Doh! Rio blames it on The Simpsons

Alex Bellos in Rio de Janeiro
Tuesday April 9, 2002
The Guardian

When the Simpsons, America's favourite dysfunctional family, visited Brazil last week they made some offbeat observations.
The cartoon characters found that Rio de Janeiro is a city where all men are bisexual, where fearsome monkeys roam the streets, and tourists are kidnapped by taxi drivers and mugged by children.

The ironic humour was par for the course for a show that has poked fun at middle American stereotypes for more than a decade.

Unfortunately, the Rio tourist board did not see the funny side and is preparing to sue the producers, Fox, for damage to its international image and loss of revenue. The issue threatens to become a diplomatic incident.

The Brazilian president, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, has entered the fray claiming that the cartoon "brought a distorted vision of Brazilian reality".

The episode, watched by more than 11 million Americans last week, was called Blame it on Lisa, a take on the 1984 film Blame It On Rio.

It follows the family from their home in Springfield to Rio to look for a poor orphan that Lisa, the sensitive daughter, is sponsoring. But as soon as they arrive Homer, the father, is kidnapped by a cabbie. Later, when he and his son Bart have a fruit juice they are mugged by a gang of children.

In his hotel room, Bart is glued to a children's TV show, presented by a semi-naked blonde stripper, in which sexy dancers seduce the child studio audience. He is also attacked by monkeys on Copacabana beach.

A statement from the Rio tourist board said that it has recently spent US$18m (£12.5m) promoting the city abroad and that the episode will have "drastic consequences" in the US market.

Rio has severe social problems and high levels of violence, although these are generally restricted to certain areas. Attacks on tourists are rare and no one has ever been attacked by a monkey on Copacabana.

Part of the anger in Brazil about The Simpsons is that, as well the stereotypes, there are many inaccuracies - Marge, the mother, finds that the local mode of transport is the "conga", which is a Caribbean dance. (She takes a conga to the hotel).

Also, the family visits a samba school to learn the macarena - a Latin dance not performed in Brazil. There is also the penetrada, a fictitious and lascivious dance shown them by the teacher.

Rio's tourist secretary, Jose Eduardo Guinle, said: "If Fox is so worried about Brazilian orphans and the poverty of our children, it should donate the profits of the episode to the city's social work programme."

The tourist board is now studying how best to proceed with legal action.

In January, the mayor of Rio threatened to sue a weather forecaster who predicted, wrongly, that there would be storms on New Year's Eve. The weather forecast kept crowds away from one of the biggest festivals of the year.

I saw that episode. I don't think they took any joke on that episode any further than they regularly do on the show. Wow.

I'd be interested to see the outcome of the case. I didn't think it was particularly disparaging to Brazil.

Kind of ironic that they did an episode once where Bart creates an international incident by playing a phone prank on someone in Australia.

peace

Iz

________________________________________

"I am the IZ equals IZ..."
DOVE

"I don't give a fuck who you are / so fuck who you are"
STYLES

"I'm to(o) fly not to(o) fly"
SAUL WILLIAMS

I didn't see last week's episode cause I stopped watching the Simpsons - to me it has become unwatchable. But the Australia episode you mention did anger a lot of Australians, if I'm not mistaken. An even better example is the episode with the "Streetcar" musical. The city of New Orleans demanded an apology for the song "New Orleans," with lyrics like

New Orleans: home of pirates drunks and whores!
New Orleans: tacky overprice souveneir stores!
If you want to go to hell you should take that trip
to the Soddom and Gommorah of the Mississip--
New Orleans!

Several episodes later Bart wrote on the chalk board in the opening theme "I will not apologize to New Orleans"

So those of you who can still stomach the show's shoddy writing and derivative plots, keep an eye out for what Bart writes on the board in the coming episodes.

>I didn't see last week's episode
>cause I stopped watching the
>Simpsons - to me it
>has become unwatchable.


I agree. but I get the feeling that the show's writing and plots, are purposely shoddy and derivative.

that shit was fuu-nnyy. i think that's the beauty of Simpsons when they go overseas. everything is exaggerrated and distorted, all the stererotypes are brought into play.

plus i liked that evil koala at the end hanging onto their helicopter. hehehe.

and what's this about the series ending? what, for good?

