LEGO The Simpsons?

[Lair]

"since the property is owned by Hasbro" Guess that guarantees that there is no chance of a Transformers line... at least not from LEGO... those BTR toys are crap.

That was guaranteed from the start since Hasbro and Lego hate each other enough. Hasbro signing up Transformers with that knock-off brand cements this.

[lol username]

"since the property is owned by Hasbro" Guess that guarantees that there is no chance of a Transformers line... at least not from LEGO... those BTR toys are crap.

That was guaranteed from the start since Hasbro and Lego hate each other enough. Hasbro signing up Transformers with that knock-off brand cements this.

Hasbro didn't sign up with BTR, BTR was MADE by Hasbro. BTR was only around in the early 2000s though, Hasbro's modern clone brand is Kre-O (which also has Transformers sets and is also made directly by Hasbro).

[Lair]

BTR was only around in the early 2000s though, Hasbro's modern clone brand is Kre-O

We weren't discussing the same thing?

[lol username]

BTR was only around in the early 2000s though, Hasbro's modern clone brand is Kre-O

We weren't discussing the same thing?Unfortunately, I got some BTR sets as gifts back in 2003-04, and they're very different from Kre-O (and not in a good way). All the pieces were massive bulky chunks that often snapped apart at the slightest touch as if they were spring-loaded, and instead of minifigures they included ugly action figures with very stiff, squeaky joints and studs slapped on.

Kre-O at least has minifigure-scale "Kreons" (though they still look ugly IMO) and has more piece-by-piece building. Still doesn't compare to LEGO though, but it does stand far ahead of the utter crud that was BTR.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Built_to_Rule

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kre-O

[STUDZ]

I believe now is the time for me to comment on this...

 

(Yes. There will be cursing.)

What is this? WHAT the HELL is THIS!? WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL IS THIS CRAP!? First of all, I could kind of understand it back when the show was GOOD, but we all know The Simpsons is on its way out. They're just scrambling for an excuse to put in that "D'oh!" as well as other uneducated gags. The show may be an American pop culture icon, but all things must come to an end. LEGO seems to be getting less and less creative as the years go by, constantly going for more licensed themes than the original ideas.

 

Mind you, I'd only be interested if they make a Sideshow Bob-oriented set. He seems to be the only educated male in the entire damn series.

 

But still: An ADULT-ORIENTED TV series, being immortalized in plastic for a CHILDREN'S TOY LINE.

 

WHAT. THE. HELL. 

 

LEGO. Get your head out your corporate ASSES and appeal to the adults in a more child-centered manner. Like Blacktron III or something. BE MORE CREATIVE, DAMN IT. You're scraping the bottom of the fecking barrel, hell, you're scraping pieces of the barrel OFF, JUST to make a buck. The Simpsons is a DYING franchise. Cut it any way you'd like, even with a 24th and 25th season confirmed, THE WRITERS ARE OUT OF IDEAS. They're surviving strictly on fan service and old gags. The Simpsons has become as brainless as Family Guy or American Dad and the like.

 

But I digress. Seeing LEGO's route these days, they've lost a LOT of respect from me. Which is a shame.

 

Time to move on with my mirage of a life.

[Lair]

Wow. I've never seen anyone get that angry about a rumor. Calm down.

 

[DrDeath]

I would prefer a Shin Chan set over a Simpsons set. TTGL would be interesting, for that matter so would Yu Yu Hakusho.  My vote is for S;G though.

[Fush]

BTR was only around in the early 2000s though, Hasbro's modern clone brand is Kre-O

We weren't discussing the same thing?

Unfortunately, I got some BTR sets as gifts back in 2003-04, and they're very different from Kre-O (and not in a good way). All the pieces were massive bulky chunks that often snapped apart at the slightest touch as if they were spring-loaded, and instead of minifigures they included ugly action figures with very stiff, squeaky joints and studs slapped on.

Kre-O at least has minifigure-scale "Kreons" (though they still look ugly IMO) and has more piece-by-piece building. Still doesn't compare to LEGO though, but it does stand far ahead of the utter crud that was BTR.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Built_to_Rule

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kre-O

Huh, I had never heard of this"kre-o" thing before...

And unfortunately I, too, received a couple BTR sets as a gift several years ago...

Smokescreen and Megatron, to be exact.

At first I was all "LEGO Transformers? AWESOME" then I actually built the sets, and... yeah.

You described them pretty well. Despite proudly boasting "BUILT FOR TOUGH PLAY" right on the box, Megatron fell apart every time I touched it...

Those toys are just plain BAD in every way possible...

But I digress, as I feel I got off topic a bit.

I guess my point was, if you're going to do a licensed theme, make sure it's a license that, you know, would be fun to build and play with.

