Lady Gaga will be playing herself on an upcoming episode of The Simpsons titled “Lisa Goes Gaga.” The episode is about self-esteem and sequins.

PerezHilton reports the premise of the episode is Gaga rescues Springfield after its reported to have very low self esteem. This is especially true for Lisa who is very depressed.

According to executive producer Al Jean, this is the first time the show has had a “show business legend” younger than the series itself.

The episode will air in spring 2012.

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‘The Simpsons” introductory animation sequence has been a staple in pop-culture for over twenty years. It has always been a reliable comfort for me. It indicates that for at-least twenty-two minutes a day I would be thoroughly entertained.

The hit cartoon has built legion of fans that have immersed themselves so deeply into the series that the writers imbed hidden messages into the opening credits. These subtle nuances (In my opinion) are a wink and a nod to ‘The Simpsons’” super fans. Every Sunday, “The Simpsons” introduction has been slightly different. From the variation in Bart’s disciplinary lines in detention to how the family inevitably ends up on the couch, each opening has started with a bang.

This week, however, started with a pop and short after the sound of creativity slowly deflating from the show. For what I presume is the first time in the show’s history, somebody replaced the iconic harmonized theme song with Ke$ha’ “Tik Tok.” The switch was apparently part of a new week long promotion entitled “FOX Rocks.”

To be honest, I’m concerned. Either Matt Groening has finally run out of ideas for America’s longest running show or Ke$ha broke into his house and offered to blow him. Either way, the choice to use ‘Tik Tok’ as a substitute for the Simpsons theme song was a scary indication that no one is safe. Even an American institution, with over two decades of immense popularity, is vulnerable to Ke$ha’s infectious auto-tuned pop hooks. I have nothing against Ke$ha, however, this PR stunt was a feeble attempt by the Simpsons organization to stay relevant and gain the attention of today’s youth. I fear the writer’s may have finally lost touch with popular culture and it may be time to end the series before this gets worse.

BTW – check out my interview below with Ke$ha in case you are interested.

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Tired of seeing the same-old characters on The Simpsons? Well, now you’ve got the chance to add a fresh face to the town of Springfield.

In honour of its 20th season on the air, The Simpsons is celebrating by allowing fans the chance to create their own Simpsons character, according to myfoxboston.com.

The Simpsons Character Contest gives viewers, who must be at least 18 years old, the chance to create their very own yellow cartoon and have it featured on the show.

Entrants will be given the chance to create the character’s basic traits, including name/nickname, age, physical appearance, occupation, and catchphrase.

The winning entry, which will be selected by the show’s producers, will be animated into an episode of The Simpsons set for late January, 2010.

The grand-prize winner will also receive a tirp to Los Angeles to meet the show’s producers and an animator, and will be able to work with the team to bring their character to life on the small screen.

The deadline for submissions is 11:59 PM ET on Oct. 24, 2009. All entries are to be submitted to thesimpsons.com.

As it says on the website, the team behind The Simpsons want you to “unleash your yellow.”

“For 20 years, the artists and writers of The Simpsons have loving laboured to create a parade of hilariously memorable characters beloved by the whole world,” it says on the site. “Well, that’s all over now. The simple fact is, we’re tired. Tired and, frankly, too rich to care anymore. That’s where YOU come in! While we coast on our long ago achievements, you have the chance to shame us off our lazy butts by designing your very own Simpsons character!”

The blurb wraps up with one final plea: “Come on, people, show us how it’s supposed to be done. You’ll have the satisfaction of creating a character seen by millions. And we’ll have the satisfaction of not having to do our jobs.”

Full contest rules and guidelines can be found at thesimpsons.com.

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Marge Simpson is about to become the first cartoon character to grace the cover of Playboy, reports CBC. Simpson will be featured in the November issue of the magazine, which hits newsstands next Friday.

The magazine reports a three-page spread will “imply nudity,” but the matriarch won’t bare all.

Scott Flanders, the new chief executive at Playboy, says he hopes the move attracts more readers in their 20s. Currently, the average reader’s age is 35.

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As the saying goes, you know you’ve made it once you’re on The Simpsons. Well, after a few years climbing the ranks of stardom, Seth Rogen is finally there.

Much like the rest of his career, Rogen is taking charge. He co-wrote the script for his character in the 21st season of the acclaimed cartoon, becoming only the second celebrity to do so (next to Ricky Gervais.) The season premier, “Homer the Whopper”, aired on Sunday night, and featured Rogen as the gym trainer who helped Homer get in shape for his upcoming movie role as “Everyman”, written by the Comic Book Guy, Perez Hilton reports.

