TheSimpsons
Which Simpsons jokes from earlier seasons wouldn't fly today?
Discussion
Does calling the late teen seasons "earlier seasons" send a chill down any golden-era purists' spines?
Tell your chilly spine that they said "earlier" not "early"
Both earlier and early and relative terms and depend on the comparison in context. Here in referring to "earlier" seasons, the reference is explicitly in comparison to current seasons. Therefore yes it is earlier. It's not now is it?
But if they had referred to "early" seasons, the relevant comparison would then be to the entire run of the series, and so this would probably not qualify. But they didn't say that.
It does.
I was about to say, I don’t remember that line at all. I’m guessing it was Nelson.
It was Nelson! Hence the "ha-ha!"
I had that same thought after posting it. In my mind that episode was much older, only after posting did I realize it's from the 19th season! Sorry everyone!
You have no reason to apologize for describing season 19 as earlier than current seasons.
Earlier just means something that came before. Season 19 was 17 seasons ago, completely accurate to say it was earlier. People here are confusing "earlier" with "early".
English isn't my first language, so I was wondering if my choice of words was poor. But what you're saying makes sense, that's exactly what I meant to say when I said "earlier"! Thank you!
Yeah, I had stopped watching by the time whatever this is aired. I don’t know what “early season” means anymore.
Yup, blasphemy.
Probably the joke about cousin Francis becoming Francine because they got "warped" from sleeping in the same bed as their parents until they were 21.
Nothing but respect for Mother Shabubu
Weird, I always heard the name as "Mothership Booboo"
Oh I love her too, just the implication of her transitioning due to being "warped" would not fly today.
I didn't think you meant anything negative yourself! But I always pictured the bigger "warping" to be the cult 😂
At the time I think both was meant. But yes, today they'd have to put the emphasis on the being in a cult alone.
Exactly! Yeah I just personally ignore the transition being a bad thing, haha
I think they should finally let Francine appear officially.
I'm one of the people who subscribes to the idea that she was the lady who looked like Homer who drove past Bart in "Brother from the Same Planet"
OMG YES!!!
You know me, Marge. I like my beer cold, my TV loud, and my homosexuals fuh-laming!
I actually think these jokes would still work because the jokes are positioned that the humor comes from Homer being an ignorant moron, not that there is per se something "funny" about someone being gay.
The steel mill bit might not fly, but I think, like Agadore Spartacus in the Birdcage, most in the gay community would understand that it's a depiction of a certain type of gay person, not "this is what gay people are like."
But I have never had much success trusting that people will be reasonable...
What’s the problem with the steel mill? Isn’t it a less offensive take on Bart’s comments about hunting? That homosocial hyper-masculine stuff is pretty gay?
Also just the idea that steel mills are widely known and accepted to be super-gay is just quite funny. Keep reaching for that rainbow steel workers!
He didn’t give you gay did he!?
oh be nice.
anything with apu. Screw the guy who got him cancelled
There are a dozen ways the show could have handled it, and they went with the dumbest and most ham fisted way.
And no, the guy who made the doc wasn't the asshole. The Simpsons writers did something kinda shitty and it quit being acceptable.
Yup. Hank Azaria was the most thoughtful on the show’s staff about this and engaged respectfully. He proved it wasn’t that hard and the showrunners still biffed it.
God honest, all they needed to do was get feedback from the guy who made the documentary, and ask what changed he'd recommend, and implement them.
It would likely mean changing to an Indian actor and possibly changing Apu's job, and that's about it.
I don't see why changing his job would be necessary. It's not like it's a negative stereotype, and it's true to life: South-East Asian-owned convenience stores and small businesses are a very common thing.
I think the problem is that Apu had basically all of the stereotypes for Indians, and that's the easiest to change
or they could've just created/introduced more south asian + asian characters, to increase representation and more roles in society. instead of cutting a much beloved character in the community
South Park did it right when they made the episode featuring the Japanese vs Chinese restaurant owners, we aren't one monolithic thing, not all asians are the same there are differences among the many diverse cultures
All the awful stereotypes like hard working family man, smart, handsome, has a cool car, gets shot a lot
Are you fucking stupid or just pretending?
I find it hard to get worked up about apu when the show has a guy named Luigi Risotto. At least apu is a fleshed out interesting character
Are Italians getting harassed because of Luigi? Indians were getting harassed because of Apu.
And also you answered my question. You weren't pretending.
A stereotype of a white person doesn’t not nearly hold the same weight as a stereotype of a non white minority.
People bitched about Dr Hibbert's voice changing, so they'd certainly bitch about any change to Apu's VA.
Yeah, but those people are going to bitch about any changes. There is no need to try and appeal to them, because the only thing that would make them happy is a time machine that goes back to 1995
3 tranny jokes on Seymour alone is funny itself
Me so solly.
I feel like that joke still flies because it's an example of krusty being outdated and unfunny. Nobody is laughing with him
Yeah, the characters themselves were repulsed by it
For what it's worth, it didn't fly in-Simpsonverse either
Woah woah woah don't mess with the classic.
Flappa da dickie
early seasons are 1-10, this looks like a 14-20 episode
Earlier is different from early
Simpsons doesn't care. Everyone is on the chopping block. There are no jokes they will not touch—even now.
How about the prophet Muhammad?
Apu?
Any joke involvement Apu I guess
Nelson: guess who likes you?
Looks to Milhouse eye brows do a dance.
Next scene he's being wheeled out to an ambulance
This scene would definitely get cut from any new episode.
Nah I think that would be OK because Nelson’s a homophobe, not because being gay is funny
Or, as the saying goes, "Nobody likes Millhouse!"
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I’ve tried every vowel and I still don’t know what you’re talking about lol
Gypped. And it’s fine.
Think Gypsies.
Which is honestly not nearly the problem offline that it is online. But I get it.
People use "Jew" as a verb meaning to rip off or swindle in exactly the same manner and it's equally unacceptable
The difference of course being that the origin and meaning of one is obvious which other is hardly that. Plenty and possibly even most people do not know where gyp comes from.
It's only obvious because people are more familiar with Jews than Roma people. But I've spoken with people who grew up hearing and using the word "Jew" like that and claimed they never thought about the connection. Once you know you don't have an excuse to continue using it, and if you do it's still a problem, offline or online
They were lying to you.
At any rate, words evolve. If the origin is broadly forgotten it becomes irrelevant to use of the word
But feel free not to use it.
What word ?
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Im 40 and I just learned that’s offensive .
Homer strangling Bart while saying "Why you little..." would result in Homer having both hands amputated, immediately.
All of these jokes would fly today.
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In this situation, the use of the word "tranny" is problematic, because it's pretty unacceptable slur even inside LGBTQ+ groups
offensive AND lazy
It's literally a slur
https://preview.redd.it/cryld28sirbf1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cff64fffab4c4471de82b5b1fb6585a67fb865a1