So when they took live-action actors, how come The Simpsons used to make them original characters loosely based upon their IRL selves/roles?Why did they stop doing that - just making them the actual celebrities instead? And which did you prefer?
>>222790948You had occasional instances like Barry White appearing as himself but only for a cameo. First time I recall from memory when the celeb was just inserted and part of the plot was the Alec Baldwin/Kim Bassinger/Ron Howard episode from season 10, and then after that it was always celebs playing themselves.>And which did you prefer?Definitely when they were a new character. Already 20 years ago you had people getting tired of guest stars just appearing as themselves.
>>222790948>>222791262There was that one really weird Michael Jackson one, S3Ep1.MJ voiced a character that said he was MJ, but didn’t look like him at all, which was part of the plot, the character was in an insane asylum or something for thinking he was MJ. What made it even more confusing was that the real MJ didn’t do his own singing in the episode due to his contract or something—he wasn’t allowed to sing his songs, so they got a different VA to do the singing bits.Not sure where this falls in. Still kinda creeps me out to this day for some reason.
>>222791387>Still kinda creeps me out to this day for some reason.It should, that's all unnerving factoids
>>222791387>they got a different VA to do the singing bits.music licensing issue or something (see also the time MJ worked on Sonic he Hedgehog 3's music).it was actually John Lennon's son (Kipp Lennon) doing a Michael Jackson impersonation for the singing parts.also, they couldn't credit him under his real name (it was the same with Dustin Huffman), which the show jokes about in the Itchy & Scratchy Movie episode.also also, the MJ episode is now banned and removed from Disney+ because of that Finding Neverland documentary. posthumously guilty-until-proven-innocent, this guy.
>>222791262Homer at the Bat was the first egregious example, and also the BEST use of celebrities to date.
>>222794146And one of the best Simpsons songs too
>>222790948I certainly fucking *want* to say "original characters" but I still think Robert Goulet's appearance as himself's irresistibly funny.
>>222790948When everyone dunked on lady gaga, they stopped doing that.
>>222793355>John Lennon's son (Kipp Lennon) doing a Michael Jackson impersonation for the singing partsYou're half right. He isn't John Lennon's son.
>>222790948It's easier to advertise an episode when the character has the name of a celebrity
>>222790948Guys like Hoffman, Brooks, and Grammer respect the craft enough to acknowledge that voice acting is legitimate performance. Most of the celebrities who've been on The Simpsons since S10 just treat it as a quick ego stroke. They walk in like Krusty recording lines for his doll, phone in their lines, and fuck off like they've done the world a big damn favor.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7-zGQ6t9ks
>>222794381That very episode included Patrick Stewart and I bet you didn't even notice it?
>>222794381>I certainly fucking *want* to say "original characters">That very episode included Patrick StewartHence the image post with his original character in the foreground, bruh.
