WRITER WATCH

In a fan Q+A, The Office writer-actor Mindy Kaling (Kelly) namedrops Simpsons writer Danny Chun, who was apparently “raving about Hot Chip and Vampire Weekend like fifteen years ago.” Given Mike Scully’s love for NRBQ and Al Jean’s love for on-the-nose musical montages, Chun needs to be promoted to executive producer immediately. [Office Tally]

WRITER WATCH

Former The Simpsons writer and current The Office executive producer Greg Daniels answered a question about how long The Simpsons will go on:

Simpsons will be on until the computers develop intelligence and shut down the meat people’s world, or until a Mega Volcano destroys our culture, or until the per episode syndication price falls below the cost of producing an episode.

[NBC.com]

VOICE BOX

The voice actors and powers-that-be are in contract talks for like the 30th time over the past 10 years probably because they don’t think they’re getting enough royalties from bart simpson meat thermometers or something who knows

Since I didn’t have to be sitting in negotiation this afternoon, I drove over to the Starz Media/Film Roman facility, where I discovered (via the employees) that Fox and the six voice actors on The Simpsons are deep in talks for a renewal of contracts. And that all parties, according to the artists, have imposed a news blackout.

Ten years ago, Fox was on the brink of replacing all the actors. If contracts aren’t renewed this time, maybe they’ll just get Seth McFarlane to do all the voices. [TAG Blog]

TREEHOUSE OF ERROR

As you know, we here at rubbercat.net/simpsons, we take our reporting seriously. Nevertheless, a few mistakes manage to slip themselves through and blemish our sterling reputation. We would like to take this opportunity to correct the record.

  • In our previous post, we said that writer Bill Odenkirk posted on a Simpsons message board. It was actually someone from Australia pretending to be Mr. Odenkirk.
  • Maggie Roswell did not at any time refer to fellow voice actress Marcia Mitzman-Gaven as a “slut-ass ho bitch.”
  • rubbercat.net/simpsons specifically retracts all statements made on the website that state or suggest in any way that Matt Groening or his associates orchestrated or played any role in the assault on Sam Simon or that they lured him into an ambush at the Quad studios.

We regret the errors. OK not really

WRITER WATCH

Someone claiming to be Simpsons writer Bill Odenkirk posted a thread on the No Homers Club message board to respond to internet criticism for the punderful title of upcoming episode “Mona Leaves-a” and defend the use of titular punnage:

Most of you are showing hate towards the episode title, Mona Leaves-a. I’m the writer for this episode, and also pitched the title. I’m here to say that it’s supposed to be a bad pun…

We don’t mind you people criticizing the episodes after they’ve aired, but judging them like you do, when all you know is the title, really makes us mad towards you. Hey, what a great pun! New episode title here we come!

[No Homers Club]

UPDATE: See follow-up post I guess??

ANNOYED GRUNTS

The Simpsons Movie got a thumbs-down at something called “The Hackademy Awards,” an event run by an anti-smoking group called Breathe California of Sacramento-Emigrant Trails designed to counter positive portrayals of cigarette smoking in movies. The scene that raised their ire: the 3-second shot of Jimbo smoking with Dolph, “which is the kind of potent endorsement of smoking the group opposes.” Remember: smokers are jokers. [canada.com]

CULT LIFESTYLE

Nancy Cartwright, voice of Bart Simpson, has donated $10 million dollars – twice her annual Simpsons salary and twice what Tom Cruise has donated over the past four years – to the controversial Church of Scientology, thus ensuring herself a first-class seat on the spaceship to Blisstonia. [The Daily Dish!]