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The Simpsons 400th Episode takes on Fox News Channel

If anyone watched last nights 400th Episode of "The Simpsons", you would have know that they took on Fox News Channel yet again. They have done it twice before with no complaints from Fox management.

It is amazing to see how the creators would boldly take on a sister entity, but when you have been around for almost 20 years, you basically have a license to take on anyone you want, even your bosses (It has been 20 years since the Simpsons first appeared, as a sketch on "The Tracy Ullmann Show". A clip of the first sketch appeared during the opening sequence in lieu of the regular sequence).

I hope the show continues for several more seasons...and the attacks against Fox News keep on coming.

I really would have loved to seen Rupert Murdoch's face after he saw that episode (if he did).
 
jal41 said:
I hope the show continues for several more seasons...and the attacks against Fox News keep on coming.

I really would have loved to seen Rupert Murdoch's face after he saw that episode (if he did).

I agree.

The Simpsons regularly trashes Fox News and Rupert Murdoch. It's
FOX's biggest moneymaker so the writers of The Simpsons are allowed
to do whatever the hell they want re: rake Murdoch, FOX, and FOX News
over the coals.

Here are some examples...

When the on-screen Fox "bug" appears during the couch scene, Homer
yanks it off the screen and the family viciously stamps it into the
carpet.

On "The OC on FOX" they advertise "Coming Up Next: Crappy Local News"

When the Osaka Flu hits the Flanders family, Ned flashes back to what
he could have possibly done to deserve such punishment: watching
"Married... with Children", and of all things, laughing at it!
Flashing forward to the present, Ned cries, "Oh, the network slogan is
true! Watch Fox and be damned for all eternity!"

Homer ponders what's on Fox: "something ribald, no doubt."

At an internet cafe, Homer randomly invests in several companies'
stock, including Newscorp's. But after Lisa informs him that Fox is
owned by Newscorp, Homer panics and frantically slams the undo key.
Later, we hear Homer screaming "Undo!" repeatedly over the closing
credits' 20th logo.

Bart, after learning the lesson of avoiding commercial junk food:
"I've learned that even made up corporate shills can lie to you."
Homer: (holds up a dirty, worn stuffed animal wearing a FOX t-shirt):
"Did you hear that, Foxy, the FOX Network fox?!"

[a scrolling promo for "Joe Millionaire" runs across the bottom of the
screen. Homer notices it and eats it.]
Homer:"Mmm...promo...[spits]...ew! FOX!"

For the annual return of the stinging red jellyfish...
Lisa: "It happens every year, like the swallows returning to
Capistrano."
Bart: "...or the Fox network getting a new president!"

Homer, in connection with his Homer Simpson Showboating Academy: "I'm
the worse thing to happen to sports since Fox!"

We see Fox World headquarters;
Sign: "World Headquarters - Fox Network" in front of a motor home in
the middle of nowhere, tumbleweeds blowing by.

Homer is checking his stocks on a phone, using an automated system
that responds to the name of the corporation with the stock results.
We hear the following dialogue;
Homer: "Animotion"
[Voice]: "Animotion - up 1 1/2"
Homer: "Yahoooo!!!!!!"
[Voice]: "Yahoo - up 6 1/4"
Homer: "Huh, what is this crap?"
[Voice]: "Fox Corporation - down 10"

With Krusty running for congress we see another unbiased Fox News
presentation;
Fox: "Welcome to Fox News. Your Voice for Evil. Tonight we'll be
interviewing the top two candidates for Springfield's 24th
congressional district. For the Republicans? Beloved children's
entertainer, Krusty the Clown. ..and for the Democrats, this
guy." (Candidate appears with on-screen devil's horns, communist flag
in background)
Candidate: "I have a name!"
Fox: "Yes, I'm sure you do, comrade. I appreciate your being here,
you're (switches to split shot of both candidates, and Krusty has an
on-screen halo) usually so mired in sleaze (they both react) it must
be an effort to come down to the studio."
Krusty: "May I say something?"
Fox: "Certainly congressman." (switches to split shot of both
candidates, and other guy is now upside down)
Candidate: "He hasn't won yet!!"
Fox: "You make a very adulterous point! We will now conclude this
debate with a Krusty campaign commercial."

During the above dialogue, a Fox type news crawl appears across the
bottom of the screen;
Pointless News Crawls Up 37 Percent...
Do Democrats Cause Cancer? Find Out at foxnews.com...
Rupert Murdoch: Terrific Dancer...
Dow Down 5000 Points...
Study: 92 Percent of Democrats Are Gay...
JFK Posthumously joins Republican Party...
Oil Slicks Found to Keep Seals Young, Supple...
Dan Quayle: Awesome...

We see the Fox satellite;
Lisa: "Forget it Bart. It's so bright in the sky you can't see
anything but the Fox satellite." (We see the satellite, upheld by
balloons, parts falling off.)

Bart: "And then I had this dream that my whole family was just cartoon
characters and that our success had led to some crazy propaganda
network called FOX News."
 
Damn! You mean I missed all of that? WOW! It's too bad I only watch "Family Guy". I watch absolutely nothing else on that network right now. :(
 
"I hope the show continues for several more seasons...and the attacks against Fox News keep on coming.

I really would have loved to seen Rupert Murdoch's face after he saw that episode (if he did)."


