resists any grandiose claims for its legacy.

"Together with NFL football, 'The Simpsons' put the Fox network on the map — whatever you think of that," he hedges. "And Fox has changed the face of network television — you got to decide for better or worse.

"I wish I could say that we inspired an awful lot of funny, smart, irreverent, acerbic shows that took a lacerating view of the institutions of society. But I don't think we have."

Nor does he think the show — or any contemporary satire — really changes anything it lampoons.

"For instance, after 20 years and 450 episodes," Shearer sums up, "I don't really think 'The Simpsons' has increased the country's skepticism about nuclear power."
___
Associated Press Writer Michael Cidoni in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
___
Fox network is owned by the News Corp.
___
On the Net:

http://www.thesimpsons.com

‘CHECK IT OUT, MAN’

http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/2009/pr09_033a.htm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 9, 2009 Media Contact: Mark Saunders
(O) 202-268-6524
(C) 202-320-0782
mark.r.saunders@usps.gov
usps.com/news

Release No. 09-033
Non-media contact: 1-800-ASK-USPS

FOX: Cynthia Pascoe
(O) 310-369-2492
cynthia.pascoe@fox.com

Brian Reinert
(O) 212-689-6360
brian_reinert@bhimpact.com

‘CHECK IT OUT, MAN’
The United States Postal Service® Previews Simpsons® Stamps
Promotes ‘Ballot Stuffing’ in Online Simpsons Stamp Vote

WASHINGTON — “Woo-Hoo!” At 8 a.m. ET today, the Postal Service™ revealed what The Simpsons stamps will look like when they are released nationwide on May 7. Americans are being encouraged to vote for their favorite Simpsons character when viewing the images.

Vote Early and Often: It’s the American Way

Voting takes place at www.usps.com/simpsons beginning April 9 at 8 a.m. ET and concludes May 14. Results will be announced shortly thereafter.

Pre-order The Simpsons Stamps and Stamped Postal Cards Now

The 44-cent First-Class Mail® stamps, available in booklets of 20 and stamped postal cards in packs of 20, can be pre-ordered online and will be mailed to customers on May 7. To see all Simpsons related products, visit this link: www.usps.com/simpsons

Matt Groening Signed Poster Sweepstakes

Visitors to the site over 18 years of age have the opportunity to register for a sweepstakes to be one of 25 winners of a limited-edition Simpsons poster to be signed by Simpsons creator and executive producer Matt Groening. Winners will be notified the week of May 18 - 22, 2009.

The Simpsons, currently in its 20th year as a regularly scheduled half-hour series, is the longest-running comedy in television history. The show is a cultural phenomenon, recognizable throughout the world.

“We are excited to celebrate The Simpsons on postage stamps,” said U.S. Postal Service Executive Director of Stamp Services David Failor. “Eyebrow-raising to say the least, this witty, well-written pop icon continues to irreverently satire its parody of a middle-class family as it lampoons American culture. The Simpsons stamps, which includes known philatelists Bart Simpson, will serve as a great opportunity to interest youngsters into stamp collecting.”

“This is the biggest and most adhesive honor The Simpsons has ever received,” said Matt Groening, creator and executive producer of The Simpsons.

“We are emotionally moved by the Postal Service selecting us rather than making the lazy choice of someone who has benefited society,” said James L. Brooks, executive producer of The Simpsons.

Simpsons Beat the Odds

The U.S. Postal Service receives approximately 50,000 suggestions for stamp subjects each year, yet only about 20 topics are selected for postage. The Simpsons is the only television show to be featured as the sole subject of a stamp set while still in primetime production.

First-Day-of-Issue Dedication Ceremony

The Simpsons creator and executive producer, Matt Groening, who created the original artwork for the stamps, is scheduled to participate in the dedication ceremony, along with executive producer James L. Brooks and several of the actors, at Fox Studios in Los Angeles at 11:15 a.m. PT on Thursday, May 7.

A limited number of seats are available to the public on a first-call, first-reserved basis. Those interested in attending can call 1-866-268-3243 beginning Friday, April 10 between noon and 5 p.m. ET, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday thereafter. Due to the expected demand, only one reservation will be accepted per requester per call. When calling, speak slowly and spell your name. Be sure to leave a phone number to receive a callback confirmation. There is a fee for parking. Calls made prior to noon ET on April 10 will not be accepted. Individuals attending the event are asked to provide a driver’s license or another form of government photo identification.

