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'The Simpsons' gets a home arcade cabinet for its 30th birthday
Arcade1Up has launched a retro 'The Simpsons' arcade game cabinet to help you relive your childhood — just without so many quarters.
Loki and the Simpsons meet on Disney+ July 7th
On July 7th, Disney will release the Good, The Good, The Bart
See an unreleased 'The Simpsons' game that never made it to Dreamcast
The title offers a fantastic glimpse into The Simpsons' living room, complete with giant lumbering Homer.
At last, you can watch early ‘Simpsons’ episodes as intended on Disney+
As promised, 'Simpsons' fans can now watch early seasons (pre-2009) in 4:3 format on Disney+.
'The Simpsons' aspect ratio problem will get fixed (again) on May 28th
Next week Disney+ will start streaming old episodes of 'The Simpsons' in their original 4:3 format
Simpsons World shuts down as episodes move to Disney+
You knew Simpsons World wouldn't last much longer when Disney+ claimed The Simpsons as a streaming exclusive, but you might not have expected the end to be so... abrupt. Simpsons World has promptly shut down, making Disney+ the only place to watch every episode even though it's barely available to the public. While that makes the show accessible to people without cable subscriptions (and outside of the US), it also pushes cable TV subscribers to pay extra if they want to witness Lisa's perpetual motion machine or Homer's near-death experience.
Disney+ will fix its 'Simpsons' widescreen problem in 2020
As soon as Disney+ launched, fans of The Simpsons noticed a big problem. In a repeat of an issue that occurred when FXX started playing old episodes a few years ago, someone made the decision to crop and zoom older 4x3 aspect ratio episodes to fill out an HD widescreen frame. It was eventually corrected, and it turns out that new owner Disney will also fix things up -- eventually. In a statement, a Disney spokesperson said that "in early 2020" it will offer a toggle for the first 19 seasons of episodes so people can choose to view them in their original format -- important for many visual gags that extend to the top or bottom of the frame -- or widescreen-adjusted. Disney: We presented "The Simpsons" in 16:9 aspect ratio at launch in order to guarantee visual quality and consistency across all 30 seasons. Over time, Disney+ will roll out new features and additional viewing options. As part of this, in early 2020, Disney+ will make the first 19 seasons (and some episodes from Season 20) of "The Simpsons" available in their original 4:3 aspect ratio, giving subscribers a choice of how they prefer to view the popular series.
Disney+ cuts off 'Simpsons' jokes with widescreen episodes
The Disney+ launch didn't just have some technical hiccups -- it also irritated The Simpsons fans. Viewers have discovered that all classic Simpsons episodes are the cropped widescreen versions, not the 4:3 originals that FXX brought back in 2015. And just like four years ago, that decision wrecks some sight gags, such as the revelation that all of Duff's beers come from the same source. There are also instances where the picture has been stretched to fit the modern TV aspect ratio.
Disney+ adds 'The Simpsons' as a streaming exclusive
Among a flood of original and archived Disney programming coming to the Disney+ service when it launches November 12th, the company slipped in one last surprise from Fox: The Simpsons. Once the service launches, it will be the streaming home for all 30 seasons of the series. Right now, all episodes of The Simpsons are available via the FXX-linked Simpsons World site, and also stream on Hulu. Presumably that will change later this year, when they're locked into the $7-per-month Disney+ service, along with content from Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and other Disney properties. Now that Disney owns Fox, we're not surprised to see it put the studio's gems to use, but it's just another reminder of how many big names are under that umbrella now. Other than The Simpsons, Disney+ will also feature some other "family-friendly" titles from Fox: Additionally, Disney+ announced that all 30 seasons of The Simpsons will be available on the service on day one. In the service's first year, audiences will also have access to family-friendly Fox titles like The Sound of Music, The Princess Bride and Malcolm in the Middle as part of an impressive collection of more than 7,500 television episodes and 500 films including blockbuster hits from 2019 and beyond.
Disney+ app and worldwide rollout plans revealed
In the fall of 2017 Disney announced plans for a subscription streaming service of its own that could compete with the likes of Netflix. Last fall, it revealed a name -- Disney+ -- and that it would launch in late 2019. Today we're finally getting more official information about what it's like as Disney makes a presentation for its investors explaining the company's overall internet video strategy, including ESPN+ and Hulu, which will "likely" be offered as part of a bundle at a discounted price. Update: After several hours, Disney finally revealed the price: $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year, launching November 12th. We already know that the company's plans include plenty of expansions on content it owns from properties like Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars, as well as the Disney vault of well-loved family films. But what people are hoping to find out today is how much it will cost, how it will work and what, other than exclusives, it might use to draw customers who are already shelling out for one or more video subscriptions. Disney quickly revealed that all of the content on Disney+ will be ready for subscribers to download and view offline as long as they have a subscription. That's a feature Netflix only added in the last couple of years, and still doesn't apply to everything on its service. It's also going to support 4K and HDR video.
The Simpsons skin pack embiggens Minecraft
Minecraft, for one, welcomes its new Microsoft overlords by offering The Simpsons content for Xboxen. The skin pack based on the immortal TV show arrives on Xbox One and 360 in late February, with an asking price of $2. Also, don't take our opening line too seriously; Microsoft says players should "stay tuned" for more about the DLC on other platforms. The pack features the Simpsons family as pixelated above, along with 19 characters from Springfield Elementary. Here's hoping it includes Ralph and Super Nintendo Chalmers - yes, we just wanted to write "Super Nintendo Chalmers." Of course, this isn't the first time Minecraft and The Simpsons have merged into one, uber-popular super-being. Check below the break to refresh your memory.