Other celebrities appearing on this season of The Simpsons inclue Chris Martin (Coldplay), Sarah Silverman, Anne Hathaway, Jonah Hill and Neve Campbell.

Rogen said The Simpsons has always been something of “a Holy Grail” and he can “die a happy man now” having made the credits of the show.

Rogen has been busy otherwise gearing up for his role as the Green Hornet, another screenplay he wrote alongside Evan Goldberg (Superbad, Pineapple Express). The film, directed by Michael Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), was pushed back to a December 2010 release date.

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Springfield’s first family is being honoured by the U.S. Postal Service.

The dysfunctional clan at the centre of “The Simpsons” – Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie – will be featured on five 44-cent first-class mail stamps to be launched later this year.

The special stamps, designed by show creator and executive producer Matt Groening, will coincide with the two-decade milestone of primetime’s long-running comedy.

“This has been a dream for Fox and The Simpsons creative teams for some time and we are very proud to have been granted this honor. The timing couldn’t be better as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the show,” Elie Dekel, executive VP of Fox Licensing and Merchandising, said in a statement.

Fans can get a sneak peek at the stamps via the USPS website here on April 9, at which time the post office plans to announce the date the stamps will go on sale and how to pre-order them.

The USPS receives 50,000 stamp suggestions each year, but only about 20 are given the final seal of approval for circulation.

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“The Simpsons” has been renewed for two more years, setting it up to become the longest-running prime-time series in U.S. TV history.

The animated show, which debuted in December 1989, will air through the 2010-11 season for a record 22-year run.

By the end of that season, it will have aired 492 episodes.

“Gunsmoke” held the previous record with a 20-year run on CBS before ending in 1975.

Now in its 20th season, “The Simpsons” has received a slew of accolades, including 24 Emmy Awards, 23 Annie Awards and a Peabody Award.

The show already holds Guinness World Record titles for longest-running prime-time animated television series and most guests stars featured in a television series.

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Universal Studios Hollywood deputed “The Simpsons Ride” Saturday with a yellow carpet premiere.

Show masterminds Matt Groening and James L Brooks came out for the celebration, as did Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa—who got into character. “Today, my name is Mayor Quimby,” he said, giving the ride thumbs up.

The ride is said to be packed with twists and turns, a “Pirates of the Caribbean” spoof, a radioactive Maggie and many more surprises.

Those who wish to take a spin with “The Simpsons” will have to wait after the weekend, when the ride officially opens to the public on Monday.

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Everyone knows that Lisa is Buddhist buds with Richard Gere, but who knew Bart was skateboarding off to the Church of Scientology?

The voice of the infamous 8-year-old cartoon character, Nancy Cartwright, donated $10 million to the church last year, reports PageSix.com.

In comparison, Tom Cruise donated $5 million over the year in an “instalment plan.”

The money goes toward spreading the church’s anti-psychology message. “It was all part of Scientology’s Global Salvage effort, which aims to ‘de-aberrate’ Earth ? meaning to rid mankind of psychology ills and other ‘aberrant’ behavior,” the site reported.

Kirstie Alley matched Cruise’s donation, while John Travolta and wife Kelly Preston pitched in $1 million each. They all reportedly received awards recognizing their contributions.

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China’s ruling Communist Party has banned American cartoons like “The Simpsons” and “Mickey Mouse” during prime time television viewing hours.

The BBC reports that the move is meant to protect Chinese animators and culture from the growing popularity of Western entertainment. The country’s government is said to be worried about the impact of foreign culture on Chinese youth.

According to the state media, foreign cartoons will not be aired on television between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., starting September 1. Programs that mix animation and live characters will be included in the ban.

Media outlets in China were quick to lash out against the move.

“This is a worrying, shortsighted policy and will not solve the fundamental problems in China’s cartoon industry,” said the Southern Metropolis News. “The viewing masses, whether adults or children, will have no choice but to passively support Chinese products.”

Currently in China, and based on a government order issued just two years ago, homegrown cartoons must account for at least 60% of the total animated shows broadcast in prime time.

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Kiefer Sutherland, the star of hit TV show 24, and rock group The White Stripes have been confirmed as the newest guests set to appear on The Simpsons upcoming season.

According to the BBC, the Detroit-based band will play themselves in an episode that sees Bart organizing a benefit concert. Sutherland, however, will voice an original character — a tough colonel in an episode that finds Homer accidentally joining the army.

Natalie Portman, Eric Idle and television’s most famous psychologist, Dr. Phil McGraw, are also set to appear throughout the 18th season of the animated show.

