The Simpsons Apologize To Judas Priest In Chalkboard Gag

Until very recently, Stereogum/Black Market contributor Aaron Lariviere worked at Gracie Films, in the same offices as The Simpsons production team. Frequently, when a notable celebrity would stop by, Aaron would inform me via Gchat. The only time he seemed genuinely flustered by the appearance of a star, though, was last July, when Judas Priest singer Rob Halford came to the Gracie offices to work on a Simpsons guest spot. “ETIQUETTE BE DAMNED,” I wrote back to Aaron. “GET A PICTURE WITH HIM.” Alas, etiquette won, and Aaron merely sat there hyperventilating silently. Anyway, that Simpsons episode finally aired last Sunday, a week after Aaron left Gracie. And in it, unforgivably, one character referred to Priest as a “death metal” band.