All 'Simpsons' episodes are now available for streaming
The wait is over, people of the interwebs. Right on cue, Fox has launched Simpsons World, the online hub where it will be streaming every Simpsons episode ever broadcasted. Even though the content is free to browse, you do need a cable login to start watching -- it's simple, if you're subscribed to a package that offers FXX, a channel owned by Fox, then you're good to go. In addition to the Simpsons World website, all Simpsons episodes can also be streamed via the FXNow mobile application, which is available on iOS and Android. Sure, it's only Tuesday, but at least now you have a clue of what you'll be doing this weekend.
Apple TV will carry every Simpsons episode via FXNOW within 12 months
TV writer and editor Jason Lynch tweeted this past Monday that FXNOW will make its way to the Apple TV within the next 12 months. FXNOW is Fox's on-demand video service which features content from FX, FXX, and FXM. That means that TV fans will soon be able to catch up on shows like Sons of Anarchy, Fargo, Arrested Development, and Parks and Recreation whenever they want. But even more exciting is news that FXNOW will include the recently announced "Simpsons World" service, thus allowing Simpsons fans to enjoy all of the shows 522 episodes on-demand. This is incredible news because FX shows like Sons of Anarchy are already viewable on streaming services like Netflix. But Fox, for whatever reason, has historically taken a much more guarded approach with The Simpsons. "Simpsons World" is expected to launch by October and will be accessible via the existing FXNOW iOS app and the soon to be launched FXNOW Apple TV channel. Hitfix earlier this week provided us even more details surrounding the impending launch of "Simpsons World." I don't think it's an overstatement to say that this is a Simpsons-fan dream come true and an on-demand service on steroids. Some of the services more intriguing details include: * Every episode ever, in an order that's easy to browse, but also easy to search. (The original "Simpsons" clips from "The Tracey Ullman Show" are not currently part of the package, but FX is talking to Matt Groening about it; "I know Matt has a very open mind to that," said FX COO Chuck Saftler. "The Simpsons Movie" will appear intermittently on the app, but won't be available constantly.) * A search function that allows you to quickly find - and share across social media - your favorite "Simpsons" joke or scene. At the moment, I cannot show you the "free goo" scene, or Homer contemplating the excitement of floor pie or waffle runoff; with Simpsons World, I can do it easily. I can also find every Disco Stu scene in one shot, or any story where Marge gets a new job, etc. * Ability to curate your own playlists of episodes and/or scenes, and a learning function that will then recommend similar ones for you to try or revisit. * An exhaustive episode guide that can be opened up to run parallel to the episode, featuring historical references, behind-the-scenes info, quotes, etc. You can also have each episode's script scrolling along as you watch it, and you can excerpt and share parts of the script, as well. Most of that functionality should be ready for the October launch, and even more should be introduced in January. (FX's president of marketing Stephanie Gibbons told me after the panel that the goal was to get the episodes and the ability to search for and share clips up immediately, and follow with more bonuses later.) Note that the service will require users to authenticate with cable service credentials. Some of the cooperating cable service providers already on board include AT&T, Comcast, Cox, and Time-Warner.
The Simpsons did a Minecraft intro, watch it here
The most surprising thing about the Minecraft intro that featured in last night's Simpsons episode is that it hadn't happened already. The real question, though: Is it better than this user-created version of the Simpsons intro in Minecraft? It's not every day the world's longest-running sitcom pastiches your game, so Minecraft creator Markus 'Notch' Persson tweeted his thoughts about it: "The Simpsons did a Minecraft couch gag. Not sure how I feel about it. I STILL feel a bit like it's just this small game I made at home. It's so weird to have all these things happen. <3" You can watch the episode in full on the Fox site. [Image: Mojang]
How The Simpsons came up with the "Mapple" universe
When putting together a comprehensive list detailing every Apple reference ever made on The Simpsons and Futurama, I was lucky enough to chat with a few seasoned Simpsons insiders who gave me so much juicy information that I just couldn't squeeze it all into one post. Arguably, the most well-known Apple references on The Simpsons come from the 2008 episode titled "Mypods and Boomsticks." Written by Marc Wilmore, the entire first act of the episode spoofs all things Apple, from iPods and the G4 Cube to Apple retail stores and Apple's famed "1984" commercial. The episode is most notable for introducing us to "Mapple", The Simpsons' not-so-veiled homage to Apple. Since "Mypods and Boomsticks" first aired over five years ago, there have been no shortage of Mapple references sprinkled throughout the show. But just how did the impetus to spoof Apple come about? How did The Simpsons writers come up with the Mapple name? To that end, episode writer Marc Wilmore was kind enough to answer a few questions and shed some light on all things Mapple. Here's the inside scoop. According to Wilmore, the idea to spoof Apple had been brewing amongst certain folks on the writing staff for some time. By 2008, Wilmore said that the feeling in the writers room was that Apple at had already reached a level of popularity where they deserved "to be taken down a notch or two." Most of the writers were kind of tired of the pretentious Apple onstage presentations and were eager to take their shots. And of course, the Steve Jobs signature black turtleneck. As to how the Mapple subplot began, Wilmore explains that it began out of necessity. After I wrote the first draft it was pretty clear we needed a "b" story to fill out the script. So, when the family went to the mall for Bart to get lost at, we went to the Mapple store for the start of the Lisa story. With respect to the "Mapple" moniker, Wilmore relays that it was initially suggested as a bad pun and just happened to stick. From there, the "Steve Mobs" character, which itself employs an 'M' prefix, followed immediately. Particularly interesting is that the "Mapple" universe wasn't initially intended to extend beyond the episode it debuted in. But as the seasons went on, the Mapple logo would soon begin to appear more frequently on laptops, tablets, and smartphones. That notwithstanding, longtime Simpsons animator David Silverman told me that the show is very conscious about not overdoing the "Mapple" parody lest folks start thinking the show is engaging in some good ole' fashioned product placement. Delving a bit deeper on this topic, my original Simpsons/Futurama post reads: So while the show does have a number of permanent references to real world products (Kwik-E Mart and 7-11, Squishee and Slurpee, Laramie cigarettes and Marlboro, Buzz Cola and Coke), Silverman said that those references are far enough removed from the real thing as to avoid suspicions of product placement. The "Mapple" parody, however, is rather close in name and design to actual Apple products so the issue a bit trickier there. "Even if it's in the Simpsons universe and we created it," Silverman explained, "we don't want to put it in every show because it looks like we're promoting it, and that's not our point. Mapple is too close to the real thing." What's more, Silverman told me that Simpsons creator Matt Groening has at times even put the kibosh on the use of the Mapple logo when it serves no broader comedic purpose. As a final point, and returning to my interview with Wilmore, I concluded by asking him if the writers room at The Simpsons is a Mac-only enterprise. His response? Out of the sixteen or so regulars, I would say with the exception of possibly two, all of the writers are Mac.