Star Wars? Hell yes. Harry Potter? Cool. Transformers? I'd love to see it happen if done right.

Simpsons?

[The Ace Railgun]

The Simpsons in Lego form... Hello Lego is there something wrong with you? Did you loose a few bricks somewhere? Because I really think that the Simpsons aren't family friendly...

I don't care if their lego brand what ever they do it won't get rid of the fact that that is the dumbest idea besides getting rid of Bionicle and Lego universe that they have ever had... Well I mean if they want to ruin the company I mean third times the charm right?

Here is what's wrong with having a Lego lineup of the Simpsons...

First off it's DEFINITELY not made for a young age group. And if the little kids decide to go off and buy Simpsons Legos (even if they censor stuff) they will want to later watch the Show and honestly I don't want a generation of Bart Simpsons who skateboard down the street naked...

Secondly they waited a bit too long to start a Lego based franchise off of a series that has been running 10+ years at least in my opinion because I don't know about you but I don't hear anybody talking about happened in the last episode of whatever season...

And finally I really think that this will end up like Lego Universe where it will get a bunch hype at the beginning and then sink to the bottom of the toy company food chain...

[McJobless]

The Simpsons in Lego form... Hello Lego is there something wrong with you? Did you loose a few bricks somewhere? Because I really think that the Simpsons aren't family friendly...

I disagree, particularly so with the earlier episodes. The newer seasons might be reaching to some, uh, "non-kid-friendly" topics, but The Simpsons was and still kind of is a family friendly show.

I don't care if their lego brand what ever they do it won't get rid of the fact that that is the dumbest idea besides getting rid of Bionicle and Lego universe that they have ever had... Well I mean if they want to ruin the company I mean third times the charm right?

Calm down. The company has been on a slow descent for a long time, but that's because we are not the target market anymore.

First off it's DEFINITELY not made for a young age group. And if the little kids decide to go off and buy Simpsons Legos (even if they censor stuff) they will want to later watch the Show and honestly I don't want a generation of Bart Simpsons who skateboard down the street naked...

You would have to be ridiculously stupid to believe that children are going to skate down the street naked because Bart did it. Even without proper parenting, our society, even our children, are too conformist to stoop to that. Even so, most children, due to the presentation of the show's message, will get that it's not acceptable behaviour and will not replicate it.

Secondly they waited a bit too long to start a Lego based franchise off of a series that has been running 10+ years at least in my opinion because I don't know about you but I don't hear anybody talking about happened in the last episode of whatever season...

The show isn't relevant in society anymore, but the idea here is that a LEGO line of toys will boost the rating for the show. If I could bet any money, I'd say that Fox paid LEGO to have this done so they could keep this stale series running.

And finally I really think that this will end up like Lego Universe where it will get a bunch hype at the beginning and then sink to the bottom of the toy company food chain...

I will leave this to the others to discuss.

[RobExplorien]

And finally I really think that this will end up like Lego Universe where it will get a bunch hype at the beginning and then sink to the bottom of the toy company food chain...

I will leave this to the others to discuss.

 

Wow, that post is well disputed.

I practically do not know much about LEGO Universe, but I do know something of it (correct me if I'm wrong). The Simpsons ending up like LEGO Universe is another 'wrong' comparison. LU is a game, and was actually targeted to children and older, not just adults or teenagers as I hear with the Simpson as theme. The only reason LU ended is because the developers had not been able to build a satisfactory revenue model in the target group, and therefore, have decided to close the game. LU was acutally good, but the developers couldn't cope with it. Now the Simpsons is different, heck, why are we making such a big deal out of it anyway, is it (already) confirmed? To me the Simpsons (if they get in stores) is just another of those many licensed themes LEGO sells, and will not really receive the hype LU had. And if the Simpsons loses interest, they will take it out of the stores. LU ended with popularity, licensed themes mostly march towards their own obscurity after a few years, when interest in the theme is lost (just the way it works with other themes).

 

Is this the way we treat news stories about licensed themes 'to be?', most are attacking it, but not trying to look at the 'possible' benefits (even if they're evidently not to spot). Part of making a good decision is to consider all the pros and cons, then making the final decision. This last part does not apply to you all, just to let you know.

[Cyrem]

Even without proper parenting, our society, even our children, are too conformist to stoop to that.

There are many examples that could be used to show that society is not as 'conformist' as you may think. How 'conformist' a child is depends on a number of factors, some of the largest being: 1) Parents 2) Environment 3) Friends 4) Entertainment. This usually has a domino affect where bad parents + bad environment effects what friends they choose(usually ones that like them) which then effects what entertainment they like. But there are some who despite these things rise above the rest and change the future of their family tree.

it will get a bunch hype at the beginning and then sink to the bottom

Well, it ain't getting much hype from RRU. Thats for sure.

children are going to skate down the street naked because Bart did it.

