Tattle: Cash crunch for 'Simpsons'

IT MAY NOT BE long before Occupy Wall Street becomes Occupy Springfield.

"The Simpsons" are having money woes.

The show's producer, 20th Century Fox Television, another hamlet in the vast Rupert Murdoch empire, said yesterday that the most-popular TV cartoon ever can't continue under its current financial model.

That means big pay cuts (45 percent, according to the Daily Beast) are likely being sought for the actors who provide voices for Homer, Marge and Bart Simpson and the other characters.

Granted, those actors make big money, so even losing nearly half will still keep them on the plus side of wealthy - but we haven't seen any of the studio's executives volunteering to take a similar slice off their paycheck.

It's always the workers who are overpaid.

* Speaking of poverty, Reuters reports that "Sesame Street's" new Muppet, Lily, will help the show highlight the issue of hunger.

Lily will join the Muppets on a one-hour prime-time special featuring country star Brad Paisley and his wife, Kimberly Williams Paisley, called "Growing Hope Against Hunger," to air Sunday.

Because "hunger" now seems to be a dirty word, it is now being referred to as - seriously - "food insecurity."

"Food insecurity is a growing and difficult issue for adults to discuss, much less children," the Paisleys said in a statement.

It's difficult to discuss because no one knows what it means. Soon "malnourished" will become "not maximizing the intake of healthy nutritional elements into one's body."

* The Peacock has

killed the Bunny.

Quickly proving that setting a TV show in the 1960s does not make it "Mad Men," NBC has canceled "The Playboy Club."

The Parents Television Council cheered, noting "it was a poor programming decision from the start."

For once we agree, although Amber Heard in a bunny costume will definitely be missed.

"Playboy" will be replaced by Brian Williams' new prime-time newsmagazine, "Rock Center."

Because "Dateline NBC" isn't on often enough.

* "The Lion

King" in 3-D has done so well in theaters, Disney hopes to repeat the formula with "Beauty and the Beast" in January, "Finding Nemo" in September next year, "Monsters Inc." in January 2013 and "The Little Mermaid" in September 2013.

Then in 2014, they can release "Lion King Classic" and start all over again.

* Alicia Keys will compose original music for the Broadway production of "Stick Fly."

Producers said yesterday that Keys, whose hits include "Fallin' " and "A Woman's Worth," will offer her songwriting to the play by Lydia R. Diamond. Performances begin Nov. 18 at the Cort Theatre.

The work is a contemporary comedy of manners revolving around an affluent black family whose insecurities gradually unravel during a vacation. The cast includes Dule Hill ("Psych," "The West Wing") and Tony Award-winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson.

* Wilburrrrrr!

Fox 2000 has picked up the film rights to the 1960s talking horse sitcom, "Mr. Ed."

The studio is looking for a writer, director and talking horse.

* The Oklahoma City-based alternative rock band Flaming Lips has recorded a six-hour song.

And people thought "Bohemian Rhapsody" was long.

The Lips' song is a fundraiser for the Central Oklahoma Humane Society and the University of Central Oklahoma's Academy of Contemporary Music.

* Court records show Olivia

Wilde has finalized her divorce from Tao Ruspoli, her husband of eight years.

There really is no excuse now for her to not return our emails.