10 Disturbing Simpsons Scenes Because of What We Know Now

10 Disturbing Simpsons Scenes Because of What We Know Now

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at moments from “The Simpsons” that have lost their lightheartedness due to dark events that came after the episodes’ initial airing.

“It's Hell Being Mel”

“Beyond Blunderdome”

In 1999, Mel Gibson’s many fans thought his biggest worry was balancing commercial appeal with credibility as an actor-filmmaker. He plays into that myth by hiring Homer Simpson as a creative consultant after tiring of sycophants. When complaining about how people love him too much to offer constructive criticism, Gibson cleverly quips, [“It’s hell being Mel.”] The irony of that was lost after recordings of bigoted rants went public in 2006 and 2010. Additional scandals surrounding Gibson’s alcohol use disorder, mental health and personal views effectively destroyed his mainstream career. He has since achieved some resurgence on sobriety and critically acclaimed performances. But as he’s still such a controversial figure, it’s not even funny to think he was once above criticism.

The New Orleans Song

“A Streetcare Named Marge”

“Oh! Streetcar!”, a fictional musical adaptation of Tennessee Williams’s “A Streetcar Named Desire,” opens with a number that skewers New Orleans as an immoral cesspool. “A Streetcar Named Marge” may have won rave reviews in 1992, but headlines in 2005 read differently. The UK's Channel 4 thoughtlessly reran the episode less than a month after Hurricane Katrina. The public was in no mood to hear the devastated NOLA cheekily described as [“crummy, lousy, rancid and rank.”] Channel 4 quickly issued an apology, then promised to update their censorship guidelines to better account for timing of broadcasts. Still, the incident permanently associates the mean-spirited musical number with a legitimate insult to a rich community.

Another Vietnam

“The Day the Violence Died”

Haven’t all generations of Americans grown up with “Schoolhouse Rock!” since its debut in the ‘70s? Well, when an incensed Bart and Lisa watch their own version in ‘96, the latter claims the show is only geared for Generation X. Bart declares, [“We need another Vietnam to thin out their ranks a little.”] Alas, thousands of GenXers and later American generations would be killed in the Global War on Terror following its declaration in 2001. Controversy over the U.S. government’s motivations and recruitment methods sadly echoed discourse surrounding the Vietnam War. Bart’s shocking offhand remark may have never been meant to be very funny. But looking back through so much loss of life, the prediction is just horrifying.

Homer Gets Cancelled

“Homer Badman”

“The Simpsons” went viral for anticipating the #MeToo movement, but consider the tone and scenario of 1994’s “Homer Badman.” It all begins when Homer drives babysitter Ashley home and plucks a gummy candy stuck to her jeans. Her accusations of sexual assault soon become a national story. Some feel that this proto-representation of Cancel Culture overlooks a more common crisis than someone being destroyed by such false allegations. Certainly, that’s too much of a tragedy to take lightly. But at no point does this empathize with Ashley or the countless women who found nothing silly in a seething man reaching where he shouldn’t. The mainstream recognition of this age-old image now makes “Homer Badman” feel like an unsettling missed opportunity to explore victimhood more complexly.

Cosby’s First Rule

“Saturdays of Thunder”

Comedian and sitcom star Bill Cosby wrote the book on proper parenting, albeit through a ghostwriter. In 1991, it was considered amusingly shocking for Homer Simpson to open the real book “Fatherhood” to a fictional entry titled [“Cosby’s First Law of Intergenerational Perversity.”] Twenty-seven years later, the man once known as “America’s Dad” was convicted of sexual assault amid revelations that he was a serial predator. This massive scandal permanently blemished his career, to say nothing of the wacky recurring spoofs on “The Simpsons.” As for the moral authority fans once sought in Cosby’s book, they could never find the word “Perversity,” but that cheeky liberty was sadly truer than anyone realized.

Going Postal

“Sunday, Cruddy Sunday”

A series of violent sprees involving U.S. postal workers turned “going postal” into a popular term. “The Simpsons” was already rather glib for addressing this during a school trip to the post office, where the tour guide assures the children that the USPS is a safe workplace. That comfort no longer holds up when Principal Skinner remarks, [“I’m just glad I work at an elementary school.”] This episode aired not four months before the Columbine High School massacre. Since then, the U.S. has gradually seen an escalation in mass shooting incidents, even at elementary schools. The term “going postal” has indeed been retired, but for a terrible trend that Skinner eerily foreshadowed.

“John Jay Smith”

“Stark Raving Dad”

We always figured the psychiatric patient who serenaded Lisa for her birthday, thinking he was Michael Jackson, was indeed voiced by Michael Jackson. The credits alias “John Jay Smith” didn’t fool anyone. But the fanfare in Matt Groening’s formal confirmation in 2018 was soon hushed by the HBO documentary “Leaving Neverland.” “The Simpsons” responded to revived debates about the late King of Pop’s history of sex crimes by pulling his episode from syndication and streaming. Showrunner Al Jean even suspected Jackson of using the beloved cartoon to groom victims. Since this decision, however, conclusive evidence of sexual improprieties remains elusive. If you are able to revisit the once-wholesome “Stark Raving Dad,” it’s still hard to not see it as a reminder of horrible allegations.

Phil Hartman’s Credit

“All Singing, All Dancing”

The clipshow episode “All Singing, All Dancing” already overcorrects the wholesomeness of musicals with a frame story about Snake holding the Simpsons hostage. When the closing credits roll, the score is cut off by gunshots, as the criminal is fed up with music. The shocking gag stops being amusing when you notice that the shots coincide with Phil Hartman’s guest star credit. The beloved comedian voiced Lionel Hutz, Troy McClure and others before he was murdered by his wife in 1998. She shot him not six months after “All Singing, All Dancing” first aired. The circumstances of Hartman’s death have since haunted his hilarious work on “The Simpsons,” but the unfortunate coincidence in that credits gag is enough to leave viewers in silence.

Gunter and Ernst

“$pringfield (or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)”

Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn’s big cat magic show was a staple of Las Vegas live entertainment. It was also controversial for endangering the performers, the audience and the cats. There’s definitely nothing ethical about how the fictional duo Gunter and Ernst capture a white tiger for their act at Monty Burns’ Casino. It was a cathartic riot in ‘93 when the beast turned on her captors. But it was a scandal when, 10 years later, Roy was nearly killed by the white tiger Mantacore during a performance. He was disfigured by the attack, and Siegfried & Roy never performed again. This tragedy hangs over their classic shows, to say nothing of Gunter and Ernst’s satirical tragedy.

One World Trade Plaza

“The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson”

Homer begrudgingly visits New York City after Barney leaves his car there during a bender. He ends up spending most of this 1997 episode waiting for a parking officer at One World Trade Plaza, an alias for Austin J. Tobin Plaza, between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. Four years later, this entire site was destroyed in the most infamous terrorist attack of the 21st century. The brash antics and rivalries between the New Yorkers Homer encounters are particularly uncomfortable for the tragedy that united a community through trauma. “The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson” is still considered a favorite episode among “Simpsons” fans. Of course, you never know how real-world events can affect the classics.

What are some other iconic TV scenes that were spoiled by harsh reality? Let us know in the comments.