Fair And Balanced FOX threatened to sue Simpsons

[Doomstone]

You can't make this stuff up...

Linky Link (http://www.icv2.com/articles/home/3745.html)



During an interview broadcast today on NPR's Fresh Air, Simpsons creator Matt Groening revealed that the Fox News Network had threatened to sue The Simpsons over a parody of the right-leaning news channel. The highly sensitive news organization, which is headed by Roger Ailes, made headlines this summer with an ill-starred lawsuit against humorist Al Franken's book, Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them. The Fox suit was thrown out in court and only succeeded in making Franken's book a bestseller. According to Groening, the Simpsons team refused to cut out the segment, which Groening told Fresh Air he "really liked," figuring that Rupert Murdoch wouldn't allow the Fox News cable network to sue the Fox Broadcast Network, which carries The Simpsons. The Fox News Network did back down on its threat, although it has told The Simpsons creators that in the future, cartoon series will not be allowed to include a "news crawl" along the bottom of the screen, which might "confuse the viewers."


And the "news crawl" in question:



POINTLESS NEWS CRAWLS UP 37 PERCENT ... DO DEMOCRATS CAUSE CANCER? FIND OUT AT FOXNEWS.COM ... RUPERT MURDOCH: TERRIFIC DANCER ... DOW DOWN 5000 POINTS ... STUDY: 92 PERCENT OF DEMOCRATS ARE GAY ... JFK POSTHUMOUSLY JOINS REPUBLICAN PARTY ... OIL SLICKS FOUND TO KEEP SEALS YOUNG, SUPPLE ... DAN QUALYE: AWESOME ... ASHCROFT DECLARES BREAST OF CHICKEN SANDWICH "OBSCENE" ... HILLARY CLINTON EMBARRASSES SELF, NATION ... BIBLE SAYS JESUS FAVORED CAPITAL-GAINS CUT ... STAY TUNED FOR HANNITY AND IDIOT ... ONLY DORKS WATCH CNN ... JIMMY CARTER: OLD, WRINKLY, USELESS ... BRAD PITT + ALBERT EINSTEIN = DICK CHENEY ... RIGHT WING OF CHICKEN [cuts off here]

[Fallon]

I used to like Fox News, but now they got a bad attitude. I'm watching MSNBC more often now.

My favorite:
"BRAD PITT + ALBERT EINSTEIN = DICK CHENEY"

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[furie]

I think kent was tring to win favor with FNC by selling out the Simpsons.

http://espn.go.com/media/pg2/2002/0301/photo/kent_i.gif


<img src="http://tseery.homestead.com/files/tjfurie.jpg" height=100 width=300>

[TheMojoPin]

I remember jokingly remarking to one of the friends I was watching that episode with at the time that it wouldn't suprise me if Fox sued a show on their own sister network over something like this.

I am now the smartest man alive.

And that episode was hilarious. Krusty doing ANYTHING = comedy gold.

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2% << December boys got it BAD >> "You might tell some lies about the good times we've had/But I've kissed your mother twice...and now I'm working on your dad..."

[fluffernutter]

Ok, now FOX Network and FOX News Channel are under the same FOX Umbrella right?

That being the case I always wondered how in the hell FNC was so right-wing and conservative and FOX programming is anything but. If anything they are complete polar opposites. You got a loud mouth like Bill O'Reilly and then borderline smut like Paradise Island. I just don't get it or is this all in the name of the almighty dollar.

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To know about the Giggleloop, is to become part of the Giggleloop

[billyio]

Just call RUpert Murdoch,"Legion".

I cast thee out,FOX

See Ya!

[HBox]

http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/brain/images_27925/crying_baby.jpg

WE ARE TOO FAIR AND BALANCED!!!! STOP IT!!!!! WE ARE TOO!!!!!!! YES WE ARE!!!!!! WAHHHH!!!!!!

http://members.aol.com/joepersico/myhomepage/sig1.jpg?mtbrand=AOL_US

[TheMojoPin]

You got a loud mouth like Bill O'Reilly and then borderline smut like Paradise Island. I just don't get it or is this all in the name of the almighty dollar.

When you realize this, it makes you care even less about what hypocrites have to say. Fox never gets called out for its programming and films by these guys.

Of course, Bill has this AND the whole "Ludacris for kids, BAD, Osbournes for kids, GOOD" thing to make him look like a dink.

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2% << December boys got it BAD >> "You might tell some lies about the good times we've had/But I've kissed your mother twice...and now I'm working on your dad..."

[FMJeff]

maybe Fox news should consider the parody as a signal to scale down some of the more bombastic news creative and headlines they use throughout thier broadcast day...it's really getting ridiculous...

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It made my heart sing.

[high fly]

Good one, DOOMSTONE!

Part of it is the lack of a sense of humor by those on the hard right.
Just look at how pissed off they get at Doonesbury.

They have yet to figure out that The Simpsons and Doonesbury ARE CARTOONS!

" and they ask me why I drink"

[pennington]

or is this all in the name of the almighty dollar.


Of course! It's a business.

[pennington]

HILLARY CLINTON EMBARRASSES SELF, NATION ...

I like this one.

[Doomstone]

Update: 'Twas but a joke, says Groening (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44898-2003Oct30.html)

D'oh!

Fox still sucks regardless.

[Bama]

Ha, I guess you can make this stuff up.

http://www.ronfez.net/imagestorage/bamanation.jpg
YANKEES SUCK

[Evilpete]

Ha, I guess you can make this stuff up.



you just said Shepard (I look like a gay porno character) Smith's show's main storylime...

To show you how paranoid the are there here's a story of what happened to me recently. First the studio is under the news corp. building like it's a damn bunker. I went there for an interview for a freelance editor postion. I was told by the guy I was to meet with that I just had to mention who I was and why I was there to the front desk and it'd be all good and i'd get my visitor's pass. I do so, and the secretary didn't have my info at her desk and told me to basicly piss off. I mentioned the name of the person I was there to see and she wouldn't call him to find out. After 5 minutes of explaining/arguing with her, she calls security to escort me out. Later that day the moron who i was to meet with was angry that I blew him off. I just said I don't want to work for paranoid assholes with the midset and maturity of a 9-year old and hung up....

<img src="http://members.aol.com/evilpete66/images/hooliesig.jpg">


<marquee><b> IM me at Evilpete66 or I will be force to perform a "Tony Danza" on 'yo ass!!!

This message was edited by Evilpete on 10-31-03 @ 9:38 PM

[TheMojoPin]

Hey, I fell for this AND that Metallica story a while back.

They're funny 'cuz they're TRUE.

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2% << December boys got it BAD >> "You might tell some lies about the good times we've had/But I've kissed your mother twice...and now I'm working on your dad..."