Fraudcast News
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| The Simpsons episode | |
| "Fraudcast News" | |
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| Episode no. | 335 |
| Prod. code | FABF18 |
| Orig. Airdate | May 23, 2004 |
| Written by | Don Payne |
| Directed by | Bob Anderson |
| Couch gag | The couch is located at a Japanese bus stop and the family members fly in dressed as popular anime characters. |
| Season 15 November 2, 2003 – May 23, 2004 |
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| List of all Simpsons episodes... | |
"Fraudcast News" is the 22nd and last episode of The Simpsons' fifteenth season, first aired on May 23, 2004 in the United States.
[edit] Synopsis
Springfield holds a ceremony dedicating their newest national park, Geezer Rock, a rock formation which resembles a face in profile. As Lisa prepares to read a poem there, Homer notices that there is a small tree growing 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 everyone runs for their lives—except for Mr. Burns, who 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. Meanwhile, it turns out that Burns survived the horrible landslide—through slithering his way out!—but nobody except Smithers has missed him. To improve his image, he decides to acquire every media outlet in Springfield. Meanwhile, Lisa distributes the very first issue of her newspaper, "The Red Dress Press", which is well-received. She enlists the help of Bart, Milhouse, and Nelson, 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). Meanwhile, Lisa is saddened that all the others left her, but is relieved when Bart decides to stay and help Lisa publish more issues. Later, Burns tries to bait Lisa with ponies in an attempt to acquire 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 (and even drugs him) so he can dish some dirt on Lisa. Lisa writes her final "I Give Up" edition and gives up, but Homer responds by creating his own newspaper, and other people also create their own newspapers.
Burns ultimately decides that acquiring all media outlets isn't so great, so he goes out on a shopping spree with Smithers.
The episode is a satire of the FCC's new rules on media ownership.
[edit] 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.
- This marks the first episode, since Season 7's "Marge be not Proud" where a character is grounded.
- Futurama has numerous cameos in the show The Simpsons. In this episode, Squeaky Voiced Teen is seen attempting suicide, jumping off a cliff screaming, "Why did they cancel Futurama?!".
- At the end, Mr. Burns says that "one cannot control all media unless one is Rupert Murdoch" and stares into the screen smiling, with Smithers nodding. Murdoch is the owner of many media including Fox TV, where the show is aired.
[edit] Cultural references
- Booberella is directly inspired by the movie hostess Elvira.
- 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"
