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Revision as of 04:48, 4 December 2006 by 70.35.198.90 (talk) (→Cultural references)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) Episode of the 15th season of The Simpsons| "Fraudcast News" | |
|---|---|
| The Simpsons episode | |
 | |
| Episode no. | Season 15 |
| Directed by | Bob Anderson |
| Written by | Don Payne |
| Original air dates | May 23, 2004 |
| Episode features | |
| Couch gag | The couch is located at a Japanese bus stop and the family members fly in dressed as popular anime characters. |
| Episode chronology | |
| The Simpsons season 15 | |
| List of episodes | |
"Fraudcast News" is the 22nd and last episode of The Simpsons' fifteenth season, first aired on May 23, 2004.
Synopsis
Springfield holds a ceremony dedicating their newest national park, Geezer Rock, a rock which looks like New Hampshire's fallen Old Man of the Mountain and Lisa is going to read a poem there. Homer, however, notices that there is a twig in the eye of the rock, and pulls it out, believing he's doing the right thing. Unfortunately, this causes Geezer Rock to fall apart, and Mr. Burns winds up in a landslide. Smithers fears he has lost Mr. Burns.
Lisa, meanwhile, is saddened that no one ever heard her poem, and she publishes it on Marge's suggestion. Smithers is pleased that Burns survived the horrible landslide - through slithering his way out! But when Burns appears again, no one has apparently missed him. To improve his image, he decides to buy every media outlet in Springfield. Lisa distributes the first issue of her newspaper, "The Red Dress Press", which is well-received. She enlists the help of Bart, Milhouse, and Ralph, among others, to publish her newspaper's second issue.
Burns acquires all media outlets in Springfield...except Lisa's newspaper. His views are even promoted on Itchy & Scratchy (which he now writes and directs). Burns tries to bait Lisa with ponies in an attempt to buy her newspaper, but she won't give up. Burns gets back at Lisa by cutting the Simpsons' power off. Lisa writes her next issue through an old mimeograph Skinner used in Vietnam. Mr. Burns has a talk with Homer so he can dish some dirt on Lisa, which includes Burns drugging Homer. Lisa gives up on publishing, but Homer responds by creating his own newspaper, and other people also create their own newspaper.
The episode is a satire of the FCC's new rules on media ownership.
Trivia
- The Writer's Guild of America gave this episode a 2005 WGA Award, winning the Paul Selvin Award, which honors works that focus on First Amendment issues.
- Geezer Rock, both the collapse and the formation itself, is a parody of the Old Man of the Mountain collapse on May 3, 2003.
- At the end of the Itchy & Scratchy cartoon in the show, the last bit of dialogue is: (Burns Vulture) - "Nuclear Power is your friend, and so is Monty Burns", (Itchy) - "God Bless America! This cartoon was made in Korea (spoken quicker and quieter than "God Bless America"). That final line is accurate. The Simpsons is animated by AKOM in Seoul, South Korea, as well as Rough Draft Studios and Anivision.
- Shortly after Mr. Burns turns off the Simpson's power, Homer pulls out batteries that he claims have lasting power. He puts them into a radio machine, and the radio plays a tape with the song Wannabe by the Spice Girls.
Cultural references
- The title is a play on the name of James L. Brooks' 1987 film, Broadcast News.
- Mr. Burns' brain falls out of his ear, tiny and shriveled. This gag is lifted straight from "Sven Hoek"--perhaps not surprising, as Ron Hauge, director of several Ren and Stimpy shorts, has written several Simpsons episodes and is credited as a producer.
- The headline of Lisa's newspaper (shown above, in screenshot) is a reference to a 1970s New York Daily News headline: "Ford to City: Drop dead!"
- At one point when the crew is working on the paper, Bart calls Lisa "Chief," leading her to say "Don't call me chief." Perry White, editor of the Daily Planet in Superman comics, often says this after Jimmy Olsen calls him "chief."
- The song played during Skinner's flashback is Incense And Peppermints by Strawberry Alarm Clock. This song was also featured in Weekend at Burnsie's
Quotes
- Squeaky-voiced Teen: (jumping off a cliff) Why did they cancel Futurama?
(Falls and lands in a car with a couple kissing)
Girl: You crushed my boyfriend! You better be good at making out! (starts kissing Squeaky-voiced Teen) - Ralph: I wanna be a fire truck.
Lisa: How 'bout a feature columnist?
Ralph: Yay! I'm a feature columnist! (imitates a fire truck) - Kent Brockman: Thank you, Geezer Rock, for doing what none of us had the courage to do. Smoosh Mr. Burns.
- Smithers: Sir! You're alive!
Mr. Burns: (chuckles) Yes, that's right, I pulled a Jesus. - Bart: What's the big deal about a rock that looks like a dude? I've got a dad that looks like a monkey!
(Homer's appearance is akin to a monkey, complete with a banana.)
Homer: Bart! You promised you'd stop making that comparison! (strangles Bart) As per our agreement! - Burns: (after Lisa rejects his bribe) You just made a mistake! I'm going to shred you like a Christmas card! Now get out!
Lisa: I can't! My mom's not picking me up for an hour!
(Burns and Lisa fall into an awkward silence)
Burns: So...what do you think of today's popular music scene?
Lisa: I think it distracts people from more important social issues.
Burns: My God, are you always on? - (In a "Itchy and Scratchy" episode, written and directed by Mr. Burns, Scratchy is a hippie protesting a nuclear power plant when he is impaled by a business-type Itchy on a forklift)
Itchy: (calm) Let me tell you why you and all protestors are wrong.
Scratchy: Okay.
(they drive past an orphanage with several Itchy and Scratchy children)
Itchy: Nuclear power helps heat that orphanage and keeps that hospital humming.
(shows a hospital where a Scratchy with several imbedded weapons is taken away by two Itchy paramedics)
Scratchy: What about wind power? It's cheap and safe.
Itchy: Is it?
(Scratchy is then beheaded by a giant windmill. A vulture with Burns' facial features flies down)
Burns-Vulture: Remember children, nuclear power is your friend and so is Monty Burns.
Scratchy: Don't end up like me! Vote Republican!
Itchy: God bless America! (quickly) This cartoon was made in Korea. - Burns: (after learning the town does not miss him) I must find someway to get this town to love me.
Smithers: Sir, you can get the town's love through various good deeds.
Burns: Don't I already give out turkey slices to the poor?
Smithers: You eliminated that program in the 30's, sir.
Burns: They were getting too grabby! - Lisa: Okay, Nelson, what journalism skills do you have?
Nelson: Um, making nerds cry?
Lisa: Okay, you'll be a TV critic. - Lisa: Dad! Someone cut our power! Now I can't print my paper!
Homer: These two batteries have to power everything in our home.
(Homer plugs the batteries into something, which turns out to be a boombox. He then begins playing loudly and singing along to "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls, which drains the batteries in about five seconds)
Homer: That was totally worth it. - Burns: Hello, Beefcake Charlie.
- Boobarella: He's got a heart as big as my boooobs!
- Mayor Quimby: Thank you, Blood and Tears. Sorry to hear about Sweat.