No political jokes in Springfield, says Simpsons creator Groening
US cartoonist and creator of the TV series "The Simpsons" Matt Groening (left), US screenwriter Matt Selman (center) and US producer and director David Silverman (right) pose during a photo session on the sidelines of the 49th Annecy International Film Festival in Annecy.--AFP
Like many American families struggling for unity in the polarised United States, The Simpsons have decided to avoid political jokes, the creator of the series Matt Groening told AFP. Despite the potential for storylines and humour, Groening ruled out venturing into America's toxic politics for laughs. "We don't do political humour because political humour is very limited. It dates very quickly," he said during an interview at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in the French Alps.
A Simpsons season takes at least six to nine months to produce, raising the risk of gags turning stale, Groening explained. The show –- broadcast on US network Fox TV and on Disney Plus, which now owns the series –- has sometimes appeared to predict real events, such as Donald Trump's election, which was first referenced in an episode in 2000. It has also featured parodies in the past of a host of politicians from Bill Clinton to Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
"We just have to stay true to our characters, their spirit and their relationships. And when they face the sadness of the world, people feel briefly connected to them," writer-producer Matt Selman told AFP. Despite Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie remaining frozen in time since their debut in 1989, the writers have ensured the story lines move with the times.
A recent episode parodied artificial intelligence when a chatbot was asked to write the finale. "In the plot of that episode, AI was given the job of writing the perfect finale. And of course, it just regurgitated and spat out all the other finales from all the other shows in very unoriginal and silly ways that of course would be terrible," said Selman. "It was our attempt to push back at AI, push back at ever ending the show."
The natural environment remains a rich source of inspiration, including in "The Simpsons Movie" in 2007 which featured a disaster caused by Homer that leads to Springfield being sealed under a giant dome. "The environment's not going to get cleaned up anytime soon," Groening added. The Simpsons Movie grossed $536.4 million worldwide, but the creators ruled out making a sequel -- for the moment.
"We are still recovering from the first movie," joked Groening. "And the sad truth is we don't have enough time to do both the show and the movie unless we decide we want to work really, really hard." The Simpsons has been translated into 26 languages and broadcast in around 100 countries. The 800th episode is set to air in early 2026.--AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Kuwait Times
7 hours ago
- Kuwait Times
Giorgio Armani to miss Milan Fashion Week shows
Italian designer Giorgio Armani greets the audience at the end of his collection show at Milan's Fashion Week Men's Fall / Winter 2025-2026 in Milan, Italy, on January 20, 2025.--AFP Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani, who is 'currently recovering at home', will miss two of his shows at the Milan Fashion Week, his company said Friday. The 90-year-old designer will not attend Saturday's and Monday's shows, set to present Armani's menswear collections for Spring-Summer 2026, a statement said. 'Armani has worked with his usual dedication on the collections that will be presented,' the fashion house said, and 'although he cannot be there in person, he will closely follow every phase of the shows'. Armani, also known as 'Re Giorgio' ('King Giorgio'), has built an empire in the luxury industry. Widely regarded as a visionary creator, he is celebrated for his haute couture, ready-to-wear, accessories, perfumes, jewellery and interior design, as well as luxury hospitality in cities such as Milan, Paris, New York, Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai. - AFP
Kuwait Times
7 hours ago
- Kuwait Times
US singer Chris Brown pleads not guilty in UK assault case