Every Apple reference ever made in Futurama and The Simpsons
With a combined 33 seasons between them, both Futurama and The Simpsons are awash with references to Apple. Some of these references take the form of biting commentary while others are much more subtle. In compiling this list, I was lucky enough to chat with famed Simpsons writer Bill Oakley (seasons 4-8) and talented Simpsons director David Silverman (seasons 1-present). They were both gracious and kind enough to answer many-a-question and provide me (and you) with some behind-the-scenes information about the "how and why" behind some of the Apple references you'll find sprinkled throughout this post. That both Futurama and The Simpsons are rife with Apple references may not be all that surprising given that both shows were created by Matt Groening; before becoming a household name, Groening helped Apple design a Macintosh brochure for college students in the late 80s. What's more, Futurama co-creator David X. Cohen is a professed Apple enthusiast who, in the early 1980s, developed a game called Zoid for the Apple II in assembly language. Indeed, the beloved Futurama character Dr. Zoidberg was actually named after the aforementioned title. Not only that, but Cohen in an interview once said that his favorite piece of technology remains an Apple II and that he's a Mac guy because "it's the closest living descendant of my old friend." That friend, of course, being the venerable Apple II. So without further ado, below is an exhaustive list of every Apple reference ever made on Futurama and The Simpsons. You'll soon find out why Simpsons writers envisioned Smithers as a Mac user, what type of processor keeps Bender running, the process by which a Mac might show up for a split second in a freeze frame, what Matt Groening thinks about the Mapple parody, and a whole lot more. 1. Futurama - I Dated a Robot. Season 3, episode 15. In this virtual reality themed episode, Fry starts dating a robot with the downloaded personality of Lucy Liu. If you play close attention, you'll notice that Professor Farnsworth at one point goes to a bin of empty robots which, you'll be glad to know, have been "Mac Formatted." Later on in that same episode, we're treated to a classic 1950's style spoof warning about the dangers of dating robots. If you look closely, you'll notice the original Mac front and center. 2. Futurama - Neutopia. Season 6, episode 12. Here we see Bender putting the ole' Mac vs. PC debate to rest. Rock Alien: Your genders differ in many ways. But as with all things that are different - chocolate and vanilla, Mac and PC - one is always clearly better. Bender: Chocolate, Mac, Men. The end. 3. The Simpsons - Homer Defined. Season 3, episode 5. With the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant on the verge of a meltdown, chaos ensues as employees begin looting. If you look closely, one of the items being whisked away by an employee is a Mac SE with a dual floppy drive. And in some nice attention to detail, you'll note that the Mac has but one mouse button. As a show notorious for freeze frame humor, I asked Bill Oakley how a distinct computer like the Mac SE might end up for a split second on the show. While Oakley didn't work on this particular episode, he explained that the "writer or show runner" of each episode "approves every prop and design in the show." If an item doesn't lend itself towards the plot or isn't a joke unto itself, a depicted Mac (like in the example above) could have been done at the behest of an animator. As for the aforementioned approval process, Oakley elaborates: "Every important prop and character design (at least in those days) was faxed over for approval for the show runner and/or writer. Sometimes the designer would make a choice and it would be approved or disapproved." David Silverman, who has been directing for The Simpsons since the late 80s, added that some computers on the show were likely drawn as Macs because that was the platform of choice for most animators who used computers back in the early 90s. Stay tuned, there's some more detail regarding freeze frame Mac appearances later on. 4. The Simpsons - Lisa on Ice. Season 6, episode 8. As any Simpsons enthusiast will attest, Season 6 was smack dab in the middle of the golden age of the show. With all-time classic episodes like "Homer the Great", "Homie the Clown", and "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" (the list could truthfully go on and on), season six is without question one of the best Simpsons seasons of all time. Season 6 also includes the episode where Bart and Lisa both take up Ice Hockey and compete against each other for Homer's love. Dubbed "Lisa on Ice", the episode features a biting and rather famous scene which makes fun of handwriting recognition on Apple's Newton. During the scene in question, a bully named Kearney tells his friend Dolph to take down a memo on his Newton. The handwritten message is entered in as, "Beat up Martin." The Newton, however, translates this as "Eat up Martha." A funny joke that, believe it or not, would actually go on to weigh in on the minds of Apple's original iOS team more than a decade later. This past fall, Fast Company interviewed Nitin Ganatra, a longtime Apple employee who previously served as the company's Director of Engineering for iOS applications. Ganatra relayed how folks on the iOS team were all too aware of how handwriting recognition on the Newton was widely ridiculed. Familiar with the "Eat up Martha" gag, the iOS team used it as motivation to ensure that the iPhone's virtual keyboard worked just as promised. The last thing they needed was for Apple's then super-secretive product to become the butt of yet another round of pop culture jokes. In the hallways [at Apple] and while we were talking about the keyboard, you would always hear the words 'Eat Up Martha,'" Ganatra recalls. "If you heard people talking and they used the words 'Eat Up Martha,' it was basically a reference to the fact