The narrator talks about their experience with the original season 6 DVD release of "The Simpsons" which came in a unique plastic case shaped like Homer's head. However, the case was flimsy and prone to breaking, prompting 20th Century Fox to offer a replacement cardboard box for customers who requested it. The narrator notes that the company was aware of the problem before the release but still went ahead with the plastic case.
The narrator also discovers that the website set up for customers to request the cardboard box replacement had a security flaw, which exposed the personal information of customers who used the online redemption form. The narrator reports the issue to the necessary parties but notes that it's too late to make a difference.
The narrator also discusses the subsequent DVD releases of "The Simpsons" and how the packaging changed over time. They express their preference for the earlier cardboard box releases and note that the quality of the packaging decreased over time.
The narrator also touches on the decline of physical media sales and the rise of streaming services, which led to a gap in "The Simpsons" DVD releases. However, after Disney acquired Fox, the company released season 19 on DVD, which was well-received by fans. The narrator hopes that Disney will continue to release "The Simpsons" on physical media.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The Simpsons was created by cartoonist Matt Groening in 1987.
2. The show first aired as 30-second shorts on The Tracy Ullman Show.
3. The Simpsons got its own full series two years later.
4. The show's first five seasons were released on VHS tapes with two to three episodes per tape.
5. The first season of The Simpsons was released on DVD in September 2001.
6. The Season 1 DVD became the best-selling television show DVD ever.
7. The original Season 6 DVD release of The Simpsons came in a plastic case shaped like Homer's head.
8. The plastic case was criticized for being flimsy and prone to breaking.
9. 20th Century Fox provided a phone number on a slip of paper for customers to call to get their plastic case replaced with a cardboard box.
10. The phone number provided was incorrect, with an 800 number instead of an 888 number.
11. The Simpsons Season 6 Alternative Packaging Program allowed customers to get a cardboard box replacement.
12. The program stopped around April 2011, and the website was taken down.
13. The website's archives revealed a security flaw that exposed customers' personal information.
14. The flaw was caused by a publicly accessible folder and an incorrectly configured robots.txt file.
15. The website's security issue was not addressed until 15 years later.
16. Later seasons of The Simpsons were released on DVD with cardboard boxes, starting with Season 7.
17. Season 11 and onwards had hybrid cardboard-plastic boxes.
18. The default cardboard boxes took a noticeable downgrade in quality starting with Season 11.
19. Disney acquired 20th Century Fox in March 2019 and released Season 19 of The Simpsons on DVD.
20. The artwork for the cases and menus of Season 19 was done by Bill Clinton, a guest animator of the show.