Fox Threatens Simpsons Cast: Take Pay Cut or Die!

[immortalfrieza]

And as for the inevitable "Simpsons isn't as good as it used to be" comments, last Sunday's episode was pretty freaking funny in my humble opinion.

I agree with you, and in my also humble opinion the Simpsons have been much more funny the last few seasons than they've ever been, they focus on the jokes instead of being too up their a#$es with messages to be all that funny like they were before the movie came out. The messages are still there, but they don't overdo those anymore.

As for the OP, this is a empty threat on both sides. This isn't like a live action TV show where if someone important enough leaves the show falls to pieces, (anyone who's watched this season of Two and a Half Men can vouch for this) the Simpsons is a cartoon. They can replace the entire cast of Simpsons with people that would work for a fraction of the price, heck, if they paid me a 100 grand an episode to voice someone I'd voice them the rest of my life without complaint, and if they put enough effort into the casting the audience wouldn't even notice.

The network also has more than enough money, in fact they could pay the Voice Actors 5 times what they do now and it would hardly make a dent in their wallets. Besides, the Simpsons is far too profitable for them to ever cancel it until that changed, this is just a ploy to rile up the fans and have them help the network scare the VAs into cutting their salaries.

 

[deserteagleeye]

Jesus H. Christ. Quit your bitching and take the paycut. Give that pay to a middle class citizen and they can probably squeeze many years worth of healthy living out of that. FFS.

But if means Fox gets more money then I'm all against it.

 

[FunctionZ]

I want Simpson to end but not this way. If need be make this the last season but don't just pull the plug on a series that has been on the air providing great entertainment to all for over 20 years. Its just wrong.

They can't even take a 33% pay cut. No wonder there is a such a hate for FOX (I live in the UK I never really understood the big hate for it much).

I hope that some agreement is made so the season can end with 20ish Episodes and give a good farewell to the series. If not maybe they can switch like they did with Futurama. XD

 

[putowtin]

cancel it....

no one would really miss it!

 

[awnman]

again no one in particular is earning 8 million its the whole 6 member main cast so to expound on the previous math
so 8 million dived by 6 is 1333333 which is what there each getting per season now provided there payed the same. then that dived by 22 the average series length you get 60606 per episode now if take 45% of that and then take it away from 60606 we find if my math checks that fox wants to each of them 33334 per episode which is still a lot of money but not half as much as you people think it is

 

[esperandote]

If fox can't really make a new season without the cuts then go ahead. Is not like the voice actors are going to be paid that much somewhere else.

If fox is like "we can have as much profits without pay cuts" then dont fold voice crew. Sadly fox will still make tons out of merchandise and the actors will be jobless.

 

[smudgey]

so they're getting around $400,000 an episode. A 45% cut would lower their takings for an episode to just above $200,000. To be honest, they're earning a hell of a lot for voice work. 20 minutes of voice work an episode

$200,000 an episode is actually pretty low for a tv cast thats been on the air this long. That's less then the guy who plays house, or tina fey, or steve carell when he was on the office and A LOT less then charlie sheen or jerry sienfield when they were on.

And they are in there more then 20 minutes, as they each voice an average of 4 characters.


If you voiced 4 of the most memorable tv characters ever and had been doing so for the past 20 years, how much should you expect to make?

I'm pretty sure damn near everyone here would be willing to voice the entire fucking cast for $200,000 a year, let alone $200,000 an episode.

Willing? Yes. Able? Probably not. Those guys are quite talented; convincing voice acting isn't easy. Add to the fact the sheer number of voices produced from the small cast, and the fact many other TV personalities get much more than that (as has been stated), and Fox are getting a good deal. Anyways, i doubt they'd let their biggest money-spinner die. Surely even Fox can't be THAT stupid...... right?

 

[Trishbot]

If they cancel it, they'll just replace it with another Seth McFarlane cartoon instead.

 

[Quellist]

Jesus H. Christ. Quit your bitching and take the paycut. Give that pay to a middle class citizen and they can probably squeeze many years worth of healthy living out of that. FFS.

