I D'ohn't want to miss this marathon

My positioning on Black Friday

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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My productivity level has come to a screeching halt. Not that I'm all that productive anyway. But since Thursday afternoon I've been watching the Every Simpsons Ever marathon on FXX. I have of course gone to work and slept during the course of this 13-day event. Friday we took the kids to the movies and tonight we're going out too. I also tore myself away for an hour to clean out the garage. So I guess I'm doing better than I thought. 

I've been a diehard fan of the Simpsons since the characters first popped up on the Tracy Ullman show in the late 80s. I was in high school when Fox rolled out the series in late 1989. Because I had a job in the evenings, I would record the show and that obsession continued when I went off to college. My parents would tape the show each week and when the tape filled up I'd get a care package with goodies and a handful of episodes.

It's been more than 25 years and I still set the DVR and watch each week. This 600 episode marathon has been great a way to remember those first few years of the show. I've even quoted the show in sync with the characters, much to the chagrin of my family. There are a few episodes from more recent years that I've not seen, so I'm looking forward to catching up on those too. I never imagined so many years ago I'd still be watching NEW episodes of my favorite animated family.

What Does the Fox Say? Ring-Ding-Ding You Suck!

An example of the Kids Club Coordinator 

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents

Twenty years ago I was a senior at Southeast Missouri State University.  Even though I had a major, Mass Communication, I had no idea exactly what I would be doing once I graduated later that year.  I wanted to go into TV or radio, but because there was no broadcasting major at the time, I wasn't sure how to reach that goal.

The actual ad from the Southeast Missouri
August 1995

The Summer of 1995, I came across a job opening at the Fox affiliate in Cape Girardeau.  KBSI was looking for a Kids Club Coordinator.  It was an on air position, paying $7.00 an hour plus benefits.  Remember, it was 1995.  I was a college student, working as an assistant manager at Chuck E. Cheese making $5.50 an hour and no benefits.  I was one the verge of graduating and getting married less than two years later.  Plus, this was going to give me a chance to get my foot in the door in the world of broadcast journalism.

You can see the job duties in the ad.  I thought I could relate to kids because I loved cartoons.  I was writing for my college newspaper, The Capaha Arrow and thought, even though I lacked the on-air experience, I'd be able to pick it up easily.  I sent in my resume and cover letter and eagerly waited to hear back.  I was so excited that day when the creative service director called to set up an interview.  After a quick trip to the mall for a sports coat and tie, I was ready to claim my new job, or so I thought.

I went through the interview and thought things were going great. Then we headed to the studio.  This was my first time visiting a TV station studio, so I was in awe for a few moments.  Then I was humbled after he turned on the camera.  My future boss (as I was thinking) stood beside the camera with cue cards in hand.  He told me to read what they said and they'd be recording me.

Cindy Brady tripped up by the camera.

The little red light mesmerized me much like it did Cindy Brady decades earlier on episode "You Can't Win Them All."  My nerves got the best of me and my brain and mouth couldn't agree.  I remember finishing up thinking it was horrible, even though the director shook my hand and said nice job.  In my heart of hearts I knew it was far from a nice job, and the reality set in a few weeks later when I got a rejection letter in the mail.  Looking back now, since I had experience dressing like Chuck E. Cheese, I could have totally been the guy in the fox costume who worked with the Kids Club Coordinator.  

One of the foxes on Fox

It was that experience that opened my eyes to what it's like to be on camera and the struggle it is to perform.  There were parts of that script I felt foolish reading and instead of getting into the role, I let my insecurities get the best of me.  I certainly had a better appreciation for the men and women I had watched for years on the news.  It also made me determined to get better and step out of my comfort zone if I was ever going to achieve my dream.  

Nine years after that audition, I returned to this market and became a co-anchor on the morning news.  While far from perfect, I've come a long way through the years and hope to continue to improve.  If only I could have gotten my hands on a copy of that audition...

Way Back WhensDay: Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire

A new member of the family

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

December 17, 1989 is a day that changed pop culture forever.  It was the first time a full length version of The Simpsons aired, sparking what has become one of the longest running television shows ever.  As of this writing in 2013, The Simpsons is still going strong.  Since Christmas was just days away, the first episode revolves around the holiday.

I was a junior in high school when the show debuted.  I had been a fan of the shorts on The Tracy Ullman Show and when I heard the animated family was going to get its own show, I was more than excited.  I loaded my trusty VCR that night and recorded the episode.  I instantly became hooked and ended up doing the same thing each week for years.

Officially titled "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire", the episode is also referred to as "The Simpsons Christmas Special."  Viewers get an expanded look at the four fingered, yellow residents of Springfield USA during the show.  Other characters like Barney, Moe, and Principal Skinner are also introduced to viewers.

Santa Homer

Homer finds out he's not getting his Christmas bonus.  Bart decides to get a tattoo to honor his mother.  That move forces Marge to use the family's Christmas savings to have the word MOTH (he was going for MOTHER) removed from her son's arm.  Because the Simpsons are like most American families, living paycheck to paycheck, these two scenarios create a great source of conflict.  As a way to make ends meet Homer becomes a mall Santa only to receive a "measly $13", which eventually leads the father and son to the dog races in an effort to pull off a Christmas miracle and earn enough cash to buy gifts.  Keep in mind, it's Christmas eve.

Homer puts his money on a dog known as Santa's Little Helper, which loses the race and gets disowned in the process.  Because he's a lovable loser like Homer and Bart, they take the pooch home, thus creating the ultimate Christmas gift for the family.  It's a touching episode and a reminder that Christmas isn't about what you get, it's about what you give.

In the years that followed the creators would do other Christmas episodes.  They don't do them every year, and while funny, I don't think any of them hold a candle to that first episode.  This one holds a special place in my memory, partly because it was the first, but also because of the message and the unconditional love the family has for one another, with the exception of Homer and Patty and Selma.