I don't know about the suits at Fox News, but I've always had the impression that Murdoch has a sense of humor, and doesn't mind being lampooned. Or - he just doesn't care as long as it's making him money. If you recall the point "Lisa" made last night - while Fox News is filling a niche for viewers who want news from a right-wing perspective, presumably including religious fundamentalists, the regular Fox network is constantly pushing the envelope of censorship and "good taste." Some of the stuff on Family Guy even makes me wince, and I'm not very shockable. Murdoch's 20th Century Fox film studio makes as many R rated movies as any other company, and Fox Searchlight makes high quality "independent" films.

I read an interview with Murdoch a few months ago. When asked about his politics, he chuckled and said he wasn't nearly as conservative as people assume he is.

Remember - Murdoch's publishing empire first became huge in England with exploitive tabloid papers that always featured bare-breasted women on the cover. Can't do that in the blue-nosed US of A.
 
Speaking of Family Guy, last night's "Back To The Future" themed episode showed how perfect the world was with President Gore in the office. It made it even funnier that it was on the Bush-loving conservative network of Fox.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-OviE0K_9s
 
Kevin Lagasse said:
Damn! You mean I missed all of that? WOW! It's too bad I only watch "Family Guy". I watch absolutely nothing else on that network right now. :(

Well, thank goodness FilmCritic cut to the good parts that we missed. ;D

btw Anyone notice Fox News, on its crawl, recently replaced the regular "Fox" logo with "Fox News"? When did that start?
 
Lkeller said:
Murdoch's publishing empire first became huge in England with exploitive tabloid papers that always featured bare-breasted women on the cover.

Or rather, the notorious "Page 3" (in London's "Sun").
 
Why would Murdoch care? He's a bleeding heart liberal. Why would he donate millions to Hilary if he wasn't? Why would anyone watch Fox News if the network was like all the others? There is no political agenda behind Fox News. It's all about viewers and dollar signs. that's why Fox News leans right while everyoe else leans left. it's very simple.

I thought the Simpsons and Family Guy episodes last sunday were very funny...not because they were smart...but because I thought the ideas were moronic (in my opinion).
 
Almost forgot: On Sunday's Family Guy, they took a jab at another former Fox employee... Chevy Chase! ;D
 
One Simpsons episode had a Fox news Channel truck pull up in front of someplace just after the '04
election and it's playing "we are the champions" or something else, referring to the Bush win...
FNC probably had a good chuckle over that. Yep it makes money for the parent network.

btw if Family Guy's Seth MacFarlane hadn't been late for his plane he would've been...the late Seth MacFarlane.
Whether 9/11 would've happened anyway even if Gore had won is anyone's guess.

>>On the morning of the September 11, 2001 attacks, MacFarlane was scheduled to return to Los Angeles on American Airlines Flight 11 after being a keynote speaker at his alma mater in Rhode Island

Wikipedia says that MacFarlane pledged to not joke about 9/11 after the experience though a few
9/11 jokes have indeed popped up in the show.
 
Murdoch is anything a capitalist first and a PURE one at that. Though his views are right of mainstream conservatism, if Murdoch saw a chance to make money from a liberal newschannel you can better believe that is what Fox News Channel would've been.
 
raccoonradio said:
Wikipedia says that MacFarlane pledged to not joke about 9/11 after the experience though a few
9/11 jokes have indeed popped up in the show.

There were quite a few during an episode earlier this month when Lois was running for mayor.
 
That would be the May 13th episode. Get everybody's attention by using many short, simple phrases. As for 9/11, I'm surprised MacFarlane waited this long to start using them. Tasteless? Perhaps. But this is "Family Guy" we're talking about. I love the show and do cringe at some of the references they make. However, I'm still gonna watch, no matter what. :)
 
Hi everyone
Brian Donegan said:
Why would Murdoch care? He's a bleeding heart liberal. Why would he donate millions to Hilary if he wasn't? Why would anyone watch Fox News if the network was like all the others? There is no political agenda behind Fox News. It's all about viewers and dollar signs. that's why Fox News leans right while everyoe else leans left. it's very simple.
If you believe this, you've got your head shoved up your arse and are sitting in a pile of sand with your head still inside your arse AND NOW the sand too. As such, you're also delusional as well.

Fox News is not - Repeat NOT - "Fair & Balanced" like they claim to be (At least not when it comes to covering politics). And anyone who believes they are "Fair & Balanced" when it comes to covering politics is full of it.

Just MY opinion...

Cheers :D
 
Pat,

That was inspiring. You eloquently stated your opinion without resorting to cheap, mindless, vulgar personal attacks. You truly are a god in this forum.
 
Pat Cook said:
Fox News is not - Repeat NOT - "Fair & Balanced" like they claim to be (At least not when it comes to covering politics). And anyone who believes they are "Fair & Balanced" when it comes to covering politics is full of it.

Just MY opinion...

Cheers :D


So... welcome to America!! Find one News Service that doesn't have bias and I'll show you a new program nobody is watching. Bias is human, Bias is honest, and if you ignore bias you miss the human angle of a story. Human beings aren't fair and balenced, why should we expect our news to be?
 
"Why would Murdoch care? He's a bleeding heart liberal. Why would he donate millions to Hilary if he wasn't?"

Donating money to politicians is what big businesses and CEOs do. They hedge their bets, and donate to candidates of both parties. Most of them prefer pro-business Republicans, and they generally give more money to the GOP, but they are perfectly willing to do business with Democrats as well. From everything I know about Murdoch, he is a conservative Repbulican, but also a businessman and a realist.
 
Fair and balanced = one conservative news channel to take on the four or 5 liberally biased ones :)
(throw broadcast TV in there too...liberal bias on several networks vs. just one Fox)
(though...CNN HN does have Glenn Beck)

And gets good ratings!


Alan Colmes; Geraldo: conservatives..???
 
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