Fox Nearly Sues Itself Over Simpsons

[WrestlingDeacon 0]

From Yahoo

NEW YORK (AFP) - Rupert Murdoch's Fox News Channel threatened to sue the makers of "The Simpsons" over a parody of the channel's right-wing political stance, the creator of the hit US television show has claimed.

 

In an interview this week with National Public Radio, Matt Groening recalled how the news channel had considered legal action, despite the fact that "The Simpsons" is broadcast on sister network, Fox Entertainment.

 

According to Groening, Fox took exception took a Simpsons' version of the Fox News rolling news ticker which parodied the channel's anti-Democrat stance, with headlines like "Do Democrats Cause Cancer?"

 

"Fox fought against it and said they would sue the show," Groening said.

 

"We called their bluff because we didn't think Rupert Murdoch would pay for Fox to sue itself. So, we got away with it."

 

Other satirical Fox news bulletins featured in the show included: "Study: 92 per cent of Democrats are gay... JFK posthumously joins Republican Party... Oil slicks found to keep seals young, supple..."

 

While the lawsuit never materialized, Groening said some action was taken.

 

"Now Fox has a new rule that we can't do those little fake news crawls on the bottom of the screen in a cartoon because it might confuse the viewers into thinking it's real news," he said.

 

"The Simpsons," featuring the dysfunctional family of patriarch Homer Simpson and his rowdy brood, is now in its 14th year and is expected to become the longest-running situation comedy in US history in 2005.

[Damaramu 0]

Dear god........that's all I can say....

[Mole 0]

"Now Fox has a new rule that we can't do those little fake news crawls on the bottom of the screen in a cartoon because it might confuse the viewers into thinking it's real news," he said.

 

Whoever thinks this, should be shot.

[Spaceman Spiff 0]

Here's the ticker (swiped it from the same thread @ SNKT):

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 QUALYE: AWESOME ... ASHCROFT DECLARES BREAST OF CHICKEN SANDWICH "OBSCENE" ... HILLARY CLINTON EMBARRASSES SELF, NATION ... BIBLE SAYS JESUS FAVORED CAPITAL-GAINS CUT ... STAY TUNED FOR HANNITY AND IDIOT ... ONLY DORKS WATCH CNN ... JIMMY CARTER: OLD, WRINKLY, USELESS ... BRAD PITT + ALBERT EINSTEIN = DICK CHENEY ... RIGHT WING OF CHICKEN [cuts off here]

OMG! I can't tell the difference!

[Damaramu 0]

Yeah you know they must think we're really stupid.

"They can't tell the difference! They must be idiots!"

[Slayer 0]

Fox Executive: "Dammit, you can't be throwing up fake headlines at the bottom of the screen during a supposed Fox News broadcast, people might think it's real!"

 

Simpsons Representative: "What if we make it CNN or MSNBC?"

 

Fox Executive: ".....that's fine."

[AboveAverage484 0]

Heh, Fox New is gay.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

I'd laugh my ass off if, one day, Groening says "fuck it" and takes The Simpsons to a different network.

[Mecha Mummy 0]

*Smirks* Well, isn't THIS funny. Way to go, Fox!

[Guest JMA]

Groening has made fun of Murdoch HIMSELF on occassion. Not to mention doing parodies of Republicans, YOUNG Republicans, and Richard Nixon. But he's also done the same thing to Democrats like Bill Clinton. This is just another example of Fox News being oversensitive assholes. Groening should have Al Franken guest-star in an episode, just to piss off Fox News.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Many of those ticker headlines weren't that funny, though I thought the idea was creative.

 

Rupert should be glad for the free pub...

[Lil' Bitch 0]

But the Simpsons (even Married With Children did it) makes fun of Fox all the time...

[Vern Gagne 0]

Dan Quayle jokes. What is this 1988?

[JasonX 0]

But the Simpsons (even Married With Children  did it) makes fun of Fox all the time...

Difference is that the Simpsons were, in this instance, making fun of Fox News not Fox which apparently is now seems to be considered taboo when it comes to Fox shows making fun of their parent company...

[Guest Ghettoman]

1, congrats Fox News for only making yourself look even more like uptight political assholes.

 

2, "MY GOD YOU JUST SAVED MY NETWORK!" "Wouldn't be the first time"...classic.

 

3, Is anyone growing increasingly frightened by just how weak the first amendment is held up in entertainment? If someone wants to make fun of a horribly biased news channel, they should be allowed to.

[dutchse.cx 0]

Is anyone growing increasingly frightened by just how weak the first amendment is held up in entertainment? If someone wants to make fun of a horribly biased news channel, they should be allowed to.

 

Seems that someone has a less than stellar understanding of the First Amendment rights.

[Guest MD2020]

3, Is anyone growing increasingly frightened by just how weak the first amendment is held up in entertainment? If someone wants to make fun of a horribly biased news channel, they should be allowed to.

Yeah, because the government was about to storm in there and not let The Simpsons do that scene....

 

 

New Rule: Unless you can coherently tell the board what the First Amendment says, you are not allowed to invoke it.

[Guest NCJ]

This is absolutely hilarious. How anyone takes Fox NEws seriously is beyound me. And the schroll was absolutely hystarical because you could almost see Fox News doing it.

 

P.S.

 

New Rule: Unless you can coherently tell the board what the First Amendment says, you are not allowed to invoke it.

 

Nominated for post of the year October 30, 2003.

[Guest Plushy Al Logan]

Meh. Just more evidence that Fox News is stupid!

[Guest JMA]

Real line from the aforementioned episode:

 

"Welcome to Fox News. Your voice for evil."

 

[Guest Boo_Bradley]

Friday, October 31, 2003; Page C03

 

 

The Simpsons vs. Fox News

 

Doh! "The Simpsons" creator Matt Groening may have crossed the line with his comment last week to National Public Radio's Terry Gross that Fox media empire almost sued itself. (Now that takes some talent!)

 

 

 

The story goes that Fox News Channel execs were none too thrilled last year when the wildly popular cartoon, which is on Fox Broadcasting, featured a fake news ticker mocking the station's conservative rep. The headlines included gems such as: "Do Democrats Cause Cancer? . . . Study: 92 percent of Democrats are gay . . . JFK posthumously joins Republican Party . . ."

 

"Fox fought against it and said that they would sue the show," Groening told Gross. "And we called their bluff because we didn't think that Rupert Murdoch would pay for Fox to sue itself. So we got away with it," he said, proud of the accomplishment.

 

Fox News, however, denies reports that they ever threatened to sue. "We were all scratching our heads and thought it was hysterical," spokesman Rob Zimmerman told us yesterday. "It's not the first time we've been spoofed, you know."

 

Maybe not, but Groening told Gross during the interview that ". . . Now Fox has a new rule that we can't do those little fake news crawls on the bottom of the screen in a cartoon because it might confuse the viewers into thinking it's real news."

 

Nonetheless "The Simpsons" (the show, not the characters) issued an apology yesterday: "Matt was being satirical and certainly there was never any issue between the show and Fox News. We regret any confusion."

[Tawren 0]

What episode is that from?

[treble 0]

I believe it's the episode where Krusty runs for Congress/Senate (can't really remember which one) when the airlines reroute all the flights right over the Simpsons' house.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

treble, I'd just like to add that you and Mole have my favorite sigs.

[Guest One Trick Pony]

Getting the conversation back on topic...

 

I'd say that this is pretty funny.