“Duff, please.” – Homer Simpson
“We don’t sell Duff. We sell Fudd. ” – Beer -N-Brawl Bartender
“Okay, Fudd me.” – Homer Simpson
This week we’ve got two links to Australian beer aficionados who were less than impressed with the recently released “Duff” beer. Long story short, it’s meh at best and kinda gross at worst. This is unsurprising, as crappy merchandise is crappy merchandise, even when it is infused with sweet, mind numbing alcohol.
More amusing, however, is the fact that Duff isn’t supposed to be good. It’s supposed to be the kind of thing German executives consider swill, where you might find a rat, a syringe, or even Hitler’s head in a bottle. They’re marketing it as a good beer because they have to. Budweiser and Miller Lite are called good beers by the people who make them as well, but that doesn’t mean anybody believes it, and this “Duff” falls into the exact same category.
What makes it funnier is that, unlike Bud and Miller, Duff was originally intended to be crappy. So, through no fault of their own, the merchandising pukes may have managed to finally, at long last, make something actually worthy of the show. Duff is supposed to be barely drinkable piss, that’s why Homer drinks it, and they seem to have succeeded in bringing it to life. Well done.
In other links, we’ve got fan painted nail art celebrating national donut day, Mike Reiss being a mensch, a quick Homer haiku, some comedy theory, and much more. Plus there’s a couple of people who agree with us, one in an actual newspaper.
Enjoy.
The Top Simpsons Episodes - Smooth Charlie’s Link of the Week is this rundown of favorite episodes, one each from Seasons 2-10. Plus there’s lots of good Youtube, a healthy dislike of Zombie Simpsons, and a great Hank Scorpio picture. Well done lists are so much better than slapdash ones.
“To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus” - The Mr. Burns play is now showing in London at the Almeida theater. It opened yesterday and runs through July 26th. The linked review is quite up on it.
Had enough of Duff - The Australian Duff would appear to not be very good:
But Duff isn’t a stock-standard lager. It’s a good deal worse than that. It starts off with an odd, slightly chemical flavour before some malt notes come barging in out of nowhere. Then the malt disappears, leaving that that odd flavour centre-stage.
Duff beer – Review - This one’s a little more positive, but still concludes:
Drinkable for a gimmick beer, but not something I’d frequently buy.
Sadly, they obviously didn’t make it as cheap as Duff is in the show.
“Don’t blame me. I voted for Kodos.” - Exploring the background and wisdom of one of Homer’s most famous political quotes.
TV: Saturday, June 14 - The Sydney Morning Herald is starting to sound like me:
Remember when The Simpsons was wet-your-pants funny? When every line sparkled with wit and pitch-perfect cultural references? This is the sort of episode that will have you pining for those far-off glory days. Its contrived plotlines barely hang together, and you’ll be looking at your watch long before the credits roll. First up, Grampa Simpson comes to live with the family after his nursing home is shut down. Then there is an abrupt change of gear with Bart sticking up for Nelson, for reasons that are unclear, and being invited to join the bullies’ gang. There follows a parody of a 1979 movie called The Warriors (nope, never heard of it either) and, at the last minute, an unsatisfying denouement that brings the stories together.
Brush With Greatness – Episode # 031 - After some computer problems, our old friend Ash is back.
Drop Dead Clothing unleashes Itchy & Scratchy collection onto unsuspecting world of music & fashion - Moar merchandise of the fashionable clothing variety.
Mackenzie Davis of ‘Halt and Catch Fire’ on AMC - And speaking of said clothing, here’s a New York Times actor profile that notes:
“I love seeing the insides of things,” Mackenzie Davis said, tucking her bleached bob behind her ears, a giraffe’s neck expanse above her slashed and safety-pinned Bart Simpson T-shirt.
The photo isn’t the best, but it would appear she’s wearing a Bartman shirt. So I guess the retro-cool thing is working?
6 Reasons Why Springfield, Missouri, is Totally the Springfield from The Simpsons - One of the real Springfields makes its case to be the one from the show.
Soul Donut - Excellent nail art:
Here I tried to capture the dichotomy between the light and dark nature of the donut as a comment on the circularity of our lives. Or maybe I just wanted an excuse to paint horns and a halo on a pair of donuts? Who knows.
Devil Flanders is on the thumb, and the donuts of good and evil are on her fingers. Bravo.
You Need to Hear This Extremely Rare Recording - Nice take on how Comic Book Guy changed from when the show started even just to Season 8.
Zombie Simpsons Longboard Custom - Zombie Bart on a longboard for sale in Peoria.
It’s National Doughnut Day, So Here’s The Best ‘Simpsons’ Food GIFs - There’s more than a little Zombie Simpsons in here, but most of them are good.
National Doughtnut Day - And here’s some Homer donut images.
homer - A Homer haiku.
Summer Travels: Meeting Semi-Famous People - Mike Reiss, nice guy:
During my stay, one of the Simpsons writers, Mike Reiss, was giving a talk at the State Museum in Harrisburg, and we went to see him. After the show, he signed this postcard for me and drew a cute little picture. I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be Bart or himself.
To be fair, he’s a writer, not an animator.
Top 5 Television Shows… - Once again, Zombie Simpsons spoils the show:
2. The Simpson’s – The longer this series goes on, the more I think I may have to drop this one from my list.
Go away, Zombie Simpsons. Nobody likes you.
Arriving In Style. - Nicely artsy photo of a little model Homer car.
Incongruity Theory: Why a well-timed Banana peel can be hilarious - Exploring incongruous comedy with Sideshow Bob and his arch nemesis: rakes.
In Sight - Excellent reference:
I found myself becoming so involved with the piece that when it finally finished I had to take a moment to collect my thoughts! Ok, I know what you guys thinking; That’s a bit lame, we thought you were cool, you changed mannnnn. But let me stop you right there! I have not changed! I’m still cool, China’s still cool.
Homer SEAmpson - Lego Homer by the beach. But what will the remote work?
Aquaman in Blinky’s Revenge - Heh.
The Simpsons Tapped Out: The Definitive Simpsons Video Game - And finally, I get to end the way I like, with someone who agrees with us. In this case, it’s not only about the show, but also about Tapped Out:
However all this fondness can only last so long, and sadly the best the game has to offer is over once the original 20 levels have been completed. The loose storyline of Homer reuniting with his family finishes at this point; the game continues without real purpose and reveals the most striking resemblance it has with the series. The only true objectives from here on out are to continue building and participate in the next seasonal event; things continue but the heart and soul of the project has ended. Like the show itself, plot lines become more zany and nonsensical (if not downright forgettable) and the family themselves spend less time together and more time with their secondary, tertiary and one-line gag cohorts to keep churning out more content (the Yes-Man comes to mind here…).
Indeed he does.