The new set of Simpsons episodes will begin airing on September 18, with the 400th episode to be shown the following May.

A feature-length Simpsons film is also being produced and is set for a 2007 release to celebrate the characters’ 20th anniversary.

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The Fox network introduced its fall schedule today, and the schedule is looking familiar.

?The Bernie Mac Show? fell victim to the cancellation axe, but most of FOX?s schedule remains as it is this season ? right down to the nights and times of its shows.

Returning shows include ?Bones,? ?Prison Break,” ?24,? ?American Idol,? ?House,? ?The Simpsons,? ?The O.C.,? “Family Guy,” “American Dad,? “King Of the Hill” and ?The Loop.?

New shows include ?Vanished,? airing Mondays at 9 p.m., ?Standoff,? ?Justice,? from ?CSI? executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer, ?Til Death? starring Brad Garrett, and ?Happy Hour.?

Mark Burnett?s new reality show ?On the Lot? will also air on Fox this fall. It brings 16 aspiring filmmakers to Hollywood. The winner gets to meet Steven Speilberg and gets an office at the Dreamworks lot. Sounds an awful lot like ?The Apprentice? except without the hair.

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The Simpson family will star in a new series of video games, Twentieth Century Fox Television and Gracie Films announced this week.

The companies signed a long-term agreement with Electronic Arts that will give the video game maker exclusive rights to upcoming Simpsons games.

Details of the agreement were not released.

“I think this is a great opportunity for us, primarily because it brings with it the possibility of free EA games,” said The Simpsons executive producer James L. Brooks.

“This is a great opportunity for our talented development team to collaborate with the brilliant minds of The Simpsons to bring original Simpsons material to videogame fans,” said Nick Earl, vice president and general manager of EA’s Redwood Shores Studio.

The Simspons is the longest running animated comedy in TV history, in its seventh season. The show earns more than $1 billion in licensing and merchandise deals.

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This month, the cast and crew of The Simpsons confirmed rumours of a movie deal after years of speculation that such a film was already in the works. Nancy Cartwright, voice of Bart Simpson, was quoted as saying, “We’ve just done the table read for The Simpsons movie…we’re actually doing it and are in production.”

So there it is.

After what seemed like eons to diehard fans, the inevitable has happened, and The Simpsons will take Hollywood. In other words, the show’s producers have given the final push to a show that has been teetering on the edge of mediocrity for over five seasons.

Don’t get me wrong, I am one of the biggest Simpson fans on the face of this planet. In fact, it is a result of my devout love for the show that I have formed such a passionate opinion about this movie. And about my disdain for recent episodes? Apparently I’m not the only one.

Harry Shearer, voice of such characters as Mr. Burns and Dr. Hibbert, told interviewers the show is no longer funny and that he is thankful he has other work in his life besides the long-running cartoon.

Despite anyone’s opinions on the show’s current quality, the fact of the matter is The Simpsons ceased to exist as a mere “television show” several years ago. After hundreds of books and articles, several certified university courses and a legion of fans all analyzing the show?s social significance, The Simpsons is less a cartoon and more a cultural phenomenon. It became so successful at parodying pop culture that it subsequently created an entire cast of celebrities. It is witty, it is insightful, and despite what my mother says, it is important.

Because of this cultural significance ? memorable quotes and entire episodes parodying social battles over gay marriage, gun control, legalized gambling and medicinal marijuana ? we can’t afford to lose The Simpsons to the silver screen curse. Although I haven’t truly enjoyed an episode with the same laugh-out-loud enthusiasm since seasons five and six (when Homer Simpson was paired with television’s second funniest man, then-producer Conan O’Brien), this show has no place in the same league as other series-to-movie flops such as The Flintstones, The Mod Squad, Scoobie Doo, Inspector Gadget, and, as I’m anticipating, The Honeymooners.

Many believe the movie will mark the end of the series, and though the show isn’t now what it once was, I can’t think of a less fitting send off. The show I fell in love with ? the show that had me crying with laughter over lines such as, “We’ll live like kings! Damn hell ass kings!” – does not belong in a movie theatre. It should be enjoyed on the small screen, where it was born and perfected, and it should be allowed to drag on until producers finally acknowledge that they’re brainchild isn’t so funny anymore.

For those of you who still aren’t convinced that this movie is a horrible idea, did I mention that, according to producer Mike Reiss, there’s a decent chance this will be a non-animated, live action picture?

I think it’s a little more than obvious that this movie is a disrespectful way of making a final buck off the Simpson name, and more importantly, it’s too typical of a Hollywood the show was always so quick to satirize. I think Comic Book Guy said it best.

“Worst idea ever.”

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