-----------------------------------------------

http://www.geocities.com/soulquarian84/

~~break ya fuckin neck bitches!

"I hope it doesn't say something about my masculinity that I'm seeing pink fairies."-The Maxx

"Happiness is just another trap." -Mr. Gone

"Life is pretty pathetic when even your own hallucinations lie to you." -Sara

Sam:"Hand me my Lightsabre, kid."
Anakin:"Which one is yours?
Sam:"The one that says 'Bad Motherfucker'." -Grasshopper

the only thing that disturbs me about this news is the talk about the simpsons ending- what's up with that?

shock
reviews moderator

anyone have more info?

Thoughtfully yours,

Spirit Equality

If you really loved me, you'd check out http://www.mp3.com/spirit_equality

For some political rap with biblical imagery and Middle Eastern-influenced production, check out my man Born Infinite at http://www.199records.com/artists.htm (he's a nice guy on top of all that...AND THE MISCELLANEOUS FLUX ALBUM IS ON SALE NOW AT http://www.cdbaby.com !!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you believe in avant garde music with soul, peep out Miscellaneous Flux at http://www.miscflux.com

2002: The Underground Strikes Back

should have ended 2 or 3 seasons ago
_________________________________________________________

...and even after all my logic and my theory/ i add a "motherfucka!" so you ig'nant niggas hear me © L. Hill

as long as Homer gets dumber each season the show should continue. i remember when they did a season full of Lisa episodes and it was just shit. i like how Bart's gotten more like Homer too, so in that regards the show shouldn't be ending at all. it's gettin funnier n funnier as time goes on...so i say keep it.

and just on racial stereotypes in the show (lower posts), remember that episode where they're playin basketball in the gym, and Karl's at the foul line. he says sumthing like, "everyone thinks just cos i'm black i'm good at basketball", and then does a 360 dunk from a standing start...?

it has no releveance to anything, i just thought it was funny.

hehehe...all the simpsons quotes are comin back to me...

-----------------------------------------------

http://www.geocities.com/soulquarian84/

~~break ya fuckin neck bitches!

"I hope it doesn't say something about my masculinity that I'm seeing pink fairies."-The Maxx

"Happiness is just another trap." -Mr. Gone

"Life is pretty pathetic when even your own hallucinations lie to you." -Sara

Sam:"Hand me my Lightsabre, kid."
Anakin:"Which one is yours?
Sam:"The one that says 'Bad Motherfucker'." -Grasshopper

would help me remember"...

that was a funny one. The basketball part was funny. I'm actually a big fan of their recent plot structure in episodes like that--where they start off on one thing and go to something completely different...

I agree with you about keepting, I think the show keeps going through changes but I am hard pressed to think of any other show that has stayed consistently funny this long.

peace

Iz

________________________________________

"I am the IZ equals IZ..."
DOVE

"I don't give a fuck who you are / so fuck who you are"
STYLES

"I'm to(o) fly not to(o) fly"
SAUL WILLIAMS

i like the one where Homer becomes Burns' personal prank-monkey, and there's one scene where Homer's in the cafeteria with Lenny Karl lookin at a little calender thingy with words on it. Homer says something n Karl says, "i..uh..con-quer".

"oh look, Burns just..'entered' the room".

-----------------------------------------------

http://www.geocities.com/soulquarian84/

~~break ya fuckin neck bitches!

"I hope it doesn't say something about my masculinity that I'm seeing pink fairies."-The Maxx

"Happiness is just another trap." -Mr. Gone

"Life is pretty pathetic when even your own hallucinations lie to you." -Sara

Sam:"Hand me my Lightsabre, kid."
Anakin:"Which one is yours?
Sam:"The one that says 'Bad Motherfucker'." -Grasshopper

Dammit I found it funny, I don't think anyone 'really' took offensive...
----------------------------------------------
And when I'm watching the news
And my daughter walks in
And choose to ask
Why were all those people on the floor
Sleeping covered in red
I told her
They where looking for God
And found Religion instead
- De La Soul- Held Down (feat Cee-Lo)- from Bionix

that episode was comedy too...There's also the Africa episode, the Pacific Islands episode (when Homer licks the frogs and starts tripping), etc. The way they portray it when the Simpsons travel, its no wonder they keep getting banned from countries / states...But they poke just as much fun at domestic shit.