that we needed to nail the keyboard. We needed to make sure the text input works on this thing, otherwise, 'Here comes the Eat Up Marthas.'" It may seem like ages ago, but it's really easy to forget just how revolutionary and risky Apple's decision to go with a virtual keyboard was. These days, nearly all the top selling smartphones lack physical keyboards. But back in early 2007, before the iPhone hit store shelves, it wasn't yet entirely clear that Apple could deliver a virtual keyboard that just worked, and more importantly, if such an input method would catch on with consumers. I asked Bill Oakley about the gag, and he recalls that it was originally pitched during a rewrite: I do not recall this exactly but I know it was during a rewrite and was pitched by someone in the room being run by David Mirkin at the time. I personally was skeptical that anyone would get it as I was the only one on the staff that actually had a Newton (it was useless) but there had been at lot of press at the time about how crappy it was so it was in the news. Oakley also added that he's "glad it had the desired effect of shaming Apple into making up for those shortcomings." 5. Futurama - Fear of a Bot Planet. Season 1, episode 5. In this episode, the Planet Express crew find themselves on a planet filled with robots with a knack for hunting humans. In one scene, a robot sounds a "horn" indicating that it's time to begin the ceremonial human hunt. The emanating sound, however, is the all-too familiar Mac OS startup sound. 6. The Simpsons - Four Regrettings and Funeral. Season 25, episode 3. Though Apple has made a number of noticeable improvements to Siri since it first launched back in 2011, Apple's voice activated personal assistant remains a popular topic to lampoon in popular culture. In this particular Simpsons episode, a store owner tries to use Siri to locate a hospital for Homer. Upon doing so, Siri tells him, "I'm sorry, I don't see any 'hos petals' near you. Deleting all contact information." Furious, the man responds, "No, I didn't ask you to do that Siri!" To which Siri responds, "Delete confirmed." 7. Futurama - Future Stock. Season 4, episode 9. An all-time classic episode, Future Stock centers on a frozen 1980s Wall Street businessman who subsequently thaws out and becomes CEO of Planet Express. As part of his effort to give the Planet Express brand a makeover, we're treated to this parody of Apple's iconic 1984 ad. Upon seeing the new commercial, Leela remarks: "That was terrible! People won't even know what we do." This may be a stretch, but that line may be in reference to Apple's board of directors famously not liking the famous "1984" ad. From the very same episode, we're also treated to a futuristic stock ticker with a number of subtle jokes. Here we see that OS X is up 39 cents while Win(dows) is down 50 cents. Other stocks not doing well include (Captain) Kirk and Fox. Also note the Run-DMC reference up top. "Don't you worry about Planet Express, let me worry about blank." 8. The Simpsons - Homer the Smithers. Season 7, episode 17 A great episode where we see Mr. Burns convinces a burnt out Smithers to go on a vacation and hire a temporary replacement. In conducting his search, where he ultimately settles on Homer, we see Smithers clearly using a Mac. When I mentioned to Bill Oakley, who was a showrunner for this particular season, that the Apple reference here was blatantly obvious and purposeful, he explained that Smithers using a Mac was no coincidence. For Smithers, I am fairly certain we specified that one in the script because Smithers is the type of progressive young fellow who would have a Mac rather than a PC. 9. The Simpsons - Million Dollar Maybe. Season 21, episode 11. In the couch gag sequence of this episode where Homer wins the lottery, we see Homer launching a "Couch Gag" app whereupon he selects the order in which each family member joins him on the couch. 10. The Simpsons - The D'oh-cial Network. Season 23, episode 11. In this Zuckerberg-inspired episode, Lisa creates a new social network dubbed SpringFace in an effort to make more friends. Here we see Lisa hacking away on her trusty LISA computer, an obvious shoutout to Apple's own Lisa machine. Incidentally, Steve Jobs explained in his biography that the "Lisa" computer was named after his own daughter Lisa. For the sake of comparison, here's what the actual Lisa computer looked like. Note that the LISA computer referenced in The Simpsons is a Lisa 2, evidenced by the machine's single floppy disk drive. The original Apple Lisa had two. 11. Futurama - Fry and the Slurm Factory. Season 1, episode 13. In the season finale to season 1, the Planet Express crew take a tour of the Slurm Factory where we get to see them hang out with good ole' Slurms McKenzie. Earlier in the episode, Professor Farnsworth scans Bender with a new device called an F-Ray, whereupon we discover that our dear friend Bender Bending Rodriguez is powered by a 6502 microprocessor, the same processor that was used to power the Apple II. In an interview with David X. Cohen, the Futurama co-creator said that the 6502 reference was "straight from me." When I was in high school, I spent may of my teen years until five in the morning programming video games of my own invention, so I became extremely and intimately familiar with this chip. It ran at 1 MHZ - we're used to hearing GHz nowadays - and so you had to be a nimble programmer to get it to do what you wanted it to do. In yet another interview, this one with IEEE Spectrum, Cohen said: I spent a good percentage of my high school years programming the Apple II Plus in 6502 assembly language, so I have fond memories of long nights alone with this chip. My greatest 6502 achievement was a video game I called Zoid that was played heavily by me and my father and no one else. Incidentally, Zoid incorporated digitized speech (me saying the word " Zoid ," slowed down to make it mightier), which was pretty rare at the time. The digital audio for that single syllable used much more memory than the entire program. I tried to sell the game to Broderbund Software, but I knew I was in for bad news when the return letter they sent me started with a misspelling of my name. As a point of interest, the 6502 processor debuted in 1975 and was created by MOS Technology. 