"The Simpsons" is in trouble. Fox is threatening to cancel the program if the voice actors don't accept a 45% cut in pay. Harry Shearer has spoken up about the on-going salary negotiations that could possibly derail the show after 23 seasons:

There’s a very interesting update to the on-going issue with the fate of The Simpsons. One of the cast-members involved in the salary dispute with 20th Century Fox TV has come forward and spoken about the matter and he has to say may shed some light on the situation from the cast’s perspective.

The fate of The Simpsons hangs in the balance as you may have heard, with 20th Century Fox TV trying to find ways to adjust the budget to make the series a more profitable venture than it has been of late. Part of their attempts to squeeze more dollars out of the show and keep the series running with new episodes is apparently asking the cast to cut their salaries with a 45% decrease in pay. Until now, the cast hasn’t spoken publicly on the matter, however today, Harry Shearer released a very interesting statement. If you don’t recognize his name, you may know his voice. He’s the man behind Monty Burns, Waylon Smithers, Kent Brockman, Lenny Leonard, Principal Skinner and Springfield’s favorite southpaw, Ned Flanders.

Based on what Shearer said in the statement (below), he’s willing to drop his salary by as much as 70% in exchange for a share of the profits. According to what he says, Fox said no way.

Here’s the full statement, as posted by Deadline:

For many years now, the cast of “The Simpsons” has been trying to get Fox to agree that, like so many other people who’ve contributed significantly to the show’s success, we be allowed a tiny share of the billions of dollars in profits the show has earned. Fox has consistently refused to even consider the matter. Instead, it’s paid us salaries that, while ridiculous by any normal standard, pale in comparison to what the show’s profit participants have been taking home.

Now, as the show enters its twenty-third season, we are engaged in what will probably be our last contract negotiation with Fox. As you may have heard, the network has taken the position that “The Simpsons” no longer makes enough money and that unless we in the cast accept a 45% pay cut, they are not going to bring the show back for a twenty-fourth season.

Obviously, there are a lot more important things going on in the world right now, in the streets of New York and elsewhere. But given how many people seem to care about what happens to our show – and how much misinformation has been flying around – I thought it might make sense for at least one member of the cast to speak out directly. I should note that I am speaking only for myself, and not for any of the other actors on the show.

Fox wants to cut our salaries in half because it says it can’t afford to continue making the show under what it calls the existing business model. Fox hasn’t explained what kind of new business model it has formulated to keep the show on the air, but clearly the less money they have to pay us in salary, the more they’re able to afford to continue broadcasting the show. And to this I say, fine – if pay cuts are what it will take to keep the show on the air, then cut my pay. In fact, to make it as easy as possible for Fox to keep new episodes of “The Simpsons” coming, I’m willing to let them cut my salary not just 45% but more than 70% – down to half of what they said they would be willing to pay us. All I would ask in return is that I be allowed a small share of the eventual profits.

My representatives broached this idea to Fox yesterday, asking the network how low a salary number I would have to accept to make a profit participation feasible. My representatives were told there was no such number. There were, the Fox people said, simply no circumstances under which the network would consider allowing me or any of the actors to share in the show’s success.

As a member of the “Simpsons” cast for 23 years, I think it’s fair to say that we’ve had a great run and no one should feel sorry for any of us. But given how much joy the show has given so many people over the years – and given how many billions of dollars in profits News Corp. has earned and will earn from it – I find it hard to believe that this is Fox’s final word on the subject. At least I certainly hope it isn’t, because the alternative is to cancel the show or fire me for having the gall to try to save the show by helping Fox with its new business model. Neither would be a fair result – either to those of us who have committed so many years to the show or to its loyal fans who make our effort worthwhile.

The Simpsons stopped being relevant after season 10.

So what? Imagine if they stopped making new episodes. Everything has to end, but it'd be a real bummer to see them finally pack it in. Think of any other program like 60 Minutes, The Late Show with David Letterman, Saturday Night Live, The Daily Show, something that's been around for a reasonable amount of time finally calling it quits because of money disputes. Even if only diehard fans still watch new Simpsons episodes, it'd be a shame to see it go off the air. It'll always live on in re-runs, but its a piece of popular culture I'm not ready to see disappear.

It's not a shame to see it go off the air if the product is garbage now.

Gotta say it kind of surprises me to see two posters with Simpsons avatars acting so dismissive of the idea of it going off the air. I totally get your point that it peaked in the mid-90s. Nevertheless...

I think it's only a shame they didn't pack it in sooner.

Like Pearl Jam, amirite spenno!?!??!

lol

I am often surprised that some recent episodes have been pretty funny. I don't want to see it canceled, and really why would a fan of any point in time want it to end? There is no real effect should it run for 75 years or more, if you don't enjoy it don't watch it. At the least I'd like the option.

More shitty new episodes = worse old-to-new rerun ratio.

Eh, I have a lot of respect for artists who have the wisdom to quit while they're ahead.

I'm not one of those 'I'd rather have them still be around and be not quite as good' people, even though quite a few of my favourite bands seem intent on doing that.

(For the record, I'm actually thinking of The Cure, not Pearl Jam.)

Well I can certainly see that. I also agree with many other series and such, as it is respectful to the fan to end on a high note or just a smidgen past.

However I see the Simpson as almost a serial that has no real running narrative so I can take it in much like getting a newspaper everyday.

There's "not as good" which was the case from about seasons 9-11, and then there's "complete shit", which had been the case since then.

I guess, but I think comics can suffer in the exact same way.

Larson putting The Far Side to rest because he felt if he continued the quality would drop is a perfect example. Would anyone honestly want another twenty years of steadily worse Far Side comics just so it's still around?

i caught a couple of recent episodes that were pretty funny, but i think this show is pretty much running on fumes.

I love Simpsons seasons 2-10 so much it hurts. But this show really should have gone off the air a long long time ago.

But it didn't. And in that regard, its legacy is already tarnished. The Simpsons now are often funny but forgettable. I watch them sometimes here and there on Sunday nights- and I laugh. Maybe even more than I actually laughed at 2-11. But those episodes kind of stuck with me in a way. Maybe they had more of a heart. Maybe it was because I identified more with the core characters, or at least was more naive to exactly how ridiculous so much of it was- but it worked on a level beyond lulz.

I actually really like the comparison that oasisfan made about it now. With no running narrative, no serial style story lines, etc, It kind has become a Sunday evening comic. If i have a newspaper in front of me, I still read Garfield and Get Fuzzy.. I may not care about it before or after, but as a feel good diversion, it still has a place.

Jesus. This is basically the equivalent of fessing up to liking scat porn.