Stamp Selection Process

How does the Postal Service sort through 50,000 stamp subject suggestions annually to reach a final cut of approximately 20 topics selected for circulation? To help in this selection process, the Postmaster General established the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee 50 years ago. Members are appointed to the Committee by the Postmaster General. They reflect a wide range of educational, artistic, historical and professional expertise. For additional information, visit this link:
http://www.usps.com/communications/organization/csac.htm
# # #
Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at www.usps.com/news.

An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 149 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes, six days a week. It has 34,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services, not tax dollars, to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.

ABOUT THE SIMPSONS:

The Simpsons, which airs Sundays (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT), is the longest running primetime sitcom in television history. The Simpsons exploded into a cultural phenomenon in 1990 and has remained one of the most groundbreaking and innovative entertainment franchises, recognizable throughout the world. Cartoonist Matt Groening created the infamous Simpson family: Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson — all now identifiable by their silhouettes alone.

ABOUT TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX LICENSING & MERCHANDISING

A recognized industry leader, Twentieth Century Fox Licensing and Merchandising licenses and markets properties worldwide on behalf of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Twentieth Television and Fox Broadcasting Company, as well as third party lines. The division is aligned with Twentieth Century Fox Television, one of the top suppliers of primetime entertainment programming to the broadcast networks.

'The Godfather,' at Its Greatest

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/artsandliving/movies/features/bonus-points/092308.html
'The Godfather,' at Its Greatest
By JEN CHANEY
washingtonpost.com Staff Writer
Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008

Stop what you're doing and clear a space on that crowded home entertainment center shelf. Room must be made for "The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration," ($69.99) the box set that releases today and delivers one of the most influential series in cinema history, looking better than it ever has before.

A team of technicians spent more than a year meticulously restoring the three "Godfather" films, which also make their debut today on Blu-ray disc ($124.99). The results? A sun that shines even brighter on Connie Corleone's wedding day in "The Godfather"; blacker-than-midnight shadows in Michael Corleone's study in "The Godfather Part II"; and blood that pops with crisper crimson color during the Atlantic City shoot-out in "The Godfather Part III." In short, anyone who loves the movies simply must experience filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola's classics -- or at least the first two, since, let's face it, the third one most of us could take or leave -- through these DVDs, which capitalize on modern technology in a way that only enhances Coppola's and cinematographer Gordon Willis's original vision.

For those whose adoration of The Godfather" borders on religious fervor -- you know these people, they're the ones who can never resist a "Leave the gun. Take the cannoli" joke -- this collection is the definitive one to own. Everything that came with the 2001 box set, including several featurettes, 34 deleted scenes and three solid commentary tracks by Coppola, is here. But so is another disc with an all new slate of excellent extras, including one that explains every detail behind the restoration of the movies in more technical terms than some fans may have ever thought they needed.

Another smart addition: "Godfather World," a featurette that has great fun digging up homages to the mafia saga in everything from "The Simpsons" to "The Sopranos" to a recent Audi commercial. A wide range of admirers -- "Sopranos" creator David Chase, "South Park" mastermind Trey Parker, Coppola pal Steven Spielberg -- also appear in the interviews to explain why these movies have so widely influenced pop culture. (As actor Joe Mantegna puts it, "The Godfather" is "the Italian 'Star Wars.'")

Given the intense popularity and acclaim earned by this trilogy, some viewers may be surprised to realize how perilously close "The Godfather" came to never happening at all. The half-hour documentary "The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn't" delves into all that ugly behind-the-scenes history. For Corleone family scholars, many of the details -- about the shake-ups at Paramount in the late '60s and early '70s, the studio's desire to remove Coppola from the production and Al Pacino's near failure to be cast as Michael -- will sound very familiar. But for those just discovering these epics, the documentary does a fine, concise job of explaining this Oscar-winning enterprise's place in cinema history.

