Tony & Mr Simpson

‘WITH journalists, comedy terrorists and peace-loving pensioners all breaching security at Royal residences in recent weeks, it was only a matter of time before they were joined by a cartoon character.

‘And that’s what we call the Boston Tea Party’

And Homer Simpson it is who, in the newest episode of the Simpsons (to be shown in the US on Sunday night), drives a Mini Cooper through the gates of Buckingham Palace and catapults the Queen out of her horse-drawn carriage.

Anorak has not seen the script for the episode, but if it is anything like real life we should expect the police to announce an inquiry, promise that it will never happen again and then wait for the next joker to sneak into the Queen’s bedroom.

However, the reason the Simpsons episode makes the front page of the Times is not because of the breach of Royal security it involves, but because it sees the first appearance of Tony Blair in the programme.

Called The Regina Monologues, one scene features Blair teaching Homer the finer points of tea drinking.

Another involves Blair asking Homer which way he thinks it’s going to go in the General Election, to which Homer replies: ‘Well, that Queen seems to be very popular. Is she going to run again?’

Blair recorded his dialogue for the show in April, causing something of a controversy because he was supposed to be involved in fighting a war at the time.

And the Times says the broadcasting of the episode has also been the subject of some debate, with Fox TV claiming that No.10 prevented any tapes being released before President Bush’s visit to avoid possible embarrassment.

Presumably, Blair’s aides were worried that comparisons would be drawn between Homer Simpson and George Dubya.

One is an oafish American who plunges London into chaos during his visit, a two-dimensional character with a tenuous grip on life outside his immediate environment; the other…’

Posted: 20th, November 2003 | In: Broadsheets Comment | TrackBack | Permalink