'Folk say the show has become woke': Harry Shearer mocks being replaced by black actor for Dr. Hibbert on 'The Simpsons'

'Folk say the show has become woke': Harry Shearer mocks being replaced by black actor for Dr. Hibbert on 'The Simpsons'



Iconic actor Harry Shearer poked fun at being replaced by a black actor for one of his voices on "The Simpsons," stating his replacement is doing an impression of a white guy doing an impression of a black actor.

During a recent interview, Shearer commented on the famous cartoon possibly becoming "woke" after he and other actors who were a different race than the characters they played on the show were replaced.

Producers of the show announced in 2020 that any white actors would no longer voice any nonwhite characters from the show after a documentary was released criticizing the character of Apu. Apu's voice, Hank Azaria, apologized for his role in contributing to "structural racism" and stepped down from portraying the Indian character.

"Folk say the show has become woke in recent years and one of my characters has been affected. I voiced the black physician, Dr Hibbert, who I based on Bill Cosby," Shearer told the Times.

"Back then he was known as the 'whitest black man on television.' Then, a couple of years ago, I received an email saying they'd employed a black actor, who then copied my voice. The result is a black man imitating a white man imitating the whitest black man on TV," he added.

Dr. Hibbert was one of many characters that had the voice actors replaced along racial lines. The changes also included the voice of Judge Snyder, police officer Lou, and one of Homer's best friends and coworker Carl. Even background characters like Dr. Hibbert's wife and Julio Franco had their voices changed. The latter was also a character of Azaria's.

In 2021, creator Matt Groening said he welcomed more "diversity" on the show but said it wasn't his idea.

"It was not my idea, but I’m fine with it. Who can be against diversity? So it’s great," he told USA Today. "However, I will just say that the actors were not hired to play specific characters. ... They were hired to do whatever characters we thought of. To me, the amazing thing is seeing all our brilliant actors who can do multiple voices, do multiple voices. That's part of the fun of animation. However, to be more inclusive and hire more people, I’m completely in favor of that."

In his recent interview, Shearer promoted his new song "Must Crush Barbie," which was performed as his character from the cult classic movie "Spinal Tap."

The 1980s mockumentary followed a fake British band that was incomprehensibly dense. Shearer noted that Oasis band member Liam Gallagher thought it was real.

Shearer added that his new single "may offend some people but I don’t care. If I had to choose to be stuck in a lift with Barbie or Donald Trump it would be a tough call. I’m not sure who is the worst."

The actor also jokingly said that he has two dogs but doesn't want kids.

"Unlike Elon Musk’s view, I don’t think the world needs more babies."

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'Nothing's getting tamed': Producer James L. Brooks confirms Homer Simpson will keep choking Bart

'Nothing's getting tamed': Producer James L. Brooks confirms Homer Simpson will keep choking Bart



Legendary producer for "The Simpsons" James L. Brooks squashed rumors that Homer Simpson would no longer choke Bart Simpson, a classic gag the show has used for decades.

Viewers noticed that during a recent episode, Homer had commented that "strangling the boy has paid off," before clarifying his comments.

"Just kidding, I don't do that any more. Times have changed."

Afterwards, fans pointed out that Homer had not strangled Bart for years. The joke was last illustrated for episodes that played during the 31st season, which aired 2019-2020, according to IGN.

Despite the gap in gags, Brooks told People that there are no plans to change that aspect of the show.

"Don’t think for a second we’re changing anything," he remarked. "Nothing's getting tamed. Nothing, nothing, nothing," he added.

Brooks then assured viewers, who have stuck with the show since it first aired in 1989, that Homer has been choking Bart out of love.

"He'll continue to be strangled — [if] you want to use that awful term for it. He'll continue to be loved by his father in a specific way."

I just found out that, after over 30 years, The Simpsons has finally retired their long-running gag of Homer strangling Bart. \n\nTook them long enough lmao
— (@)

The 83-year-old reportedly showed off an illustration of Homer strangling Bart, which was shared on X by the show's official account.

"Homer Simpson was unavailable for comment as he was busy strangling Bart," the show wrote. The attached imaged displayed the show of force, with Bart holding a phone that read "Simpsons: No more strangling," while Homer said "Why you little clickbaiting-!!"

Homer Simpson was unavailable for comment as he was busy strangling Bart.
— (@)

"Homer strangling Bart is just such an iconic part of the show,” said BlazeTV host Lauren Chen. "It’s just one of the show’s many classic gags."

"The joke instead is look at how flawed ‘The Simpsons’ are, especially contrasted with, at the time, the picture-perfect families that were on other TV shows," she added.

While a line appeared to have been drawn by the producer, the show has certainly heeded the call of the perpetually offended in recent years.