As fantastic as "The Coppola Restoration" is, the box set is not without its flaws. For one, none of the major cast members participate in any of the featurettes, and their absences are keenly felt. Surely Pacino, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Robert Duvall and Robert De Niro have some memories and insights about "The Godfather" to share. Even more maddening, though, is "'The Godfather' on the Red Carpet." Based on the title, I assumed this featurette would consist of archival footage from the original film's premiere back in 1972. Instead, it contains nothing more than a series of interviews with actors who showed up at the premiere of this year's handheld horror movie "Cloverfield," another Paramount picture. It's great that these young stars share a fondness for these unforgettable films. But as extras go, this one stands as an offer you can, and should, refuse.

Most Oddly Comforting Bonus Point: With the economy on shaky ground, many Americans may find themselves living in fear of getting fired. Maybe some of them will feel better to know that, as "The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn't" and Coppola's commentary explain, the director lived with that same fear. And this guy is one of his generation's finest filmmakers. "It's a good reminder of what a delicate thing it is to create a really fine work of art, in any discipline," notes San Francisco Chronicle film critic Mick LaSalle. "And how dangerous it is to interfere with that."

New! The Simpsons Ride

http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/attr_simpsons.html

New! The Simpsons Ride

Voted World's Best New Attraction for 2008 by the readers of ThemeParkInsider.com

The Simpsons™ are visiting Krustyland, the low-budget theme park created by famed TV personality and shameless product huckster Krusty the Clown!

You are there right alongside Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie as you enter through the carnival-like midway.

Once you board your vehicle you’re in for one surprise after another as you embark on a wild, over-the-top ride through the park… flying, floating, and more or less crashing your way through Krustyland’s kiddie attractions, stunt shows, and thrill rides.

Guests must be at least 40" tall to ride

"Visually stunning experience...It's high octane eye candy for the wired age."
-LA Times Travel

"This ride will absolutely be a hit with families and other park goers."
-Robb Alvey, themeparkreview.com

"The ride is a total blast, with plenty of laughs as well as thrills."- Elise Thompson, LAist.com"The Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios Hollywood truly delivers - with loads of in-jokes and satire for serious fanatics and tons of thrills and fun for casual fans."
- Brady MacDonald, Los Angeles Times

'Simpsons' Trivia, From Swearing Lisa To 'Burns-Sexual' Smithers

http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1565538/story.jhtml

Jul 26 2007
'Simpsons' Trivia, From Swearing Lisa To 'Burns-Sexual' Smithers
Show's creators, voice talents, spill more than a dozen secrets.
By Larry Carroll


LOS ANGELES — After 18 years and 400 episodes, you might think you know everything about "The Simpsons." But, on the verge of the show's movie debut this weekend, the creators and voice talents gave us the scoop on Springfield — a town that has nearly as many secrets as it does citizens who've met their tragic demise riding the Escalator to Nowhere. So hold onto your Duffman hat and get ready to let out a few Frink-like exclamations, as we present the "Simpsons" trivia that even the most loyal geeks don't know.

Eat My Catchphrase — "Well, 'Eat my shorts,' that was an ad-lib that I did in one of the earlier table reads," revealed Nancy Cartwright, who voices Bart. "It's something that I said when I was in the marching band in high school. We would march from the high school to the football stadium [and were supposed to chant] 'Fairmont West! Fairmont West!' but it changed my senior year to 'Eat my shorts!' " Laughing, she added: "Only the people that were sitting in the front row could get what we were saying."

3AT MY 5H0RT5 — While most celebs in L.A. hide behind tinted windows, Cartwright embraces her notoriety to the point where her convertible car has vanity plates featuring one of Bart's catchphrases (and no, it's not 3AT MY 5H0RT5). "That's Nancy," laughed Yeardley Smith, who voices Lisa. "She's way out there."

The Man Behind Artie Ziff — "When I did 'The Way We Was' episode, I went through my high school yearbook for character ideas and designs because that was the period we were parodying," series and movie director David Silverman remembered. "And [Homer's high school rival] Artie Ziff is based on a friend of mine — the way he looked and the way he dressed. The guy's named Michael ... wow, I forget his name now," Silverman laughed. "I haven't seen him in a long time, but it is based on him ... and he definitely knows this."