12. The Simpsons - Million Dollar Abie. Season 17, episode 16. After Grandpa ruins Springfield's only chance to ever field an NFL team, the entire town turns against him, prompting dear old Abe to contemplate Euthanasia. The suicide machine in this case is called a diePod, and is clearly a revamped first-gen iPod. It also comes pre-loaded with some tunes from Megadeath. Not too shabby! 13. The Simpsons - Homerpalooza. Season 7, episode 24. A riff on Lollapalooza, this episode sees Homer, in an effort to reclaim his coolness, join a music festival dubbed "Hullabalooza." The episode features a number of notable musical guests, including Peter Frampton, Cypress Hill, The Smashing Pumpkins and Sonic Youth. The reference to Apple in this episode is rather subtle, but should evoke fond memories from anyone who followed the music scene back in the early 1980s. During the scene in question, Homer finds himself at a record store where he references the Us Festival, a music and technology themed festival that was put together and bankrolled by none other than Steve Wozniak. Homer: Now here are some of your no-name bands. Sonic Youth? Nine Inch Nails? Hullabalooza? Store clerk: Hullabalooza is a music festival, the greatest music festival of all time. Homer: There can only be one truly great festival a lifetime, and it's the "Us Festival." Store clerk: The what festival? Homer: The "Us Festival"! Geez, it was sponsored by the guy from Apple Computers Store clerk: WHAT computers? And in a photo sure to blow your mind, here's a photo of Woz from the 1983 US Festival chilling with Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth. 14. Futurama - Clockwork Origin. Season 6, episode 9. Here we see a not so subtle riff on the iPad, with a tablet dubbed the iFad. Note the name of the newspaper - the USB Today. 15. The Simpsons - Thursdays with Abie. Season 21, episode 9. In this episode, we learn that Homer's brain is powered by an old version of Mac OS. 16. Futurama - Fear of a Bot Planet. Season 1, episode 5. At a makeshift trial, Fry and Leela find themselves accused of being humans. The judge overseeing the proceedings is an old Mac 128k. Note, here, the Mac OS style progress bar. And in a shot that sadly looks all too familiar to any pre-OS X Mac user, we see a system error and an all too familiar bomb icon when the Mac freezes up. And in a bit of uber Mac nerd humor, a character trying to help shouts out, "try Control-Alt-Delete!" 17. The Simpsons - Mypods and Boomsticks. Season 20, episode 7. After years of subtle Apple references, The Simpsons in 2008 thought it high time to launch a full fledged satirical attack on all things Apple. Nothing was free from ridicule in this episode; Apple stores, iPods, iPhones, Steve Jobs, Apple's iconic 1984 commercial. This episode introduced us to the world of all things Mapple and may very well be the most widely known Apple reference to ever appear on either The Simpsons or Futurama. The action begins when the Simpson family is at a mall and Lisa gets excited upon noticing a Mapple Store, a dead ringer in both name and appearance to an Apple Store. "It's so sterile!", she exclaims upon entering. "Mypods, Myphones, a braniac bar!" Particularly funny is the Mapple store employee telling Homer that the light from the glowing MyCube "confirms that it's off." All in all, the first few minutes of this entire episode are rife with subtle and not-so-subtle jabs at Apple. From Lisa asking for fake white earbuds so people think she has a MyPod to a live announcement from "Mapple founder and Chief Imaginative Officer Steve Mobbs." While Jobs (eh, I mean Mobbs) is speaking, Bart hijacks the audio feed and proceeds to lambast the Mapple faithful. You're all losers. You think you're cool because you buy a $500 phone with a picture of a fruit on it. But guess what, they cost $8 bucks to make and I pee on every one. I have made a fortune off you chumps and I've invested it all in Microsoft. Now my boyfriend Bill Gates and I kiss each other on pile of your money. Dems be fighting words! Not being able to take it any more, Comic Book Guy shouts, "Traitor! Your heart is blacker than your turtleneck!" as he wields a sledgehammer and tosses it at the large video display of Mobbs -- an obvious homage to Apple's famous "1984" commercial. Comically, someone after the fact states, "Who dares question the boss we fired 10 years ago and then brought back!" Now as for the Mapple universe, I was able to chat with longtime Simpsons director David Silverman who explained that the Simpsons staff are very conscious about not resorting to the "Mapple" parody too often. "In fact, these days we are careful not to over-do our "Mapple" parody logo (apple with two bites)," Silverman told me. "We really don't want to be seen as doing product placement." So while the show does have a number of permanent references to real world products (Kwik-E Mart and 7-11, Squishee and Slurpee, Laramie cigarettes and Marlboro, Buzz Cola and Coke), Silverman said that those references are far enough removed from the real thing as to avoid suspicions of product placement. The "Mapple" parody, however, is rather close in name and design to actual Apple products so the issue a bit trickier there. "Even if it's in the Simpsons universe and we created it," Silverman explained, "we don't want to put it in every show because it looks like we're promoting it, and that's not our point. Mapple is too close to the real thing." Indeed, Silverman stressed that the Simpsons staff are solely concerned with one thing -- churning out comedy. If a particular scene is funnier with a Mapple reference, than so be it, but superfluous Mapple