Homer Simpson lives in Hackney

Saturday night is here, so it's time to clear up all of the scandals and stories which we don't have time for during the week.

You know how some Americans actually believe that Jesus was an American Evangelical born again Christian? Rather neglecting the fact that he was actually a Jewish Rabbi living in Palestine under Roman occupation approx 2000 years ago. Well I'll tell you something even odder. Some Americans actually think that Homer Simpson is a Yank!  They've even taken to inventing "interactive maps of his hometown "Springfield".

Well I'm sorry to spoil the party boys, but he comes from Hackney. Yup, Springfield is a ward in the Borough. Now what may surprise you is that it is one of the better parts of Hackney, being one of the few wards under Conservative Control. I was chatting to Councillor Jacob Landau a couple of weeks ago and he informs me that Homer and Marge are fine upstanding citizens and what we see on the telly is purely the result of unkind editing of the footage. Jacob also tells me he's rather miffed that none of the Conservative Bridge club meetings at Mo's bar (in the back room) are ever shown. He says the thing he finds most galling is that the voices are dubbed with American accents, so no one even realises. The only slight nod made to the "real Simpson family" is Marge's blue rinse.

It all started when the Simpsons first appeared as a clip on the Tracey Ullman show. Traceys links with Hackney are well documented and "The Simpsons" was originally a tale of the lives of an average family living in the Springfield ward of Hackney. Sadly, the Hollywood machine started to roll and now we all think Homer is an American, Springfield is in the States and Mo's bar doesn't serve bitter and jellied eels!

I'm backing Councillor Landau's campaign to reclaim the Simpsons and Springfield for Hackney ! Join the campaign now ! By the way, I don't believe any of the Internet Conspiracy stories that the Simpsons were originally a plot hatched by the CIA to make the British look dumb.