The Man Who Lived ... Twice — The "Simpsons Movie" features the death of a prominent Springfield resident, but don't shed too many tears, warns executive producer James L. Brooks. "There is a rebirth that might have to take place soon [on the show]," he hinted. "Yeah, that's right," added executive producer Al Jean, saying that they'll bring the character back à la Dr. Marvin Monroe. "I won't say who it is that dies. But he does say, 'Bye everybody!' "

A Secret Identity Revealed! — After years of anticipation, a "Simpsons" episode revealed the Comic Book Guy's name to be Jeff Albertson. Matt Groening, however, invokes his rights as creator to contradict that plot point. "I had a different, much more tragic design, but I was out of the room when [the writers] named him," insisted Groening, revealing the character's stalker tendencies. "In my mind, 'Louis Lane' was his name, and he was obsessed and tormented by Lois Lane."

An Odd Coupling — As those who've seen the early "Simpsons" shorts know, Homer's voice was originally modeled after a famous actor. "I started doing Walter Matthau back when we were doing the one-minute things on 'The Tracey Ullman Show,' " remembered Dan Castellaneta, who voices Homer. "But once we started doing the show, we'd do nine to 10 hours of recording, and I couldn't sustain that voice over that period of time. So, I had to find something a little more comfortable to do." Added Castellaneta: "I never met Walter Matthau, unfortunately, but he was one of my favorite actors."

Not That There's Anything Wrong With That — Once and for all, Silverman set the record straight on Homer's co-workers' overly friendly relationship, saying: "Lenny and Carl are very good friends, and [whether they're gay] depends on the show ... part of the joke is you think they are, and then they talk about their girlfriends." As for Waylon Smithers? "That cat's almost out of the bag," he laughed. "But [Smithers] seems to be focused on one particular human, as opposed to anything beyond that. [Rather than being gay], he's sort of 'Burns-sexual.' "

Todd and Mr. Peabody — "Todd Flanders' voice is like Sherman from 'Mr. Peabody and Sherman,' " revealed Cartwright, whose love for the "Rocky and Bullwinkle" segment also yielded a cameo by those characters in the "Treehouse of Horror V" episode. "Todd turned out to be sort of like Sherman," she laughed, doing the voice: "Yes, Professor!"

Homer the Clown? — Herschel Pinkus Yerucham Krustofski might be better known as Krusty the Clown, but when Groening looks at the character, he still can't help but think of Homer. "Krusty the Clown was originally Homer Simpson's secret identity," he grinned, remembering an early episode that was supposed to have Homer dressing up like a clown. (Homer actually became a Krusty impersonator in season six's "Homie the Clown.") "If you look at the basic design of the clown, it's just Homer's body clowned out."

It Tastes Like ... A Comedy Legend — "Ralph Wiggum is named after Ralph Kramden," Jean revealed. "We were trying to write up this character who is a doofus kid, and we loved 'The Honeymooners,' so we threw that in."

Bart's Secret Phobia — What's the best "Simpsons" deleted scene of all time? "There was a scene where Bart got trapped in a mummy sarcophagus," Jean remembered, offering up his favorite. "Marge is outraged, but Homer says, 'That boy has got to get over his fear of coffins!' It was cut from the movie, but it will be in a show this fall."

Moe Szyslak vs. the FCC — When Hank Azaria and the other voice talents record their lines, they swear — a lot. "Somewhere in the archives, there's a tape of each of the characters swearing expletives, including Lisa," Smith said. "I think the outtakes of 'The Simpsons' would be a phenomenal DVD extra."

What a Way to Make a Living — Homer has held 188 jobs over the show's run. "Well, those are side jobs — he's worked at the nuclear plant forever," Brooks laughed. "That's his steady gig — let's call it one job and 187 part-time jobs."

Bob's Your Uncle — "What movie did 'Sideshow Bob' Terwilliger get his name from? 'The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T.,' " said Castellaneta, citing a 1953 cult classic. "The character's name is Dr. Terwilliker, an evil piano teacher. That's where Matt got the name." Despite the fact that the names are spelled different and fans have long believed Krusty's evil sidekick is named after a street in Oregon, the voice of Krusty says he and Groening are both big fans of the flick.

A Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy — Ever notice how many "Simpsons" characters are southpaws? "That was a tribute to me, and everyone else who is left-handed," Groening chuckled. Added Silverman: "Bart is left-handed, and that led to Flanders being left-handed, which led to the Leftorium."

Bizarro Bart and Lisa — Two decades ago, Cartwright and Smith read for each other's future roles — so, what would Springfield be like if Bart and Lisa switched vocalists? "Oh! I wouldn't be here!" Cartwright insisted. "There's no way I would have been cast as Lisa Simpson!" Smith tells a similar story: "I always sounded too much like a girl," she grinned. "I read two lines as Bart and they said, 'Thanks for coming!' "

Vt. Town is 'Simpsons' Official Home

http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1641940,00.html

Tuesday, Jul. 10, 2007
Vt. Town is 'Simpsons' Official Home

AP (SPRINGFIELD, Vt.) — It's Duff time in Springfield, Vt., which on Tuesday was proclaimed the official hometown of TV's favorite dysfunctional family, the Simpsons.

The southeastern Vermont community beat out 13 other Springfields for the honor, which includes hosting the premiere of "The Simpsons Movie" on July 26th.

20th Century Fox ran an online poll on the USA Today Web site inviting people to vote for their favorite among 14 videos submitted by the competing Springfields.

Springfield, Vt., came late to the competition, getting in after the head of the local Chamber of Commerce saw a news report on it and asked to be involved.

"We're so excited," said Patricia Chaffee, vice president of the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce. "We came in at the last minute, and for us to win, we feel like the underdogs, which makes this so big and so great for us."

The town of 9,300 was the smallest in population among the communities entered. It put together a video showing a local TV personality playing Homer Simpson and chasing a giant, pink doughnut through the town.

Gov. Jim Douglas issued a statement congratulating the town.

"This is an exciting, exhilarating moment for Vermonters," he said. "Perhaps more importantly, it proves there's really nothing a giant doughnut can't do. To all the other Springfields, I say "Don't have a cow, man."

According to USA Today, the 13 other Springfields that participated in the contest will be given small screenings of their own the night before the movie opens nationwide July 27.

Simpsons movie targets church, environmentalists

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070705/film_nm/simpsons_dc

Simpsons movie targets church, environmentalists
By Mike Collett-White
7-5-7

LONDON (Reuters) - The upcoming Simpsons movie takes a typically irreverent dig at religion and environmentalists, and features a nude scene involving 'toon teen Bart that had the audience at a preview show applauding.

A 10-minute clip from "The Simpsons Movie," the first time Homer, Marge, their family and friends have made it to the big screen, was shown in London late on Wednesday ahead of its release worldwide later in July.

The clip offered several clues as to the plot, suggesting that the environment and religion would be major themes.

Rock band Green Day is booed and pelted when it starts speaking about the environment to a Springfield crowd, while Homer's daughter Lisa is a green campaigner shunned by the town's inhabitants who simply don't care.

She may also find love, however, after she swoons upon meeting a fellow campaigner from Ireland who insists he is not the son of U2 frontman and celebrity campaigner Bono.

The Simpsons also turn up late at church, where Homer's father has a seizure and warns of trouble to come.

When asked to explain this behavior, Homer flicks through a Bible, and mutters: "This book doesn't have any answers."

Perhaps the biggest laugh was for Bart, who skateboards through town naked after being challenged to do so by Homer.

After a series of scenes where strategically-placed extras and props protect his modesty, the audience gets a full view of his private parts through a gap in a hedge.

LIKELY TO BE OFFENSIVE

Series creator Matt Groening, speaking to the audience after the clips were screened, said he expected complaints.

"In America there's someone willing to pretend to be offended by everything and so we annoy people and that's part of the appeal," he said. "It's to entertain people and also to annoy a certain segment of the audience as well."

Series writer Al Jean agreed that there were big themes in the film, particularly the environment, but that the movie's makers did not obviously take sides.

"They are big themes, especially the environmental theme, but we always like to approach it from both sides, so later in the film when Lisa's giving a lecture about the pollution, the label of the lecture is 'An Irritating Truth'."

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore inspired Oscar-winning climate change documentary "An Inconvenient Truth."

Groening said he had been thinking about making a movie based on the hit animated television series as early as 1992, but struggled to find the time.