Sorry but that isn't remotely relevant. Fox has made and continues to make billions from this series, why the fuck shouldn't the cast (who make that show what it is) get a fair share of that pie? do you really think Fox have seen a 45% downturn in profit from the Simpsons?

Fox wont give that share of the pay to the needy, they will take it as extra profit. You want to be angry at someone? be angry at Fox for their greed.

 

[JaceArveduin]

Jesus H. Christ. Quit your bitching and take the paycut. Give that pay to a middle class citizen and they can probably squeeze many years worth of healthy living out of that. FFS.

They could if they would actually use it wisely. Just look at the people that win the huge lotteries, they end up spending most of it in the first month.

 

[Palindromemordnilap_v1legacy]

I reckon its a bluff. The amount of money the Simpsons must make, no way Fox can risk cancelling it. How do you think they manage to get away with so many jabs and barbs directed at Fox? Its a cash-cow and if Fox doesn't milk it they must know someone else will

If they cancel it, they'll just replace it with another Seth McFarlane cartoon instead.

Oh please no. Even the bad Simpson episodes are better than that tripe

 

[lokiduck]

That's fox all right! Facts are they want cheap shows as much as possible. Facts are even if shows like Terra Nova do well, they won't keep it because it's too expensive, and now they are cutting Simpson's wages in a attempt to save more money.

Really though, as long as the SImpsons got a proper send off I'd be happy. I hate Fox and don't watch many of it's shows anymore... (well except Hell's Kitchen >> That's complete and utter crack for me) I could use cutting another TV channel off since I'm living in college anyways and I've all ready ditched NBC and CW.

 

[lokiduck]

I reckon its a bluff. The amount of money the Simpsons must make, no way Fox can risk cancelling it. How do you think they manage to get away with so many jabs and barbs directed at Fox? Its a cash-cow and if Fox doesn't milk it they must know someone else will

If they cancel it, they'll just replace it with another Seth McFarlane cartoon instead.

Oh please no. Even the bad Simpson episodes are better than that tripe

To be fair American Dad isn't so...... bad. If he did something better than that we'd be okay. Course he won't :/

 

[Aprilgold]

Jesus H. Christ. Quit your bitching and take the paycut. Give that pay to a middle class citizen and they can probably squeeze many years worth of healthy living out of that. FFS.

Umm socialist much? Don't be bitter because they earned that.

Well, they spoke into a microphone and made millions laugh. Take it for what its worth. Which is apparently millions.

I still enjoy the show, but if it ended there are enough reruns to enjoy it another 20 years. For many young adult's lives, the Simpsons has always been around. Might be odd having that gap during Sunday night. I'm sure Seth MacFarlane can add another profiled family comedy in there somewhere!

Sorry, I saw your account pic, would it be alright if I asked where you got it?

They'll be picked up if it is canceled, my problem is Fox basically raised the show, so it should still be supporting it throughout its decisions and ETC.

 

[Jnat]

It isn't funny anymore. Time for it to end.

 

[Chris646]

Make 'em take the paycut and put that money towards a good cause, like rebooting Firefly.

 

[Low Key]

Part of me says give them their salary since the show would be nothing without them, and another part of me asks why the cast is complaining about getting $4million instead of $8million as if it couldn't support them. Then yet another part of me ponders if the cast makes $8million now, how much do the execs make and why are they struggling for revenue?

 

[Shadu]

$8 Million? For that? Seriously? That's ridculous. Not to sound like I'm on a soap box, but even though they have changed the face of pop culture, that seems like a waste of resources. I'm not saying cut them off but come on. So you wouldn't be able to buy that third house you've been looking at.

My dad's a school teacher and he gets paid squat for all the good he does. And yet, people who just do voice work for cartoons get paid at least eight to ten times more than he, or any of the school teachers do.

I have a hard time feeling sympathy for celebs when they already make more in a year than I'm likely to make my entire adult life.

And I never really liked the Simpsons anyway. I acknowledge their impact, but do not care for them.