The 5 Wildest Instances The Simpsons Has Been Banned By An Whole Nation

In a BBC documentary from the early 2000s, then-showrunner of “The Simpsons” Mike Scully stated, “I believe that the essential rule for any ‘Simpsons’ author is in the beginning you need to have a wholesome disrespect for every thing People maintain pricey.” Not less than throughout its golden age, the present was at its core a deeply satirical tackle fashionable American life, that, as creator Matt Groening put it in the identical documentary “had no sacred cows.”

However it wasn’t simply America at which the writers took intention. “The Simpsons” has upset audiences all over the world with its subversive comedy, usually managing to get itself banned in a number of of them. One of the vital notable examples of the present taking intention at a whole nation was season 6 episode, “Bart vs. Australia,” which ticked off the Aussies a lot with its stereotypical tackle the nation that, as author and former showrunner Mike Reiss instructed The Age, “We had been condemned within the Australian Parliament after the episode.” In that occasion, nevertheless, there was no official banning of the episode, which truly grew in reputation since its authentic airing and ended up inspiring a petition to formally change the title of Australian forex to “dollarydoo.”

“Bart vs. Australia” kicked off a development of the Simpson household annoying world cultures, however the response to this episode appears comparatively tame in comparison with another examples the place “The Simpsons” was banned outright. There was, for instance, the time Germany banned “Cape Feare” due to a scene depicting a man in a Nazi-like uniform. However whereas which may appear comprehensible, different international locations have simply merely thrown a hissy match over being made enjoyable of. Listed here are 5 of the wildest occasions “The Simpsons” was banned.

Season 10, episode 23 sees the Simpson household journey to Japan, which was principally an excuse for the writers to take all the nation down just a few notches, à la “Bart vs. Australia.” On this 1999 episode, which has since develop into one of the most controversial installments in “Simpsons” history, the household competes on the “Completely satisfied Smile Tremendous Problem Household Want Present,” which is hosted by the George Takei-voiced Wink, and sees Homer blasted within the face with a flame thrower, overwhelmed by his circle of relatives as a human piñata, and strapped to a tower to be repeatedly zapped by lightening. That is clearly a parody of Japanese recreation reveals within the fashion of “Takeshi’s Fortress,” which frequently confirmed little to no concern for the contestants’ wellbeing. However this wasn’t what received the episode banned from Japanese TV.

At one level, Homer and Bart attend a sumo wrestling match, the place Homer picks up then-Japanese emperor, Akihito, spins him round, and throws him right into a bin stuffed with sumo thongs, presumably killing the Japanese chief and resulting in Homer and Bart being imprisoned. Naturally, the nation did not take too kindly to their emperor being manhandled on this method, and “30 Minutes Over Tokyo” was by no means proven on TV in Japan. In accordance with the DVD commentary for the episode, the installment additionally by no means made it to air in China, Hong Kong, or Taiwan. It is also not out there on Japanese Disney+.

Whereas probably murdering Japan’s head of state may seem to be a step too far, this whole episode is so ridiculous and so clearly taking intention at everybody — together with The Simpsons and their boorish American understanding of different cultures — that the ban appears simply as ridiculous because the episode itself.

China completely loves banning media from different international locations, with the nation’s Nationwide Radio and Tv Administration barring quite a few beloved classics from being proven. China banned “Back to the Future” for goodness sake. Why? As a result of time journey is seemingly a “subversive” concept. So, if the pleasant hijinks of Marty and Doc Brown had been banned from China, you may guess an episode of “The Simpsons” that takes quite a few pictures on the nation was going to get caught within the web.

Season 16, episode 12 “Goo Goo Gai Pan” sees Marge’s sister Selma getting into menopause and deciding to undertake a Chinese language orphan. This leads to Selma and the Simpsons household touring to China, the place the writers take intention at a number of features of Chinese language historical past and the Chinese language Communist Social gathering. The jokes that will be most clearly upsetting to the CCP embody the household encountering an indication in Tiananmen Sq. that reads, “On this web site, in 1989, nothing occurred”, and Homer mocking Mao Zedong after visiting his embalmed physique and commenting that he resembles “a little bit angel who killed 50 million folks.”

Even with out these inclusions, the mere undeniable fact that The Simpsons visited China was probably grounds for the Nationwide Radio and Tv Administration to begin developing with causes to ban the present. Because it occurred, not solely did China pull the episode, however because the BBC reported, in 2006 the nation banned international cartoons from being screened on TV between 5 p.m. and eight p.m. — one thing in regards to the results of international tradition on Chinese language kids. Which may appear foolish, however simply consider all of the younger lives that had been saved from slipping into depravity by banning “Again to the Future.” Now banning cartoons does not appear so silly, does it?

This may be essentially the most infamous banned episode in all of “Simpsons” historical past — primarily as a result of it’s banned within the nation wherein it was made. Season 3, episode 1, “Star Raving Dad,” noticed Michael Jackson visitor star as a white man named Leon Kompowsky who believed he actually was the king of pop. The episode wraps up with Leon writing a birthday music for Lisa, which Jackson penned himself, initially making Leon one among the best one-off characters in “Simpsons” history. Sadly, issues all modified after horrific accusations had been made in a 2019 documentary.