references aren't part of some hidden agenda to promote Apple in any way. Driving the point home, Silverman even said that series creator Matt Groening at times has nixed the depiction of Mapple products when they they serve no broader comedic purpose. In short, the show doesn't want to seem like they are endorsing any specific product, ever. 18. Futurama - A Flight to Remember. Season 2, episode 1. In this episodic parody of the movie Titanic, Bender at one point looks to drown his sorrows with some Pennzoil and Jagermeister at the bar of a space cruise ship. The bartender? Why it's trusty ole iZac whose name (not to mention the style of his nametag) pays homage to the original Bondi Blue iMac. iZac re-appears ever so sparingly in future Futurama episodes as well. 19. The Simpsons - Marge vs. The Monorail. Season 4, episode 12. Look closely, there's an original Mac being stolen! I asked Silverman how these subtle Mac references that wouldn't ordinarily be specified in a script would often come about. He answered: Most animators who had computers early in the 90s (and there weren't too many) were using Macs as they were by far more artistic friendly back then - there's little debate about that. So, yes, perhaps references crept in. HOWever -- we were careful not to be seen "promoting" any product. I really can't emphasize that enough. Occasional glimpses of a product, like in Homer Defined, sure. But it wasn't an on-going thing. It occurs to me that Macs back in the 90s had a very distinct look, which may account for another reason they show up from time to time in those shows. 20. Futurama - Clockwork Origin. Season 6, episode 9. In this episode, we're introduced to the Wozniak Nerd Academy, an homage to everyone's favorite self-professed nerd -- Woz. 21. Futurama - A Bicyclops Built For 2. Season 2, episode 13. In this episode, we see Bender using a Mac OS styled menu with the appropriate keyboard shortcuts. 22. The Simpsons - Politically Inept with Homer Simpson. Season 23, episode 10. In this episode, Homer becomes the host of his own talk show, a program aptly titled, "Politically Inept with Homer Simpson." The news ticker at the bottom reveals that Steve Jobs is up to his old tricks, having recently unveiled the iGhost. 23. Futurama - Attack of the Killer App. Season 6, episode 3. Two years after Apple skewered the Apple fanbase with its Mapple Store episode, it was time for Futurama to step up to the plate. And that they did, with season 6's "Attack of the Killer App." The Apple references here are a'plenty. The episode begins at an e-waste recycling festival where, if you look closely, we see yet again what appears to be an original Mac. Following that, we see the Planet Express crew lounging around and watching TV when a commercial for a new eyePhone from Mom comes on. "With the new eyePhone," the commercial boasts, "you can watch, listen, ignore your friends, stalk your ex, download p*rno on a crowded bus, even check your email while getting hit by a train." Intrigued by the commercial, the crew heads out to pick up eyePhones at Mom's store before finding themselves waiting in a line that stretches back for blocks. Naturally, everyone waiting in line is depicted as a mindless zombie intent on blindly handing over their money for this newfangled eyePhone. Once inside, the references to Apple retail store are in full effect; from the Mom logo which bears a striking resemblance to the Apple logo all the way down to the dancing iPod silhouettes that grace the walls. With some funky music playing in the background, Amy comically states, "Wow, it's that obscure underground song that's constantly playing everywhere." Sounds about right. Later, we see Fry about to purchase an eyePhone when the store clerk tells him, "okay, it's $500, you have no choice of carrier, the battery can't hold a charge, and the reception isn't..." Fry then abruptly interrupts him and shouts "SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!" Just a few months ago, series co-creater David X. Cohen explained the impetus behind this line in an interview with Rolling Stone. "It's one of the first episodes we did when we came back on the air on Comedy Central after a long hiatus of cancellation, and one thing that happened while we were off the air is that technology in our daily lives did evolve tremendously," Cohen says. "This particular line . . . at the time we put it in the script, I said, 'This line is going to be quoted and remembered.' It's rare that I feel like we have captured something so clearly and distinctly, and that was one of those moments. I felt like that was a rare opportunity for a show set in the year 3000 to nail something happening in the current day." Moving along, we're next treated to a video clip of Mom explaining the benefits of the eyePhone. "The new eyePhone is wonderful," she says. "I use it to check recipes and send threatening emails to unauthorized third party app developers." (A joke more on point back in 2010 when it first aired.) The episode later ends with the entire city walking towards Mom's store like mindless zombies to pick up the recently announced eyePhone 2.0. Peering down on all these future customers, Mom remarks, "dumb bastards." Curiously, the "dumb bastards" line was later removed from the online version of the episode on Comedy Central's website. 24. The Simpsons - Bart has Two Mommies. Season 17, episode 14 At a church fundraiser, Reverend Lovejoy oversees a rubber duck race where the winner is promised a new FeMac, "the computer just for women." Clearly a riff on the iMac G4, the FeMac runs AOL and is voiced by Susan Sarandon who remarks upon receiving a new email message: "You've got mail, unlike the prisoners at Guantanamo bay. Get informed." 