I would imagine some rural people might take offense at the Hillbilly charcter. I would imagine some stupid people might take offense at Chief Wiggum or Ralph. the Simpsons has made fun of celebrity, nationality/ethnicity/cutlure, tradition, the "upper" class, the "working" class, gay people, religious people, drunk people, damn near everything. I've never seen them deal too much with race, but the show has become largely about making fun of shit that some people might take offense at. So does SNL, MadTV, etc. Compared to some of the stuff I've seen on those shows I'd say the Simpsons is pretty tame.

In the Brazil one, I think one of the funniest jokes was that they spent all this time looking for this kid...When they finally find him and ask him why he didn't tell Lisa what had happened, he said he would have but he just dind't know what state to send the letter to.

peace

Iz
________________________________________

"I am the IZ equals IZ..."
DOVE

"I don't give a fuck who you are / so fuck who you are"
STYLES

"I'm to(o) fly not to(o) fly"
SAUL WILLIAMS

Can someone give some details about this "African" episode?

they went to Africa... their hotel was a thatch house up in a tree... typical jungle cliches, compounding with political instability (the name of the country kept changing every few minutes, and by the end of the episode, their tour guide had become president! that was kinda funny). i just didn't feel the jungle shit, though.
_________________________________________________________

"Anything that is too stupid to be spoken is sung" © Voltaire

"Oh, hip-hop is an amazing thing. Hip-hop is how Black people use technology to discover Africa" © Don Van Vliet

Through a bizarre-Simpon-esque opening, they end up scoring a free African safari. I don't think they specify a real country but their arrival is preceded by some stereotypical African tribsemen dancing around a fire in loincloths, wearing masks, saying that they are sensing a very bad omen. Upon arrival the Simpsons stay in the jungle/bush, after driving past a lot of billboards of a dictatorial-like leader. They encounter a lot of African wildlife, there are some jokes about the size of the bugs, etc. Then something happens whereby they end up getting chased, I think by a herd of stampeding rhinos, and end up floating down a dangerous river on a shield...some more jokes about tribespeople...then they end up coming across a Jane Goodall type white woman who is studying Chimps...They stay on her compound...It gets attacked by poachers who they fight off using weapons like bees blown through a blowgun and coconut grenades. Turns out the poachers are really from Greenpeace and trying to rescue the chimps. The Goodall character was using them as slaves to mine diamonds. She offers to pay them off in diamonds to let her go. Lisa makes some moral speech about right, blah blah blah. cut to Simpsons on the plane with armfulls of diamonds. As they fly out the old president's billboard has been replaced by a new president, who was actually their tour guide. The old president is now a flight attendant on the airplane. As they are leaving the flight attendants get on the P.A., "you are now leaving the Democractic Republic of...No, wait, the New African Republic of...No wait, Pepsi presents the New African Republic of..."

Some of the offensive material was in the form of jokes/dialogue and I probably left out some stuff people got upset about but someone else can go back and fill in. I just wanted to lay the groundwork for the plot details. But even from that you can probably see where the offensive/dangerous situations are...There were some things that bothered me about it but by and large I wasn't really pissed...I get much more upset watching a show like SNL or Politically Incorrect.

peace

Iz
________________________________________

"I am the IZ equals IZ..."
DOVE

"I don't give a fuck who you are / so fuck who you are"
STYLES

"I'm to(o) fly not to(o) fly"
SAUL WILLIAMS

what do you find offensive in SNL?

Will Ferrell is a GOD
_________________________________________________________

"Anything that is too stupid to be spoken is sung" © Voltaire

"Oh, hip-hop is an amazing thing. Hip-hop is how Black people use technology to discover Africa" © Don Van Vliet

twice in the last year from what I've heard (I missed it both times)...And neither one was said by Tracey (or the new black cat). Almost everytime I catch the show recently there's at least one thing on it that bothers me. From what I've observed:

Tracey Morgan's antics border on coonish in some skits...

