Every time I watch The Simpsons, I think: “This stuff is brilliant!” And yet I don’t watch the show religiously. I figure I’ll see every episode eventually. Why rush things?
The writing is fantastically good. It captures so much of the America of the 90s and 00s it’s uncanny. But the voices—unforgettable. So what a treat it was to stumble upon this YouTube clip of Dan Castellaneta and Harry Shearer gabbing with Conan O’Brien (who wrote for the show once upon a time) in which—it almost seems as if they’re breaking some unwritten rule for voice-over talent—they go into the various voices live and in person. It culminates in a bit of improvisation (not “brilliant,” IMHO, but rather the result of years and years of living with the characters, hence “solid” and “satisfying”).
Anyway, watch it yourself: the embodied voices of some of the Simpsons gang. If you ever thought you were more inclined to work in radio than TV (as I have—yes, over the years I have pictured myself in professions other than editor, translator, webslave …), this is for you especially. Watch how Castellaneta drops his chin toward his chest to do Homer, just like the interviewer said.
[h/t to Отдел обогащения]
Hands down, best show ever. Thanks for posting the clip. You know I enjoyed it! Those guys (and the entire cast) have really got talent, not to mention the writing department.