TV show 'The Simpsons' ditches using white voices for characters of color

[rooster59]

TV show 'The Simpsons' ditches using white voices for characters of color

 

Hank Azaria, of Fox's "The Simpsons," arrives at the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S., September 18, 2016. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/Files

 

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Animated TV comedy "The Simpsons" is ending the use of white actors to voice characters of color, producers said on Friday.

 

"Moving forward, 'The Simpsons' will no longer have white actors voice non-white characters," they said in a brief statement.

 

The statement did not elaborate but the move follows years of public pressure about the Fox television show's Indian convenience store character Apu, who is voiced by Hank Azaria.

 

Azaria said earlier this year that he would no longer play the character, which has been criticized as a negative portrayal of Indian-Americans.

 

Azaria has also voiced the Simpsons characters of Black police officer Lou and the Mexican-American Bumblebee Man. Harry Shearer has played Dr. Hibbert, who is Black.

 

Friday's statement did not say whether Apu or the other characters would remain on the series.

 

Bumbling Homer Simpson, housewife Marge, troublemaker Bart, prodigy Lisa and baby Maggie, have captured the changing face of America for more than 30 years in the longest-running scripted show on U.S. television.

 

"The Simpsons" is syndicated in more than 100 countries.

 

Friday's announcement comes amidst a widespread reckoning for U.S. pop culture about racism following mass protests this month over the killings of Black Americans by police.

 

Other white actors, including Mike Henry of animated series "Family Guy" and Kristen Bell of "Central Park," have also said they will no longer voice characters of color.

 

"It's been an honor to play Cleveland on 'Family Guy' for 20 years. I love this character, but persons of color should play characters of color. Therefore, I will be stepping down from the role," Henry said on Twitter on Friday.

 

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Sandra Maler)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-06-27

 

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[worgeordie]

Where is it going to end...They will be taking the licorice bits out of liquorice allsorts next.

regards worgeordie

[Pilotman]

Just now, worgeordie said:

Where is it going to end...They will be taking the licorice bits out of liquorice allsorts next.

regards worgeordie

I doubt that this stupidly will ever end. 

[samsensam]

4 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

Where is it going to end...They will be taking the licorice bits out of liquorice allsorts next.

regards worgeordie

 

yup, some people are on a mission to find a reason to be offended

[Dumbastheycome]

Ok. So will adults need  be replaced  by children  for cartoon  children's voice overs? Gender  specific? Ops!  No ! Would  discriminate in  consideration of unassigned  gender children?

The concept  of "positive  discrimination" does  not remove discrimination !

I support the elimination of discrimination but the polarization of  attitudes and response so far is not going  anywhere  to  end it and unlikely ever will while humanity chooses  to perpetuate a strange rejection of it's  own diversity.

History of race as we have been told about  provides repetitive examples  of the insignificance of it in moments of  domination. Rise and fall.

 

 

[bendejo]

Well, James Earl Jones (who is black) has been the voice of Darth Vader since the first Star Wars movie in 1977 (now called Star Wars IV).  In 2005 with the release of Star Wars III we learn that Vader was white (when he had skin).  This racism and social abomination must be remedied!

There is also a Simpsons episode where Maggie (the baby) speaks, with JEJ's voice.  No recourse but to recall and destroy every movie he's been in, Kevin Spacey style.

 

 

[bodga]

pathetic

[bodga]

6 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Where is it going to end...They will be taking the licorice bits out of liquorice allsorts next.

regards worgeordie

Zebra  crossings  will be all  black which may cause a  few  deaths????

[geriatrickid]

Double standard: Family Guy was blocked from any jokes about Mohammed and Muslims, then the Simpsons were harassed on the character voices.

Meanwhile; The Simpsons continued to ridicule Christians (Ned Flanders, Reverend Lovejoy) and the 

Family Guy still ridiculed Jews and Christians, including keeping the stereotypical portrayal of pharmacist Mort Goldman, who's is voiced by New York comedian Johnny Brennan, a nice boy of Irish American extraction.

 

[Stadtler]

Someone please tell Stadtler that South Park will never give in to this nonsense.

[faraday]

1 hour ago, bodga said:

Zebra  crossings  will be all  black which may cause a  few  deaths????

A racist comment if I ever read one!

 

They should be painted grey.

 

Now, go to your room & get down on one knee!!

 

????

 

Jokes aside, this is all daft; but no doubt some leftie university 'professor' -who contributes nothing of worth to society, is delighted.

 

 

[simon43]

I mentioned this news report in the Dixie thread yesterday - come on The Nation, please try to keep up!!

 

I said:

 

And here's another mad decision that panders to BLM snowflakes:

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-53201667

 

"Simpsons ends use of white actors to voice people of colour"

 

There's no mention whether they will also ban any black/Asian/POC etc person from doing voiceovers for Caucasians.  Of course not, 'cos that would be RACIST, wouldn't it?  [/sarcasm]

 

My opinion -  "Us blacks will only use us blacks for anything to do with us blacks, and you whites are not allowed to do anything that could tenuously be linked to us blacks".

 

It's apartheid by another name.

[ezzra]

Maybe it's just me but for the life of me i can't see where this regurgitation of PC anger old issues and going to make any different to black people anywhere, it hasn't done so in the past and it will not in the future, the biggest problems with african american people hurt feeling in themselves, not in any other places... 

[englishoak]

Simpsons was dead a decade ago, nothing about it now resembles the quality of the original few series.

