Mr. Burns buys out Springfield's media outlets after a newspaper mistakenly reports his death, and Lisa's homemade newspaper is next on his list.
WAR
54.8
Wins Above Replacement
“Fraudcast News” ranks #143 of 552 The Simpsons episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 81.8 — Elite. The episode packs 58 scored jokes at 3.2 per minute, averaging 7.1 on craft and 6.8 on impact, with Mr. Burns landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Lisa: I can't! My mom's not picking me up for an hour!
Lisa Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Mr. Burns: Hello, Beefcake Charlie.
Mr. Burns Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Lisa: No! No! I won't take your blood ponies!
Lisa Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Mr. Burns: Thankfully, a mother mole nursed me as her own until I was strong enough to continue.
Mr. Burns Absurdist Visual Gag ★ Rewatch Callback Barney: Burns is alive? Then whose skull am I drinking beer out of?
Barney Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 58 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Kent Brockman: Why did they cancel Futurama?
Teen girl: You crushed my boyfriend! You better be good at making out!
Bart: What's the big deal about a rock that looks like a dude? I've got a dad that looks like a monkey.
Bart Observational Character Comedy Homer Callback Character Comedy Mr. Burns: Knock-kneed home renters. Can't we thin this herd with some smallpox-infected blankets?
Mr. Burns Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Random townsperson: We're already immune, you jerk!
Homer: There's a lot you don't know about me, Marge. A lot that would shock you.
Homer Character Comedy Misdirection Announcer: Thank you, Blood and Tears. Sorry to hear about Sweat.
Mr. Burns: Now, to do something I've never done before. Help out an old man.
Homer: Here's a poem. Run fast or lose your ass!
Homer Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Smithers: And tonight was the night I was gonna show him my tattoo.
Smithers Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Lisa: I'd be a publisher, just like Katharine Graham! Or that lady who wheels Larry Flynt around.
Mr. Burns Meta/Self-Referential Character Comedy Mr. Burns: Because of my svelte physique, I was able to fit in a narrow air pocket.
Mr. Burns: Thankfully, a mother mole nursed me as her own until I was strong enough to continue.
Mr. Burns Absurdist Visual Gag ★ Rewatch Callback Mr. Burns: I have been 89 for a while now.
Kent Brockman: Thank you, Geezer Rock, for doing what none of us had the courage to do, smush Mr. Burns.
Mr. Burns: This town cared more for a soulless piece of granite than for me.
Mr. Burns: Don't be so needy!
Smithers · Mr. Burns: You eliminated that program in the '30s, sir. They were getting too grabby!
Mr. Burns: Bring me a checkbook and a mother mole!
Homer: Man driving erratically throws papers out window!
Homer Observational Character Comedy Krusty: I haven't cried like this since the third Mr. Teeny died.
Krusty Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Krusty: You couldn't hold a candle to him. Neither could you!
Krusty Character Comedy Escalation Lisa: Perfect. You're our TV critic.
Lisa Observational Setup/Punchline Lisa · Nelson: I don't know. Making nerds cry? Perfect. You're our TV critic.
Lisa · Ralph: I want to be a fire truck. How about a feature columnist? Yeah, I'm a feature columnist!
Barney: Burns is alive? Then whose skull am I drinking beer out of?
Barney Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Barney · Others: Whose grave? Uh, the unknown soldier? Carry on.
Mr. Burns · TV station owner: Want to split an ice cream sundae? Done and done!
Bart · Lisa: Snot a problem, chief. Don't call me chief. Sure thing, jerk. Chief is fine.
Bill and Marty: No support for the naughty hotties!
Mr. Burns: Indoor plumbing. The lack of it killed my mother.
Mr. Burns Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Brandine: Oh, Cletus. Tonight, you can knock me up again.
Mr. Burns: Television, jumping box, picto-cube, just crank it up!
Booberella: He's got a heart as big as my boobs!
Cartoon character: Don't end up like me. Vote Republican. God bless America. This cartoon was made in Korea.
Lisa Character Comedy Observational Lisa: No! No! I won't take your blood ponies!
Lisa Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Lisa: I can't! My mom's not picking me up for an hour!
Lisa Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Mr. Burns: My God, are you always on?
Reporter: And by the way, that story I filed from Baghdad was all made up. I was actually in Basra.
Bart: the pen is mightier than the flaming bag of poop.
Bart Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Mr. Burns: I can't be held responsible for what my goons were ordered to do!
Bart: That was totally worth it.
Bart Character Comedy Observational Principal Skinner: That smell takes me back.
Principal Skinner: It wasn't quite the same.
Mr. Burns: My league! My beautiful league! All dead.
Mr. Burns: Have some congratulatory drugs.
Mr. Burns: Have some congratulatory drugs.
Mr. Burns: Don't you love it when nerds don't know they're nerds?
Mr. Burns: Hello, Beefcake Charlie.
Mr. Burns Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Homer: Put on a pot of coffee, drink it and start making burgers!
Homer Character Comedy Escalation Homer: except still a dude!
Homer Character Comedy Observational Groundskeeper Willie: I reviewed the new tractors. They're all shite!
Lisa: now there's a thousand freaks xeroxing their worthless opinions.
Lisa Observational Meta/Self-Referential ★ Rewatch Moe: Well, blow me down. I'm a Selma.
Moe Character Comedy Observational Lisa: Unless of course you're Rupert Murdoch. He is one beautiful man.
Lisa Observational Irony/Sarcasm Top Episodes — The Simpsons