A Message from Al Jean Regarding Harry Shearer

[Datoupee]

Al Jean has asked me to post this on the boards.

Tino,

I was wondering if you could post the following response on the No Homers site, in my name. I am responding to recent comments by Harry Shearer regarding the current quality of the Simpsons. In the past year and a half, our show has won every award it could possibly have won, including emmys for best animated program and voice-over actor (Hank Azaria), four Annie awards (show, writing, directing and song--a feat the Simpsons had never accomplished in the previous 13 seasons) and a writers guild award, which the show had also won never won before. Yesterday I was informed that Dan Castelleneta had won an emmy for his work in the episode "Today I Am A Clown" and we are nominated for three additional emmys (including best animated program) again this year.

All this is due to the efforts of many people who put in far more time on the show than Mr. Shearer. He complains that his parts have shrunk--the reason for that is, as showrunner, I am never sure if he will show up for the table reads for which he is so handsomely paid. More than once, in the past, I have had a show set for a Thursday read featuring Harry's characters and been told on the Wednesday before that he is not coming. Hence, I have learned not to give him too much to do in any episode. Mr. Shearer also describes how he was happier with season four of the show. Well, I ran seasons three and four (with Mike Reiss) and he didn't seem very happy to me then. I can particularly remember how he repeatedly complained to me and others about how much he disliked the episode "Homer at the Bat", which is now viewed as a classic.

I am personally offended by his comment that he feels "totally screwed" by the show financially. He is set this year to make over 5.5 million dollars for what can generously be described as a few hours work a week. When I consider how much firefighters and teachers in this country earn, Mr. Shearer's remarks make me want to throw up.

Al Jean

[kuje]

Amen, Al

[J.Re*]

I don't like this, no I don't like this at all!

[Tomacco]

Yeah he sent this to me too. I was just about to post it, but this whole thing took me by surprise as it is since I hadn't even read about the Harry Shearer thing yet. Trouble brewin' over at the Simpsons.

[pat]

I hate to think negatively, but I got a feeling this is the beginning of the end. I don't like the looks of this at all. I am a fan of Shearer's work, but in this case Al is right.

[Pie Pants]

Amen, Al

I still hope this doesn't mean he might leave.

[kuje]

^^ Yeah me too, I was really just seconding his veiws on the monetary situation, I certainly don't want Shearer to leave the show.

[Pie Pants]

I was agreeing with you, I was just also saying what I thought.

[Tibor]

looks like he may finally get to do "saucy jack."

[Asuka]

Shearer isn't going to leave, he just needs a little perspective. When he's acting like a jerk, everyone in the recording studio should just shout, "Teddy Bear's Picnic!"

[chris]

I don't like this one bit. I don't think I'm ever going to be able to hear Skinner or Burns speak again without thinking about the colossal ass behind their voices...

I'll get you a bucket, Al.

[Crotis Jivefunk]

Harry Shearer's the best voice actor on the show. I hope this doesn't get any worse.

[Andy]

Stronger words than I might have expected from Al or anyone else with such a high position at the show. I guess it had to be said-- Al's right about how a good majority of Americans get paid much less than Harry does, and they have to put up with much more from their employers.

I don't think Harry would leave, since his departure would pretty much end the show. You just can't have someone else pop in there and do Burns all of a sudden. It wouldn't work.

[Larson Something]

The quality of the recent shows clearly has nothing to do with Harry going public about this. I just remembered that there were reports following the contract settlement that one unnamed cast member really wanted to continue the holdout but was overpowered by the rest. Well, guess that mystery's solved. And now he's decided to bitch about it openly and mask it a little by throwing in complaints about the show that he somehow didn't feel quite so compelled to make during the Scully doldrums. Regardless of whether one agrees with his assessment of recent seasons or not, it's very hard to side with Harry here. He's accomplishing absolutely nothing constructive with this.

[Roger Myers III]

There's a lot more going on here than meets the eye - as Larson has correctly noted.
Fox is learning a lot about requiring the actors to participate in DVD promotion in the new contract, for one thing...

[Hydro]

I pretty much agree with Jean regarding the discrepancy between Shearer's salary and the amount of work he puts in (and I have a friend who met Shearer a few times when he was a radio DJ in the Bay Area in the early '80s, and she said that he was quite a prick even then).

That said, I can't help but think that it's best for the show if Jean just let this slide instead of going out of his way to send a very public response to several fan websites. He wouldn't do that if he was just angry at Shearer and wanted to vent. There's more to this than we know, but like everyone's noted, it can't be something good.