They have a general disdain for urban culture that is often reflected in skits that are borderline offensive (or offensive), like Gemini's Twin...Or the skit with the edible corn chip nails...This material is sometimes more disturbing because they frequently have white people playing these urban characters--whether the host or the staff--Ana Gasteyer in particular has done more than her share of neck-weaving and finger snapping for a white girl...

And Jimmy Fallon in and of himself is sometimes offensive to the art of comedy.

There's prolly more but that's just off the top of my head, right quick...This would make a good post topic actually...

peace

Iz
________________________________________

"I am the IZ equals IZ..."
DOVE

"I don't give a fuck who you are / so fuck who you are"
STYLES

"I'm to(o) fly not to(o) fly"
SAUL WILLIAMS

Tracey IS embarrassing. but more often than not, I feel embarrassed for HIM.

the "nigga" thing… I don't know about that. don't remember it.

as for the Gemini's Twin thing… yeah, I used to feel the same way you do about that. but hey… it's all jokes. they did the same thing for punk and metal when they were the big musical styles of the day.

_________________________________________________________

"Anything that is too stupid to be spoken is sung" © Voltaire

"Oh, hip-hop is an amazing thing. Hip-hop is how Black people use technology to discover Africa" © Don Van Vliet

but some people get offended by them, every one will have different comfort level...I genuinely do think SNL has a scorn for urban culture and black people tho...Some of the of ex-black cast members have made comments to that regard as well.

But the reason I brought them up in re: the Simpsons was to say that I think that SNL and MadTV are more...provocative, in their potential for offensiveness, than the Simpsons. Those shows purposely and consistently push the envelope further in that regard than the Simpsons does.

the "nigga" thing, someone posted in Activist a while back, it was one of the newscasters who said it (I didn't see either but a number of people backed it up). I did an Internet search (nigga/ SNL or something like that) right after to try to get a transcript, got several hits. Came across a website that had episode reviews, thought the match was from that episode but came to find out it was from an earlier episode--several reviewers quoted one of the skits as saying "nigga", not 100% sure but I think Will Ferrell was the actor on that one...Not sure if Jimmy Fallon or Tina Fey said it on the news.

peace

Iz
________________________________________

"I am the IZ equals IZ..."
DOVE

"I don't give a fuck who you are / so fuck who you are"
STYLES

"I'm to(o) fly not to(o) fly"
SAUL WILLIAMS

now THAT is offensive, IMO.

mostly offensively unfunny, but I think that they have a genuine distaste for "urban" culture. with SNL, I think it's a bit more tongue-in-cheek, like those two music teachers singing Destiny's Child and Jay-Z songs… with MadTV, I just feel a certain mean-spiritedness… I dunno.

_________________________________________________________

"Anything that is too stupid to be spoken is sung" © Voltaire

"Oh, hip-hop is an amazing thing. Hip-hop is how Black people use technology to discover Africa" © Don Van Vliet

Said "nigga" in a skit where he was lampooning Robert Goulet. He was singing Biggie's "Big Poppa".

__________________________________
sig.nificance.:
                  
                  
                  
                  

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-HIDDEN TRACK-
At twenty-two years of age, I have a fateful stipulation
A choice between death and suspended animation
With death the suffering ends, no question
With life, I could turn it around in five sessions
If I could afford to pay, that is
Life wouldn't be hell
But for me there is no sliding scale
No see-saw or piggyback rides
No Peter Frampton, no free samples of Tide
But don't be fooled
I'm not as sad as I pretend to be
Save your sympathy
I'll probably lose my sanity before my virginity]

>Tracey IS embarrassing. but more often
>than not, I feel embarrassed
>for HIM.

you should see his stand-up act . . . it's horrible. i don't want SNL anymore but i did happen to catch last week's, and that space adventure thing of his was funny, but yes, kind of "coonish" as someone above said.

>the "nigga" thing… I don't know
>about that. don't remember it.

Like I said, I don't watch anymore, so I don't know about this, but I do remember Tim Meadows saying it as O.J., outside his house talking to reporters, trying to play the race card. I was very surprised the first time I heard it, but it was hilarious. Of course there's also the famous Richard Pryor "dead honkey" skit.

