Review and Notes for "Fraudcast News"

This episode was a classic to end this season, with Mr. Burns in his usual self, Smithers showing *four* gay references, Ralph acting like a toddler, and even another 'Nam flashback for Principal Skinner. The plot was well-focussed and I enjoyed every minute of it. My only beef is that they are showing too many Futurama references nowadays. This episode included a man jumping off the big rock yelling about Futurama being cancelled, and "Smart and Smarter" also had one. It's time to put Futurama in the past, and move on. Overall: A-.

DYNs:
*****

• Mr. Burns' mother is now dead?
• Lisa's pearls are plastic?
• Moe is apparently allowed in Church again, but has Playdude with him?
• Mr. Burns is 89 in this episode

Previous Episode Refs
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• AABF08 - Rupert Murdoch mentioned

Smithers Gay Reference Corner
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It is a very well established fact that Smithers is gay, yet the writers of The Simpsons continue to think we are stupid and drop little gay references throughout episodes; in this case, four of them. They are:

1) When Mr. Burns thought nobody liked him, Smithers put his hand on Burnsie's shoulder and said that he likes him. Burnsie responded, "You're too needy!" 2) Smithers' new tattoo with the heart 3) Smithers thinks Rupert Murdoch is beautiful 4) In the closing scene, Smithers is scene holding Mr. Burns in his arms, and he looks quite happy

Jay

I sure wish they'd stop doing the political "humor". Very much a turnoff.

"Jay LaRochelle" wrote in message news:Kndsc.7850$[email]...

and

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Err, maybe you havent been paying much attention but The Simpsons has always criticized the american status quo, especially small town politics and middle class life. It seems that some people who are suddenly conservative after 911 suddenly can't handle certain kinds of speech.

Remember the right-wing parents in the early 90s complaing about how bart was a bad "role model." The religious people who were "insulted" by the portrayal Flanders? Welcome to the lunatics club of people who can't take a joke nor believe in the freedom of expression.

The politics stuff has always been funny regardless of who they are attacking be it the Democratic Kennedy-esque Quimby (who, mind you, gets most of the criticisms) to the Republican Party.

"Mike245" wrote in message news:IIysc.109798$536.19646590@attbi_s03...

turnoff.

This episode was much better than the previous. It was a good season finale. The satire was successful because it was a little more subtle and not forced.

I think most Americans, whether they be liberal, conservative or neo-conservative, handle "certain kinds" of speech just fine. What seems to be the problem is this: some people can't stomach the recent patriotic feelings aroused by terrorist attacks on the United States. They can't stand being criticized for their opinions, and they exagerrate this criticism into a "chilling effect" on free speech, or even - God help us - re-education camps.

There are legitimate civil rights concerns. Do we know what's going on Jose Padilla? Unlawful imprisonment is a real threat to liberty. A brief Google search turned up this: http://www.cato.org/dailys/08-21-03.html The Cato Institute, often described as a right-wing think tank, filed a friend of the court brief explaining why it is unlawful to hold him. He may be guilty indeed of what they say, but he deserves a trial.

Contrast this to an anti-war type's "feelings" when confronted with an opinion other than his own.

Sorry, didn't mean to rant so much! Anyway, this kind of satire I can appreciate, and even agree with somewhat. Last weeks "indictment?" Trash.

R. Flowers wrote:

Oh please Russ, spare me your conservative apologism. The ACLU has been doing this kind of thing for DECADES while you conservatives have been attacking them (us really, I'm a member).

If the right is going to finally admit conservatism is a dead ideology based on defending the status quo then at least admit that you guys have been wrong for a long, long time. Its just now that your own boy, Bush, is showing you what it truly means to be conservative.

Conservatism leads to plutocracy and dictatorships. Not to mention war. It defends hate by hiding behind the bible (or the Quran). The Cato people got a little angry, so what? In the end they'll go back to taking us back to the stone age.

Not to mention, my dog can file a friend of the court document, its next to meaningless. Lets see them even come close to the liberty and freedom the ACLU has been fighting for since before you were born. At least the ACLU is there on the line, fighting in court, organizing, and trying to make America a better, freer place.

The Cato wonks can go cry in their copies of the Wealth of Nations and Atlas Shrugged for all I care because they're conservative enablers and very much responsible for how the GOP is today.

