10 posts and columns on The Simpsons

News Corp. Shuts Off Hulu Access to Cablevision Customers–And Turns It Back On [UPDATED]

in Media on October 16, 2010 at 2:18 pm PT

One new twist in the Cablevision-News Corp. fight: News Corp. cut off Cablevision subscribers’ access to its shows on Hulu, as well as its own Fox.com. And now it’s turning it back on again.

Hulu's "Modern Family" Problem

in Media on October 13, 2010 at 12:18 pm PT

“Modern Family” used to be available on Hulu, and then it went away. Now the hit show is back–but not all the way. It’s a digital rights mess that is all too common, and it’s a particular problem for the video site.

Here's the Real Mark Zuckerberg, Courtesy of "The Simpsons"

in Media on October 4, 2010 at 4:02 am PT

Yet another fictionalized take on the Facebook CEO. But this one has Mark Zuckerberg’s blessing, and voice. And more people saw it last night than “The Social Network” drew all weekend.

News Byte

D'oh! Mark Zuckerberg Set to Befriend Simpsons in Fall Cameo

in Media on July 22, 2010 at 7:00 am PT

A half-billion users is cool. But a guest spot on “The Simpsons” is cooler! New York Magazine says Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg will appear, as himself, on the show’s upcoming season. Plot summary: “In the episode, dubbed ‘Loan-A Lisa,’ Lisa decides to help fund Nelson’s new bike company. While attending an entrepreneurs convention, the two encounter Zuckerberg, who reminds the kids just how many famous billionaires–including himself–have dropped out of school.” The magazine thinks the episode may air in October–right around the release of “The Social Network.”

The iPad Will Be Great for Free and Cheap TV Shows. But Not This Weekend.

in Media on April 1, 2010 at 4:00 am PT

The iPad will be a great way to watch TV shows. But people who are used to watching lots of free or cheap top-tier TV programs via the Web won’t get the same experience on the iPad this weekend.

Time Warner's Jeff Bewkes Lays Off AOL CEO and President–in a New York Minute

in News on March 12, 2009 at 3:36 pm PT

Let’s just say the firing of AOL CEO Randy Falco and President Ron Grant was not exactly expected–even if everyone thought it should happen–within the high ranks of the troubled online unit, until Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes dropped the guillotine this afternoon in Manhattan. And drop it he did, lopping off the pair of executives Bewkes had installed himself. He replaced them with Tim Armstrong, Google’s head of ad sales, a man with a much brighter resume, for what is likely to be an attempt to spin out AOL now that merger options are moribund. “It’s a shock to everyone how sudden it was,” said one exec, noting that AOL’s top execs had no idea this is coming today. “Everyone talked about when Bewkes was going to run out of patience with Randy and Ron all the time, but no one knew it was coming now, since it had taken so long.”
youre-fired

The Simpsons Meet Steve Jobs, and Hulu Captures the Moment

in Media on December 1, 2008 at 5:56 am PT

Did you miss The Simpsons’ Apple parody on Fox last night? No problem: Hulu is happy to show you the entire episode. The fact that this is no big deal shows just how far the networks have come in the past few years–they’re more than happy to show people their best programming on the Web, just a few hours after it airs.

Yahoo’s Peter (Chernin) Principle — And Other CEO Choices

in News on November 18, 2008 at 12:12 am PT

Obviously, the dream CEO for Yahoo is News Corp. President and COO Peter Chernin. And, no surprise, he is the No. 1 choice of most inside and outside Yahoo in the wake of the news late yesterday that its current CEO and co-founder Jerry Yang is stepping down. Well, Yahoo would certainly be a challenge for Chernin, in terms of a corporate cleanup challenge, especially compared to figuring out how to make bank on plush toys from “The Simpsons.” But there are many other contenders for the job, despite the slog it could be. Here’s BoomTown’s list …

All Hail, Smithers and Burns!

in News on April 24, 2008 at 12:52 am PT

Valleywag got a hold of a sticker (see below) that Bebo employees are passing around in anticipation of the close of the purchase of the third-ranked social-networking site by AOL for $850 million in cash. The motto: “I, for one, welcome our new AOL overlords.” Why shouldn’t they? As BoomTown reported, every Bebo employee has [...]