Asked what the main message of the movie was, Jean replied: "It's that a man should listen to his wife."

Groening added: "And it's a romantic movie. Homer falls in love with a pig."

"The Simpsons Movie" enters a crowded animation movie marketplace, but Groening argued that it stood out from the majority of films in the genre.

"This really is a tribute to the art of hand-drawn animation which is basically disappearing," he said. "All the animated movies these days are computer-generated, and this is the old-fashioned, clumsy, hand-drawn ... way."

Simpson-inspired Products

Robalini's Note: For those, like me, who are easily seduced by the possibility of eating real-life Simpson-inspired food to avoid noting it's just a korporate scam, here's a list of the tasty treats to be found at 7-Eleven...

http://www.7-eleven.com/sip.asp

Simpson-inspired Products

Squishee

In Springfield, Squishee is available in many flavors including blue, red, lime, green, chutney, and champagne. For the month of July only, Squishee is available in Blue Woo Hoo! Vanilla – be sure to get there before Apu decides to try chutney flavor again. In special honor of the 80th Birthday of 7-Eleven, stop by for a complimentary 7.11 oz. sample – sort of our birthday gift to you!

Buzz Cola

Come in for a 12oz. can of Buzz Cola, the cola of choice for citizens of Springfield, while supplies last. Add a can to your collection – remember, Buzz isn’t just for drinking! “Twice the caffeine, twice the sugar,” or at least that’s what the say in Springfield. For 7-Eleven, the caffeine and sugar levels may be more in line with what customers are used to drinking.

The Official Pink Movie Donut

Full of sugary goodness, take home a couple dozen of Homer’s sprinklicious pink donuts with sprinkles on your way to work in Sector 7G at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. Apu reminds all customers that “a Twizzler® is not a sprinkle; a Mounds® Bar is not a sprinkle; a Jolly Rancher® is not a sprinkle. Perhaps in Shangri-La they are, but not here.”

KrustyO’s Cereal

Available only while supplies last, KrustyO’s breakfast cereal in the convenient 13.5 oz. box is endorsed by Springfield’s most famous entertainer, Krusty the Clown. Is there a jagged piece of metal in every box? No, but there’s no nutritional value in every box either. Can you really eat it? Sure you can – Bart has been eating KrustyO’s for more than 18 years and, well, maybe that’s why he stays so young. It’s not just breakfast cereal – it’s collectible too!

The Simpsons Movie Collectible Slurpee Cups and Magnetic Straws

Created exclusively for 7-Eleven, each collectible 22oz. Slurpee cup features a character from The Simpsons Movie in a scene from the film. The reverse side of each cup proudly displays the Kwik-E-Mart badge of honor: Squishee! These bright yellow cups with yellow lids feature the likes of Homer and Bart, Homer and the pig, Marge with her favorite copy of Springfield Tattler, Naked Bart, and Lisa. Collect all five while supplies last.

What would a collectible Slurpee cup be without a collectible Slurpee spoon-straw? Sold separately, six designs bring characters from The Simpsons Movie to life with a removable, dimensional magnet. Decorate your filing cabinet, refrigerator, or even the metal plate in your head with the likes of Homer, Homer and the pig, Marge and Maggie, Naked Bart, Apu, and Lisa! Supplies are limited and will sell out quickly.

Radioactive Man Comic Book Edition #711

Limited edition #711 has been created exclusively for sale by 7-Eleven and features Bart’s favorite superhero, Radioactive Man. Originally featured in a mid-20th Century black and white serial sponsored by Laramie Cigarettes, Radioactive Man made his debut in 1952, in Springfield that is. He now comes to life in the newest edition of this highly collectible comic book, while supplies last.

7-Elevens become Simpsons 'Kwik-E-Marts'

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070701/ap_on_bi_ge/7_eleven_kwik_e_mart

7-Elevens become Simpsons 'Kwik-E-Marts'
By DAVID KOENIG, AP Business Writer
Sun Jul 1, 2007

Over the weekend, 7-Eleven Inc. turned a dozen stores into Kwik-E-Marts, the fictional convenience stores of "The Simpsons" fame, in the latest example of marketers making life imitate art.

