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TV Censorships & Banned Simpsons Episodes (Part 1)
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Kristina lays out the timeline of TV censorship while Sara shares banned Simpsons episodes around the world.
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Transcript
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Podcast Fun with Two Redheads
00:01:37
Speaker
Thanks everybody for tuning into Laughing with Gingers. The podcast. We're two feisty redheads with loud laughs, share crazy stories, play games, and spread silliness and joy.
00:01:50
Speaker
That little bus driver over there is my partner in crime on the Laughing with Jingers podcast, Christina Curry. That is Sarah Alved, AKA Prankster Monk, and my co-host of Laughing with Jingers. For those of you who don't know, Christina got a bus so that
00:02:10
Speaker
She can take lots of adventures. Yeah. And let's get ready to laugh because today's episode is all about, well, what did you bring? Well.
TV Censorship Through the Decades
00:02:24
Speaker
I brought a timeline of TV like censorship starting in 1942 and how the different shows sort of got around it or towed the line so to speak and all the way to let's see 1979. I didn't go past that because I feel like you're gonna be super like current and relevant with what you brought.
00:02:53
Speaker
I actually brought banned episodes of The Simpsons. Oh, yep, current. That's exciting. I guess I wasn't overly surprised that there are banned episodes, but you kind of forget that different countries have different rules.
00:03:23
Speaker
Yeah, you ready to get into it? I am. So wait, question. Are these bands or some bands in the US? Mm hmm. Wow. So you literally can't like watch that episode. OK, so qualifying statement on Disney Plus in the US. So Disney Plus is where the Simpsons streaming lives.
00:03:52
Speaker
And while maybe you can find it on YouTube or whatever, it is banned on Disney Plus. And it is my first episode. It's an old episode and it is one you have definitely seen. All right. All right. Lay it on me. All right. So it is season three, Stark Raving Dad. So this is perhaps the best known controversial episodes of up the episode of The Simpsons.
00:04:22
Speaker
It's where Homer is committed to a mental institution where he meets Leon Kapowski, a man who believes that he's Michael Jackson, and he is actually voiced by Michael Jackson under the pseudonym John J. Smith. This episode is banned on Disney Plus and all airing worldwide due to the controversy surrounding Michael Jackson.
00:04:51
Speaker
In 2019, after the documentary of child sexual assault, the episode was pulled from circulation. And it is the only episode missing from the Simpsons collection on Disney Plus, a decision that was criticized by many. Wow. So you can't get it anymore.
00:05:12
Speaker
Yeah, I'm curious if it's on YouTube, I should have looked. But yeah, it's I mean, that was like one of those ones that they just always aired as a rerun. I think it was one of their top episodes. You've seen it, right? Yeah, I like have a vague memory of it. And plus, like, Michael Jackson, so famous, like, of course, they're gonna continue to like, you know, reap the benefits of his voice. Yeah.
00:05:41
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. And I didn't realize that documentary came out in 2019. Oh, my God. I mean, starting from 2019 to basically now, it feels like there was 10 years. That's true. Because it feels like that was a really long time ago because and it's weird because it's like something that doesn't really get talked about as often as you would think.
00:06:06
Speaker
Yeah, I feel like maybe COVID outshined the headlines. I don't know. That's true.
Perception of Time Post-COVID
00:06:17
Speaker
I won't wait. Hang on. COVID hit in 2020. Look at me. I can't even get my ears straight because everything was so messed up. It's true. I mean, time just is such a weird thing now. Yeah, it is. We started this podcast in 2020.
00:06:37
Speaker
Oh, my God. We started the podcast before the Michael Jackson documentary came out or after. See, look, I can't even. What is time? What is time? Oh, man. Do you want another one? And then I'll flip it over to you. Yeah. Yeah. All right. Then this one's coming at you from season five. It's Cape Fear.
00:07:06
Speaker
It marks the return of Sideshow Bob, who targets Bart as he wants revenge for interfering in his past plans to frame Krusty. 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, which is so funny. I forgot that they
00:07:33
Speaker
They I think this is the episode where they keep like asking Homer his name and like telling him to respond to it. And he's like, OK. And then immediately he like ends up not responding at all. Sorry, I'm trying really hard not to cough. He ends up not responding at all. And they're like, Mr. Thompson. And he's like,
00:08:03
Speaker
Nope. And they just can't get him. They respond. Classic homework. Classic, classic. But Sideshow Bob follows them there all the way. I think this is also the one where he hides underneath the car, and then they take a detour through a cactus field. Oh, I remember that one. Yes.
00:08:32
Speaker
I think this is the one. So Cape Fear has been labeled by some as one of the darkest Simpsons episodes. And it is banned in Germany for depicting violence against a child and also having a character
00:08:51
Speaker
the announcer on Up Late with McBain, who wears an SS officer's uniform. Germany has strict laws prohibiting the use of any Nazi references and symbols unless it's for educational or historic purposes, which I get. Yeah, I totally understand that.
