11/05/2013
'SIMPSONS' EXEC PROD TALKS SHOW'S KISS TRIBUTE
Last night�s (November 3) episode of The Simpsons was one for the ages. Titled �Four Regrettings And A Funeral,� it featured one of the show�s most epic �couch gags� ever, an understated and sweet goodbye to longtime character Mrs. Krabappel, and a pretty hilarious reference to �The Hottest Band In The World.�
�Four Regrettings� saw four characters � Homer and Marge Simpson, Mr. Burns and news anchor Kent Brockman � look back on their lives and consider the questionable choices they�ve made. Mr. Burns let the love of his life slip away because he couldn�t take her advice to think about others for five minutes a day. Homer sold all of his Apple stock to buy a bowling ball. Kent Brockman didn�t follow his former co-anchor Rachel Maddow (appearing as herself) in trading local news for the big time. And Marge Simpson wonders if perhaps she is responsible for son Bart�s rebellious streak, due to � of all things � an unexplained hankering for the music and imagery of KISS during her pregnancy.Last night�s (November 3) episode of The Simpsons was one for the ages. Titled �Four Regrettings And A Funeral,� it featured one of the show�s most epic �couch gags� ever, an understated and sweet goodbye to longtime character Mrs. Krabappel, and a pretty hilarious reference to �The Hottest Band In The World.�
�Four Regrettings� saw four characters � Homer and Marge Simpson, Mr. Burns and news anchor Kent Brockman � look back on their lives and consider the questionable choices they�ve made. Mr. Burns let the love of his life slip away because he couldn�t take her advice to think about others for five minutes a day. Homer sold all of his Apple stock to buy a bowling ball. Kent Brockman didn�t follow his former co-anchor Rachel Maddow (appearing as herself) in trading local news for the big time. And Marge Simpson wonders if perhaps she is responsible for son Bart�s rebellious streak, due to � of all things � an unexplained hankering for the music and imagery of KISS during her pregnancy.
This last one was such a bizarre twist, that Radio.com reached out to Simpsons Executive Producer Al Jean to ask about its origins. While Jean didn�t come up with the idea, he felt compelled to go along with it: �As a corporal in the KISS Army, I could only obey.�
�[Director] Jim Brooks suggested that Marge was hooked on KISS music when she was pregnant, and that she worried it had made Bart what he was,� Jean said.
Two songs from the KISS catalog made the episode, both of which had significance to Jean: �We used �Detroit Rock City� and �Christine Sixteen,� two songs that have special meaning for me (I am from Detroit, and left there for college at 16). As Marge said, �Anything from Love Gun� would be great.�
While KISS has very liberally licensed their image to cartoons before � they currently have partnerships with Hello Kitty and Family Guy � the band�s representatives still needed to approve of the script before granting the rights to use their music. �Their [music] publisher was sent all the script pages referring to the music when we cleared it,� Jean said. �Sometimes people raise issues with content, but KISS were great sports.�
And they had to be great sports. Marge and Homer dress up like Gene, for crying outloud! As Homer wags his tongue Simmons-style, Marge asks him to �do that thing Gene Simmons does.� Homer�s immortal response: �What, overstay my welcome for 40 years?�
�As a show that�s been around for 25 years,� Jean says, �we have the utmost sympathy.�
�Four Regrettings� saw four characters � Homer and Marge Simpson, Mr. Burns and news anchor Kent Brockman � look back on their lives and consider the questionable choices they�ve made. Mr. Burns let the love of his life slip away because he couldn�t take her advice to think about others for five minutes a day. Homer sold all of his Apple stock to buy a bowling ball. Kent Brockman didn�t follow his former co-anchor Rachel Maddow (appearing as herself) in trading local news for the big time. And Marge Simpson wonders if perhaps she is responsible for son Bart�s rebellious streak, due to � of all things � an unexplained hankering for the music and imagery of KISS during her pregnancy.Last night�s (November 3) episode of The Simpsons was one for the ages. Titled �Four Regrettings And A Funeral,� it featured one of the show�s most epic �couch gags� ever, an understated and sweet goodbye to longtime character Mrs. Krabappel, and a pretty hilarious reference to �The Hottest Band In The World.�
�Four Regrettings� saw four characters � Homer and Marge Simpson, Mr. Burns and news anchor Kent Brockman � look back on their lives and consider the questionable choices they�ve made. Mr. Burns let the love of his life slip away because he couldn�t take her advice to think about others for five minutes a day. Homer sold all of his Apple stock to buy a bowling ball. Kent Brockman didn�t follow his former co-anchor Rachel Maddow (appearing as herself) in trading local news for the big time. And Marge Simpson wonders if perhaps she is responsible for son Bart�s rebellious streak, due to � of all things � an unexplained hankering for the music and imagery of KISS during her pregnancy.
This last one was such a bizarre twist, that Radio.com reached out to Simpsons Executive Producer Al Jean to ask about its origins. While Jean didn�t come up with the idea, he felt compelled to go along with it: �As a corporal in the KISS Army, I could only obey.�
�[Director] Jim Brooks suggested that Marge was hooked on KISS music when she was pregnant, and that she worried it had made Bart what he was,� Jean said.
Two songs from the KISS catalog made the episode, both of which had significance to Jean: �We used �Detroit Rock City� and �Christine Sixteen,� two songs that have special meaning for me (I am from Detroit, and left there for college at 16). As Marge said, �Anything from Love Gun� would be great.�
While KISS has very liberally licensed their image to cartoons before � they currently have partnerships with Hello Kitty and Family Guy � the band�s representatives still needed to approve of the script before granting the rights to use their music. �Their [music] publisher was sent all the script pages referring to the music when we cleared it,� Jean said. �Sometimes people raise issues with content, but KISS were great sports.�
And they had to be great sports. Marge and Homer dress up like Gene, for crying outloud! As Homer wags his tongue Simmons-style, Marge asks him to �do that thing Gene Simmons does.� Homer�s immortal response: �What, overstay my welcome for 40 years?�
�As a show that�s been around for 25 years,� Jean says, �we have the utmost sympathy.�
