Simpson Ride Wins Best Attraction Award
Hello guys, hope you enjoyed your weekend. I’m running SF on my own until Thursday.
The Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios Florida received a Thea Award for “Best Attraction” from the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) during the 2008 International Association of Amusements (IAAPA) Attractions Expodition.
Earlier this year, The Simpsons Ride was also awarded Best New Theme Park Attraction by Theme Park Insider. Nearly every park guest rates The Simpson Ride as “Excellent,” the highest rating possible in Universal’s guest surveys. These results, combined with this year’s awards, further reinforce Universal Parks and Resorts’ commitment to superior guest entertainment.
The Simpsons Ride showcases everything the popular televison series has made famous and that Simpsons fans love – a great story, humor and irreverence that are pure Simpsons, with original animation. Hand-picked by Krusty to be the first to ride his newest attraction, guests are thrust into the middle of the action and soar through Krustyland and Springfield on a ride that features the world’s first-ever cork screw that’s animated.
Gays Mad At Offensive THOH Swear
The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network is ticked off that The Simpsons annual “Treehouse of Horror” special had a line from Nelson Muntz that they consider a gay slur. Muntz said “that’s so gay” towards Milhouse in a scene in the episode that aired 02 November.
A spokesman for the group says that Muntz should visitthinkb4youspeak.com, a site that asks people not to use the word gay in a negative way. I guess that will be a Very Special Episode of The Simpsons.
The funny thing is this is not even the first time that the show has used the line “that’s so gay.” The line was used by one of Nelson’s buddies when he was dating Lisa several seasons ago. I will quote… “You have a girlfriend? That’s so gay!”
So, is this a slur or are people just overreacting at a joke, being too PC?
Simpsons’ Meh Now In Dictonary
The expression of indifference or boredom has gained a place in the Collins English Dictionary after generating a surprising amount of enthusiasm among lexicographers.
Publisher HarperCollins announced the word had been chosen from terms suggested by the public for inclusion in the dictionary’s 30th anniversary edition, to be published next year. The origins of “meh” are murky, but the term grew in popularity after being used in a 2001 episode of The Simpsons in which Homer suggests a day trip to his children Bart and Lisa.
“They both just reply ‘meh’ and keep watching TV,” said Cormac McKeown, head of content at Collins Dictionaries. The dictionary defines “meh” as an expression of indifference or boredom, or an adjective meaning mediocre or boring. Examples given by the dictionary include “the Canadian election was so meh”.
The dictionary’s compilers said the word originated in North America, spread through the internet and was now entering British spoken English. ”This is a new interjection from the US that seems to have inveigled its way into common speech over here,” McKeown said. ”Internet forums and email are playing a big part in formalising the spellings of vocal interjections like these. A couple of other examples would be ‘hmm’ and ‘heh’.”
“Meh” was selected by Collins after it asked people to submit words they use in conversation that are not in the dictionary. Other suggestions included jargonaut, a fan of jargon; frenemy, an enemy disguised as a friend; and huggles, a hybrid of hugs and snuggles.
Another BK Simpsons Deal
Burger King is partnering with the series for a global promotion launching this week. Centered around the Kids Meal, it includes 17 million premiums, custom-created TV spots and in-store and online media. It will roll out across 58 international territories, including Asia, Europe and South America.
BK’s relationship with the yellow, animated family from Springfield goes back 16 years – during which it has run 10 co-branded programs. “There’s enough of a halo effect, and the property has such widespread appeal that it’s not really necessary to have a movie or DVD release,” said Cindy Syracuse, BK’s senior director, cultural marketing.
BK, which launched the hugely popular Simpsonize Me around The Simpsons Movie in 2007, will be the first partner to get its hands on the famous couch gag that leads every Simpsons show. The fast feeder’s ad agency, Campbell Mithun, Minneapolis, has created a live-action TV spot that plays off the opening sequence of the series with the family clowning around on the living room sofa. Collectible premiums in Kids Meals will follow that theme, snapping together to make a wacky tableau under the tagline, “Hang out with the Simpsons.” The Pitch Agency, Los Angeles, helped create the program.
With the show’s consistent track record, consumer products sales that now top $6 billion, popular Simpsons theme-park attractions in Hollywood and Orlando, and a movie that raked in $527 million worldwide, Fox can afford to cherry pick its Simpsons partners.
“We look for the highest level blue-chip brands and partnerships with a major scope,” said Howard Nelson, vp of worldwide promotion at Fox Licensing and Merchandising. “You won’t see us doing small brand partnerships for this property.”
Fox, which recently re-signed the show’s voice talent to new three-year deals, is prepping for the 20th anniversary of The Simpsons to kick off in 2009. The TV season is on the cusp of November sweeps, and there’s a season 11 DVD recently launched into the market. But those factors didn’t drive the current BK deal.
The Good, The Sad & The Drugly
This is the last of the new episodes, named after the classic “The Good, The Bad & The Ugly”.
The Good, the Sad and the Drugly will feature a charitable girl who Bart falls in love with, prompting Bart to behave in order to date her.
However, she discovers his true personality, causing him to end up reverting back to his old ways. Another shattered romance. Anne Hathaway voices the charitable girl.
