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Blood Feud (The Simpsons)
"Blood Feud" is the twenty-second and final episode of the second season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on July 11, 1991. In the episode, Mr. Burns falls ill and desperately needs a blood transfusion. Homer discovers Bart has Burns' rare blood type and urges him to donate, thinking the Simpsons will be handsomely rewarded. After receiving the blood transfusion, Burns sends them a thank-you card with no money. Marge convinces Homer not to send an insulting reply to his boss, but when Bart mails the letter anyway, Burns is livid. He later forgives Homer and sends the Simpsons a giant Olmec carving to show his gratitude, which is present in the Simpsons' residence's basement for the remainder of the series. The episode was written by George Meyer and directed by David Silverman. Executive producer Sam Simon and writers Al Jean and Mike Reiss came up with the idea for the episode. A co-worker had recen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David Silverman (animator)
David Silverman (born March 15, 1957) is an American animator who has animation director, directed numerous episodes of the animated television series ''The Simpsons'', as well as its The Simpsons Movie, 2007 film adaptation. Silverman was involved with the series from the very beginning, animating all of the original The Simpsons shorts, short ''Simpsons'' cartoons that aired on ''The Tracey Ullman Show''. He went on to serve as director of animation for several years. He also did the animation for the 2016 film ''The Edge of Seventeen'', which was produced by Gracie Films. Early life and career Silverman was born to a American Jews, Jewish family on Long Island, New York. His father, Joseph Silverman, was a chemical engineering professor at the University of Maryland, College Park, for over 30 years. He grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland, and attended the University of Maryland for two years, focusing on art. He then attended UCLA and majored in animation. Early in his career ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen ratings, an audience measurement system of television viewership that for years has been the deciding factor in canceling or renewing television shows by television networks. As of August 2024, it is the primary part of Nielsen Holdings. NMR began as a division of ACNielsen, a marketing research firm founded in 1923. In 1996, NMR was split off into an independent company, and in 1999, was purchased by the Dutch conglomerate VNU. In 2001, VNU also purchased ACNielsen, thereby bringing both companies under the same corporate umbrella for years. NMR is also a sister company to Nielsen//NetRatings, which measures Internet and digital media audiences. VNU was reorganized and renamed the Nielsen Company in 2007. NMR was separated again from Ni ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dolby Surround
Dolby Pro Logic is a surround sound processing technology developed by Dolby Laboratories, designed to decode soundtracks encoded with Dolby Surround. The terms Dolby Stereo and LtRt (''Left Total'', ''Right Total'') are also used to describe soundtracks that are encoded using this technique. Dolby Stereo—also known as Dolby MP (''Motion Picture'') or Dolby SVA (''stereo variable-area'')—was developed by Dolby in 1976 for analog cinema sound systems. The format was adapted for home use in 1982 as Dolby Surround when HiFi capable consumer VCRs were introduced. It was further improved with the Dolby Pro Logic decoding system after 1987. The Dolby MP Matrix was the professional system that encoded four channels of film sound into two. This track used by the ''Dolby Stereo'' theater system on a 35mm optical stereo print and decoded back to the original 4.0 Surround. The same four-channel encoded stereo track was largely left unchanged and made available to consumers as ''"Do ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stereophonic
Stereophonic sound, commonly shortened to stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that recreates a multi-directional, 3-dimensional audible perspective. This is usually achieved by using two independent audio channels through a configuration of two loudspeakers (or stereo headphones) in such a way as to create the impression of sound heard from various directions, as in natural hearing. Because the multi-dimensional perspective is the crucial aspect, the term ''stereophonic'' also applies to systems with more than two channels or speakers such as quadraphonic and surround sound. Binaural sound systems are also ''stereophonic''. Stereo sound has been in common use since the 1970s in entertainment media such as broadcast radio, recorded music, television, video cameras, cinema, computer audio, and the Internet. Etymology The word ''stereophonic'' derives from the Greek (''stereós'', "firm, solid") + (''phōnḗ'', "sound, tone, voice") and it was coined in 1927 by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Red Herring
A red herring is something that misleads or distracts from a relevant or important question. It may be either a logical fallacy or a literary device that leads readers or audiences toward a false conclusion. A red herring may be used intentionally, as in mystery fiction or as part of rhetorical strategies (e.g., in politics), or may be used in argumentation inadvertently. The term was popularized in 1807 by English polemicist William Cobbett, who told a story of having used a strong-smelling smoked fish to divert and distract hounds from chasing a rabbit. Logical fallacy As an informal fallacy, the red herring falls into a broad class of relevance fallacies. Unlike the straw man, which involves a distortion of the other party's position, the red herring is a seemingly plausible, though ultimately irrelevant, diversionary tactic. According to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', a red herring may be intentional or unintentional; it is not necessarily a conscious intent to mis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chris Turner (author)
Chris Turner (born July 25, 1973) is a Canadians, Canadian journalist and author. Biography Turner was born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, where his father, a fighter pilot, was stationed with the Canadian Forces, Canadian military. As a military brat, he lived in the Canadian North, the American Midwest, and Germany. He graduated from Queen's University at Kingston, Queen's University, in Kingston, Ontario, in 1996 with an honours Bachelor of Arts in history. He also holds a journalism degree from Ryerson Polytechnic University, Toronto (1998). While at Ryerson, he completed an editorial internship at ''Shift (magazine), Shift'' magazine. Following graduation from Ryerson, Turner reported on culture and technology for ''Shift (magazine), Shift'' from 1998 to 2003. His writing has also appeared in, ''The Walrus'', ''The New Yorker'', ''The Globe and Mail'', ''The Independent'', ''The Sunday Times'', ''Time (magazine), Time'', ''The Guardian'', ''Utne Reader'', ''Adbusters'' and ''Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Planet Simpson
''Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation'', also abbreviated to ''Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Defined a Generation'', is a non-fiction book about ''The Simpsons'', written by Chris Turner and originally published on October 12, 2004 by Random House. The book is partly a memoir and an exploration of the impact ''The Simpsons'' has had on popular culture. Background ''Planet Simpson'' was written by Canadian author Chris Turner, who is a big fan of ''The Simpsons'', although "not even the biggest fan I know personally ... I think I am actually a pretty average hardcore fan. What I brought to it was a sense that because the show is as well put together as it is, it really offers a wide lens for looking at culture generally." Turner notes: "I can count on ''The Simpsons'' to provide me with a solid thirty minutes of truth, of righteous anger, of hypocrisies deflated and injustices revealed, of belly laughter and joy. I ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dan Castellaneta
Daniel Louis Castellaneta ( ; born October 29, 1957) is an American actor. He is best known for voicing Homer Simpson on the animated series ''The Simpsons'' (as well as other characters on the show such as Grampa Simpson, Krusty the Clown, Groundskeeper Willie, Mayor Quimby, Sideshow Mel, Mr. Teeny, Kodos, Itchy, and Barney Gumble). Castellaneta is also known for voicing Grandpa in Nickelodeon's '' Hey Arnold!'', and has had voice roles in several other programs, including '' Futurama'', '' Sibs'', '' Darkwing Duck'', '' The Adventures of Dynamo Duck'', '' The Batman'', '' Back to the Future: The Animated Series'', '' Aladdin'', '' Earthworm Jim'', and '' Taz-Mania''. In 1999, he appeared in the Christmas special '' Olive, the Other Reindeer'' and won an Annie Award for his portrayal of the Postman. Castellaneta released a comedy album '' I Am Not Homer'', and wrote and starred in a one-person show titled ''Where Did Vincent van Gogh?'' Early life Daniel Louis Caste ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harry Shearer
Harry Julius Shearer (born December 23, 1943) is an American actor, comedian, musician, radio host, writer, and producer. Born in Los Angeles, California, Shearer began his career as a child actor. From 1969 to 1976, Shearer was a member of The Credibility Gap, a radio comedy group. Following the breakup of the group, Shearer co-wrote the film ''Real Life'' (1979) with Albert Brooks and worked as a writer on Martin Mull's television series ''Fernwood 2 Night''. Shearer was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' between 1979 and 1980, and 1984 and 1985. Shearer co-created, co-wrote and co-starred in the film '' This Is Spinal Tap'' (1984), a satirical rockumentary, which became a hit. In 1989, he joined the cast of the animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''; he provides voices for characters including Mr. Burns, Waylon Smithers, Ned Flanders, Reverend Lovejoy, Lenny Leonard, Kang, Principal Skinner, Kent Brockman, Otto Mann, and formerly Dr. Hibbert. Shearer has appeared in fi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Olmec Head, Mexico, C
The Olmecs () or Olmec were an early known major Mesoamerican civilization, flourishing in the modern-day Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco from roughly 1200 to 400 BCE during Mesoamerica's formative period. They were initially centered at the site of their development in San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán, but moved to La Venta in the 10th century BCE following the decline of San Lorenzo. The Olmecs disappeared mysteriously in the 4th century BCE, leaving the region sparsely populated until the 19th century. Among other "firsts", the Olmec appeared to practice ritual bloodletting and played the Mesoamerican ballgame, hallmarks of nearly all subsequent Mesoamerican societies. The aspect of the Olmecs most familiar now is their artwork, particularly the colossal heads. The Olmec civilization was first defined through artifacts which collectors purchased on the pre-Columbian art market in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Olmec artworks are considered among ancient Ameri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lisa Simpson
Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television sitcom series ''The Simpsons''. She is the middle child of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa was born as a character in '' The Tracey Ullman Show'' short " Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening created and designed her while waiting to meet James L. Brooks. Groening had been invited to pitch a series of shorts based on his comic '' Life in Hell'', but instead decided to create a new set of characters. He named the older Simpson daughter after his younger sister Lisa Groening Bartlett. After appearing on ''The Tracey Ullman Show'' for three years, the Simpson family were moved to their own series on Fox, which debuted on December 17, 1989. Intelligent, kind, and passionate about the planet and all living things, Lisa Simpson is the second child of Homer and Marge. She is the younger sister of Bart, and the older sister of Maggie, at age 8. Lisa's high intellect and le ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Olmec Head
The Olmec colossal heads are stone representations of human heads sculpted from large basalt boulders. They range in height from . The heads date from at least 900 BCE and are a distinctive feature of the Olmec civilization of ancient Mesoamerica.Diehl 2004, p. 111. All portray mature individuals with fleshy cheeks, flat noses, and slightly-crossed eyes; their physical characteristics correspond to a type that is still common among the inhabitants of Tabasco and Veracruz. The backs of the monuments are often flat. The boulders were brought from the Sierra de Los Tuxtlas mountains of Veracruz. Given that the extremely large slabs of stone used in their production were transported more than , requiring a great deal of human effort and resources, it is thought that the monuments represent portraits of powerful individual Olmec rulers. Each of the known examples has a distinctive headdress. The heads were variously arranged in lines or groups at major Olmec centres, but the method an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