25. Futurama - The Series Has Landed. Season 1, episode 2. In this episode, Fry and Leela end up on a moon farm where a farmer offers them some precious Oxygen so long as they promise not to romance his three robot daughters, one of which is named Daisy-Mae 128k. Now this could be coincidental, but given the sheer volume of Mac references throughout the entire series, it stands to reason that this is a subtle shoutout to the original Mac 128k. 26. The Simpsons - A Tree Grows in Springfield. Season 24, episode 6. Homer in this episode wins a MyPad at a school auction and subsequently becomes addicted to it. Upon first firing up the ole' MyPad, Homer is greeted by Steve Mobbs who is speaking from "beyond the grave" and says, "The product you hold is like a giant, expensive smartphone that can't call anyone. Isn't that incredible?" Next, Mobbs scares Homer into agreeing to purchase every future Mapple product, lest he be forced to purchase a device from, gasp!, Hewlett-Packard. The first half of the episode has quite a few Apple references, from familiar Siri sounds when Homer uses his MyPad, to a Smart Cover for Homer's MyPad, to some nice spoofs of popular mobile games, like an Angry Birds rip-off called "Vengeful Pigs." Homer at one point even tells Moe that he's FaceTiming with Lenny, who himself happens to be using two MyPhones while mid-flight. Also of note is Marge telling Homer, "that adult etch-a-sketch has certainly brightened your mood." But the best is Mr. Burns calling Homer's MyPad an "Edison Slate." Later on in the episode we see that God uses a MyPad and is being bossed around by Steve Mobbs into getting yet the latest iteration of the MyPad. 27. The Simpsons - Flaming Moe. Season 22, episode 11. Just Bart and Millhouse engaging in some old-fashioned vandalism. 28. Futurama - Bender should not be allowed on TV. Season 4, episode 6. In this episode which sees Bender become a soap opera star, you'll notice that a TV network president uses an old version of Apple's QuickTime player to communicate. 29. The Simpsons - The Good, the Sad and the Drugly. Season 20, episode 17 In this episode, Lisa begins researching what Springfield will look like in 50 years. Her tool of choice? An iMac. What's more, when we take a look at her screen, it's clear that she's using Safari. You can also make out the red, yellow, and green window buttons in the upper left hand corner. We later see Lisa using the same trusty iMac in episode 22 of Season 22, Homer Scissorhands. 30. Futurama - Obsoletely Fabulous. Season 5, episode 14. In this episode, Bender finds himself stranded on an island populated with obsolete robots, a loveable gang that includes the Sinclair 2K -- a robot with very little memory -- and a robot named Lisa that runs on water. The Sinclair 2K is likely a reference to the Timex Sinclair 1000, a 1982 home computer with just 2K of RAM. The outdated Lisa robot, meanwhile, is likely a reference to the famed Apple Lisa. 31. Futurama - Mars University. Season 2, episode 2. This episode is a personal favorite as it sees Fry attend Mars University where he finds his roommate is an intelligent and snooty monkey named Gunter. It also features Bender taking a group of nerdy Fraternity brothers under his wing. In one particular scene, Bender and the other fellas from the aptly named Robot House try to spy on a girl's computer through her dorm window. It happens fast, but if you pay close attention you'll note that the girl is using an original Mac. "Robot Hooouse!!" 32. The Simpsons - All About Lisa. Season 19 episode 20. The couch gag in this episode features each Simpsons character being dragged to the couch on an Apple screen, after which the entire family is selected and trashed via the File menu. 33. Futurama - The Problem with Popplers. Season 2, episode 15. In this episode we see that Hermes, who Fry once referred to as an "outer space potato man," likes getting down with an original Blueberry iBook G3 (antenna not included). 34. The Simpsons - Homer's Phobia. Season 8, episode 15. Here we see an old fashioned Mac screen, complete with a black cursor and the Sosumi alert sound. 35. Futurama - Forty Percent Leadbelly. Season 7, episode 14. At the end of this episode, we're led to believe that Bender has been killed by a train. At his funeral, we treated to a folky ode to Bender with the following Apple-inspired lyrics. Then the steel driving man ran his train through the wall, and crashed him flatter than a MacBook Air, lord. Crashed him flatter than a MacBook Air. And of course, the "funeral" itself was bankrolled by Apple Inc. Look closely and you can see that Bubblegum Tate and one of Bender's frat brothers are in attendance. 36. Futurama - When Aliens Attack. Season 1, episode 12. This episode centers on aliens invading earth after the final episode of the Television show "Single Female Lawyer" is interrupted due to technical difficulties. Engaging in a bit of freeze frame fun, note the classic Mac OS desktop below. This episode also gives me an excuse to highlight one of the all-time great Zapp Brannigan quotes: "If we can hit that bullseye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards. Checkmate." 37. The Simpsons - Thirty Minutes over Tokyo. Season 10, episode 23. This episode sees the Simpson family head on over to Tokyo, but before that, we're treated to Homer and Lisa hanging out in an amusingly titled cyber cafe called The Java Server with a welcome sign that reads, wel.com. Inside The Java Server, we see a number of desktops bearing a strong resemblance to the blueberry and tangerine colored iMacs G3s which were released about 12 months before the episode aired. And seeing as how series creator Mat Groening once said that each episode, from creation to air, is about a 6-8 month process, those iMacs were the latest and greatest Apple had at the time. 38. Futurama - Bendless Love. Season 3, episode 6. In this episode, we see that the Bending School where Bender graduated from installed him with a version of Mac OS, as evidenced by the progress bar below. Bender's Mac roots obviously help explain why Apple later funded his "funeral" in season 7. "Hooray, I graduated! Time to bend around Europe for a few months, then get a job bending." 