'The Simpsons' No More? Voice Actors, Studio Have a Cow Over Salaries"

[in_cog_ni_to]

Would Fox really be this stupid?

<snip>

Shearer responded: "Don't tell me, tell Fox."

Fox TV has tried to get actors to take paycuts before, threatening to replace them with soundalikes. The cuts they're being asked to take -- about 45 percent -- would drop their salaries to slightly more than $4 million for about 22 weeks of work each season.

"The Simpsons" remains the anchor of Fox's Sunday animation block, and is the longest-running primetime scripted series in the history of television. With nearly 500 episodes, it would still live a long life in syndication.

Besides Shearer, the actors being asked to take cuts are Dan Castellaneta (Homer, Grampa Simpson, Krusty the Clown, and others), Julie Kavner (Marge and others), Nancy Cartwright (Bart and others), Yeardley Smith (Lisa), Hank Azaria (Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum and Apu).

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/04/idUS121478954320111004

[truebrit71]

1. Why should the actors take a paycut if the show is still making bank...

...just so the greedy corporation that runs it wants to offset the losses from their news division?

[madrchsod]

2. yup...something has to pay the lawyer`s fees

[hifiguy]

3. Almost 500 episodes??

Hope the actors got residuals on all that back catalogue.

And even threatening to replace voice actors on a show this successful is just monumentally stupid. But it is Fox....

[RockaFowler]

5. They get no residuals

That's why they don't want a paycut. The studio (FOX in this case) owns the show outright. They made these original contracts years ago. So the actors played tough and they got their money up front. And yes the Studio is making a ton of money on this show. Oh yeah and the actors all went in together to get the best deal as a group. That's why even Yeardley makes the same amount as Harry Shearer even though she only voices one character and he voices many

[Romulox]

11. Yeardley may only do one voice, but she happens to represent the moral center of the show

So she is arguably the most important one. That may be a controversial POV, but I truly believe it--I love Lisa!

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

28. LOL....the Lisa storylines suck for the most part.

Wasn't there a joke where Homer turns to the audience and says "Yeah, folks....this is a Lisa centric episode, so you can turn it off now if you want".

Maybe it was Family Guy with Meg.....they are easily confused now.

[Romulox]

30. It does sound like Family Guy is a little bit more your speed. nt

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

37. Cool, man

More my speed. Glad you got me pegged. Except I don't watch Family Guy except if people in my house have it on, and I stopped watching the Simpsons regularly around 1998.

Enjoy your Lisa episodes with random special guest appearances shoehorned in that add zip to the storyline. Give me "Sideshow Bob Roberts" or "Mr. Spritz Goes To Washington" for enjoyably funny political episodes.

[Romulox]

51. You think a 14th season retread is better than the Lisa-centric "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington"

from season three?

You're quite the expert, I see. :eyes:

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

54. Mr Spritz has the greatest parody of FOX News I've ever seen

Specifically, the crawl on the bottom of the screen saying "John F Kennedy posthumously joins the Republican Party" while drawing horns on the Democrat's head. It's one of the few later episodes I've seen, because someone said I needed to see it and I'm glad I did.

I remember Lisa goes to Washington, and that was one of the better ones featuring her. But, that was Season 2 or 3......when the show used to hit all it's notes just right. Lisa's annoying storylines are only one reason why the show isn't watchable anymore.....never said it was the whole reason.

[Romulox]

56. I think you were just being crotechedy and negative, and hadn't thought it through.

Here's a few more excellent "Lisa-centric" episodes (by description--not going to bother with title.)

-Model UN/Lord of the Flies--"Halt! You are in violation of the model UN charter!"
-Lisa and Nelson date--"Let's just say, 'Smell ya later...'"
-Lisa frets about the "Simpson Gene"--"Soon, the arts and literature I love will be replaced by talk radio and vulgar mudflaps." :rofl:

Perhaps you are reasonable. If you are, I think you'll have to concede the point!

[Romulox]

52. Also, "Sideshow Bob Roberts" was a "Lisa-centric" episode, too. The plot features she and Bart

foiling Sideshow Bob's scheme. :hi:

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

55. All the Sideshow episodes are mainly Bart centric....

....but yes, Lisa helps because the adults won't listen.

And hey, Bart is bore now too. So again, it's not all Lisa's fault the show is a turn off now.

The show has a ton of issues that make it unwatchable now......every celebrity ever as a guest for no reason, Homer is the easily dumbest man alive and sometimes downright evil, etc.

[Romulox]

59. No. In "Sideshow Bob Roberts", Lisa spearheads the investigation. The turning point is her

finding the names of her dead pets on the list of those who supposedly voted for Bob!

[KamaAina]

62. Well, he is in RI

maybe he's in Quahog. :-)

[white_wolf]

32. Me too. I love Lisa.

She is by far my favorite character. She is always the one who brings up the important issues in the show.

[Romulox]

36. "Moral center". Not necessarily the one with the most outrageous gag!

I relate to Lisa!

:toast:

[Javaman]

53. No residuals?

dang, how did that fly through the actors union?

yet another reason to say, fuck you to fox.

