The Simpsons did it first!

"Homer discovers that he has a long-lost half brother in Detroit, Herb Powell, who is the wealthy CEO of a car company. . . . When Homer and Herb meet, they instantly hit it off and Herb takes in the Simpson family as his own and then he hires Homer to help design and make a car for regular guys. "--"The Simpsons" episode description, "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou," aired Feb. 21, 1991

"Project Runway, meet Monster Garage. That is the gist of a concept executives at the Ford Motor Company are tossing around for a new reality show. While corporate sponsorships of reality shows are nothing new--Ford has been a prominent sponsor of "American Idol"--the company is looking to produce the show itself in the hope of reconnecting with younger consumers who have drifted away to other brands like Honda and Toyota."--New York Times, May 1, 2006

Ubiquitous wrote:

Call my "Unckie Herb".

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

I find the connection weak, not to mention that TV shows have been sponsored by car companies since TV began.

A better example would be: Tonight on Fox: ... man has always loved his buildings, ... but what happens when these buildings say, "no more", ... "When Buildings Collapse". Tonight on the History Channel: "Modern Marvels, Demolition" (scenes of buildings being imploded)

And another: Tonight on Fox, ... "When Animals Attack Magicians". Years later, a tiger attacked one of those Sigfried and Roy guys.

Aaron Space Museum

"Kids, while we're gone, the TV's in charge. Go to bed when it tells you to."--Homer Simpson, "Co-Dependent's Day," first aired March 21, 2004

"Study: More Parents Use TV as an Electronic Babysitter"--headline, USA Today, May 25, 2006

  ==

Krugman's moonbat ranting encapsulates the combination of rage and nostalgia that is at the heart of the Angry Left. They still think they're fighting for civil rights, a battle their predecessors won two generations ago. They long for another Vietnam; hence the endless insistence that Afghanistan and Iraq are "quagmires." And they fondly remember--and hope for a repetition of--Watergate.

Unbiquitous wrote:

Since you got political (everyone in a newsgroup is American, right?)..... I don't have real first hand knowledge of politics on the national stage, but I can assure you that here in Illinois, the only difference between a Republican and a Democrat is who will get rich feasting on the tax dollars as corruption here is simply "the way it's always been". I doubt that the national players care half as much about the rest of as they do about their own party. So say "All Republicans are war mongers" and "All Democrats want to cut and run" - If you believe that, I bet you believe negative campaign ads. All you are doing is regurgitating the talking points of the party that you have been sold on. I say, IMO, that Rush Limbaugh and Al Franken, Bill O'Reilly and Michael Moore, Howard Dean and Karl Rove are all just selling us a line, in the hopes that they will be able to re-pay their benefactors with my tax dollars or reap it unto themselves. To imagine otherwise is to completely ignore basic human nature.

And now back to OFF.....

[email] wrote:

Lame!

[email] wrote:

Why yes, I did.

== Krugman's moonbat ranting encapsulates the combination of rage and nostalgia that is at the heart of the Angry Left. They still think they're fighting for civil rights, a battle their predecessors won two generations ago. They long for another Vietnam; hence the endless insistence that Afghanistan and Iraq are "quagmires." And they fondly remember--and hope for a repetition of--Watergate.

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

There have been many studies about such things. The Simpsons were not the first. They simply copy trends in society.

Yeah, like that time they made a joke about Jimmy Hoffa. Now the government is out looking for the guy! But I still don't get the stadium reference.

Aaron Space Museum

wrote in message news:[email]...

Life imitating art imitating death.

-- R Flowers

wrote ...

There has been a legend for years that Hoffa was buried in the end zone at Giants Stadium when they were building it.

Xino, how many email accounts do you have?

Aaron Space Museum

wrote ...

Who's Xino??

Xino is an interesting character. He first came to our attention when he mentioned that he saw the episode where the characters referred to Jimmy Hoffa, and then the scene switched to the football player tripping over the lump in the turf at a stadium. "I don't get the stadium reference." he stated. We have been teasing him about it ever since. As you can see by my comment above. Your direct answer to my humorous question made me think that you were either a newbie, or Xino himself using an alias, trying to tease me.

Aaron Space Museum

On 31-May-2006, "[email]" wrote:

Jimmy Hoffa was actually abducted by Lord Xenu's army of psychiatrists who brainwashed then killed him, and entombed his soul in the pyramids. I am not making this up! You don't know the history of psychiatry, I do! 75 million years ago they destroyed the first labor uniions.

If you don't believe me ask Lord Xenu - she posts here sometimes. And she has a RAYGUN, a silver suit and really big eyes.

The football player actually tripped over Amelia Earhart's grave. I wish I could tell you how I know that..... But I just can't.

Yours in Jeebus (I'm a convert, too!) nanu nanu

Gary

Jorabi wrote:

Mythbusters did an episode where they took a ground-penetrating radar to Giants Stadium and dragged it around the field and one section of seats. Google it for details.

"Mark Nobles" wrote

Perhaps we should change the thread title to 'The Mythbusters did it first' then.

I'd like to see Homer join the Mythbusters team, then there'd be so much more death and destruction...

Paul

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

Nothing new under the sun!

A LONG TIME ago my mom decided to go back to work to help the family
finances.   She got a TV set for us boys in the hope that we would watch TV
rather than "play" around the neighborhood when she was gone.   That was
back in 1951 and the TV set cost about what she took home in one month or
so.

Oh, it didn't work.   It also didn't help us go to bed early.   By the end
of the 50s I was a well established fan of The Tonight Show (with Jack
Parr).   I also saw a LOT of old movies on "shows" with names like "Swing
Shift Theater."