Banner Graphic, Volume 21, Number 50, Greencastle, Putnam County, 31 October 1990 — Page 7

Don’t have a cow, man, but Bart’s being ripped off

By DEBORAH HASTINGS AP Television Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) Bart Simpson is no longer just a pintsized cartoon character with yellow skin, spiked hair and a big attitude. Now, depending on the venue, he is black, Hispanic, Jewish, homophobic, sexually deviant or an outspoken foe of California Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dianne Feinstein. Bootleg T-shirts of television’s animated bad boy have been cropping up across the country for rtonths. But illegal “Simpsons” euphoria now has seemingly gotten out of hand. AT THE UNIVERSITY of lowa, the right-wing Campus Review recently published a drawing of Bart warning off homosexuals while holding a loaded slingshot A few weeks back, a Republican news release was issued in Bart’s mane, berating Feinstein for using crib notes written on her hand during a televised debate with U.S. Sen. Pete Wilson, the GOP nominee for governor. The ugly turn of such rip-offs distresses “Simpsons” creator Matt Greening and parent Fox Broadcasting Co., home of primetime’s biggest cartoon hit, “The Simpsons.” But illegal reproductions of TV’s most popular dysfunctional family cover a confounding spectrum. Distasteful depictions occupy the most extreme end. At the other are an amazing variety of cultural reproductions. “THE SIMPSONS,” in all their yellow, bug-eyed glory, have been adopted and adapted by diverse minority groups with little in common except their hunger for public heroes. From the black community comes “Air Bart” and “Magic Bart,” takeoffs on popular professional basketball players Michael “Air” Jordan of the Chicago Bulls and Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers. In Mexico’s border town of Tijuana, you can buy “Bart Sanchez” T-shirts and Bart pmatas. In Israel, there are “Simpsons” yarmulkes. Recast “Simpsons” paraphernalia also has been sighted in

‘6O Minutes’ resurfaces as top show LOS ANGELES (AP) Salman Rushdie surfaced on CBS’ “60 Minutes,” coming out of hiding long enough to make the program the most-watched show on television last week. NBC won, just barely, in the overall ratings, placing four shows in the top 10, the A.C. Nielsen Co. said Tuesday. Fox and “The Simpsons” suffered their worst ratings since original fall episodes began competing with “Cosby” three weeks ago. The animated Simpson family plummeted to No. 24. The show’s Oct 11 premiere ranked eighth. An interview by “60 Minutes” correspondent Mike Wallace with Rushdie, who has lived in hiding since his novel “The Satanic Verses” led some Islamic leaders to issue a death sentence against him last year, helped the Sunday newsmagazine capture the No. 1 spot for die first time in the 6-week-old season. “Cheers” had been No. 1 for most of the new season. NEW YORK (AP) Here are the pnnw-time . TV retina aa compiled by the A.C. Nielsen Co. for ' Oct. 22-28. Top 20 listings include the week’s ' ranking, with hill season-to-date ranking in parenthcaes, reting for the week, and total homes. 1. (2) “60Minutes." CBS, 21.1,19.6 million homes. 2. (1) “Cheers." NBC, 20.4,19.0 million homes. 3. (3) ”Rosoannc,“ ABC. 2ft 1,18.7 million homes. 4. (6) “Designing Women.” CBS. 19.9,183 milHnn homes. F ff,“! lfaaphy Brown -" CBS - 173 mU ’ 6. (21) “Murder, She Wrote.” CBS, 183,17.2 minion homes. 7. (8) “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” 18.1, 16.9 million homes. 8. (9) “Empty Nest,” NBC. 18.0.16.8 million homes. 8. (3) “The Cosby Show." NBC. 18.0,16.8 million homes. ICL (5) “A Different World." NBC. 17.9,16.7 million homes. 11. (14) "Doogie Howser. MJD .” ABC. 17.2, 16.0 million homes. 12 (12) “Who's the Boss?,” ABC, 17.0,15.8 millicn homes. 13. (12) “Matlock." NBC, 16.8.15.6mi11i<m homes. 14 (20) “Conch," ABC, 16.7,153 million homes. 15. (27) "Growing Pains," ABC, 163.15.4 million homes. 15. (17) “In The Heat of the Nigjtt," NBC, 163, 15.4 million homes. 17. (X) “NFL Monday Night Football: Cincinnati vs. Cleveland,” ABC, 16.4,15.3 million homes. 17. (10) "The Golden Giris,” NBC. 16.4,15.3 million homna 19. (31) "Wonder Yean,” ABC, 16.2.15.1 mfllion homes. 20. (11) "America’s Funniest People,” ABC, 16.1, 15.0 million homes.

