The Simpsons stayed right in character with its 25th anniversary salute to its network, Fox, on Sunday night, using the occasion to take a shot at Fox’s sister network Fox News Channel. The show pokes fun at all sorts of pop cultural figures — not least of all itself — as part of its creative DNA, and has never been shy about biting the hand that not only feeds it but co-owns the landmark show (along with Gracie Films). As a lead-in to the network’s anniversary special Sunday, Fox aired the pilots of Married…With Children and The Simpsons (it passed the 500-episode mark this season). The latter, titled “Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire,” had a card congratulating Fox on its silver anniversary, but making clear those good wishes don’t necessarily extend to the news channel. (As Deadline‘s Nellie Andreeva noted today, the card is factually correct, since Fox News isn’t yet 25 years old — it launched Oct. 7, 1996).
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This is hardly the first time The Simpsons has made jokes at the expense of Fox News. On November 21, 2010, for example, a news helicopter shown in the “Fool Monty” episode bore the Fox News logo, with the tag line: “Not Racist, But No. 1 With Racists.” In October, Fox renewed The Simpsons for two seasons beyond this current 23rd, extending its lead as the longest-running scripted TV show ever in primetime.
I wonder what would happen if a show on NBC took a poke at the network then slamed MSNBC? Shows on FOX have been taking pokes at the network since it started. FOX can take a joke, can NBC or ABC or CBS?
You mean, like 30Rock?
I’ve never seen “30 Rock”, (neither have alot of people) I’d rather watch an autopsy then anything with Alec Baldwin in it. When I see him in a Capitol One ad I flip the channel.
How interesting.
Yep, he’s not part of the 1%, he just shills for them.
So, to be clear you would rather:
Watch an autopsy
THEN
Watch anything with Alec Baldwin
Seems to me you’d quite enjoy 30 Rock since he’s featured prominently in the show.
And “alot” is not a word.
Regardless of whether or not you’ve seen “30 Rock”, the poster was answering your question: yes, “30 Rock” has satirized NBC and General Electric. :-) Can’t think of a similar example with CBS or ABC off the top of my head.
Funny that an example (30 Rock) is given and that is your response.
Well, the problem is that MSNBC and the others you mention don’t have the long and well-documented record that FOX does of literally lying about who said or did what, to say nothing of the out-of-context edits, the championing of the Tea Party astro-truf nuts, and so on.
So, really, the others don’t have the “faux news” divisions to rip the way FOX does.
Still, and ironically reminiscent of how Fox News works, your claim in the first place just isn’t true. Watch a few episodes of “30 Rock” to see NBC/GE/Comcast corporatism and MSNBC liberalism mocked and derided.
As with all dupes who suckle from Fox News, you gotta remember that, just because YOU haven’t seen or heard it on FOX doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
“Fox News: Not Racist, But #1 WITH Racists!” Genius.
Guess you missed that it about NBC selectively editing the replay of Zimmerman’s call with 911?
That was one guy at NBC News and he was fired.
(eyeroll)
“That was one guy at NBC News and he was fired”
Yeah, he was a producer and everyone here knows it was approved by the rest of the news group, regardless of what they will say out loud.
Wow – do you actually think for yourself, or just take talking points from the DNC? Please list examples of that “well-documented record” of the Fox News inaccuracies (and I mean the news division, not the commentators).
And I don’t recall “30 Rock” ever mocking MSNBC’s liberalism. Please list examples of that as well.
I think it’d be easier on everyone if we just listed the times they DID accurately report the news.
30 Rock CONSTANTLY makes fun of NBC. It’s been a hilarious running gag since maybe the 1st season (possibly 2nd).
I know no one professes to like Leno on any website, but he’s been ripping NBC over its disastrous primetime schedule for years.
Warren Littlefield wasn’t quite as accepting of criticism when Letterman was ripping him and NBC back in the day.
I can’t remember which one in particular, but there was a Simpsons episode that was a flash forward and Bart remarked “Who would have thought that Fox would gradually slide into porn.” as the rumpy pumpy* music played in the background.
*stolen from Roger Ebert who took it from someone else.
Lemme guess, Alex, you’re the same type of whiny right winger who calls out the Southpark guys for not making fun of Muslims because you haven’t seen the multiple episodes dedicated to making fun of and offending Muslims.
Very few things entertain me more than watching right wingers create imaginary double-standards out of thin air to get irate about, only to be proven 100% wrong mere minutes later.
And kudos to you for doubling down on your wrongness when Hrumph corrected you. It would be such a shame if you acted like a reasonable adult and learned from one of your mistakes. Don’t retreat, reload, huh, Mama Grizzly?
Anyway, I’ll let you get back to your one-man campaign of chipping away at Capital One’s earnings by only watching the first half of their commercials.
^^^^^Best post of 2012, Elmore! KUDOS!
21 Jump Street was the number one show on FOX for the first two seasons… Married With Children didn’t take over the top spot until FOX was in its third season… The Simpson were the commercial bumpers on The Tracey Ullman Show… Barry Diller hated the Simpson bumpers and wanted to dump them from Tracey’s show… Diller’s big contribution to the lineup was “The New Adventures of Beans Baxter…” … Which explains, of course, his enormous success. Jump Street has been excluded from the 25th Anniversary celebration because it is now a hit movie for SONY… which is pretty sucky.
Actually, The Simpsons doesn’t “poke fun at all sorts of pop culture figures.” It overwhelmingly attacks conservative and traditional values, and the people associated with those moral, ethical, and political beliefs. Liberals are hands-off on The Simpsons.
Oh yes, you Bible-thumping conservatives are the guardians of morality and virtue, aren’t you? Just ask Senator Larry Craig in the airport mens’ room.
Or David Vitter, a “family-values” Senator who consorted with prostitutes while wearing diapers over his head. Not only did he not resign, he was re-elected, and was welcomed back to the Senate with a standing ovation from his “conservative” brethren.
If you watched it you’d know that it isn’t hands-off for liberals but don’t let the facts get in your way.
Attacking conservatives for their nonsense doesn’t make you biased. It makes you a normal, SANE, thinking human being, who doesn’t like to put up with BS.
The Simpsons once had an animated Clinton saying he had sex with a pig in the back shed outside of the White House.
@Linda “You can’t keep the Democrats out of the White House forever, and when they get in, I’m back on the street, with all my criminal buddies. Ah-hahahahhahaaa!”
Another great example of an informed Fox News viewer. Regardless of whether or not you’re seen 30 Rock, your initial hypothesis is incorrect. See also: Seinfeld, and SNL.
Elmore Skynyrd: Thank you for that wonderful message to “Alex”. It was a delight to read. The Simpsons is amazing.
By the way, when MSNBC realized the Zimmerman tape had been edited. They apologized in a high profile way, set the record straight, found out who did the edit and fired them. Fox doesn’t handle their countless “mistakes” with this level of integrity. Ever.
PS – Study after study has shown Fox News viewers are the most poorly informed viewers of TV news.
What nonsense.
NBC fired some fall guy at 5pm on the Friday before Easter weekend and tried to call the matter closed, AFTER THEY HAD BEEN CAUGHT.
That’s how NBC “realized” it.
Some integrity.