00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most controversial
00:11Simpsons family adventures that were forbidden from airing.
00:23Number 10.
00:24Little Big Mom What could possibly go wrong on a little ski
00:28trip?
00:29The answer is… a lot.
00:31Marge breaks a leg, Flanders gets an iconic skiing scene, and Lisa is left in charge of
00:37the house.
00:38But it's only that last point that proved contentious.
00:48In order to motivate Bart and Homer to clean up after themselves, Lisa convinces them that
00:53they've contracted leprosy.
01:05Although it's all a ruse, the implication was still enough to get the whole story barred
01:10from Japan, where the bacterial infection is a very sensitive topic.
01:14It's a shame, Japanese viewers have no legal way to watch Flanders ski down the mountains
01:20in his skin-tight outfit.
01:23Number 9.
01:24E Pluribus Wiggum As you can imagine, light-hearted chat about
01:29historical dictators is bound to stir up some controversy.
01:34But you can't even blame the Simpsons family for this one.
01:38This is all Lenny and Carl.
01:41During an innocuous bar scene, they make a sly reference to the supposed leader of Argentina's
01:46Dirty War, where as many as 30,000 left-wing citizens mysteriously vanished.
01:52The tasteless reminder of such a tragedy did not sit well with Argentinian viewers, especially
02:05since The Simpsons minimizes the situation with a poorly-timed gag about Madonna.
02:11After fielding complaints from viewers, committees, and even the Argentinian government, Fox personally
02:18pulled the episode from several Hispanic countries.
02:24Number 8.
02:2530 Minutes Over Tokyo Within its first 35 years on the air, only
02:31two episodes of The Simpsons never played in Japan.
02:41The first is the aforementioned Little Big Mom.
02:44Three guesses what the second one is.
02:46During a family trip abroad, Homer is, well, Homer.
02:50Which means he isn't exactly respectful of Japanese culture.
02:54Or certain Pocket Monster-related controversies.
03:00All together, it was enough to give 30 Minutes Over Tokyo the quick ban-hammer in its namesake
03:06capital.
03:07What's more, the very inclusion of Japanese culture got it rejected from South Korea too.
03:12It's almost funny that when The Simpsons go out of the country, their show can't
03:18follow.
03:23Number 7.
03:24Weekend at Bernsie's Where there's smoke, there's fire.
03:28Or in this case, medical marijuana.
03:39While it's not too surprising to learn that The Simpsons has tackled substance use, it's
03:44not something you see on most primetime network shows.
03:48Still, the original US airing didn't kick up any dust.
04:05Or at least, no more than usual.
04:07Its debut in the United Kingdom, though?
04:09That's a different story.
04:11Due to the intense and heavy-handed use of controlled substances, the episode joined
04:15an elite group of Simpsons installments that are banned from airing before 9pm.
04:20Hey, at least people can still see it at all.
04:29Number 6.
04:31Goo Goo Guy Pan When Disney Plus launched in Hong Kong in
04:352021, The Simpsons came with it… well, mostly.
04:53Eagle-eyed viewers noticed that Goo Goo Guy Pan was casually skipped over in listings
04:58from the 16th season.
05:00It doesn't take Lisa's brains to figure out why.
05:03In the episodes, The Simpsons, Selma, and her newly adopted daughter pass through Tiananmen
05:08Square and even confront a tank.
05:16It's a blunt reference with Little Grey Area, and as you can imagine, it didn't sit well
05:21with certain audiences.
05:23Let's just say neither Hong Kong or China overall will be seeing Goo Goo Guy Pan on
05:27Disney Plus anytime soon.
05:39Number 5.
05:41Blame It On Lisa Another family road trip abroad, another place
05:45The Simpsons didn't air.
05:48This time, it's Rio de Janeiro.
05:59Or rather, a version of it.
06:01In the world of The Simpsons, it's a crime-ridden slum full of thick Spanish accents, oversized
06:07mustaches, and culturally appropriated dances.
06:11It's not exactly a glowing endorsement.
06:14In fact, Rio's tourism board was so upset, they considered legal action against the show.
06:28The episode got yanked off airwaves soon after its debut, and while it returned once the
06:33controversy cooled off, it's saying something that The Simpsons almost ended up in courts.
06:39Suffice it to say, the show has been much more careful with its depiction of Brazil
06:44ever since.
06:53Number 4.
06:55Stark Raving Dad Get ready, this one's a real thriller.
06:59For almost 20 years, Stark Raving Dad was just another mildly scandalous episode of
07:05The Simpsons.
07:10But if you didn't catch it then, you might be out of luck.
07:13The story doesn't sound so bad at first.
07:16Homer's sent to a mental institution and has to prove he's sane.
07:20The catch?
07:21His roommate is someone claiming to be Michael Jackson, voiced by the musician himself.
07:38In 2019, the documentary Leaving Neverland reignited conversation about the very serious
07:44allegations against the pop star.
07:46In the face of growing backlash, The Simpsons had no choice but to scrub Stark Raving Dad
07:52from all reruns and streaming sites.
08:02Number 3.
08:03Cape Fear One of the very best episodes of The Simpsons
08:07is also one of its darkest.
08:25But it's not the violence or peril that got it banished from Germany, though it probably
08:30didn't help.
08:31No, the real kicker comes when the announcer for a late night show appears wearing Nazi
08:36memorabilia.
08:37Germany has strict laws forbidding superfluous use of Nazi imagery.
08:41And that kept Cape Fear from native viewers for years.
08:55The episode did eventually make its way to German TVs, but only after undergoing clever
09:00editing to hide the offending attire.
09:02Now everyone can enjoy Cape Fear in all its hilarious, unhinged glory.
09:14Number 2.
09:15The Cartridge Family If there's anyone in the entirety of animation
09:20that doesn't deserve a firearm, it's Homer Simpson.
09:35So naturally, that's exactly what happens in The Cartridge Family.
09:39He even joins a gun club too, and it goes about as well as you'd expect.
09:44The flippant portrayal of firearm safety is the whole point.
10:02But that didn't make it an easier pill to swallow overseas.
10:06Definitely not in the United Kingdom.
10:08There, certain channels vetoed The Cartridge Family altogether, citing its over-the-top
10:12depiction of gun ownership.
10:14It took a few small revisions, but the episode has since been let out of the vault worldwide.
10:27And so, we probably shouldn't let Homer around any more guns.
10:46Number 1.
10:48The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson The Simpsons Explore Manhattan is a fantastic
10:54pitch for an episode.
11:07But sadly, this one is remembered for something that has nothing to do with its quality.
11:12In response to the horrific events of 9-11, Fox decided to remove The Simpsons Manhattan
11:17adventures from all syndication.
11:29It took five whole years for the New York-based episode to see the light of day again, and
11:33even then, sections had to be re-edited or omitted entirely.
11:38The original cut of the episode is still out there, but the family's callous jokes about
11:42New York strike a very different chord now than when they aired in 1997.
11:53Which of these banned Simpsons episodes do you most want to see?
11:56Let us know in the comments below!
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