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AZ
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Tue Apr-09-02 10:07 AM

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"the Simpsons to be sued by Brazil"


          

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.

  

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the Simpsons to be sued by Brazil [View all] , AZ, Tue Apr-09-02 10:07 AM
 
Subject Author Message Date ID
DA-YUM!!! An International Incident...
Apr 09th 2002
1
Australia/New Orleans
Apr 09th 2002
7
RE: Australia/New Orleans
Apr 09th 2002
8
didn't anger *this* Australian
Apr 09th 2002
9
      nor this one
Apr 09th 2002
11
           simpsons ending?
Apr 09th 2002
14
           it better end
Apr 10th 2002
18
                nah-uh
Apr 10th 2002
41
                     "maybe a little morphine
Apr 11th 2002
51
                          lol
Apr 11th 2002
52
           RE: nor this one
Apr 10th 2002
40
Did Japan have beef?
Apr 09th 2002
10
      i didn't like the Africa episode at all.
Apr 10th 2002
19
           African?
Apr 10th 2002
23
                RE: African?
Apr 10th 2002
24
                The plot
Apr 10th 2002
26
                     SNL?
Apr 10th 2002
27
                          They've said "nigga/er" on air this season...
Apr 10th 2002
28
                               okay...
Apr 10th 2002
29
                                    yes, its all jokes
Apr 10th 2002
30
                                    MadTV
Apr 10th 2002
31
                                    will ferrell
Apr 14th 2002
53
                                    RE: okay...
Apr 10th 2002
42
RE: the Simpsons to be sued by Brazil
Apr 09th 2002
2
LOL
Apr 09th 2002
3
Let's see...
Apr 09th 2002
4
Way to go boosting that image
Apr 09th 2002
5
Amen
Apr 09th 2002
6
      almost at the end?
Apr 09th 2002
15
I'm mad
Apr 09th 2002
12
LOL!
Apr 09th 2002
16
The Canadian Episode
Apr 09th 2002
13
"America Jr." (c) Homer
Apr 10th 2002
22
      that was a great line
Apr 10th 2002
33
Boo fucking hoo
Apr 09th 2002
17
RE: the Simpsons to be sued by Brazil
Apr 10th 2002
20
RE: the Simpsons to be sued by Brazil
Apr 10th 2002
21
co-sign
Apr 10th 2002
35
      RE: co-sign
Apr 10th 2002
36
      whoa
Apr 10th 2002
38
           RE: whoa
Apr 14th 2002
54
      RE: co-sign
Apr 10th 2002
43
           It's still the funniest thing going
Apr 10th 2002
45
damn
Apr 10th 2002
25
they just want that 'Simpsons' money....
Apr 10th 2002
32
This is dumb
Apr 10th 2002
34
About The Simpsons and racism...
Apr 10th 2002
37
      what?
Apr 10th 2002
39
           RE: what?
Apr 10th 2002
44
           pointless thought
Apr 10th 2002
46
Satire...
Apr 11th 2002
47
My Favoroite show for 12 years and running...
Apr 11th 2002
48
That episode wasn't very funny.
Apr 11th 2002
49
i liked this episode...
Apr 11th 2002
50
folx need to chill
Apr 15th 2002
55

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