Springfield,??—The animated series The Simpsons is battling significant budget cuts this season.

When told about the need for some serious belt tightening, Homer Simpson of Springfield said, “That’s physically impossible.”

His neighbor, Barney Gumble, is said to be drinking heavily again after finding out he’s among those cut.

“I only have three words on my resume: I can belch,” said Gumble, who questions if he is employable in this economy or if he even spelled belch correctly.

Marge Simpson will only have one sister next season, Selma.

“Patty was the obvious scratch,” said Simpson creator Matt Groening. “Dr. Nick is being charged with the overdose of actor Troy McClure, so they’re both gone. You may know McClure from such westerns as The Good, the Bad and the Dickish and For a Few Dollar Whore. We are also cutting Duff Man, Mole Man, Bumble Bee Man, and anyone else whose name ends in ‘man’.”

Side Show Mel was also among those cut.

“I knew when they said one of the Side Shows had to go that I was screwed,” said Mel. “Do you know what it’s like to be the side show of a side show? Of course you don’t!”

The richest man in Springfield, C. Montgomery Burns, remains all but unaffected in his mansion overlooking town.

“Nonsense, I had to part with one of my flying monkeys,” said Burns. “OK, it was already dead, but I don’t want to seem unsympathetic. Flying monkeys don’t grow on trees, you know, except in that one episode.”