00:09:15
Speaker
Oh, man, I remember like that one did feel scary. I remember. Yeah, it is. It's very scary. I mean, like other than the the I mean, there are a couple really good like zingers in it with the cactus field shortcut and then the Homer not being able to answer the witness protection or witness relocation people.
00:09:40
Speaker
with a new name and all and like completely failing. But it is a very scary episode and it's not a treehouse of horror, but it's like that level scary.
00:09:52
Speaker
Yeah, it was totally that level scary. I remember it took me a long time to get over my feeling of being scared for Sideshow Bob and embracing him as a character after that. They really worked to give him back a slightly, they had to work on the funny part of him after that episode. Oh yeah, definitely. That one episode ruined him.
00:10:21
Speaker
It's a classic. Yeah, totally. All right, so I've got a timeline of TV censorship. Some you guys might know, some maybe not so much. So this one you probably don't know because it's from 1942. And I don't know, you know, we weren't really alive at that point.
00:10:40
Speaker
Tweety Bird first appears in A Tale of Two Kitties. Animator Bob Clampett originally drew him without feathers, but the Hayes office censorship bureau thought that the plucked bird was just a little too naked looking. So they were like not okay with it. And Clampett ends up having to cover Tweety's titillating flesh with yellow plumage.
00:11:08
Speaker
So Clampett doesn't let this pass quietly because he's kind of pissed off. So in the episode, a cat yells to his partner, give me the bird, to which the other cat responds, if the hay's office would only let me, I'd give him the bird all right. That's amazing. Got him.
00:11:35
Speaker
Oh, my God. That's so good. I know. I'm like, where is that clip? Because that's fucking awesome. Oh, God. All right. Yeah, go clamp it. That's hysterical. Yeah, that's that's amazing. All right. I guess people were like flicking people off in 1942. Oh, I'm sure that that goes way back before 1942.
00:12:04
Speaker
Yeah, I wonder how far back I'm very curious. Yeah, me too. I wonder if they didn't like you. Oh, a deep dive of obscene gestures. Yes. It does. It does. We'll have to write that down as an episode idea. All right, you want me to give you one more and then we'll take a fast break.
00:12:33
Speaker
All right. So I thought this was really interesting because this is another one of those ones that was just constantly on as the rerun. So this one is from season nine. It's the city of New York versus Homer Simpson.
00:12:52
Speaker
So, in the city of New York versus Homer Simpson, during a drunken night, Barney Gumbel had to stay sober as he was appointed the designated driver. He has a mental breakdown due to not drinking any alcohol and drives Homer's car to New York City after dropping him off at home.
00:13:12
Speaker
Months later, Homer and the rest of the family have to travel to Manhattan to retrieve the car. But while the rest of the family has fun in the city, Homer has to fight against a boot that's placed on the wheel of the car. Do you remember this episode? I kind of have like small recollection. Okay, he drives down like
00:13:36
Speaker
you know, a major thoroughfare with the boot on the car and then he borrows a jackhammer to get it off. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Very New York. So following the September 11th attacks, the 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 of the scenes with Homer near the towers, which is like the whole
00:14:05
Speaker
thing like the cars parked between the twin towers. So I don't even know how you could really like edit that without losing the storyline. But they also cut the unforgettable bathroom rush between the towers because he goes up to the observation deck in one of the towers, because he has to pee really bad. And then he gets up there in the bathrooms closed for cleaning. So then he has to go all the way back down and then all the way back up the other tower. And as he comes out of the bathroom, the ticket guy who
00:14:33
Speaker
like he was waiting for it to pay the fine and get the boot off, comes and puts another ticket on his car. And he sees it from the observation deck. So it's just like a very weird thing to cut out because it's kind of like the climax that drives him over the top. So while others left them out and cut out the line, they all stick, wait, they all they stick all the jerks in Tower One. So others like
00:15:04
Speaker
you know, left it, but they cut that line. I could see that. Yeah, I could also see that. Oh, so I guess we'll be right back on laughing with gingers. Is your pet having a rough time right meow? Maybe they panic when it's raining cats and dogs.
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CBD tinctures, balms, or even bandanas. That's chillpods.com and use gingers 20 to get 20% off your order. Bye. And we are back on lab rewidgeters. Thank you all for joining us. We are still talking about TV censorship. And with that, Christina, you want to tell me a little bit more about the timeline?
00:16:20
Speaker
Yeah.
Creative Censorship Solutions
00:16:21
Speaker
Okay. So 1952, this one, I feel like is probably one of the most famous ones, but Lucille Ball gets pregnant, like in real life. And so she's like, I want to write this into my show because she's a very, you know, real redhead. And they're like, no, that's not, that's not a thing. That's not allowed. You can't use the word pregnant thinking.
00:16:46
Speaker
They're controlling her and now she can't act like she's pregnant, things like that. But instead, she continues with the storyline that she is pregnant, but actually writes in different phrases that still mean pregnant, but for some reason are less terrible. Like with child or having a baby or expecting, it's so goofy.