Those stores and most of the 6,000-plus other 7-Elevens in North America will sell items that until now existed only on television: Buzz Cola, KrustyO's cereal and Squishees, the slushy drink knockoff of Slurpees.

It's all part of a campaign to hype the July 27 opening of "The Simpsons Movie," the big-screen debut for the long-running television cartoon, which loves to lampoon 7-Eleven as a store that sells all kinds of unhealthy snacks and is run by a man with a thick Indian accent.

For 20th Century Fox Film Corp. and Homer's creators at Gracie Films, the stunt is a cheap way to call attention to their movie, since 7-Eleven is bearing all the costs, which executives of the retail chain put at somewhere in the single millions.

At 7-Eleven, they're hoping it shows the ubiquitous chain has a trait seen in few corporations — the ability to laugh at themselves.

"We thought if you really want to do something different, the idea of actually changing stores into Kwik-E-Marts was over the top but a natural," said Bobbi Merkel, an executive for of 7-Eleven's advertising agency, FreshWorks, a unit of Omnicom Group Inc. "It shows they get the joke."

The monthlong promotion has been rumored a long time — it's hard to keep a secret known by so many suppliers and franchisees — but 7-Eleven managed to keep the locations of the stores quiet until early Sunday morning. That's when the exteriors of 11 U.S. stores and one in Canada were flocked in industrial foam and given new signs to replicate the animated look of Kwik-E-Marts.

The U.S. locations where a 7-Eleven store was transformed into a Kwik-E-Mart are New York City; Chicago; Dallas; Denver; Burbank, Calif.; Los Angeles; Henderson, Nev.; Orlando, Fla.; Mountain View, Calif.; Seattle; and Bladensburg, Md.

The idea grew out of conversations between Fox and 7-Eleven's advertising agency.

"We wanted to make sure the movie stands out as a true cultural event this summer," said Lisa Licht, a marketing vice president at Fox. "It has to stand out from other summer movies and TV shows."

The Fox/7-Eleven deal is an example of a practice called reverse product placement. Instead of just putting products prominently in a movie or TV show, fake goods move from the screen to reality.

In some cases, 7-Eleven has contracted with manufacturers of similar products to make their Kwik-E-Mart counterparts. Malt-O-Meal, the Northfield, Minn., cereal maker, will conjure up a recipe for KrustyO's, for example. In others, existing products will simply be renamed. One flavor of 7-Eleven's own Slurpee will be sold as "WooHoo! Blue Vanilla" Squishee for the month.

Other recent examples of reverse product placement include Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, which spun out of the Harry Potter books and movies, and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. restaurants, which opened after the movie "Forrest Gump." 7-Eleven has done other movie-themed promotions, including one this spring for the latest Spiderman installment.

After Fox pitched a 7-Eleven tie-in last year, representatives from the studio, the stores, and Gracie Films — including Simpsons creator Matt Groening and executive producer James L. Brooks, met in Los Angeles to kick around ideas. Brooks added one — holding a contest to let one fan be drawn into a future episode of the TV show.

7-Eleven executives loved the idea. They had surveys showing a strong overlap between their customers and fans of the show — both tend to be young and male. It sounded like cash registers ringing.

"They've been looking at Squishees and KrustyO's and Buzz Cola for years and have never been able to put their hands on it," said Merkel, the advertising executive.

But they won't find Duff beer, the brand chugged by Homer Simpson. The movie will be rated PG-13, and selling a Simpson-themed beer "didn't seem to fit," said Rita Bargerhuff, a 7-Eleven marketing executive. "That was a tough call, but we want to make sure it's considered good, responsible fun."

Bargerhuff predicted extra sales to Simpsons fans will more than offset the cost of the promotion and create new customers for the chain. She also said the chain is prepared for crowds and will have extra security and clerks at the Kwik-E-Marts.

The promotion, however, is not risk-free. The proprietor of Kwik-E-Mart is a man named Apu who speaks in a heavy Indian accent. He is based on a manager Groening encountered while shopping at a 7-Eleven in Los Angeles nearly 20 years ago and plays to stereotypes about convenience-store operators and Asian immigrants.