What makes this specific banned episode one of many extra egregious examples on this listing is that govt producer James L. Brooks led the cost to have it banned. Following the airing of the HBO documentary “Leaving Neverland,” which alleges that Jackson molested kids over a number of years, the episode that includes the pop star was pulled. “It feels clearly the one option to make,” Brooks instructed the Wall Street Journal, explaining that he, Matt Groening, and longtime producer Al Jean had determined to take away “Stark Raving Dad” from circulation. That primarily meant that the episode was to be stricken from all of the platforms and shops on which it was out there, from streaming companies and TV to Blu-ray and DVDs.

One of the vital nauseating quotes from Brooks on the time was this: “I am in opposition to e book burning of any form. However that is our e book, and we’re allowed to take out a chapter” — as if it is in some way higher to burn books when it is the authors themselves doing the burning. The choice is maybe comprehensible from a sure perspective, however pretending one thing by no means occurred and never permitting folks to see that factor and make their very own thoughts up as to whether or not they wish to watch it’s simply so clearly misguided that “The Simpsons” season 3’s banned Michael Jackson episode is maybe essentially the most miserable entry on this listing. The very last thing anybody thought after watching “Discovering Neverland” was “I hope they pull that ‘Simpsons’ episode.” However for no matter motive Brooks and co. determined they wanted to self-censor.

Season 9, episode 6 noticed Homer purchase a gun, a lot to Marge — and the UK’s — dismay. Whereas the whole lot of the episode hinges on Marge’s disapproval of her husband’s newfound ardour for firearms, it truly ends along with her holding the gun for herself after Homer decides to present it up, thereby seemingly refusing to take an anti-gun stance.

“The Cartridge Household” was written by legendary “Simpsons” writer John Swartzwelder, who based on the DVD commentary observe for this episode, was tasked with presenting an unbiased tackle weapons in America. Evidently, the content material of this installment made the notoriously strict Fox censors — the same ones that banned nine separate things from “Batman: The Animated Series” — nervous, however they finally let the episode air unedited. The identical cannot be stated for the Brits, nevertheless. The fellows over at U.Ok. community Sky didn’t take kindly to Swartzwelder’s supposedly “unbiased” view of gun possession and pulled the episode from the air.

This turned out to be solely a short lived ban, nevertheless, as “The Cartridge Household” was ultimately proven on different UK networks BBC Two and Channel 4, and finally even aired on Sky after some time. Even then, although, the ending was modified to make it so that when Homer discarded the gun, Marge by no means retrieved it. Whereas this won’t be the outright authorities censorship seen in China, modifying episodes to alter the author’s intent looks as if a slippery slope, although it must be famous that that is the episode with a joke about soccer being essentially the most boring recreation to observe, which might be what actually received the Brits’ knickers in a twist.

As author and former showrunner Mike Reiss instructed The Age, “Every time we have now the Simpsons go to one other nation, that nation will get livid.” On the time he gave that interview, the present had already managed to upset the Australians and get itself banned in Japan. However by far the very best instance of Reiss’ assertion is the response to season 13, episode 15, which noticed “The Simpsons” not only upset Brazilians but prompted a legal threat from the nation’s tourism board.

2002 “Blame It on Lisa” follows the Simpson household as they trip in Rio de Janeiro, and with this being “The Simpsons” there are all method of crude jokes and unflattering observations made alongside the way in which. The episode portrays Brazil as rife with kidnappings and muggings, exhibiting Rio de Janeiro itself as a metropolis overrun by monkeys and rats. At one level, an unlicensed taxi driver takes Homer captive whereas each he and Bart are robbed by children residing on the streets of the town.

All of which made the Rio tourism board very upset, with one spokesperson saying (by way of the BBC) “What actually harm was the thought of the monkeys — the picture that Rio de Janeiro was a jungle. It is a fully unreal picture of the town” … nearly as if this wasn’t an actual picture of the town, and was in reality a cartoon parody of the town. If you happen to wrestle to know what sort of life it is advisable to lead with a purpose to get upset over a cartoon, then attempt to think about this: The tourism board threatened authorized motion in opposition to Fox for damaging the nation’s worldwide picture. Higher but, think about this: then-President Fernando Henrique Cardosa chimed in, saying the episode “introduced a distorted imaginative and prescient of Brazilian actuality.” Evidently, this specific installment was not proven in Brazil for years, although it will definitely did make it to air in 2012.

Although govt producer James L. Brooks did formally apologize, thereby dodging any authorized motion, the one response actually price giving comes from Matt Groening Within the BBC documentary “America’s First Household,” the place he says one thing that each nation on this listing ought to have borne in thoughts, “There are these those who take the bait they usually get upset after which they criticize the present and that makes it extra thrilling. I imply, it is only a TV present, it is a cute little cartoon.”