Television & Reality Shows

"The Simpsons" Banned in Venezuela

The animated sitcom was deemed "unsuitable for children" and pulled off the air by president Hugo Chavez

By Monica Gaza, Entertainment News Editor

9th of April 2008, 08:54 GMT

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The popular animated sitcom has been banned from Venezuela on account of it being

Ever since its TV debut in 1987, the iconic animated sitcom series "The Simpsons" has gained a cult following and a horde of loyal fans who appreciate its stinging satire and endless string of highly entertaining gags, pop culture references and satirical allusions to the realities of modern-day American life. Despite having achieved international fame, it seems that not everyone can appreciate the humorous, occasionally over-the-top story lines and the combination of subtle and in-your-face uncomfortable truths relayed through the mouths of the main characters. The latest example of anti-Simpson activism comes from Venezuela, where president Hugo Chavez has just banned the TV show and kicked it off the air.

The show has been deemed "unsuitable for children". The TV station that ran the show also added that the sitcom transmitted "messages that go against the whole education of boys, girls and adolescent". Apparently, someone in Venezuela didn't do his homework properly. A one-minute online search would have revealed to anyone with a reasonably open mind that The Simpsons is a satirical show, which often exaggerates the scope and impact of some of the flaws and controversial issues in today's society in order to make them more visible to both children and parents. Which gives rise to the hypothesis that the show was not banned for its social satirical contents, but for bearing what some claimed is a visible left-wing bias. Serves you right, Bart, running through the town naked on your skateboard like that!

The truly funny part however is that the 11am time slot when the sitcom was broadcast has been filled with "Baywatch Hawaii". Yes, because nothing screams "whole education" like watching the Hoff run around the beach in red shorts surrounded by a gag of beautiful, semi-naked models. The Simpsons creators are probably working on an episode featuring Hugo Chavez in animated form as we speak. In any case, as long as the Internet is going strong, there's no way to stop Venezuelans from watching their favorite show, as long as they put their minds to it. However, the world has now gained new insight into the way Venezuela understands the syntagm "freedom of expression".

TAGS:

The Simpsons | Venezuela | Hugo Chavez | ban

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