Simpsons producer a crowd pleaser

Speaking Friday night at Alumni Hall in the Indiana Memorial Union, "The Simpsons" producer Mike Reiss thanked the audience for "taking time out of your drinking schedule" as he covered the highlights of his career and shed some light onto the behind-the-scenes workings of one of the most popular shows in television history.\nHe also spent time addressing popular myths about the show and quelled the ever-popular question "What state is Springfield in?"\n"Springfield isn't really set anywhere," Reiss said. "There's an ocean on the east side and an ocean on the west side. In one episode, Homer is shoveling snow … and a few scenes later, he is laying in the hammock. A better question is 'What planet is it on?'"\nHe also confirmed that a "Simpsons" movie is in the works.\n"It's gonna suck pretty hard," Reiss said.\nHe quipped that the movie could actually be done live action, featuring Vin Diesel as Homer, William H. Macy as Ned Flanders and Tom Cruise as Smithers.\nBut Reiss actually opened his presentation talking politics, as he compared John Kerry to Herman Munster and George W. Bush to Forrest Gump.\n"But that's being a little unfair to Forrest Gump, since he actually went to Vietnam," Reiss said. \nFreshman Nate Orme found Reiss' political humor to be one of the most amusing aspects of the presentation.\n"His political stuff was very funny. He was touching all the right buttons," Orme said. "Plus, he went both ways, so it was good."\nReiss talked about working his way up the ladder in television. This included writing for "Alf" and writing 60 jokes each day for "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson."\n"If you want to be in this profession, you've got to produce, produce, produce," Reiss said. "It's a lot like doing porn."\nReiss also showed the audience some clips from "The Simpsons", including a look at Dan Castellaneta doing the voice of Homer and Nancy Cartwright doing the voice of Bart. He also showed clips from two shows he helped create, "The Critic" and "Queer Duck."\nOne trademark of "The Simpsons" is the appearance of guest stars on the show. Reiss said the trick to booking a celebrities is their kids will make them do the show. He said Oprah was the most difficult guest that has ever been on the program, but he did note the members of N'Sync were "five of the nicest girls that I've ever met."\nAfter speaking, Reiss opened up the floor for the audience to ask questions. He answered queries about his favorite character (Grandpa Simpson), least favorite character ("she has blue hair") and his favorite episode (the one where Krusty meets his rabbi father).\nHe also said the show would inevitably come to an end some day because "we know there will be a point where we run out of ideas."\nSenior Sam Frymer particularly enjoyed the question-and-answer session.\n"That's a situation where it's the most impromptu," Frymer said. "He's really funny, and he gets to connect with the audience the best."\nFor Reiss, IU was another stop on a busy tour schedule. Whereas he used to speak at around 10 campuses per year, he has been to 18 in the past four weeks, including Purdue and Valparaiso. \n"If I could do it 365 days, I would really do it," Reiss said.\nEven after he wrapped up the question-and-answer session, Reiss stayed around to chat with audience members who wanted to get an autograph or ask for advice on getting started in writing. A couple that had a "Simpsons"-themed wedding even showed him some pictures from their wedding album.\nReiss has found that speaking at colleges can even benefit the show itself.\n"We hated Ralph Wiggum, but I came to colleges and everyone loved him," Reiss said, "so we put him in more episodes, and all of the sudden he became this sort of retarded Buddha."\nSophomore Cody Bell, the Union Board director of comedy, was extremely pleased with the event.\n"It couldn't have been better," Bell said. "There were lots of hardcore fans. They really knew their stuff."\n-- Contact senior writer Alex Hickey at ahickey@indiana.edu.