I wore a lot of pink today — which isn’t unusual — but in my adventures with Karl at the AIGA Gain conference, lunch and a field trip at the MoMA, and train ride on Metro-North — lots of people stopped to talk to me about my attire. One man even asked for a photograph. So on my mind is pink inspiration. And, The Simpsons 1997 episode about Mr. Sparkle rose to the top like a soap bubble.
Homer, disturbed by the box of Mr. Sparkle, contacts the manufacturer in Hokkaidō, Japan for information. He is sent a promotional video for Mr. Sparkle, which consists of a bizarre TV commercial. At the end of the video, the mascot is shown to be a result of a joint venture between two large Japanese conglomerates, Matsumura Fishworks and Tamaribuchi Heavy Manufacturing Concern. Their mascots, a smiling fish and light bulb, merge together to form Mr. Sparkle; thus, Homer discovers the similarity was a mere coincidence.
Image: Matt Groening ©1997 Fox and its related entities. All rights reserved.