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BART SIMPSON He’s everywhere, dude

Nicaragua and the Cayman Islands. THE WHOLE THING leaves Greening “baffled and amazed.” Some of it amuses him. Some of it is just plain annoying. Twentieth Century Fox, owners of the Fox network and “The Simpsons” copyright, “is not amused by my amusement,” Greening said recently. “They’ve done a whole bunch of raids and confiscated T-shirts,” Greening said. “Fox takes this as seriously as Disney does.” Maybe. The Walt Disney Co. wastes little time in protecting its copyrighted characters. In 1989, it sued the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences the day after actor Rob Lowe and an unauthorized Snow White sang and danced during the internationally televised Oscar ceremonies. FOX IS VAGUE, however, about what action it has taken against “Simpsons” wannabes. “We go after it through proper legal means, we don’t go after it in the press,” said Fox spokesman Brad Turell. “We’re going after it as aggressively as we can. We are definitely prosecuting people, but we don’t comment pending litigation.” As for Bart’s illegal, political use

All politicians claim to support public education ... only a few actually vote that way. STATE REPRESENTATIVE JOHN THOMAS Has been there for Education. Now it’s time for those who care about school to be there for JOHN THOMAS Representative John Thomas* Record For Schools SCHOOL FUNDING vce J Fair return of state tax Y V dollars to local schools PROJECT PRIMETIME YES HOME RULE FOR > SCHOOLS YES V To increase local control 1 l - v^— — and cut state red tape PARENT TEACHER A / CONFERENCES YES 2 To promote parental involvement AT-RISK PROGRAMS V eq a/ To help ALL YEh * students succeed Dear Voter: Almost every politician promises a better future for public schools, but only a few actually vote for educational improvements. John Thomas has been a friend of education time and again. He has voted for home rule for local schools. He voted to lower class-sizes in early grades to promote achievement. He voted to restore parent-teacher conferences to school calendars and to win state dollars for local schools. John Thomas makes time for taxpayers, parents, teachers, AND students. He listens carefully and studies the issues to knowledgeably represent those he was elected to serve. What a fine example he is for oik young people and the rest of us as well. In the legislature, John Thomas has been voting for our schools. We urge those who care about schools to vote for John Thomas on November 6th. Dan Miller, District Co. Chr. Joy Marley, Past President Cloverdale Education Assn. Greencastle Classroom Teachers Association Russ True, President Clay Community Karen Dowbnia, President Classroom Teachers Association Vigo County Teachers Association

by California Republicans, Turell said “The Simpsons” creators “were very upset and considering their options.” As for the inflammatory term for gays used by the lowa college publication, Turell said “it really hasn’t come to our attention legally.” The fledgling network is upset by any offensive use of its characters, Turell said. “It’s really unfortunate that people who have no rights to these characters defile them and do things that are really unfair to them.” NOT TO MENTION the lost revenues from copyright infringement But to Groening, that is not really the issue. “Somebody’s making a lot of money off this,” be said. “But money has never been my first concern.” Why have his cartoon characters become such a model for minority groups? “BART LOOKS COOL no matter what skin color,” Groening said. “He lends himself to any color treatment” Or as Mr. X puts it, “Most people just got tired of seeing white cartoons.” Mr. X, who says that is his real name, fashions a host of black animated characters, ranging from “The Jetsons” to Bart Simpson, onto embroidered shirts, hats and gloves. An artist and dancer, Mr. X says he creates the articles in his Van Nuys office and gives them as gifts. “BLACK PEOPLE have nothing to look up to except Bill Cosby and his kids.” Mr. X said in a phone interview. “Bart is down to earth, he knows what’s happening. He’s got the language down. When he says ‘Hey, dude, that’s radical,’ people listen.” Groening said the preponderance of uncopyrighted “Simpsons” gear also is caused by the seemingly simple outlines of the family members’ unmistakable profiles. “The characters look like they’re easy to draw, so it invites doodlers everywhere to get into the act,” Groening said. “Just like the popularity of the TV show, there’s this explosion on the street. The ones I get mad at are the bigoted, racist ones.”

CLOVERDALE FINE FOODS POUNDER / \ f \ w ißwswwTl \ 4* A F ’ 1 f fv -\ I f I - -7 I v Jf • It -s

Extra Lean GROUND BEEF 10 Lb. 5 16.90

J.T.M. BEEF PATTIES Regular Only 10 Lb. *14.90

JFRYER BREAST QUARTERS 10 Lb. t’11.90

PORK STEAK 10 Lb. *14.90

Field CHESTNUT BOLOGNA 10 Lb. 5 11.90

Center Cut PORK CHOPS 10 Lb. *24.90

Stadium CORN DOGS 10 lb. ’17.90

Prices in effect now thru Sun., Nov. 11,1990 at Cloverdale IGA

U.S.D.A. Choice RIB STEAK 10 Lb. $ 31.90

Fryer - LEG QUARTERS 10 Lb. $ 5.90

Hickory SLICED. BACON 10 Lb. *14.90

Eckrich SMOKED SAUSAGE 10 Lb. *17.90

TURKEY DRUMSTICKS 10 Lb. *4.90

IGA LUNCH MEATS 10 Lb. 5 14.90

HOG FRYS 101 b. <8.90

October 31,1990 THE BANNERGRAPHC

USDA Choice Boneless CHUCK STEAK 10 Lb. 5 18.90

Fresh Lean GROUND BEEF 10 Lb. $ 12.80

IGA ROLL SAUSAGE 10 Lb. 5 14.90 <

Field Jumbo RED FRANKS 10 Lb. *17.90

Mixed PORK CHOPS 10 Lb. 5 17.90

Watson Flaming HOT WINGS 10 Lb. *17.90

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