Hank Azaria stepped down from voicing the role of beloved Indian character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon in 2020 over complaints that the voice actor is white. Azaria acquiesced, saying he "really didn't know any better."

In 2021, iconic actor Harry Shearer (who is also white), stopped performing the voice of the show's black doctor, Dr. Julius Hibbert. The show instead hired Kevin Michael Richardson to voice the role, whose skin color happens to match that of the character.

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What the heck happened to 'The Simpsons'?



For 34 years, Homer Simpson strangled his son Bart as a part of the show’s gag.

However, in the third episode this season, that changed when Homer and Marge paid their new neighbor a visit.

When the new neighbor noted how firm Homer’s handshake was, Homer replied, “See, Marge, strangling the boy paid off. Just kidding, I don’t do that any more. Times have changed.”

This isn’t the only change “The Simpsons” producers have made in recent years, including the recasting of certain characters that the woke mob took offense to.

Lauren Chen believes all the changes being made to the show have turned it into “a shadow of its former self.”

“Homer strangling Bart is just such an iconic part of the show,” Chen says, as most viewers understood it as just a joke. “It’s just one of the show’s many classic gags.”

Chen notes that the entire point of "The Simpsons" “was that it was supposed to be almost a caricature, a representation of all the unflattering aspects of family life that back in the day TV shows wouldn’t actually show.”

This includes things like Homer’s alcoholism.

“The joke instead is look at how flawed ‘The Simpsons’ are, especially contrasted with, at the time, the picture-perfect families that were on other TV shows.”

Times have changed, however, and now breaking the mold consists of actually showing happy families.

“Nowadays, if you want to actually think outside the box, you’d put a family that does happily love each other and get along on TV,” Chen says.


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Disney Caves To Communist China, Drops ‘Simpsons’ Episode With Tiananmen Joke

Disney+ reportedly scrubbed an episode of 'The Simpsons' from its Hong Kong launch to appease Communist China's censorship of pro-democracy content.

Disney bows to pressure from China, censors 'Simpsons' episode mocking Chinese censorship in Hong Kong



Disney has removed an episode of "The Simpsons" that mocks Chinese censorship practices from its online streaming service in Hong Kong, adding to growing concerns that Western companies will start kowtowing to the Chinese Communist Party's pressure tactics in the once-free territory.

What are the details?

The Hong Kong Free Press reported over the weekend that episode 12 of season 16, titled, “Goo Goo Gai Pan,” was not available on Disney Plus amid the streaming service's rollout this month.

The episode, which was first broadcast in 2005, reportedly follows the fictional cartoon family on a trip to mainland China, where they pay visits to the mummified body of former Chairman Mao Zedong and Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

Episode 12 of Season 16 of The Simpsons is missing from the newly-launched Disney+ streaming platform in Hong Kong. The episode references Chairman Mao and the Tiananmen Massacre. HKFP has reached out to Disney for comment.pic.twitter.com/ecXXiwae70
— Hong Kong Free Press HKFP (@Hong Kong Free Press HKFP) 1638011970

While standing over the body of Mao Zedong, Homer Simpson describes the ex-leader as “a little angel that killed 50 million people," according to the New York Times.

Then, during the Tiananmen Square stop, the family encounters a line of tanks in reference to the famous “tank man” photo taken during a 1989 student uprising there. In response to the demonstration, the People's Liberation Army massacred thousands of students and other pro-democracy protesters.

The Simpsons also encounter a plaque in the blood-stained square that states, “On this site, in 1989, nothing happened" — an obvious jab at the Chinese government’s blatant attempts to suppress public memory of the massacre.

Why does it matter?

Disney's censorship reportedly marks the first time a major American media company has suppressed anti-CCP content in Hong Kong, but many fear it won't be the last.

“This is the first notable time an American streaming giant has censored content in Hong Kong,” Kenny Ng, an associate professor specializing in film censorship at Hong Kong Baptist University, told Bloomberg News.

“Basically, the whole story is for streaming companies to be more tailored to a Chinese audience and to not offend the Chinese government,” he added. “This is likely to continue in the future with more companies with financial interests in China.”

What's the background?

Hong Kong residents have seen many of their civil liberties hampered in recent months following Beijing's imposition of a sweeping national security law aimed at quashing pro-democracy demonstrations in the territory.

Hong Kong had enjoyed relative autonomy since the British agreed to turn it over to China in 1997 under the Sino-British Joint Declaration. But over the past few years, the communist regime in China has contravened the agreement and effectively terminated the status of one country, two systems.

The latest negative development occurred in October, when Hong Kong's pro-China government put in place a law banning films deemed contrary to China’s national security interests. At the time, it was unclear how major streaming giants such as Netflix, Amazon, and Disney would respond.

Disney has yet to respond to multiple requests for comment from major American news outlets about its recent censorship.