00:17:15
Speaker
It's so goofy. That's so well, first of all, what a redheaded thing to do. Totally. And second of all, that is so interesting because I feel like there were so many like, that's one of those shows where you watch it and you see censorship in action. Like we were talking about it the other day when we decided to do this topic, but that they slept in
00:17:44
Speaker
two separate twin beds because you weren't allowed to imply that married couples slept in the same bed on TV. It's so crazy. It's so crazy. It's just such a different time and it's not long ago. I know 1952 is not that long ago. It's also like no one was in two separate beds. Why did they
00:18:15
Speaker
think, oh, we should make two beds for a couple. Where did that even come from? It's so ridiculous. I mean, if you're in two separate beds, it's probably not for a great reason. Although there is a new trend where people are sleeping in separate bedrooms,
00:18:39
Speaker
that are married. Yeah. I mean, I kind of get the having your own space. Like if you have a partner who snores really loud or has to get up super early and you don't sleep, I can kind of see the benefits of it for sure. Yeah, I could see it. It just it isn't the right fit for me. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Spoiler alert. We sleep in the same bed.
00:19:06
Speaker
What? You don't have two separate beds, Sarah? Oh, my. Clutching pearls. Oh, my. Oh, scandalous. So scandalous. All right. You want another one for The Simpsons? Yeah, yeah. All right. This one's also coming at you from season nine. Apparently a very controversial season.
00:19:33
Speaker
I know. Who was writing this season? Good lord. I should have looked. That would be really interesting because Conan O'Brien and Kelsey Grammer both wrote on The Simpsons. I mean, there are so many people that wrote on The Simpsons. Yeah, I'm curious. I'm going to have to look now afterward. Or someone can tell us on our Instagram at Laughing with Jinders. So this one is called The Cartridge Family.
00:20:06
Speaker
And Homer purchases a handgun to protect his family after the Simpsons attend a soccer match that turns into a violent riot. Homer being Homer isn't exactly mature when it comes to handling a gun and he casually carries it everywhere and even fires it to retrieve items off the roof. Unsurprisingly. I remember this one.
00:20:32
Speaker
Yeah, he shoots like a beach ball or something or like a. That'll bring it down. That'll definitely bring it down. So unsurprisingly, the episode was banned in the UK.
00:20:51
Speaker
due to both the soccer riot, which cracks me up, and the depiction of guns as a in a comical and quote unquote positive light. The UK censors believe that this positive light and comical behavior could encourage others to commit gun violence. Still, the episode was included in the UK VHS of The Simpsons Too Hot for TV.
00:21:19
Speaker
which is a collection of the banned and heavily edited episodes shown uncut and uncensored and the season nine DVD set. And it eventually aired on sky, which is a British TV station, 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.
00:21:44
Speaker
Oh, interesting. Oh, man. I mean, I could see that. I could see them banning it. Yep. Yep. It's just funny that part of it is because it's a soccer slash football riot. That is part of the reason. Yeah, that's on brand. It's on brand.
00:22:13
Speaker
You want to give me one more and then we'll close up part one and do a part two? Yeah. All right. So this is on brand two. So Elvis, you know, he gyrates when he performed.
00:22:27
Speaker
And his first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show is seen by 60 million people, which at that time was about 80% of America. Like that's insane. 80%. I guess I should say of TV owners at the time, because not everyone owned a TV in 1956. But that's an insane amount. But there was maybe like one station. So what else are you going to watch? Yeah.
00:22:55
Speaker
After his cover of Little Richard's Ready Teddy, complete with his trademark gyrations with his hips, the camera switches to a close-up of his face as soon not overstimulate the American public.
00:23:11
Speaker
by the time he appears on the show for the third time a year later, he's only shown from the waist up they don't even they don't even bother doing a full shot because they're like we know what's coming we know your we know your mo and you're only getting from the waist up shots. It's so scandalous. God it's
00:23:36
Speaker
It's so funny. Like all this stuff, the censorship stuff is just. It's crazy. It's like if you pluck someone out of 1956 and drop them into like right now and show them TikTok, they would like their minds would get blown. Yeah, this podcast is not. It's not 1956 approved.
00:24:06
Speaker
No, it's definitely not. No, no, we'd get banned. Yeah, thank you everyone for joining us on Laughing with Ginger. We are so happy to have you listening to our silly podcast. And if you like the show, give us a follow rate and review on your favorite podcast platform.
00:24:31
Speaker
Follow us on Instagram at Laughing with Ginger. We'll post when this episode comes out and stories and shares stuff and funny things and yada yada. Yeah. And you can also send us episode ideas, funny stories.
00:24:46
Speaker
Let us know if we got something wrong. We're always here for that too. I'm not. Why did I just open that door? Don't tell us if we got stuff wrong. We've already said we're not researchers. Don't come here for all of your facts.
00:25:06
Speaker
Yeah. You can't censor us. We won't let you. Oh, God. Get access to premium content, including ad-free episodes, swags, special events, access to us, and more. Starts at just $3. Check us out at patreon.com slash laughing with gingers. And tune in next week to laughing with gingers for more good times. Bye. Hey, Christina. Hey, Sarah. Question.
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