“Your name’s not on the list.” – Bernard the Bouncer
“I didn’t even tell you my name.” – Homer Simpson
“Okay, what’s your name?” – Bernard the Bouncer
“Homer Simpson.” – Homer Simpson
“Not on the list.” – Bernard the Bouncer

There’s quite a few lists with Simpsons stuff on them this week.  Unusually, the show tended to come in closer to the bottom than the top.  In another coincidence, we’ve got more than the usual number of people who don’t like Zombie Simpsons.  There’s also the more typical assortment of random stuff, including a drawing of that sun blocking machine, a bank on bank lawsuit, a great old sweatshirt, a very non-geek television guide that has a low opinion of Zombie Simpsons, an awesome quote from Kevin Nealon, and lots of excellent usage.

Enjoy. 

Next Stop For The Simpsons: Forest Hills – Forest Hills, NY Patch – Smooth Charlie’s Link of the Week is more pictures of that awesome Springfield replica from last week.  I can’t wait to see the whole thing.  Unfortunately, according to The New York Daily News, the unveiling is going to be a “private party”.  But there’s hope yet:

McCoy said he hopes his quirky labor of love will eventually find its way into an art gallery or museum.

"I would love for it to be somewhere open to the public," he said. "It can only be in my living room for so long."

DVD Rewatch Thoughts: The Simpsons: The Complete First Season – A thoughtful review of Season 1 from a guy who pays attention to all the little details.  Well worth a read.  

10 Films Spoofed by Itchy and Scratchy – Great list, and no Zombie Simpsons. 

Greatest ’80s TV Catchphrases, From ‘Cheers’ to ‘Ninja Turtles’ – Exactly what it says, lots of YouTube here, including Bart’s first word. 

There’s a swingin’ bank I know called…Capital City – It’s nice to know that a trademark fight between banks can be used to reference The Simpsons.  Excellent usage. 

Top 10 TV Theme Songs – Simpsons check in all the way down at #10 here. 

Making their appeal to the listeners – Excellent usage:

THERE IS A scene in The Simpsons where the cartoon family, driving through the backwoods, decide to get a flavour of the region “through the magic of AM radio”, a shorthand for talk radio. They scan through the stations only for every DJ to riff on the same theme, “the seven signs of evil” as foretold by the Book of Revelations. Visitors to Ireland seeking to absorb the local culture would have had a similarly disconcerting experience last week.

The Simpsons Already Did It Of The Day – We mentioned that Qatar World Cup sun blocking thing last week, but this has an artist’s conception of what the things would actually look like.  I was disappointed when the U.S. didn’t get the 2022 tournament, but if that drawing is even the least bit accurate . . . the existence of those things in real life will almost make up for it. 

Family guy, from humble beginnings – This is more about Family Guy than The Simpsons, though he does point out that the show has declined.  Really I’m linking it because titling your reality based website “Answers in Genius” is a fantastic way to make fun of those Young Earth nuts at “Answers in Genesis”. 

When Bad Songs Happen To Good Bands #5 – A look back at some of the lesser work of the Beach Boys.  I didn’t know they once thought about doing a duet with Bart Simpson. 

Endorphins – Excellent usage, with pictures.

Reactions to the Comedy Awards – I really don’t think the world needs another awards show, but I did like this:

If this year’s show is more geared toward lifetime achievement, why is Whitney Cummings nominated for Best Stand-Up Special? If its not, then “The Simpsons” getting a nod in Best Animated Series over the lesser-known but way funnier “Ugly Americans” is abysmal.

Agreed.  I was glad to see Ugly Americans is getting a second season. 

For once, it’s not the cane toad’s day – Queensland is going all “Whacking Day” on invasive toads:

In the 1993 episode, Springfield is awash with excitement ahead of the annual "whacking day" – in which residents are called upon to beat as many snakes to death as possible – before Bart and Lisa, with the help of Barry White, give the town a lesson in animal rights.

But there’s no "whacking" involved in "Toad Day Out" – or at least the infamous practice of attacking cane toads with golf clubs isn’t sanctioned by organisers.

The event, which will take place this weekend, goes like this.

Residents are encouraged to go out on Saturday night and capture, alive, as many toads as possible.