[Tibor]

It's troubling, but I really doubt it's terminal. There've been uproars before within the staff. And surely Harry knows that there isn't a better deal to be had than the one he has with The Simpsons, mouthing off aside.

Anyway, interesting that Jean has chosen to respond this way...

[Gorky]

While I don't believe that this is a sure sign of the "beginning of the end", it does worry me a bit. I feel that Al Jean is right in his "rebuttal" to Shearer's harsh comments, and that's where the problem starts. Shearer is obviously unhappy with his work, and, while I'm sure that his contract makes it all the more difficult for him to walk up and leave (which I feel he's ready to do, although I doubt it'll happen), it's still just sort of sad to see. Hopefully it this won't affect the voice-acting quality on Shearer's part (although I do think it has declined in recent years anyway) or the longevity and/or quality of the show in general.

[Hydro]

And surely Harry knows that there isn't a better deal to be had than the one he has with The Simpsons, mouthing off aside.

From all I've heard about Shearer he likes to have control over his own material; this is why he never got along well at SNL, and why he's always seemed most comfortable towards his own projects (Le Show, his various documentary films) than when others are putting in dialogue for him.

So he might not not necessarily care about the money right now - he's 60 years old with millions in the bank; he's set for life as far as his finances are concerned, and if he ever wants to work again it'll only be for projects where he gets to call the shots. As soon as his Simpsons contract runs out you can bet he'll be gone.

[stevedude530]

So Castellanetta won the voiceover Emmy?

Sorry, just thought it was something positive to point out.

And how do you get in contact with Mr. Jean???????

[OldCootAbe]

I'm not sure what to think yet, I'll reserve judgement til later.

[George Cauldron]

Well, I agree with everybody else here about the situation here. Let's hope Harry Shearer doesn't remain unloved by Al for too long and the situation improves quickly. In lighter news, congratulations to Dan on deservedly winning the Emmy yesterday.

[Dark Homer]

ohhhh snap cat fight

[eldanielfire]

Ha, ah.

Hinding behind awards

Didn't jennifer aniston win a Emmy in the latter (crap) years of friends?

Even though the show was crap is Aniston the best comedic actor on the show? No way.

Still. I think as Al jean is in charge, he is right to rebute Shearer HIOWEVER he shoiuld do it in private, especially as a Simpsons writer he should be aware of how the media can take things out of contet and Shearer's right to, rightfully, moan about the quality.

[TerrorK]

Yes, hiding behind awards... most of which weren't deserved in the first place. Many of which should have gone to Futurama, or even other shows.

[Magnum]

What's the contract set for, 2 years? If they are going to settle this, they have plenty of time.

[vox]

Yes, hiding behind awards... most of which weren't deserved in the first place. Many of which should have gone to Futurama, or even other shows.

Yeah, I sure wish that guy who played the robot devil could've gotten one instead of this no talent klown-playing buffoon.

I am kinda surprised to see Al addressing this publically, but I can't say I disagree. It worries me a bit though.

[eldanielfire]

I believe the actors just signed a 4 year extension for s##tloads of cash.

[TerrorK]

I said *most* of which were not deserved. For voice acting, Dan, Julie, Yeardley or any of the co-stars minus Tress deserve any awards they get. Hank is too lazy these days, Harry's slipped a bit, same with Nancy in some randome episodes (Ralph and Kearney both being off in the season finale) and all Tress MacNeille's characters sound like Lindsey Neagle. I find it ironic that Hank won the most recent ones (aside from Dan just now) considering he's probably doing the worst job at the moment. Not sure about Karl Wiedergott, that guys always just seemed a waste of space to me.

[vox]

I said *most* of which were not deserved. For voice acting, Dan, Julie, Yeardley or any of the co-stars minus Tress deserve any awards they get. Hank is too lazy these days, Harry's slipped a bit, same with Nancy in some randome episodes (Ralph and Kearney both being off in the season finale) and all Tress MacNeille's characters sound like Lindsey Neagle. I find it ironic that Hank won the most recent ones (aside from Dan just now) considering he's probably doing the worst job at the moment.

Well the only award they've won so far this year is Dan's. Futurama is nominated in the other categories along with OFF so at this point they're getting just as much recognition, since nobody has won the other awards yet. So I'm not sure what you were complaining about there.

As for the rest, Tress MacNeille really doesn't have much of a range (it's either Lindsay or Agnes/Cat Lady) and I agree with you there, but the same applies for her Futurama work. Hank has been lazy lately, yes, but his performance in the episode that he won the Emmy for was deserving. I'd say Julie is slipping too, but her young Marge voice in "The Way We Weren't" more than makes up for it. Nancy's pretty consistant though, and while she does have the occasional mess up, it's usually fine.