- Banned episodes of The Simpsons, like “Stark Raving Dad,” were pulled due to controversy around famous figures involved in the show.
- “Cape Feare” faced backlash for its portrayal of violence and Nazi references, resulting in a ban in Germany.
- Episodes like “The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson” were banned due to real-world events like the September 11 attacks.
With its legendary run of 35 seasons and counting, there are hundreds of episodes of The Simpsons, but there are also some banned Simpsons episodes that are much harder to rewatch. Created by Matt Groening, The Simpsons premiered on Fox in 1989 and has been unstoppable ever since, becoming the longest-running American animated series. The Simpsons is a huge part of pop culture but also enough to create a lot of controversy, with various episodes being banned in different countries and some of them having to cut specific scenes – and here are every one of those episodes.
Seen as one of the greatest television comedies of all time, The Simpsons is known for its sense of humor and how it satirizes social issues and more, but some themes and representations have drawn controversy. There are several reasons certain Simpsons episodes ended up being banned, with some claims of misrepresenting certain cultures and people, the involvement of some people who later became controversial, and real-world events totally out of the show’s control. As a result, these episodes are not as widely available to Simpsons fans as the other nearly 800 episodes.
Stark Raving Dad
Season 3, Episode 1
While there have been some big celebrities to guest star on animated shows in the past, The Simpsons being able to get Michael Jackson to voice a character on the show was an impressive feat. It also made for one of the most clever casting moments in the show. In the episode “Stark Raving Dad” Homer is committed to a mental institution where he meets Leon Kompowski, a man who believes he’s Michael Jackson. Jackson voiced the character but was credited as John Jay Smith.
After the documentary Leaving Neverland was released, which details the allegations against Jackson of child sexual assault, the episode was pulled from circulation.
This episode is the only one to be banned from Disney+ and airing worldwide, all due to the controversy around Michael Jackson. In 2019, after the documentary Leaving Neverland was released, which details the allegations against Jackson of child sexual assault, the episode was pulled from circulation and is the only episode missing from The Simpsons collection on Disney+.
Cape Feare
Season 5, Episode 2
“Cape Feare” is a hilarious parody of the Martin Scorsese movie Cape Fear starring Robert De Niro. It is such a classic episode that The Simpsons season 35 redid “Cape Feare” as a Treehouse of Horror segment. It marks the return of Sideshow Bob, who is targeting Bart as he wants revenge for interfering in his past plans. The Simpsons have to enter the Witness Relocation Program for their safety and move to Terror Lake (a Cape Fear-like town) under the name “Thompson”, but Sideshow Bob follows them all the way there.
“Cape Feare” has been labeled by some as one of the darkest Simpsons episodes. It was banned in Germany for depicting violence against a child and a character holding the ranking of Obergrupperfuehrer (the announcer for Up Late With McBain, who wears an SS officer’s uniform), as Germany has strict laws that prohibit the use of Nazi references and symbols unless it’s for educational or historic purposes.
The City Of New York vs. Homer Simpson
Season 9, Episode 1
“The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson” is an epic saga that begins with Barney Gumble having a breakdown after being forced to be the designated driver during a night of drinking. As a result, he drives Homer’s car to New York City after dropping him home. Months later, Homer and the rest of the family travel to Manhattan to retrieve the car, but while the rest have fun in the city, Homer fights against the boot placed on the wheel of the car.
While it was brought back a couple of years later, some airings cut all scenes of Homer near the Towers.
Following the September 11 attacks, this episode was banned due to the prominence of the Twin Towers, and while it was brought back a couple of years later, some airings cut all scenes of Homer near the Towers (including his unforgettable bathroom rush to both towers), while others left them but cut out the line “they stick all the jerks in Tower One.”
The Cartridge Family
Season 9, Episode 5
“The Cartridge Family” saw Homer purchasing a handgun to protect his family after the Simpsons attend a soccer match that turns into a violent soccer riot. Homer isn’t exactly mature when it comes to handling a gun, and he casually carries it everywhere and even fires to retrieve items from the roof. Unsurprisingly, the episode was banned in the UK due to the soccer riot and its depiction of guns in a comical and “positive” light, which UK censors believed could encourage others to commit gun violence.
Still, this episode was included in the UK VHS The Simpsons: Too Hot for TV (which is a collection of banned and heavily edited episodes shown uncut and uncensored) and the season 9 DVD set. It eventually aired on UK channel Sky, but the final scene with Marge throwing the gun out but stopping when she realizes it makes her look cool was edited to make it seem like she got rid of it.
Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo
Season 10, Episode 23
There have been a number of episodes in which The Simpsons visit new countries that have stirred up controversy. As the title says, “Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo” took the Simpsons to Japan, but when they were left with no money, they agreed to take part in a dangerous Japanese TV game show in exchange for plane tickets to go back to Springfield. This episode was banned in Japan due to having scenes considered offensive to Japanese culture.