On Sunday they can bring their catch into one of three sites – this year events are being held in Cairns, Townsville and Charters Towers – where experts check the haul to ensure no native frogs have accidentally been brought in.

The toads are then euthanased, humanely, by being put in a freezer, the method advocated by the RSPCA.

Bart Simpson Sweatshirt – A very old Bart sweatshirt for sale.  It has that very early 90s feel to it.

Family TV Guide: ‘The Simpsons’ – This is a guide to whether or not parents can let their kids watch certain shows.  You don’t need to read the whole thing, I just thought this was funny:

Though he’s been toned down since his introduction in the late ’80s, Bart Simpson is still a troublemaker at heart.

Even the people who write ultra-conservative family entertainment guides know that Zombie Simpsons is weak sauce. 

How Cartoons Characters look like in their College Years – Rosie sitting on Optimus Prime’s lap and Bart with the Adderall are the highlights here. 

6 Become a Millionaire Tips, from the Richest Cartoon Characters – Our second link to Stay Tooned In this week has helpful advice from the likes of Wile E. Coyote and Mr. Burns. 

Daaaaaaaaryl! Daaaaaaaaryl! | of sound minds – Baseball started this week, and to celebrate here’s YouTube of everyone’s favorite song about softball. 

Comedian Kevin Nealon, performing at Suncoast, staying active on courts, fairways – Oh Kevin, I always liked you:

"A friend of mine writes for ‘The Simpsons,’ " he says. "I said, ‘Do you guys ever repeat stories or ideas?’ He goes, ‘Oh yeah, we just camouflage it a little bit.’ "

Omg, that’s so wrong O_O – It’s Homer Griffin and Peter Simpson, or something.

Elizabeth Taylor: ‘Simpsons’ exec producer Al Jean remembers the film legend’s one-word turn as baby Maggie – Pretty much what it says.  And David Silverman apparently has very pretty eyes.

FOX to Rebroadcast Elizabeth Taylor’s "Simpsons" Episode This Sunday – Good on FOX.  Also, no Zombie Simpsons this week.  Hooray!  (via)

The Simpsons’ Nuclear Jokes Edited in Germany – This is funny:

Reacting to the real-life nuclear disaster unfolding in Japan, Pro7, the channel that airs The Simpsons in Germany, will be screening current and future episodes of the show and remove or replace any that feature a disaster at Mr. Burns’ nuclear power plant. Berlin’s Tagesspiegel newspaper reports that networks in Austria and Switzerland have followed suit.

Austria’s ORF has already pulled two episodes set to broadcast:  Episode 66, Marge Gets a Job, which features scientists Marie Curie and Pierre Curie dying of radiation poisoning; and Episode 346, On a Clear Day I Can’t See My Sister, in which characters joke about a nuclear meltdown. Tagesspeigel says ORF has held back eight Simpsons episodes until the end of April, when it will review its Springfield disaster policy.

So far, neither Pro7 nor Swiss network SF have pulled any Simpsons episodes but both channels say they are screening shows for "unsuitable" references to nuclear disaster.

I can understand pulling an unaired episode if something too similar happens in real life.  Drawn Together shelved an episode where Captain Hero gets crippled for a year because it was scheduled to air shortly after Christopher Reeve died.  But going back and either editing or not airing reruns?  That’s doing something for the sake of doing something.  Do everyone a favor and don’t.  The people of Japan have bigger things to worry about than syndicated foreign television. 

Graffiti artists mix rebellion and beauty – Multiple somebodies have been spray painting the word “moms” all over Ashville, North Carolina.  Here’s the story as seen through the lens of El Barto. 

Learning from the masters: Charles Schulz « Alec Nevala-Lee – And finally, I get to end the way I like.  Not only does he agree with us, he’s written a wonderful discussion of Peanuts that contains this:

Not until The Simpsons—which, we’re told, owed much of its early popularity to “all the pretty colors”—was a work of art so ubiquitous and so misunderstood. And both cases speak to the universality of master craftsmanship. For Peanuts and The Simpsons alike, there’s no clear line dividing the popular from the sublime: it’s one seamless work of art. 

As with The Simpsons, there’s no denying that Peanuts underwent a decline in its final years, and in particular was never the same after the mid-1980s.

Well put.