I think you'd be surprised as to how much kids like to reenact things... or pretend to be them. They may not necessarily run down the street, but they may do it in their own house.

Wow. I've never seen anyone get that angry about a rumor. Calm down.

Except that no-one has denied it, not even LEGO.

[McJobless]

Even without proper parenting, our society, even our children, are too conformist to stoop to that.

There are many examples that could be used to show that society is not as 'conformist' as you may think. How 'conformist' a child is depends on a number of factors, some of the largest being: 1) Parents 2) Environment 3) Friends 4) Entertainment. This usually has a domino affect where bad parents + bad environment effects what friends they choose(usually ones that like them) which then effects what entertainment they like. But there are some who despite these things rise above the rest and change the future of their family tree.

I was speaking about the specific example. You'd have to be particularly ballsy (not considering use of drugs such as alcohol) to attempt such a stunt.

children are going to skate down the street naked because Bart did it.

I think you'd be surprised as to how much kids like to reenact things... or pretend to be them. They may not necessarily run down the street, but they may do it in their own house.

But then they're not outside, they're in the safety of their own home where their parents can punish them as they see fit. Also, we're assuming that these kids are brilliant skaters. In reality, I don't think that many are.

[Cyrem]

But then they're not outside, they're in the safety of their own home where their parents can punish them as they see fit. Also, we're assuming that these kids are brilliant skaters. In reality, I don't think that many are.

You'd have to be a bad parent to let your kid who cannot skate... attempt to skate while naked down the road, dangerous. Hence why it is far more likely such a thing would be done in the safety of their home.

 

And if someone saw this they might call the protection peeps.

[le717]

Even without proper parenting, our society, even our children, are too conformist to stoop to that.

There are many examples that could be used to show that society is not as 'conformist' as you may think. How 'conformist' a child is depends on a number of factors, some of the largest being: 1) Parents 2) Environment 3) Friends 4) Entertainment. This usually has a domino affect where bad parents + bad environment effects what friends they choose(usually ones that like them) which then effects what entertainment they like. But there are some who despite these things rise above the rest and change the future of their family tree.

Agreeing with Cyrem here. A lot of factors determine how a child reacts. I see it this way: The Simpsons is not a family-friendly show, it is an Adult show all the way. If this line does indeed come out, LEGO could (or more likely will) make plastic beer cans, a plastic couch, and a fat minifig. Kids, who see their parents watching the show, go buy these sets, and start reenacting the TV show with their toys. Soon, they will be using dirty language, having their minifigs go to bars and get drunk by having one too many, and soon, will start talking like this when not playing with LEGO.

I would hardly think LEGO would want to have a bad influence on kids, considering how they are a family toy, and take pride in their family heritage and how bricks are passed on from generation to generation. A LEGO Simpsons line would completely destroy that image.

Yes, there is possibly money to be made in this, considering how many people like this show, but because LEGO is a child's toy (even AFOLs admit it is a child's toy, but enjoy building with it), it has no place. LEGO needs to drop this subject and never bring it up again (just like their Spongebob line, but that is a different topic).

[The Ace Railgun]

The Simpsons in Lego form... Hello Lego is there something wrong with you? Did you loose a few bricks somewhere? Because I really think that the Simpsons aren't family friendly...

I disagree, particularly so with the earlier episodes. The newer seasons might be reaching to some, uh, "non-kid-friendly" topics, but The Simpsons was and still kind of is a family friendly show.

I don't care if their lego brand what ever they do it won't get rid of the fact that that is the dumbest idea besides getting rid of Bionicle and Lego universe that they have ever had... Well I mean if they want to ruin the company I mean third times the charm right?

Calm down. The company has been on a slow descent for a long time, but that's because we are not the target market anymore.

First off it's DEFINITELY not made for a young age group. And if the little kids decide to go off and buy Simpsons Legos (even if they censor stuff) they will want to later watch the Show and honestly I don't want a generation of Bart Simpsons who skateboard down the street naked...

You would have to be ridiculously stupid to believe that children are going to skate down the street naked because Bart did it. Even without proper parenting, our society, even our children, are too conformist to stoop to that. Even so, most children, due to the presentation of the show's message, will get that it's not acceptable behaviour and will not replicate it.

Secondly they waited a bit too long to start a Lego based franchise off of a series that has been running 10+ years at least in my opinion because I don't know about you but I don't hear anybody talking about happened in the last episode of whatever season...

The show isn't relevant in society anymore, but the idea here is that a LEGO line of toys will boost the rating for the show.