I missed that episode but I think those dudes have some real issues if they are looking for accuracy in a Simpsons episode. In fact, they DO have some real issues.

I've been to Rio. It is dangerous. There are weird animals in the streets (though I didn't see monkeys in Rio, other cities had them). Kids do mug people. The COPS mug people.

And I would go back in a heartbeat.

RED
Ora et labora

That's hilarious.

Like a Simpsons episode is going to keep anyone from going to Rio! lol

Okay.

There's massive environmental damage in the Amazon rain forest, disenfranchised farmers are threatening to take over parcels of land with force, the economy's in the shitter...

And they're worried about a fucking Simpsons episode?

Shit, Fox might end up owning Brazil.

By suing a fucking cartoon. Morons.



-Shut up dummy
Fred Sanford

Hopefully the Simpsons will have a field day with this. I mean shit there almost at the end of their run, why not go out with a BANG!

where did you hear that?

gosh, I'm out of touch.

Thoughtfully yours,

Spirit Equality

If you really loved me, you'd check out http://www.mp3.com/spirit_equality

For some political rap with biblical imagery and Middle Eastern-influenced production, check out my man Born Infinite at http://www.199records.com/artists.htm (he's a nice guy on top of all that...AND THE MISCELLANEOUS FLUX ALBUM IS ON SALE NOW AT http://www.cdbaby.com !!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you believe in avant garde music with soul, peep out Miscellaneous Flux at http://www.miscflux.com

2002: The Underground Strikes Back

that they had to clarify this:

>Attacks on tourists are rare and no one has ever been attacked >by a monkey on Copacabana.

I just caught that. I got a mental picture of an angry Brazilian tourist board official on the phone "Let's be absolutely clear on this...no one has EVER been attacked by a monkey on Copacabana!"

peace

Iz

________________________________________

"I am the IZ equals IZ..."
DOVE

"I don't give a fuck who you are / so fuck who you are"
STYLES

"I'm to(o) fly not to(o) fly"
SAUL WILLIAMS

that was the FIRST thing I noticed.

"Monkeys have attacked other livestock, but never people!"


Thoughtfully yours,

Spirit Equality

If you really loved me, you'd check out http://www.mp3.com/spirit_equality

For some political rap with biblical imagery and Middle Eastern-influenced production, check out my man Born Infinite at http://www.199records.com/artists.htm (he's a nice guy on top of all that...AND THE MISCELLANEOUS FLUX ALBUM IS ON SALE NOW AT http://www.cdbaby.com !!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you believe in avant garde music with soul, peep out Miscellaneous Flux at http://www.miscflux.com

2002: The Underground Strikes Back

they werent able to find anything really negative about us besides our dollars value. there was the japanese episode as well where they were forced to do horrible stunts for money also but no one got angry. I think Brazil is just really really really strapped for cash and are desperate.
___________________________________
Doc NO be sippin rum outta Stanley cups

AIM: DocNO22

"In Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love--they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock." - Orson Welles

P.rotons E.lectrons A.lways C.ause E.xplosions

that's what I remember from that episode...I thought that line was pretty funny.

peace

Iz
________________________________________

"I am the IZ equals IZ..."
DOVE

"I don't give a fuck who you are / so fuck who you are"
STYLES

"I'm to(o) fly not to(o) fly"
SAUL WILLIAMS

and also when they invaded the curling show, and the host said "wow, both of our viewers must be very excited right now"


Nasty like the freaky deaky at your local sleazy speakeasy - MF Doom

Grow up and take it for what it is, geez. How simple minded are they? I've wasted too much time on this.



peace

but it was CARNAVAL!!!!!!

----------------------------------------

"I RUN" can become the word "RUIN" so don't think you run sh*t. You just ruin it"------Me

"If we both want the love and I wait long enough then the ground that we're on might be common" -- No Doubt w/ Prince "Waiting Room" / ROCK STEADY

Don't worry people, the Simpsons are NOT ending, they are currently working on episodes for 2 seasons down the line, since each episode takes about 8 months to complete in it's full glory. They've been renewed for another 4 seasons by FOX.