[tularetom]

4. Much as I love the Simpsons this is pretty far removed from the typical labor management issue

Harry Shearer and the others are immensely talented people and I enjoy their work, but it's pretty hard to work up a lot of sympathy for anyone who is asked to take a pay adjustment that will reduce their annual salary to 4 million bucks.

Kinda like the big NFL kerfuffle of a few months ago.

[virgogal]

9. +1

[Hosnon]

15. -1. Unless the overall profitability has dropped, the employees shouldn't take a paycut.

Otherwise, it's just more money for the employers' pockets.

And, yes, it is the same with NFL players. Employers shouldn't be able to put the screws on employees simply because the business in question is extremely lucrative for everyone involved.

[tularetom]

21. Don't get me wrong I have no use for the greedy employers

But this is not an issue that will resonate with either the "99'ers" or even very many of the "99%'ers".

My son in law was unemployed for three years before finding work earlier this year. He's in his early 50's and has a background in construction. He's still underemployed but at least he's bringing in a few bucks now. He'd be happy to make even 1% of what the Simpson's voice people make. And there are millions of Americans in his situation. Or worse. Those are the people I feel sorry for.

[newblewtoo]

16. I couldn't agree more. Simpsons K&R

[Poll_Blind]

6. Apparently the main 6 voice actors get around $360k each, per episode.

I have absolutely no problem with them making that kind of money. They are artists directly producing work which is in great demand. Since the Simpsons Movie alone made a little over half a billion dollars, Fox should probably shut the fuck up.

PB

[Wait Wut]

10. $360k per episode???

HOLY CRAP!! My brother was one of those evil banksters at Citicorp and he made less than $200k per year! And, he really wasn't an evil one. He's a liberal. He also does some great impressions. He's been unemployed for almost 3 years, maybe I should send him to FOX.

[ellisonz]

24. It's one of the most successful shows in television history.

They've done 23 seasons.

[Marblehead]

7. I can make weird

voices but nobody cares...

[MADem]

8. If they go to sound-alikes, I suspect the franchise will fold. nt

[ellisonz]

25. Absolutely.

[Romulox]

12. I've loved the show for 20 years. Maybe it's time to hang up the gloves? nt

[Kurovski]

20. I've been thinking it woukd end at 25 years anyway.

And i don't know why. The thought has popped-up repeatedly over the past year.

They should not cut the pay. Unless there is some other sort of renumeration.

[MadHound]

13. Four million dollars for twenty two weeks of work?

Wow, and people, some around here, think teachers have easy jobs.

The fact of the matter is that I expect Fox is having a revenue problem, just like other networks, and needs to cut costs.

The frank fact of the matter is that the Simpsons have run their course long ago, and they're now simply running on inertia.

[Romulox]

14. Not $4 mil each, man! nt

[nomb]

18. Each person now gets 8 million per 22 weeks of "work". Each.

[underpants]

33. How much will the network make off the shows?

I don't know but they make tons of money off this show - the residuals.

[nomb]

17. and no dress code.....

[Brother Buzz]

19. Charlie Sheen made half that amount for just a week's work

Then he copped some wicked drugs and became a piker.

[Honeycombe8]

63. I think he got 1.5 million per episode. Two days' work for him.

He didn't do the early rehearsals like the others did.

[joeybee12]

22. The idiot who voices Bart is a scientologist...cut her salary completely...

She gives a lot of what she makes to those brainwashers who worship a dead pedophile.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

26. Yes, let's go after people because they think differently than us.

In fact, fire all the Simpsons actors because the show airs on Fox, which is owned by NewsCorp, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch.

:eyes:

[joeybee12]

58. There's a difefrence between thinking differently and being batshit insane

And if you don't think people who adhere to this particular cult AREN'T nuts, then you're clueless.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

66. They're as nutty as any other religion.

And even if they were nuttier, how does that give anyone the right to demand they not be compensated for their work?

Why does DU put so much focus on the rights of workers, but when one of them has a viewpoint DU doesn't like, their concern goes right out the window? People here go to great lengths to criticize the killing of a terrorist like Al-Awalaki, but a talented actress who happens to believe in something you don't is fair game? Really?

[joeybee12]

68. No, they're not just as nutty as any other religion...

They are totally insane.

And she gave a $10m donation to the crackpots not that long ago, so why should I support her right to give money to a group spawned by an idiot pedophile.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

72. If you don't want to "support" her, don't watch the show.

That is entirely different than demanding she not be paid because you don't like her beliefs.

[RZM]

70. I would disagree with that

They are really out there, even by 'religious' standards. I'm not religious myself, but I find plenty of other beliefs a lot easier to swallow than those of Scientologists.

That being said, I agree that Cartwright's beliefs shouldn't be relevant here. If she wants to donate millions to those grifters, that's her problem.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

71. If the benchmark is a virgin birth, then I disagree.

[RZM]

74. Metaphysical arguments are hard to win

I'm not a believer, but if the benchmarks are thetans and DC9s, I'll have to register my disagreement as well ;)

[killbotfactory]

23. Unless the show is less profitable, they should take no paycut. nt

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

27. Blessing in disguise

The show has been going downhill for ages.....this might be the only thing that mercifully ends it.