Hmm you do make some good points there but still there is just enough inappropriateness in the Simpsons series and I do agree that some of it is family friendly BUT I still think that if Lego wants to stay truly family friendly then they should steer clear. I mean even with the more Warring toy lines that they have currently I.e starwars, etcetera. they still manage to make it Family friendly with how they make the characters behave in contrary to the real characters from the movies. If Lego could somehow pull this off with the Simpsons then I would be perfectly fine with the theme, I may still disagree with it but I can see why they might do one. But that doesn't mean that I have to like it.

[Lair]

Wow. I've never seen anyone get that angry about a rumor. Calm down.

Except that no-one has denied it, not even LEGO.

And no one has confirmed it either, not even LEGO.

[PeabodySam]

A lot of people on Brickset who are in support of this notion are pointing out that LEGO has done the Pirates of the Caribbean license, and the main character Jack Sparrow is rather well known for his affinity for rum (e.g. "Why is the rum gone?").  So therefore, even though Homer Simpson drinks beer all the time and many of his jokes revolve around beer, it wouldn't be too inappropriate for LEGO, right?

Actually...

"... and if anyone is wondering whether [a LEGO minifigure] may drink alcohol, the answer is again no.  Only historical figures such as knights in armour and pirates can be equipped with a barrel of beer or bottle of rum." (Source)

Yeah, it would.  Jack Sparrow gets away with rum because he's a pirate and therefore considered a "historical figure".  The Simpsons is set in modern day society, and the modern Homer Simpson drinks modern beer.  And it's too big a part of his character to simply overlook, LEGO... a bowdlerized LEGO Homer Simpson without beer would be like a bowdlerized LEGO Alien without the chestburster... well, bursting someone's chest.  You know, for kids!

And seriously, LEGO?  Don't you remember why you rejected The Winchester, a CUUSOO project based on a pub in the zombie apocalypse? "...we have decided that – good though the model is – the film Shaun of the Dead contains content that is not appropriate for our core target audience of children ages 6-11." Yeah, I don't suppose that the fact that the set was a pub had anything to do with it?  While the Simpsons might not be violent, it's certainly not a kid's show either... true, kids do watch it, but kids also watch South Park and Family Guy, and for the love of Ole Kirk, LEGO, do not take that as a hint to start negotiating those licenses!

LEGO.  WHY DO YOU GO AGAINST YOUR OWN VALUES?

...

Yeah, in case you can't tell, I'm not pleased by these negotiations at all.

[RobExplorien]

 

Wow. I've never seen anyone get that angry about a rumor. Calm down.

Except that no-one has denied it, not even LEGO.

And no one has confirmed it either, not even LEGO.

 

Thus the question remains unanswered, will it be denied or confirmed...

Let's hope (although I do) it will be denied, and LEGO will put their money into some better ideas. If it will be confirmed, I expect a major discussion on this subject again.

[Jimbob]

I'm not going to make any rants or decisive comments about it until it is confirmed. I doubt LEGO would produce such a line, and I also doubt they'll go against their own core values - so if they did, I'm sure they'd do it right.

 

I only watched the Simpsons until I was old enough to watch programmes like Family Guy and South Park, so I was at the higher end of LEGO's main target market (6-11 from what I read). My parent's weren't happy with it at first, admittedly, but I think it's a fun theme and my best friend was actually obsessed with it at the same age. What I'm trying to say is, if LEGO do produce this, I believe they know what they're doing and will produce sets that are 'child-friendly'. And if they don't, then we're all happy anyway.

[Lair]

LEGO.  WHY DO YOU GO AGAINST YOUR OWN VALUES?

 

I have yet to see them do such a thing yet.

 

"... and if anyone is wondering whether [a LEGO minifigure] may drink alcohol, the answer is again no.  Only historical figures such as knights in armour and pirates can be equipped with a barrel of beer or bottle of rum." (" title="External link">Source)

"May the minifigure have a nose? No."

Timmy... LEGOLAND... Flatfoot Thompson... Oh, Lego...

[PeabodySam]

I have yet to see them do such a thing yet. 

"May the minifigure have a nose? No."

Timmy... LEGOLAND... Flatfoot Thompson... Oh, Lego...

Not yet. But if LEGO licenses the Simpsons, then you will.

Notice when this was published: September 2010. Long after LEGO realized that minifigure noses should not exist except on clowns, werewolves, and the like. I suppose Tim, Flatfoot, Native Americans (note how the later Tribal Warrior and Tribal Chief lack that which their predecessors had), and LEGOLAND were what you might call a "failed experiment" of the 90s.

[Tracker]

"Puts a nose on a minifigure."

[Lair]

a "failed experiment" of the 90s.

But Flatfoot's nose is so magnificent...

[Zephyria]

I don't understand why we're all up in arms about how OMG INNAPROPRIATE FOR KIDS THIS IS OMG OMG OMG.

It's not like kids don't watch the show, anyway. Almost all the kids I know (Now, and back when I was a child) absolutely loved The Simpsons.