[thaiflyer1]

More madness

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/27/business/loreal-removes-word-whitening-fair-skincare-products/index.html

[thaiflyer1]

33 minutes ago, thaiflyer1 said:

More madness

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/27/business/loreal-removes-word-whitening-fair-skincare-products/index.html

Apologies just noticed this is the entertainment forum............the thread just appeared as a popup when i first replied

[mr mr]

great so that means no more madagascar or ice age sequels. <deleted> loved those movies ! 

 

[Yinn]

500,000 ++ dead. 

New infectons the week USA 280,000++

world economy terrible. Millions people business is broken, 100x millions lose the job

 

USA people (and more)  fighting each other about

1) statues, same kid fight about dolls. Immaturity 

2 lefty and far right. Immaturity 

3) cartoon character. Immaturity 

 

Many countrys control covid already. If everycountry do same, can start to work/live/economy up again. 

 

But covid is world problem.

 

But selfish want fight about statues, left or right and cartoon. 

 

Unbelievable stupid. The cartoon show 30 years already, the statues many years already. 

But want to fight this NOW. 

Why not before. Why NOW?

 

I want life back, i angry this selfish idiots. Really.

[EVENKEEL]

John Wayne just made the hit list, must rename airport in LA. John Wayne apparently was an awful man.

[OJAS]

10 hours ago, Dumbastheycome said:

The concept  of "positive  discrimination" does  not remove discrimination !

The term "positive discrimination" is IMHO the greatest oxymoron of all time.

[mtls2005]

11 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Where is it going to end...

 

Not soon enough?

 

You do realize that it is The Simpsons producers who have made this decision?

 

Producers are cheap, on The Simpsons six actors provide upwards of 200 voices.

 

Hank Azaria is BRILLIANT with voices, and impressions. Brockmire was AWESOME.

 

 

In other news, Bart Simpson voiced by a WOMAN (Nancy Cartright).

 

 

 

 

 

[Grumpy one]

So with all this madness I guess its good bye to Love Thy Neighbour and Till Death Us Do Part

Such a shame 

[Denim]

In the end , all this over reaction catering to the precious egos of a bunch of snowflake ' black lives '

is bound to impact negatively for the black community as a whole. All this kowtowing , knee bending , fist clenching nonsense is divisive and rather than lead to greater equality will just end up in black people getting more marginalized.  People will be frightened to employ them or give them a break for fear of walking into a quagmire of political correctness. 

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

3 hours ago, englishoak said:

Simpsons was dead a decade ago, nothing about it now resembles the quality of the original few series.

Indeed, long since been beating a dead horse.

 

It seems like yesterday I was at a buddy's house, and we were rolling on the floor laughing when a zombified Krusty The Clown went on his show begging the children to "Send me your parents' braaaaains", for the Halloween special. Hard to believe that was now nearly 30 years ago. The last episode I remember watching a few years back, had something to do with Lisa and the Internet. Very dry delivery that barely elicits a chuckle. That same level of humor from the past just isn't there anymore.

 

Well, the only good I can see coming out of changing the voices now, is that the new voices will suck, and they'll be what finally puts this horse to rest.

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

9 minutes ago, Denim said:

All this kowtowing , knee bending , fist clenching nonsense is divisive and rather than lead to greater equality will just end up in black people getting more marginalized.

I can't see all those rioting and taking the opportunity to loot doing it because of their financial stability and well paid positions. Not saying I condone it, but I certainly feel their frustration. I've been there through crappy jobs, living paycheck and paycheck, and periods of unemployment, filling out piles of applications and getting no responses.

 

So SURELY, all these companies now "standing with Black Lives Matter" with their slick new ad campaigns and social media posts, will be handing out JOBS to all these people who desperately need it. Right? Hah.

 

Yes, there's certainly SOME people ready with the "they run at the sight of job applications" jokes, but I'm sure they're quite aware that's not the case. They do submit the apps and resumes, which wind up in the trash, at the sight of certain names. I'd really like to hear what the companies "standing with Black Lives Matter" are doing about that.

[mtls2005]

On the plus side...two of my FAVORITE shows:

 

Lana Kane voiced by the AMAZING Ayisha Tyler,

 

And Mr. Goldenfold voiced by Brandon Johnson.

 

Not so hard to do.

 

Amazing how triggered some folks are these days by simple progress.

 

 

Personally, when it comes to Matt Groening creations I always like Futurama better than The Simpsons.

[thequietman]

Just out of curiosity, let's say there is a French cartoon character.

Now, French people are both black and white, so does a mixed race actor have to do the voice then?

 

Absolutely ridiculous, the lot of it. ????

[Meat Pie 47]

1 hour ago, Grumpy one said:

So with all this madness I guess its good bye to Love Thy Neighbour and Till Death Us Do Part

Such a shame 

Yeah call me racist as well I watched last night the movie "Single white female"

and I better stay away from "My fair lady"

[Pravda]

7 hours ago, bendejo said:

Well, James Earl Jones (who is black) has been the voice of Darth Vader since the first Star Wars movie in 1977 (now called Star Wars IV).  In 2005 with the release of Star Wars III we learn that Vader was white (when he had skin).  This racism and social abomination must be remedied!

There is also a Simpsons episode where Maggie (the baby) speaks, with JEJ's voice.  No recourse but to recall and destroy every movie he's been in, Kevin Spacey style.

 

 

 

Don't worry. I heard George Lucas is already working on special edition and searching the galaxy for the green actor to play Greedo. 

[welovesundaysatspace]

It will be very difficult to live on with my life knowing that the cartoon character that I last watched 20 years ago is not spoken by the person that I didn’t even know 20 years ago anymore.