For those waiting in clench-jawed anticipation for another season of The Simpsons, there’s good news. With the announcement that the voice cast is getting raises, plans for the show’s 20th season are all but cemented. No doubt the cast does a great job voicing so many characters (was anyone else flabbergasted at The Simpsons Movie credits?), but one has to wonder if the raise could end up being the financial liability nail in the coffin.

With a healthy, yet declining viewership and continuous claims from long-time fans and critics that the show has been going downhill for years, at what point will it no longer make sense in terms of dollars and cents, to produce the longest running animated show on television? Most self-proclaimed Simpsons fans I know will attest that the show isn’t what it used to be. I can’t help but agree. Still, how much of the criticism can be traced back to the “I liked their old stuff better” phenomenon, where nostalgia mixes in with the memories, rendering any new work pale in comparison. I caught a newer episode the other night, and while it didn’t floor me it was at least decent, which is more than I can say for most stuff on the tube. I’ll take a mediocre Simpsons over 90% of the shows currently on the air. The people signing the checks at $400,000 an actor per episode must agree.

From BBC News:

The cast of The Simpson have signed a four-year deal that guarantees a 20th season of the popular TV show, according to trade paper Variety.
Production was delayed for several months while the voice actors and 20th Century Fox TV discussed an agreement.
Variety said the salaries of the stars - including Dan Castellaneta (Homer) and Nancy Cartwright (Bart) - would rise to $400,000 (£200,000) an episode.
The Simpsons is the US’ longest-running prime-time entertainment series.
Because of the delay, 20 episodes of the new series will be made instead of the usual 22, Variety said.
It is not the first time production on The Simpsons has been delayed for salary negotiations.
In 2004, production was halted for a month after a pay dispute over contracts led the stars to stop work.
Each cast member was seeking about $360,000 per episode, Variety reported at the time. The actors were previously earning $125,000 (£70,000) a show.
In the past, the cast have argued that their wages are relatively low given the huge popularity and success of The Simpsons.
As part of the latest deal, Castellaneta has been named consulting producer on the series. He will serve as a writer in addition to his role as a voice performer.

In what is interesting news to some, Ozzfest, which was once a lucrative touring festival, and later a “free”, half- assed touring festival, has now been downsized to a one day metalfest of sorts. My guess is bands finally realized that paying upwards of $80,000 to play for free on a nationwide tour is not worth it anymore. On the positive side, the lineup for one day show (held in Dallas, Texas at Pizza Hut Park) will feature performances from some pretty impressive bands; Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica, Serj Tankian, Hellyeah, Jonathan Davis and others. Kids that love outdated music and washed up, used-to-be-in-a-big-band-but-have-to-play-less-important-solo-music are stoked.

Oh, The Onion, your daring ventures into internet television have not gone unnoticed!

Army Holds Annual ‘Bring Your Daughter To War’ Day

Denver Nuggets All-Star Carmelo Anthony was arrested yesterday morning on charges of drunk driving after weaving in traffic and failing to pass a field sobriety test.

The two-time All-Star, 23, failed a series of field sobriety tests and was taken to a Denver Police Department lockup where he consented to a blood test and posed for the [above] mug shot. The Smoking Gun

Carmelo was later released to a “sober responsible party,” and has a court dater set for May 14th. News of this incident shouldn’t come as any surprise. Anthony’s past is littered with controversy. In 2004 he was cited for marijuana possession, although his friend, James Cunningham, signed an affidavit assuming responsibility for the incident and in 2006 he took part in the infamous Knicks-Nuggets Brawl at Madison Square Garden.

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Thank God the Worlds smallest gun will not be sold in the United States, because if I were to die from a bullet wound from this piece of shit I’d like to be buried in the worlds smallest casket, wearing the worlds smallest suit. The gun is only 2.16 inches long but fires real bullets up to 367 feet. The gun would look great on a key chain, and while your fumbling for your house key you could blow off half your face. I think I remember these at Chuckie E. Cheese when I was a boy, I just couldn’t save up the needed 1.8 million tickets for it. Either way Patrick Swayze is dying from cancer and instead of finding the cure to save The Swaze we made a gun that looks like an elf penis.

While we would NEVER, EVER discount the importance of celerity death news, jewelry designs and new albums being released, here are a few things going on in the world RIGHT NOW.

Burmese pro-democracy activists are being charged for the demonstrations that occurred last August.

This includes: being charged for making illegal statements (the government is declining to state what they supposedly said); not being able to meet with their lawyers; the trial will be held at a Rangoon prison where they ave been held since capture (convenient, innit?); 700 people are still being held by Burma’s government; at least 31 peaceful protesters were murdered by government troops.

Syrian pro-democracy dissident and former MP Riad Seif is being charged for harming Syria’s image.

This includes: attending a meeting for pro-democratic reform; he is the 11th person to be arrested who attended the pro-democracy meeting in December; Seif had already been banned from leaving the country to treat his prostrate cancer; one of the charges is “belonging to a secret organisation seeking to alter the social and economic base of the state”.

Temporary housing used to shelter Hurricane Katrina and Rita victims may pose health risks.
This includes: tens of thousands of hurricane victims still in temporary housing; FEMA ignored documents on dangers of prolonged exposure to formaldehyde; FEMA supressed warnings from its field workers about the future risks and current health problems being experienced by the victims; over 40,000 trailers are still being used as housing.

yay. now go about yoru business. I hear that Gwen Stefani is preggers, and Britney is crying and hanging out with her paparazzi buddies…