The Simpsons

[Bill1978]

That was quite entertaining, but I feel I'm missing something, especially based upon the comments on the video. Why did the interviewer want to see Goldblum perform that 'skit'? What is the meme the comments are talking about? Why are there so many different videos having different takes on 'Steamed Hams'?

[ShyViolet]

Yeah...I’m not really sure honestly. I was also quite confused when I originally stumbled on the vid. (Actually it was pulled twice I think.). But it’s been there forever now, so I figured it was OK.

I guess the interviewer (actually it was for the GameStop official site, which is also somewhat puzzling) thought it would be fun to do.

[ShyViolet]

Apparently the Season 31 finale just aired a few days ago. Season 32 on the horizon.


https://metro.co.uk/2020/05/17/simpsons ... -12716899/

Since I have Disney + now, I was thinking of maybe finally sitting down and getting a better sense of how things evolved after Season 11 (that’s the last one I watched in full). At the time I was so disappointed by how the show was changing and the characters having become nearly unrecognizable that I (more or less) quit cold turkey. But now I’m curious about the possibility of maybe finding a rare gem here and there. (I did like the Homer becoming a genius one a lot. “I thought she was going to marry that rich snob!”—Julia Roberts in ‘Love is Nice’” Lol.)

All I really remember from Season 11 is the Halloween episode with the Pierce Brosnan robo-house segment, the Homer-fortune teller-leprechaun story and the Harry Potter one. (Oh and for some reason the horse jockeys really being elves episode ).

[ShyViolet]

That was really cool to see Marge in that little short from the front page story, and I thought Julie’s performance was very good, but oh God her voice....! Seasons 5 and 6 show runner David Mirkin said in a 2005 or 2006 commentary (forgot which episode) that Kavner’s always been a real “trouper” since performing Marge has always been hard on her throat. It must be really painful for her now. Maybe she should finally retire from this role. I mean she’s awesome, but it’s just not really Marge anymore...technically the family wasn’t ever supposed to age, but they so obviously have.

Actually, the entire cast should probably retire about now. Not only because they don’t really sound a whole lot the way used to (from what I’ve seen, Dan’s Homer has probably been the most consistent), but if they’re actually going to replace a lot of the characters’ VO’s anyway, there’s just no point in staying. (Well, OK, the paychecks are one reason.)

[Ben]

Well, yeah. I actually take offence that Marge isn’t voiced by a yellow person with blue hair.



Sadly, it happens to all voice actors. Bugs, Daffy, Elmer, et al, were not the same characters as they were in the 40s and 50s by the time Chuck and Mel were making all those compilation shows in the 70s. All it would have taken is a little speeding up on the voices to raise the pitch closer to the classic material, but even as a kid I could hear, but not work out why, the differences in even the same scene when old and new was intercut.

They can’t really pull the same trick here, since the cast doesn’t really "put on voices" in the same way, but maybe with all the voice changes anyway, it is indeed time to "rejuvenate" the cast...?

[ShyViolet]

Carl Carlson replacement VO actor selected:


https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-54292939

[Daniel]

Didn't expect any holdover episodes to have replacements already. That sucks.

[ShyViolet]

Oh ok so they’re dubbing Désert’s voice over Azaria’s? Pretty lame alright. The mouth movements are modeled after Azaria’s voice, so won’t it look out of synch? (Unless I’m misunderstanding.)

[Ben]

To be fair, Vi, I don’t think The Simpsons quite has that level of animation or lipsync prowess that would make it an issue!

Plus, this would be like ADR (automated dialogue replacement, or additional dialogue recording, depending on where you do it!), so the new actor would effectively be "mimicking" the previous vocals. As long as those are in sync, the mouth movements (I can’t quite bring myself to actually call it lipsync!) will match or be so close that even if you looked you wouldn’t see any difference.

It is a bit dumb to be doing this on already recorded lines, but I guess the point is that, from the cast change date, they want the new voices to be heard on shows that broadcast from that moment on. That said, this whole thing is so bizarre: it's applauded when we have "colorblimpnd casting" as in the new David Copperfield, and yet, when it’s done in reverse, and is effectively exactly the same practice of colorblind casting, it's a big no-no. And especially silly when it comes to talking about animated characters' voices!

[Daniel]

New Carl is... pretty bad. At times he sounds similar and has the same inflections but it's not just there. Too distracting. Sounds like a random character of the day speaking. Doesn't do the character justice.

And get this, the following weeks episode had Hank's voice for Carl! I was all prepared to cringe and it was like "no, that's Hank!" Bittersweet but most of all dumb! How is that for transition!? Unnecessary change.

[Ben]

It can’t be as bad as Matt Vogel's lounge-lizard Kermit...!

[Daniel]

Although not a really fair comparison, you got me there.

[ShyViolet]

Oh wow...it’s not TERRIBLE or anything (acting surprisingly good for someone who’s not a seasoned VO) but yeah, like you said Dan...overall, just... bad

https://youtu.be/m-klyx3zEc8


I wouldn’t mind hearing Désert’s voice somewhere else (for some weird reason he reminds me of the Arsenio Hall version of Winston in The Real Ghostbusters) but basically feels like an alternate universe Simpsons and although Désert has good comic timing, it’s more or less IMPOSSIBLE to live up to the impeccable rhythm of the current Simpsons cast.

Not to be disrespectful or anything, but Simpsons VO actors getting replaced kinda seems like something John Schwartzwelder would write.

EDIT: Finally put my finger on what my biggest problem with Alex’s performance is: HE SOUNDS WAY TOO HAPPY. If you think about no one on the Simpsons is really happy. That was maybe the biggest reason it was so instantly popular in 1990. Everyone was happy on Full House, Family Ties and Cosby like 99% of the time.

The world of the Simpsons had basically unhappy characters who loved each other dearly. If you take THAT away, there’s really nothing left.

[Dacey]

It's a solution to a "problem" that didn't need solving in the first place.

And I worry about the "standards" that are being set here. I've mentioned Avatar: The Last Airbender earlier, but I worry it wouldn't be considered "right" to cast Mark Hamill as an Asian villain now...even though his voice worked for the character perfectly.

[ShyViolet]

Also, (just a guess) I have a feeling certain Apu eps shown on Disney +, particularly Much Apu About Nothing and Homer and Apu, will probably come with disclaimers soon*. I know Disney can’t put those on ALL of the hundreds of eps they‘ve got; seasons 1-9 are the ones that get watched the most. So Apu eps from those seasons will probably be the primary ones to get disclaimers. (I dunno, just theorizing.)

It's a solution to a "problem" that didn't need solving in the first place.

Exactly.





*Probably the arranged marriage ep from season 9 as well. Can’t remember the name right now.