39. The Simpsons - Lisa Goes Gaga. Season 23, episode 22 A few Mac references surface in this episode, including Moe working on an impressively detailed original iMac. The episode also depicts Lady Gaga using a Mapple MyPhone, though she clearly hasn't upgraded to iOS 7 yet. 40. The Simpsons - MyPods and Boomsticks. Season 20, episode 7. There's just so much Apple in this episode I had to break it up into two parts. At the end of this episode, we see Lisa, distraught upon seeing her MyBill, visit Steve Mobbs at Mapple headquarters conveniently located at the bottom of the ocean. 41. The Simpsons - There's Something About Marrying. Season 16, Episode 10. This episode centers on same sex marriage and features Homer becoming a minister as a means to marry people and make money. In searching for a divinity school, we see that Homer is still using a pre-OS X Mac. While shots featuring the old style scrollbars are prevalent, I added this one in here on account of the control strip in the lower left hand corner, a Mac OS mainstay in the pre OS X days. It also appears that Homer is a Netscape man. 42. The Simpsons - Them Robot. Season 23, episode 17. Always an early adopter, here is Mr. Burns with a first-gen iPad. Try as I might, I just can't find those apps on the App Store. Which is a shame, because I could sure be up for some Angry Burns right about now. 43. The Simpsons - Homer's Mom She doesn't show up often, but if you've watched the show long enough, you've likely seen episodes featuring Homer's Mom, a woman named Mona Simpson. Her first major appearance occurred during the episode titled "Mother Simpson", the 8th episode from season 7. So what's the Apple connection here? If you're not familiar with this story, be prepared to have your mind blown. As it turns out, former Simpsons writer Richard Appel named Homer's Mom after his wife, a novelist named Mona Simpson. And here's where things get interesting -- Mona Simpson (the novelist, not the cartoon) just so happens to be Steve Jobs' younger biological sister. Incidentally, her New York Times eulogy for Jobs is well worth reading if you haven't seen it yet. Final notes: As I was researching this post, I came across a myriad of episodes in both shows featuring computers running older versions of Mac OS. I therefore chose not to list many of these as doing so would have been rather superfluous. Here's a representative example from Futurama featuring a classic Mac OS window. Also, I did not include superfluous shots of products that incidentally bore the Mapple logo. And with that, this list has come to an end! If there are any Apple references you particularly enjoyed or remembered seeing yourself on-air, please drop a note in the comments below. That also goes for any significant Apple references I may have happened to miss.
The Simpsons pokes fun at Siri
Oh, Siri. We love you, but you sure are easy to make fun of. Your words can be twisted and tweaked to mean things you didn't intend, and your monotone delivery has an instant comedic quality. And that's probably why The Simpsons decided to have a bit of fun at your expense. The clip -- which we've embedded below -- features a totally not-copyright-infringing iPhone clone and a virtual assistant named Siri. Siri misunderstands a command, an unfortunate deletion of contacts occurs and hilarity ensues. Series creator Matt Groening isn't exactly a stranger to lampooning Apple -- an entire episode of the recently concluded Futurama was dedicated to the "eyePhone." Called Attack Of The Killer App, the episode featured not only a futuristic communications device, but also a legion of helpless fans devoted to purchasing anything and everything the company offered. Sound familiar? [via CNET]
The Perfect Ten: Franchises that would make great MMOs
Any MMO player worth his or her salt has a binder full of ideas for games, usually based on a favorite book, television, or movie franchise. We've talked about it before. We've discussed whether or not it's a good idea to even have IP-driven MMOs. But you know what we've never done? We've never consulted me. I'm hurt, to be honest. I know that I'm just one of millions of MMO players, but I have a binder too! It's a vintage Trapper Keeper with a wizard on the cover who is dashing among abstract geometric shapes. My mom thought it was cool and my friends think it's totally rad. Inside are the secrets to hit MMOs that studios are just too scared to make but would be bigger than World of Warcraft if someone would just take the chance. I know it. Today I'm going to open up that binder and shove my ideas in your face. And then, knowing how these things go, I will raise up every geek voice against my picks in the comments section. Bring it on. My wizard can handle all of you.
Matt Groening's pre-Simpsons art for Apple
Matt Groening of The Simpsons fame worked on some offbeat illustrations for Apple in the late '80s. According to Linus Edwards of VintageZen, Groening has never publicly spoken about the ads, but images of the works are still floating around the internet. Edwards has compiled some of these unique ads and discusses their background. We've already seen Groening's college brochure several years ago, but the other one-page ads inspired by Groening's Life in Hell series are a bit more rare. Head over to VintageZen to check them out. [Via The Loop]
The Simpsons 'Tapped Out' in free-to-play iOS game
The Simpsons are going to your phone! Again! Cnet reports that EA is planning to release a free-to-play Simpsons game called The Simpsons: Tapped Out. The free iOS game focuses on rebuilding Springfield after Homer blows it up. Unlockable characters (voiced by the show's actors) will give you quests as you work on your version of the city.Of course, your progress will be limited every day, unless you purchase virtual currency, in the denomination of "donuts." You'll also be able to find them in town.Tapped Out is due on iOS in the next few weeks. An Android version will follow a few months later.