American R&B singer Chris Brown on Friday pleaded not guilty in a UK court to a charge stemming from an alleged London nightclub brawl in 2023. Brown, 36, in a navy blue three-piece suit and tie and wearing glasses, stood in the dock as the charge was put to him, replying: 'Not guilty, ma'am.' The singer, who is on £5 million ($6.7 million) bail, made no comment as he arrived earlier to find a large group of photographers gathered outside the central London court. He spoke only during the hearing to confirm his name and date of birth and enter his plea to the charge of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent. He smiled and waved to fans in the public gallery as he left. A five to seven-day long trial was fixed to start on October 26, 2026. Currently on the UK leg of an international tour, Brown spent nearly a week in jail last month before being released on bail. Police arrested the star at a five-star hotel in the northwestern city of Manchester hours after reportedly flying in by private jet. Under the terms of his bail, he will forfeit the £5 million guarantee if he fails to return for court proceedings. Judge Tony Baumgartner gave him the green light to continue his scheduled tour which began on June 8 in Amsterdam. The singer, who had a troubled relationship with Barbadian singer Rihanna, is next due to perform in London on Saturday ahead of dates in Manchester, Birmingham, Dublin and Glasgow. The tour will continue in France and Portugal in early July before a string of concerts in the US, wrapping up in Memphis in the US in October. Brown is charged in relation to an assault in which the victim was allegedly struck several times with a bottle before being pursued, punched and kicked. The alleged incident took place at the exclusive private member's club Tape in Hanover Square in London on February 19, 2023 while Brown was touring in the UK. Grammy winner Other bail terms include that he should surrender his passport if he is not travelling. He is also required to live at a specific address known to the court and is not permitted to visit the nightclub where the alleged assault took place or contact the alleged victim, Abraham Diah. Shortly after being released from prison in May, Brown posted an Instagram story referencing his 'Breezybowl' tour. 'From the cage to the stage. Breezybowl,' he posted. Brown appeared in the dock at Friday's London hearing with co-defendant Omololu Akinlolu, 39, also a US national, with whom he is jointly charged. Akinlolu also entered a not guilty plea to the same charge of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent. Both men are also jointly charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm . They will enter pleas to that charge on July 11, the court was told. Brown also faces a third charge of having an offensive weapon, a bottle, in public. The Grammy-winning singer is known for mid-2000s hits such as 'Kiss, Kiss'. He rose from a local church choir in Virginia to sudden fame with his rich R&B voice and later rap. — AFP
Kuwait Times
a day ago
- Kuwait Times
R Kelly lawyers allege he was target of ‘overdose' plot by prison guards
Singer R. Kelly appears during a hearing at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse on September 17, 2019 in Chicago. --AFP Lawyers for R Kelly said in recent court filings that the criminally convicted R&B singer suffered an 'overdose' of medication at the hands of prison officials. Kelly is currently serving a 30-year-prison sentence at a facility in North Carolina. He was found guilty of myriad crimes including federal racketeering and sex trafficking of minors. His lawyers alleged in a flurry of filings Monday and Tuesday that Kelly was in solitary confinement when prison staff instructed him to take an 'overdose quantity of medication' on June 12. The 58-year-old became 'faint' and 'dizzy' by the next morning, the filing alleges. 'Mr Kelly tried to get up, but fell to the ground. He crawled to the door of the cell and lost consciousness,' his attorneys said. The court papers say Kelly was taken in an ambulance to Duke University Hospital and that he was under treatment for two days. Queried by AFP, the Bureau of Prisons declined to comment. 'For privacy, safety, and security reasons, we do not discuss the conditions of confinement for any incarcerated individual, including medical and health-related issues. Additionally, the Bureau of Prisons does not comment on pending litigation or matters that are the subject of legal proceedings,' the office said in a statement. Kelly's lawyers had previously filed an emergency motion for release to home detention, saying that the once-famous artist was the target of a murder plot orchestrated by prison officials. In opposing the request, government attorneys called the accusations 'fanciful' and 'theatrical.' The request 'makes a mockery of the harm suffered by Kelly's victims,' the Chicago federal lawyers said, adding that it wasn't filed in the correct court with the jurisdiction to even entertain the accusations. Kelly was convicted in 2021 in New York federal court for using an enterprise to systematically recruit and traffic teenagers and women for sex. The singer known for hits including 'I Believe I Can Fly' was then convicted one year later in Chicago federal court in a separate trial, in which jurors found him guilty of producing child pornography and enticement of a minor. He is currently serving the New York prison sentence, and will serve almost all of the Chicago sentence concurrently.—AFP