Some of the notable points of contention include the scene about the Hello Kitty factory as it implies its products were created by burning cats alive and the anime cartoon “Battling Seizure Robots,” which serves as a reference to a Pokémon episode that caused hundreds of people to go to the hospital. The episode isn’t available on Disney+ Japan either and it was initially banned in South Korea too due to its history with Japan, but it eventually aired there in 2007.
6Little Big Mom
Season 11, Episode 10
While it might seem like Bart would be behind a prank that leads to an episode being banned, it was actually Lisa’s doing in this episode. In “Little Big Mom,” Marge breaks a leg and must stay in the hospital for a couple of days. Being the most responsible one in the family, Lisa takes over her duties at home, and while she makes a structured plan for Homer and Bart to help her out, they ignore her.
While Lisa is usually the more level-headed family member, she takes revenge on her ungrateful family members by painting Bart and Homer with green oatmeal and convincing them they have leprosy. This episode was ultimately banned in Japan due to its leprosy subplot and the segregation element since the latter was still a sensitive topic in Japan.
lame It On Lisa
Season 13, Episode 15
“Blame It On Lisa” took the Simpsons to Brazil as Lisa was sponsoring an orphan who was then reported missing, so the family went to search for him. It is another instance of The Simpsons depicting another country or culture in a way that may have gotten laughs from most viewers but was not warmly received by the country itself. According to the people of Rio de Janeiro, there were jokes in this Simpsons episode that went too far.
Among the jokes and plot points that some took issue with are a children’s television show with suggestive material, a subplot about Homer being taken hostage, and Bart getting eaten by a snake. Rio de Janeiro protested against the episode for its portrayal of Brazil and the city. It was banned from airing for years, but it was shown uncensored again in 2012 and was put out on DVD in Brazil as well.
Weekend At Burnsie’s
Season 13, Episode 16
The Simpsons was often seen as a groundbreaking show for animated comedies aimed at an adult audience. However, while the show took risks with its humor at times, it generally avoided taboo subjects. That made the episode “Weekend at Burnsie’s” all the more surprising. Homer was prescribed medical marijuana to deal with pain after he was attacked by the crows that used to see him as a leader. The substance alters Homer’s personality and this earns him a promotion at work, becoming Executive Vice-President at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant.
While the show aired in the United States as planned, the network was very nervous about the episode and the backlash it might incur. As a result, Homer is never shown to actually smoke marijuana in the episode. However, due to all the references to marijuana and the scenes of Homer being attacked by the crows, the episode was banned in the UK but ended up airing at some point later.
Goo Goo Gai Pan
Season 16, Episode 12
“Goo Goo Gai Pan” took the Simpsons to China thanks to Selma, who began experiencing menopause symptoms. This led her to decide she wanted a baby so she wouldn’t grow old alone with Lisa suggesting she adopt a baby from China. However, the Chinese government only allows married couples to adopt, so Selma lied and wrote down Homer’s name as her husband, with Marge acting as Bart and Lisa’s nanny.
Of course, their lies eventually come to light and the baby is taken away from Selma, though she promises her to return someday. This episode was banned in China for the “unflattering references to the country” and isn’t available to stream on Disney+ Hong Kong either. China has banned many movies and shows in the past, from MCU projects to The Big Bang Theory so The Simpsons is in good company.
2E. Pluribus Wiggum
Season 19, Episode 10
In “E. Pluribus Wiggum,” Springfield became the site of the first presidential primary as they needed funds to rebuild Fast-Food Boulevard, which was unintentionally destroyed by Homer.
The Simpsons has ventured into the political realm frequently with former presidents such as George Bush, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump being lampooned. In “E. Pluribus Wiggum,” Springfield became the site of the first presidential primary as they needed funds to rebuild Fast-Food Boulevard, which was unintentionally destroyed by Homer. However, the townspeople got sick of all the presidential candidates sucking up to them, so they decided to support their own write-in candidate – none other than Ralph Wiggum, much to Lisa’s surprise.
Interestingly, despite American politics being at the center of most of the satire in the episode, it is a joke about an international political figure that earned it the ban. This episode was banned in most of Latin America due to mentioning former Argentine President Juan Perón as a “dictator” when he was the only president in the country’s history to be elected democratically over three periods.
A Made Maggie
Season 33, Episode 10
The fact that the Simpson children are put in dangerous situations might not sit well with all audiences. “A Made Maggie” saw Marge deciding to baptize Maggie, so she sent Homer to find a suitable godfather. After Fat Tony saves Homer and Maggie’s lives, they reluctantly agree to let him be Maggie’s sponsor. However, Fat Tony begins to bond and draw Maggie into his dangerous world, worrying Homer and Marge.
This episode has been banned in the Czech Republic, but unlike the rest of the instances in which countries banned specific episodes, the reasons haven’t been revealed yet. While the idea of a little infant being brought into the world of organized crime might hint at some of the issues with the episode, it is not a storyline that seems to bother any other country.
Source: https://screenrant.com/simpsons-show-episodes-banned-censored-reasons/