"Mike245" wrote in message news:[email]...

<snip>

If you think Bush is demonstrating true conservatism, then you have absolutely no grasp of the meaning of the word. True conservatism has nothing to do with religion or foreign wars. Go study up a bit, and then maybe you can come back to us with a more informed opinion.

i think he meant true conservatism as in how fidel castro and stalin represent true communism. nothing close to the pure ideals of true communism has ever been set up, because it was often tried out by pscyhopaths who wanted to kill people. Remember what NAZI stands for? "National Socialist German Worker's Party". i think. whateva.

JQM

Actually, he said that he had been 89 for some time now, like when someone claims to be 39 several birthdays in a row because they can't face (or admit to) turning 40.

Jeff

So this may be just one of a long string of such plateaus. Likely he did hold at "39" for some years, until he couldn't get away with it, so he jumped to "49". And so it goes. Depending on where in the cycle we are, he may indeed be 89, or years past it.

Michael

----- Original Message ----- From: "Jay LaRochelle" Newsgroups: alt.tv.simpsons Sent: Sunday, May 23, 2004 10:48 PM Subject: Review and Notes for "Fraudcast News"

Ummm, no he isn't. He implied he was pretending to be that age for a long time.

Terry "Hog" Huckster -- just sayin'...

;)

Im sorry to break it to you, but Futurama is gaining in popularity lately, (as opposed to when it came out), and will probably be in more often as opposed to less. i agree it shouldnt be in at all, but, as the simpsons say, meh...

Are you typing this on a typewriter in an old folks' home by any chance?

It was a joke. He's been telling people he's 89 for a long time. It's pretty well established now that he's 100+.

"Gyumaoh" wrote in message news:[email]...

------- Your point being? I don't get it.

pretty

------- I forgot about that 19th century wood carving of Mr. Burns terrorizing children.

Jay

I think he was referring to a scene from "Bart the General," where Grandpa is on his typewriter complaining about there being too much sex on TV. He then types a set of words he never wants to hear on TV (one of which was "family jewel," which Homer used earlier).

Funny bit.

"Future Husband of Claudia Jordan" wrote in message news:[email]...

is

then

"family

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Hmm. Makes sense. :)

In alt.tv.simpsons, on the "Review and Notes for "Fraudcast News"" thread, Jay LaRochelle wrote:

I think both he and Mr. Burns were just flattering the real-life owner of Fox TV. In other words, they were sucking up, but in the heterosexual sense.

[email] (Benjamin Robinson) wrote in message news:...

...and could of also have been very implied sarcasm (about praising Murdoch)/yet was done in a way that it was open to interpretation and the writers could appear innocent.

"888eight888" wrote in message news:[email]...

news:...

thread,

of

Although, since Burns is largely based on Murdoch, it wouldn't be that far-fetched that Smithers would be attracted to him as well.

I thought the sarcasm was painfully obvious, and I would imagine that Murdoch did as well, if he watched the episode.

snip

Make that five. Burns called Smithers "curtsey boy".

Space Mvsevm

"Jay LaRochelle" wrote in message news:Kndsc.7850$[email]...

I thought that was probably a goof. It's possible that Mrs. Burns has died since "Homer the Smithers," but unlikely that she died of a lack of indoor plumbing in this day and age.

Other people have already explained the joke, but I think it's worth mentioning that he claimed to be 81 back in "Simpson and Delilah."

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references

I don't think it's that they think we don't get it, so much as they like making jokes about it. I mean, we all get that Homer is lazy and eats a lot, but we still see jokes about those things.

I figured the joke is that the viewers do know, but the people around Smithers don't.

Witness the episode where Homer moves in with the two gay men. He's down around the "gay village", and comments on the storefronts that are pretty much gay themed, though I can't remember if he notes they are gay or not. Then, Smithers comes along on rollerblades, short pants, and a tank top, looking that recent stereotype of a gay, and Homer does not catch on, while Smithers is doing his best to avoid the issue.

Michael

"Michael Black" wrote in message news:c950nq$k0s$[email]...

writers

Yeah, pretty much. Burns definitely doesn't know, and I doubt Homer does either. Marge, Bart, and Lisa might well have figured it out back in "Homer's Phobia," though.