[Initech]

29. I'm reminded of a line from the late great Troy McClure (Phil Hartman)

"Who knows what kind of whacky adventures theyll have from now until the time the show becomes unprofitable?"

Sadly it seems the Simpsons foretold their own fate a decade ago.

[underpants]

34. "Don't ask ME how the economy works"

Homer to Frank "Grimey" Grimes

[Initech]

38. My favorite:

Homer: $20??? But I wanted a peanut!
Homer's brain: $20 can buy many peanuts.
Homer: Explain how.
Homer's brain: Money can be exchanged for goods and services.

[underpants]

41. Yes a classic

Lenny (the war hero) as Mr. Burns is about to speak "Let's listen to him! He's rich! He MUST have all of our best interests in mind"

[Dorian Gray]

43. Grimey

is one of my favorite episodes!

[cemaphonic]

42. The show did start going downhill right around the time he died.

Wasn't the only reason of course, but I have heard the writers say that they'd find a way to shoehorn Hartman in as a ringer whenever they were having trouble with making a scene or sequence work. They said he could always sell a joke, even if it wasn't very funny to begin with.

[Initech]

44. Yes, yes it did.

[JI7]

31. the executives of the Networks are so fucking greedy

they would be willing to put on cheap crap and do away with quality shows just so they could make more money even though they already make a lot.

[Initech]

35. Correction: Executives EVERYWHERE are so fucking greedy.

I wish I could say this is an isolated incident but it definitely isn't. As long as greed/precious profit rules there's nothing that won't stand in their way.

[Dreamer Tatum]

40. If a CEO made as much as the Simpsons voices do, you'd shit.

In fact, most CEOs don't make NEARLY that much.

[Initech]

45. At least the Simpsins actors don't destroy, loot, pillage and plunder in the pursuit of profit.

[Dreamer Tatum]

46. I don't know what they do in their spare time.

Do ALL CEOs destroy, blah blah blah? ALL of them? Every last one?

[Kurovski]

48. Average CEO gets around 10 mil a year.

But who's counting...

[Dreamer Tatum]

57. Now annualize the Simpsons voices salaries, and tell me what you get

Uh huh.

They make the average Fortune 500 CEO look like you and me.

[Kurovski]

64. grbyxx, tu ghwwwrrxx?

[lumberjack_jeff]

60. They sell soap. Arguably "job creators". Just sayin'. n/t

[Dreamer Tatum]

39. Poor overpaid asshole actors.

If the ratings have fallen, then ad rates are down, and it's all about margin in that business.

Greedy fucks.

[tritsofme]

47. That show should have ended a decade ago.

[RZM]

65. I have to agree

I'd even go back a bit further to the late 90s. It stopped being funny quite a long time ago. And it's sad, because it was my favorite show for many years. But at least all those great episodes from the 'golden age' still hold up well today.

[thelordofhell]

49. The voice actors wanted a 30% pay cut in exchange for residuals

FOX told them to fuck off and take a 45% pay cut with no residuals. I was hoping The Simpsons would make it to 25, but it looks like it's going out.

[theophilus]

50. On to Cartoon Network or Comedy Central!!!!!!

The Simpson's are still great. Not every show is a classic but there are still very funny shows every season, imo. I hope they make it to 30.

[Codeine]

61. The Simpsons ceased being significant many years ago.

At this point, who cares?

[totodeinhere]

67. Large salaries like that are one of the main reasons why cable and satellite

TV subscription prices keep going up so much. It is very expensive to produce original programming, partly because of large salaries, and the producers have to recoup their costs somehow, so they charge the cable companies larger carriage fees which are then passed on to the subscriber. I realize that the Simpsons are on free broadcast TV but nevertheless cable companies have to pay Fox carriage fees in order to be allowed to carry Fox's programming. And only about 10% receive their TV programming via an antenna rather than cable or satellite.

In this case, both sides are greedy. I don't see why the voice actors can't live on $4 million for 22 week's work. But then the executives at Fox are overpaid bastards as well.

[Erose999]

69. If only the parent network would go down with them...

[Blasphemer]

73. I support the actors 100%.... Most TV shows are preparing for their swan song when...

it gets to the point of asking actors to take massive pay cuts. The longer a show runs, the more the actors (deservedly) get paid. So, cuts are a way of continuing to make money for the production company/network while asking the talent (and probably the crew as well) to take the financial hit. They figure that enough of the talent will agree (particularly those worried about future prospects) so that the show will survive those that they lose. It's a win-win for them. Remember that the talent is usually under-compensated in the early seasons of a successful show and their payscale after negotiating new contracts for the later seasons helps to make up for it.

I think it's time for the Simpsons to bid farewell. Fox apparently has at least a couple successful new TV series. Why not continue to develop new shows and cultivate new talent? It'll be better for everyone in the industry in the long run.