LOS ANGELES: The creators of satirical animated series “The Simpsons,” who once eerily predicted Donald Trump would become US president, cannot keep pace with the comedy he is now inspiring and have decided instead to take family back to medieval times.
Bumbling Homer, housewife Marge, troublemaker Bart, prodigy Lisa and baby Maggie, who have captured the changing face of America over 28 years, become “The Serfsons” in the season 29 premiere on Fox on Sunday.
In 2000, “The Simpsons” joked in an episode titled “Bart to the Future” that Trump would enter the White House and said his presidency would ruin the economy.
But executive producer Matt Selman said the show, which takes more than a year to produce each season, cannot keep up with jokes about Trump since he won the 2016 election.
“There’s a massive industry of nothing but Trump comedy,” he said in an interview. “We can’t beat them to the punch. We can only show how Trump’s America has sadly seeped its way into Springfield.”
For the new series, the family live in a feudal medieval society where goblins, ogres and dragons exist, 8-year-old Lisa Simpson can do magic and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau from “Game of Thrones” plays Marge’s twin brother.
“The Serfsons” includes references to an array of fantasy tales, from “Game of Thrones” and “Lord of the Rings” to “Conan the Barbarian.”
“In all fantasy, there’s always analogy to the modern world,” writer-producer Brian Kelley said.
In one episode, Marge’s aging mother Mrs. Bouvier is slowly turned to ice and Homer and Marge try to find an alternate cure when they fail to get enough money for health care.
“While we were writing it, the world became much more horrifying, scary and evil,” Selman said.
“Wealth and equality and the 1 percent and health care — we just wrote those because we thought these were eternal issues, and then they turned into terrifying issues,” he added.
“The Simpsons” is the longest-running comedy on US television and will break another record in its 29th season with the most episodes for a scripted show.
Season 29 will have guests stars such as Martin Short, singer Ed Sheeran and author Neil Gaiman in a Halloween episode inspired by his works including “Coraline.”
In world of fast-paced Trump satire, ‘The Simpsons’ go medieval
In world of fast-paced Trump satire, ‘The Simpsons’ go medieval
Policewoman honored for soothing crying baby when her mother fell unconscious at Beirut airport
- ISF honors first adjutant for comforting and feeding baby-milk to scared infant whose mother was rushed to hospital
- Social media users praise policewoman for her ‘humane and empathetic’ act after photos went viral
BEIRUT: A Lebanese policewoman who comforted an infant and fed her milk while her mother was hospitalized after falling unconscious at Beirut airport was honored for what social media users dubbed a ‘humane and empathetic’ act.
First Adjutant Nadia Nasser was on duty when the unidentified baby’s mother suffered a sudden illness and fell unconscious at a checkpoint inside Beirut International Airport earlier this month.
Photos of Nasser holding the months-old baby in her arms, preparing a milk bottle and feeding her went viral across social media, where users described the policewomen’s act as ‘motherly, compassionate and humane’ behavior.
Brig. Gen. Moussa Karnib of Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces honored Nasser on Friday for caring for the infant for almost two hours at the airport after her mother was rushed to a hospital.
A media statement said the first adjutant was honored upon the directives of ISF’s Director General Maj. Gen. Raed Abdullah, after she took personal initiative on Feb. 2 to comfort the infant.
Commenting on Nasser’s photos that went viral, a user called Sami said she should be promoted for her ‘selfless and empathetic’ act.
Another user, Joe, commented: “She should be rewarded.
“This is how loyalty and love for one’s job and country are built,” wrote a user called Youssef.
Media reports said that when the incident happened, the baby’s fear and cries prompted Nasser to take the initiative to comfort and remain beside her until her mother’s condition stabilized.
ISF’s statement did not clarify whether Nasser and the baby accompanied the mother in the ambulance or how they were reunited later.