And no offense to the people that "can't watch it" any longer, even a piss poor episode is some of the funniest shit on television nowadays. They may have run out of ideas, but the writing is still funny.

------------------
Since change is constant, you wonder
if people crave death because it's
the only way they can get anything
really finished.
-Tender Branson, "Survivor: a Novel"
------------------
And when I'm watching the news-
And my daughter walks in and choose-
to ask: Why were all those people on the
floor, sleeping covered in red?
I told her: They were looking for God
But found Religion instead.
-Pos
------------------

That was the funniest episode in quite some time, way funnier than the one on sunday where Homer was high the whole time. Obviously, it's been on for about 12 years now, they have to stretch for plots a bit, since they've already done so much and been to so many places. And to those who call the writing "shoddy and derivative", can you name me a better show on broadcast TV?


Nasty like the freaky deaky at your local sleazy speakeasy - MF Doom

>And to those who
>call the writing "shoddy and
>derivative", can you name me
>a better show on broadcast
>TV?

i still like the Simpsons, but it has definitely dropped off some. it's not even the best show on Fox anymore. Grounded for Life, Malcolm, Futurama (maybe), Bernie Mac show, are all just as good, if not better than the Simpsons.

Futurama and Malcolm are pretty funny, though they're never gonna be quite as good as the Simpsons. But Grounded for Life? C'mon, that's such a reach.


Nasty like the freaky deaky at your local sleazy speakeasy - MF Doom

>Futurama and Malcolm are pretty funny,
>though they're never gonna be
>quite as good as the
>Simpsons. But Grounded for Life?
>C'mon, that's such a reach.
>
>
>
>Nasty like the freaky deaky at
>your local sleazy speakeasy -
>MF Doom


grounded for life is hella funny , did you see the one where they imitate crouching tiger hidden dragon ?

the only show i think that competes with the simpsons is family guy

>And to those who
>call the writing "shoddy and
>derivative", can you name me
>a better show on broadcast
>TV?
>

Since this is directed towards me, I'll respond. I don't watch a lot of television period, especially primetime. Why? It's pretty terrible. But is this an excuse for the Simpsons to be slightly less terrible? I don't compare the show to what else is on, I compare it to its own standards, which have been completely abandoned. When Matt Groening designed the show, one of the rules was to have nothing excessively cartoony - this was supposed to be a realistic show about family dynamics that happened to be animated. No cartoony acting animals, for example. Now, some stupid diamond eyed koalas and tobacco addicted farm animals - who actual SPEAK ("tomaaaacco . . .") - that is some cartoony ish. Aside from being unfunny, it ruins the Simpsons universe. Homer is a total jerk now, he used to be a somewhat-negligent, lazy, but ultimately caring provider and father. I can go on and on, but basically my point is: I feel the show has run out of steam, and it has become unwatchable. I don't care if it's better than most of what's on TV. I don't have some compelling need to spend my evenings watching television, so it's not like if the Simpsons are cancelled I'll have to watch something in its place.

A bad analogy that will get me in trouble: athletes who stick around too long. Jordan came back and was still successful, but many argue he damaged his legacy. I'm not saying he shouldn't have come back, I'm just saying that even if he was better than most, it doesn't necessarily mean he should have stuck around. Same thing with the Simpsons (basically).

As for shows on TV better than the Simpsons: South Park, Futurama, Family Guy (when it's on), Everybody Loves Raymond, King of Queens, Bernie Mac, Drew Carey, My Wife and Kids, etc. etc. etc. Aside from South Park I haven't seen any of these more than 10 times, but I'd take them all over the Simpsons right now. Even that Greg the Bunny show, and Andy Richter controls the Universe, look better than the Simpsons right now.