Many of 7-Eleven's franchisees are Indian, company officials say, although they say they don't track exact numbers. Bargerhuff said they were "overwhelmingly positive" after hearing of the Kwik-E-Mart idea, but "it was not a 100 percent endorsement."

"There was definitely a concern of offending people," she said. "But they seemed to understand that 'The Simpsons' makes fun of everybody. The vast majority saw this as a great opportunity."

That's the case for Kumar Assandas, a 28-year-old franchisee whose parents immigrated from India. His store in suburban Las Vegas is one of the temporary Kwik-E-Marts.

"I know it's a stereotype, but it doesn't bother me. Everybody knows it's a joke," Assandas said. "I'm a big Simpsons fan myself, and maybe subconsciously it even inspired me to become a 7-Eleven owner."

Happy 400th, Homer

http://netscape.eonline.com/news/article/?uuid=3dd6345c-2d59-4da2-98b9-b0c5ad5671dc

Happy 400th, Homer
by Natalie Finn
Fri, 18 May 2007

And to think, Homer once worried that he wouldn't live to see his children die. But here he is, clocking in at 400.

The Simpsons' 399th and 400th episodes air Sunday on Fox, starting at 8 p.m., and the yellow-skinned patriarch, not to mention his blue-haired wife and spiky-headed children, is none the worse for wear.

Over the course of 18 seasons, with at least one more in the works, the 23-time Emmy winner has become both a mainstream hit and a cult classic, pulling in millions of viewers and attracting the sort of fanatical attention to detail that would make any Trekker proud.

The animated sitcom—only the fourth scripted prime-time series in history to reach the 400-episode mark—has spawned reams of episode guides, trivia books, academic studies and treatises on The Simpsons' influence on television, language, philosophy and pop culture in general. And speaking of the national lexicon, "D'oh!" made it into the Oxford English Dictionary in 2001. All told, the franshise has generated a reported $1 billion in revenue.

Plenty has also been written about why this dysfunctional yet inseparable family of five has had such staying power, especially as audiences' attention spans shorten and it becomes increasingly difficult to keep a sitcom on the air for one season, let alone 19.

The Simpsons hasn't made Fox a ratings winner on Sunday nights lately, averaging 8.7 million viewers this season, but more than half of that audience is made up of the coveted 18-49-year-old demographic.

Producers are betting that the town of Springfield has enough juice left to populate a feature film, as well. The Simpsons Movie, the only 2-D film slated for release this year, lands in theaters July 27, long enough after the arrival of Shrek, pirates and Spidey to be a potential hit.

"Our show is parody of what we see in life," supervising director Matt Kirkland told Animation World Magazine recently. "Life keeps changing and moving on. There's always new ideas for us to parody."

More than 90 writers have sit in for The Simpsons over the years to keep the jokes fresh and the series' trademark edge sharp.

Plus, being a cartoon, The Simpsons has been able to get away with more than any live-action show—Homer's eyes crusting over after Lasik surgery, Marge flipping her Canyonero to save her family from a pack of charging rhinos, Mr. Burns having every disease known to man and declaring himself "indestructible"—while still turning an eerily accurate mirror on modern politics, media, celebrity culture, religion, education, economics, family dynamics and every current event in between.

"I love the style that we stumbled into, this high-velocity pacing that allowed us to do every kind of comedy we could think of, from the most highfalutin' literary references to sub-Three Stooges physical abuse," creator Matt Groening told USA Today.

And, of course, The Simpsons, which premiered in 1989, can also boast the most impressive celebrity guest list of any scripted series, a roster comprising hundreds of iconic names from film, television, music, sports and the arts.

For instance, The Krusty the Clown Show would have been canceled for sure back in season four if Lisa hadn't been able to assemble Johnny Carson, Bette Midler, Luke Perry, Barry White, Hugh Hefner and the Red Hot Chili Peppers to fete that crotchety old clown.

On tap for this celebratory weekend is "24 Seconds," a 24-inspired episode (love that Fox synergy) featuring the vocal contributions of Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer and Mary Lynn Rajskub as Chloe O'Brian, and "You Kent Always Say What You Want," in which Springfield's very own Kent Brockman gets in trouble for uttering a swear word on TV. Number 400 features Ludacris as Luda-Crest, a bacteria-fighting tube of toothpaste.