"Such high-profile homages to a band long under-appreciated beyond these shores... cut far deeper than any barbs in the script. They don’t just lift The Smiths into the revered echelons of your Beatles, Rolling Stones, Whos and U2s; they remind us how special a band we’ve come to define by their differences really were as a unit" - NME's Mark Beaumont writes about a recent 'The Simpsons' episode (as well as the recent movie 'Shoplifters of The World'), and what it means for the band (Morrissey didn't like The Simpsons, said he would sue, if it weren't so costly). The columnist believes "here’s our chance to rescue The Smiths from the pyre, unshackle them from the conversation around them and let their music settle back into its rightful place, just below the heart of the human condition".

“The hatred shown towards me from the creators of the Simpsons is obviously a taunting lawsuit, but one that requires more funding than I could possibly muster in order to make a challenge” - Morrissey writes on his website after a Simpsons episode which parodied the former Smiths frontman. "The worst thing you can do in 2021 is to lend a bit of strength to the lives of others. There is no place in modern music for anyone with strong emotions … In a world obsessed with Hate Laws, there are none that protect me” - the singer says. Morrissey satirised during the episode 'Panic on the Streets of Springfield', in which Lisa Simpson becomes obsessed with a fictional band called the Snuffs and befriends its frontman, Quilloughby.

"The apocalypse may be looming over us, like a drooling Homer over a box of donuts, but that’s no reason to lose all hope. Some hope, but not all hope" - Head Ned of the metal band Okilly Dokilly, inspired by The Simpsons character Ned Flanders, has said announcing their US tour and a new single. The rest of the band are - Bed Ned, Shred Ned, Dread Ned, Zed Ned. "We’re exci-diddly-ited to announce the ‘When the Comet Gets Here Tour’. So grab your green sweater and what remaining hope you have left and come rage with us Neds. End times are always better as Ned times” - Head Ned has said, as Consequence of Sound reports. They might be kidding, but they take their metal seriously, death-metal style, more or less.

Disney+ has removed 'The Simpsons' episode 'Stark Raving Dad', which appeared in the show's third season. The now-notorious episode does not appear on the service as part of its removal, which also extends to Blu-ray DVD box sets and syndication. In the wake of pulling the episode, executive producer James L. Brooks told the Wall Street Journal, "It […]