And I can't believe you put Everybody Loves Raymond and King of Queens above it. I like the fact that it's cartoony, I think the funniest shows (Simpsons, South Park, Futurama and Family Guy) are cartoony. Honestly, I haven't liked a sitcom since Seinfeld went off the air, the laugh track bothers me way too much. Obviously, there isn't gonna be another episode as good as "Homer Goes to College", but on the other hand, I've seen all the earlier episodes so many times, they don't hold quite as much humor as they once did. I just....I mean Everybody Loves Raymond? I can't watch for more than 2-3 minutes, it doesn't even make me smile, let alone laugh. Of course a show is gonna get a little labored after 12 years, and Homer is just a buffoon now, but there is no other show that I'll make time for during the week, and honestly no other show on broadcast TV that I'll watch at this point. There are a lot of sub-standard episodes now, but when it's on, like the Brazil one was, there's still no better show on TV, and hell, I'd still love to see Jordan play basketball (the current knee injury notwithstanding).

Nasty like the freaky deaky at your local sleazy speakeasy - MF Doom

and i was saying that was the funniest ep i seen in a sec.


the official bkyle/?uesto "dancing machine"/michael jackson robot dance rating (aka..why i love ebay)

soul train 73-@@@@@
merv griffin 74-@@@@
the carol burnette show-@@1/2
mike douglas 74-@@@1/2
dinah shore 74-@@@@
the sonny and cher comedy hour 74- @@@1/2
cher! 75-@@@@@
american bandstand 75-@@@1/2
the jackson 5ive live in mexico-@@@@1/2
the jackson weekly variety show 75-@@@
the jackson weekly variety show 76-@@@1/2
the rich little show-@@@
the jacksons live in london 1978-@@ (too busy focusing on audience frenzy instead of mike's robot break)
the triumph tour 1981-@@@@
michael jackson 30th celebration 2001-@@

...and seeing as America is one of the few(if not sole) places you can sue anybody for almost anything....they did...probably lose though....but i wouldn't be surprised if they won...

The fact that they have no sense of humor about it would be
MORE likely to keep me from visiting than the show itself would!

--
"Besides, what is beer but steak in a glass?" -> shockzilla(OK)
"Do you get drunk off that Not2Bright whiskey often?" -> krylonwifey1979
* http://www.ohhla.com - "Lyrics to Go"
* http://www.RapReviews.com - the real deal!

I think the simpsons take a very subtle (yet risky) approach in addressing racism. I remember an episode where there was a beauty contest and when they were introducing the judges, they called Dedrick Tatum (the Tyson impersonator) the "token black" judge. Also, in many high class party scenes, the only black person in the room will be one playing the piano for the white folks.

When you closely analyze these scenes, you realize that they are commentaries on racism, yet delivered in a very subtle way. While they may have a good message, their delivery just further perpetuates the negative stereotypes most whites have of blacks. So my question is, should they just not tackle the issue of race because it's hard for them to convey their message using their style, or should they continue so that only a certain amount of people will pick up on the commentary but the rest will be left with the same stereotypes?

"Coola than peppamint"- The Bad
Lieutenant

Songs I'm feeling as of the spring:

*Left and Right- D'angelo
*Flowers- Ghostface Killah
*Make u Feel That Way- Blackalicous
*Biz Markie/MosDef/TowaTei-Beatbox
*Straight Outta Boston- Esoteric, etc.

>Also, in many high
>class party scenes, the only
>black person in the room
>will be one playing the
>piano for the white folks.
>

do you have some examples for this? I've never noticed that.

The Simpsons has a lot of subtle humor so if you think they are subtly commenting on race in those instances I think it would be consistent with the show to continue...Because I think in general they've avoided too many issues of race.

They've also avoided some of the race traps--the 2 most prominent recurring criminals are white (the tatooed Bad Guy- "ch-yaaa"-- and Sideshow Bob)...Plus between Karl, Dr. Hibbert, Bleeding Gums Murphy and the Judge (admittedly not sure if he's supposed to be Black), they have presented some diverse black characters...The Simpson family I've always interpreted as white but when you look at the actual physical way they are drawn they are not necessarily white...

Apu presents an interesting character in this regard as in some ways he is very stereotypical but they did a good job of fleshing out his backstory in the middle and recent years of the show. But I don't know if by avoiding racist stereotypes is the same thing as subtly critiquing racism.

