GABBIN' ABOUT GOD

Are you a young person? Do you enjoy The Simpsons? If so, you are the target demographic for the Church of England’s latest attempt to show they’re “hip” and “with it.”

Called “Mixing it up with ‘The Simpsons,'” the new book will be sent to youth advisers across the nation to give them a modern example of the church’s teachings in a more entertaining format, The Sunday Telegraph said.

Among the activities included in the book is determining whether teens can resist temptation by showing them a plate of doughnuts labeled “don’t touch.”

The book also compares Christians’ patient wait for the return of Jesus Christ to the antsy nature Bart Simpson displays toward an upcoming Krusty the Clown show.

“Jesus was a great storyteller — as are the creators of ‘The Simpsons’ — and the power of a good story lies in meeting people where they are, making them laugh and then giving them something to think about afterwards,” said the Rev. John Pritchard, the Bishop of Oxford.

Come on, isn’t Matt Groening’s ego big enough?? [The Money Times]

EYE ON SPRINGFIELD

Unlike those Springfield, Minnesota jerks, the citizens of Springfield, Massachusetts went all out in a bid to host the world premiere of The Simpsons Movie.

The yo-yo expert arrived first, followed by two men in one-piece orange suits and Halloween masks and three boys rolling in on skateboards like Bart Simpson in the opening credits of “The Simpsons” television show.

Then came the pooch de resistance for yesterday’s grand finale of the city’s Simpson video – a mixed-breed yellow dog that might be the deciding factor needed to push Springfield into the winner’s circle.

The city is one of more than a dozen Springfields across the country competing to become the site of the premiere of “The Simpsons Movie” based on the Fox cartoon about a fictional Springfield and due to be released on July 26.

Here’s a photo gallery. Godspeed, Springfield, Mass.! [The Republican]

SPRINGFIELD SHOPPER

Better invest in News Corp. stock now!

Featuring arguably the most popular sitcom family in history, “The Simpsons” revolutionized not only the TV industry but also the TV licensing biz, with a wealth of quirky characters that have translated into a multibillion-dollar merchandising franchise.

To date, Bart, Homer, Marge, Lisa, Maggie and their Springfield neighbors have appeared on everything from T’s to pinball machines, raking in more than $5 billion worldwide. All told, the program involves more than 600 licensees.

[Variety]

JOCK CENTER

It appears one of the pervs who make erotic Simpsons fanart and ruined Google Image Search for everyone was put in charge of designing the logo for the 2012 Summer Olympics, because how else to explain this? Oh sure it’s supposed to be “2012,” rendered in an abstract style reminiscent of early-80’s LA New Wave, but doesn’t it look like something… unseemly… that will be impossible to unsee once you’ve seen it?

Quoth LAist:

Hell, the very first comment on Londonist acknowledged that yep that’s Lil Lisa doing something that doesn’t seem like something a vegetarian would do unless she’s planning on spitting it out.

I think it’s time for Izzy to come out of retirement. [LAist]

D'OH REPORT

The Simpsons Movie lost out to a Michael Bay movie based on a cartoon from the 1980s designed to sell toys in a worthless category (“Best Summer Movie You Haven’t Seen Yet”) at Sunday night’s MTV Movie Awards. [No Homers Club]