National Informer

National Informer

Newspaper Information Type: Tabloid First appearance: "The Call of the Simpsons"

The National Informer is a tabloid newspaper that is published in Springfield.

Description

The National Informer's cover price is 79¢. A blurb under the title proclaims it to have the "Largest Circulation of Any Paper". In stereotypical tabloid style, the National Informer spins news facts into stories and headlines composed for maximum shock value.

History

When the Simpson family got lost in the woods during a camping trip, Homer lost his clothes and ate a handful of honey from a beehive (with the bees still in it). Desperate for water, he plunged into a muddy stream and came out coated in mud and still unable to speak due to the bess and honey in his mouth. In that state, Homer was videotaped by another camper who mistook him for a Bigfoot. The National Informer obtained the footage and published frames from it along with a cover story of a Bigfoot sighting. The Informer offered a $5000 reward for the capture of Bigfoot, and a media frenzy quickly ensued.

Marge and Lisa, meanwhile, made their way out of the woods and emerged in the middle of the media circus. A park ranger told Marge that they were lucky to be found before Bigfoot got them, and showed her a copy of the National Informer with the Bigfoot cover story headlined "Bigfoot Still at Large". The story was accompanied by a photograph of Homer covered in mud, and when Marge saw it, she exclaimed, "Why that's my husband!" The Informer then published an issue with the cover headline "I MARRIED BIGFOOT" which promised a "Shocking Interview Inside!" and was illustrated with a photographic composition of Marge with Homer (looking like Bigfoot).

After that, Marge was interviewed by a group of reporters, and each fact she gave about Homer became another cover story in the National Informer. Marge told the reporters, "His name isn't Bigfoot. His name is Homer." The Informer ran a cover story with the headline "Bigfoot's Wife Pleads: 'CALL HIM HOMER!'" and promising "Lurid Details Inside!".

Another reporter asked, "What does it eat?" Marge replied that Homer liked pork chops, and the next cover story in the National Informer had the headline "THE BIGFOOT DIET: 'Pork Chops Aplenty'", illustrated by a photographic composition of Homer-as-Bigfoot wearing a chef's toque. The "look inside" banner for this story was more moderate than the previous ones, and simply promised "Tasty Recipes Inside".

Gallery

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Behind the Laughter

• The National Informer is an obvious parody of tabloid newspapers, particularly the National Enquirer.

Appearances

• Episode – "The Call of the Simpsons"
• Book – The Simpsons Uncensored Family Album

Newspapers

Beijing Daily Worker • The Boston Bugle • The Boston Daily • Bridal Times Gazette • Chateau d'if Times • Chicago Turbine • The Chippewa Bugle • Current' Events: The Springfield Power Plant Employee Newsletter • Daily 2nd Gradian • Daily Fourth Gradian • The Daily Mail • Daily Variety • Evening Standard • First Church of Springfield Weekly Bulletin • The Flanders Press • The Globe • Gotham Herald • Grit • Herald • The Hollywood Reporter • Hot Sex Weekly • Jewish News • La Stampa • Los Angeles Post • The Mirror • National Informer • The New Delhi Daily • The New Springfieldsman • The New York News • New York Post • The New York Times • The New Yorker Times • The Onion • The Post • Principals Weekly • The Red Dress Press • The Sentinel • Shelbyville Daily • The Springfield Bugle • Springfield Shopper • Springfield Times • Springfield Variety • The Sun • The Times of London • Toon Times • US of A Today • Washington Beacon • Washingtonian Star • Weekly Global Gazette • Zenith City Times • Zenith Observer • Zenith Post