I'm trying to follow you but I just can't think of the subtle instances you talk about (and I missed the Tyson episode but I think he's been on the show more than once), if you could give some more specific examples...

peace

Iz
________________________________________

"I am the IZ equals IZ..."
DOVE

"I don't give a fuck who you are / so fuck who you are"
STYLES

"I'm to(o) fly not to(o) fly"
SAUL WILLIAMS

Apu was really the first Hindu on television, to my knowledge. I remember Time magazine running an article on the significance of that character. And yes, you're right, they've done a good job of fleshing out his character over the years (graduate of Calcutta Inst. of Technology . . .)

Carl, Dr. Hibbert, and Judge Snyder are all educated blacks with good jobs, but they're all kind of bumbling. Carl, along with Lenny, is one of Homer's sidekicks at work, and most of the humor associated with him is slapstick. Dr. Hibbert laughs at inappropriate things and is just a good-natured chucklehead. Judge Snyder used to be a serious character but now they've turned him into the liberal judge who lets everyone off easy - a perception of many black judges, I believe. I never thought about this stuff before now.

You may recall Smithers being black in the first few episodes. When they sent the cells to be painted in Korea or wherever, they just randomly painted characters, which created a problem, since he was supposed to be a "white sycophant." Didn't become gay until later . . .

It occurs to me that on at least one episode of the Simpsons
I've seen, they purposefully made fun of their own stereotypes
by having the "arr" pirate, the Mexican bumblebee, and the
groundskeeper Willie as a "rogue's gallery" all standing in a
line acting as over-the-top buffoonishly as they could. After
seeing that, I never worried about racism or stereotyping in
The Simpsons again - I just interpret anything and everything
to do with that show as a spoof, joke, or over-the-top example
of just how wrong people's misperceptions can be. And as
somebody already pointed out, they actually took perhaps the
MOST offensively stereotypical character (Kwik-E-Mart's Apu)
and actually gave him a full background and social life - and
if they hadn't his "thank you come again" shtick probably would
have gotten dreadfully old over time; now he's one of the guys.

--
"Besides, what is beer but steak in a glass?" -> shockzilla(OK)
"Do you get drunk off that Not2Bright whiskey often?" -> krylonwifey1979
* http://www.ohhla.com - "Lyrics to Go"
* http://www.RapReviews.com - the real deal!

As long as it's rooted in some truth, they can get away with it. Brazil probably won't win

The simpsons is the shit, some of the episodes have been weak the last few years but I always watch every week. and i watch the 2 reruns they show on Fox m-fri when i have the tiime...Brazil is just crazy, the African and Japanese episodes were worse on the stereotyping. Some shit in the African episode just wasn't all that funny cuz the episode was weak, but I wasnt ready to sue or write some angry letters. ....and Im African...

oh yeah i thought Dr. Hibbert is supposed to be a Bill Cosby Dr. Huxtable clone....

But I can't imagine it warrants a law suit. The "Simpsons go to _____" format is kinda played out, IMO.

However, the medical marijuana episode on Sunday was EXCELLENT. That show totally renewed my faith in the Simpsons franchise. If you missed it, make sure you catch the re-runs or find a tape of it. Homer became a pot-head and they got a lot of mileage out of that concept - he has some classic lines.

I don't know if the producers will let the show stay on the air too much longer, although I know Fox wants to keep it going forever. I read somewhere that Groening has already written the final episode of the series. Plus, they say they'll make a feature film whenever the series goes off the air.

peace,
murph

if you can't laugh at yourself you have problems.

that shit was on point with the "kid shows" that Bart was watching.

anything dead can't grow (c)lauryn hill
i think that's what she said.
im just so fuckin in love with you I just can't verberate that shyt into werds you understand me girrrrrl? (c)that guy that looks like my soulmate

oooooooowwwwwwww Biillllllllllllllllllal
wanna instant message me, hit me up BILALLOVA is the name

visit both my bp pages it's been a while and I will have my own pics up once I damn feel like updating my shyt.

http://members.blackplanet.com/sugarflyy/#
http://members.blackplanet.com/BILALLOVA/#
:+fuck a sig:+...you know thas a lie

my birthday is coming up in a month and a couple dayz 4-28-? taurus babyeee!

WELL WHY DON'T YOU JUST SHUT THE HELL UP?!