In an episode of the Simpsons, the family visits New York and Homer goes to the World Trade Center. Someone in Tower Two says something along the lines of “They put all the jerks in Tower One.”
Is it safe to say that this episode will never be aired again?
I’d say probably. Its a shame, thats a funny episode.
OTOH, I saw a repeat of “Pinky and The Brain” once in which The Brain said he had a crush on Princess Di about a year after her death. But that was just a passing remark, as opposed to an episode focused to some extent, on the WTC.
You can be pretty sure that that particular episode of “The Simpsons” will not be aired again in our lifetimes. It would be far too classless even for FOX. FOX has had to pull promos for the show “24” as the first episode involves the bombing of an airplane or something that will hit too close to home.
Another film “Big Trouble” which has a terrorism plot and was supposed to come out on 9/21 has been shelved until next year.
I couldn’t help but think of this episode yesterday. I wonder if it’s possible to edit out those lines. There’s no way we can stop the world from ever seeing the towers again. Every movie that has the New York skyline would have to be shelved.
It is a shame though, because that episode contains the infamous and hilarious “crab juice” sequence.
jarbaby
On my way home from work yesterday I was thinking of this episode as well. I would concur that we will probably never see this episode again. I also agree that its a shame since it was a great episode. If only losing a funny episode of the simpson’s was the all that we lost.
I fail to see what’s so offensive about the episode to keep it from being aired. Will any TV show, movie, book that uses the Twin Towers as a setting have to be shelved? The episode didn’t have anything to do with terrorism or destruction, the barbs are the usual Simpsons stuff… why would we never see it again?
Luckily, I have that episode on tape. It’s Homer at his best. If a cartoon character could win an Emmy, he would’ve won it for his performance in that episode. Bravo.
But you’re right - it WILL be strange to watch it. The WTC towers are like main characters.
A similar situation occurred in the movie “Airplane!” where the passengers were watching the in-flight movie: “Famous Air Disasters” or something to that effect. Anyway, the footage was mostly that of test footage from disaster research but the dissemination between test and real air disasters would have been difficult to make for those who constantly fear flying.
Moreover the similarity to the Government Building in “The X-Files” movie and that of the Oklahoma building. Although the Oklahoma City tragedy altered the release date of the film, it was ultimately released and parallels were made about the buildings but nothing more.
Despite the tragedy we as a nation endure, we are eventually able to separate the real horror of events from their fictitious counterparts. Usually the counterpart is merely coincidence and has nothing to do with the original event.
I think we will see this Simpson episode again because it is a separate issue.
Although far less significant, but following a similar rule of thought, should FOX pull all episodes featuring the late Phil Hartman?
-Waneman
We were discussing yesterday that the World Trade Center is also featured prominently in the Spider-Man movie trailer. I wonder if that stuff will hit the editing room floor now.
I think our local station (showing Simpson’s reruns) showed the gun ownership episode just days after the Columbine thing. Oops. You know, when Homer went to buy a gun from BloodBath and Beyond?
I assume it was unintentional because I can’t believe anyone at the local station has that sort of sense of humor.
I think that episode will be seen again. Remember the episode where they go to The Duff Brewery? In that one, Barney is at the wheel of the car and says “Hey, isn’t that Princess Di? Oh wait, it’s just a pile of rags.” I’ve seen that episode several times since Di’s death, and the joke then takes on a whole new meaning.
Hopefully, we’ll see the episode the way it was written again.
I think if they take out the one line about “they put all
the jerks in tower one,” then they may show it again, after
a suitable period.
And if the WTC is rebuilt, I think the original epsiode
would be fine again.
The Simpsons have pulled episodes before, I suspect the WTC one will be the next.
There is an early Simpsons episode where Mr. Burns pads the plant’s softball team with ringers from Major League Baseball. Daryl Strawberry is prominently featured in this episode, in fact the music over the closing credits is a special, one-time-only interlude with lyrics clearly mentioning “… the Straw”.
Daryl started having serious legal trouble long after that episode was in syndication (I’ve seen it several times and have it on tape), but I haven’t seen it since (and I’m an avid fan of the two-a-day Simpsons episodes on my local Fox affiliate).
I recall the changing of the episode where Homer’s Oscar was shown… Originally, I think the scratched out name was Haing S. Ngor, not Don Ameche as the later-edited episode showed after Ngor’s 1996 murder.
Ah yes… I was right. According to: http://www.snpp.com/guides/departed.html
Dr. Haing S. Ngor passed away on 2.25.96, a murder victim
In [3F10] Team Homer, about a month before his death, a scene showed Homer with Dr. Ngor’s Best Supporting Actor Oscar for The Killing Fields. Homer had crossed out his name, and wrote in Homer Simpson. Dave Kathman says, “Dr. Haing S. Ngor is a real doctor, a refugee from Cambodia.” Dr. Ngor’s life was filled with tragedy. After his death, the Oscar joke was thought to be in poor taste, so instead of cutting the scene in syndication, his name was replaced. [aired 1.7.96]
Usually, when one of the guest cast members dies, they do a still shot of them at the end of the next Sunday episode and do something along the lines of “In Loving Memory…” I wonder if they’ll do something similar (since you do have both towers in frame when Homer looks up from the base where his car is)
Yes, the trailer and film ads have been scrapped and presumably some material will have to be reshot or altered in post-production. This site gives a thorough rundown of everything entertainment-wise that has been cancelled, postponed, or otherwise altered out of deference to yesterday’s tragedy.
Right after Phil Hartman was killed, an episode featured the Snake character and gunfire at the end. As the credits rolled and Phil Hartman’s name was shown, two more shots sounded. This was shown as a new episode within a few days of Phil’s death, and the shots are still there in reruns and syndication.
So I don’t think they’ll pull the episode just because it mentions people in the WTC and shows the buildings.
[distraction from a thread] [sub](speaking of things that will likely be replaced, we need a new euphemism)[/sub]
The Major League ringers episode aired locally (SF Bay Area) not more than a week ago. Though they didn’t play the closing credits (they often don’t … scenes & lines are routinely cut as well, probably to play more commercials)
Worst Editing Ever : In the Flaming Ho/Moe episode, there’s the scene with Homer, “Look at me! I’m so happy, dancing around in my little happy-land …” etc. Leaves the room and shuts the door. And then … they cut to the next scene. (In case you don’t remember, the line cut was Homer re-opening the door and saying, “Oh, by the way, I was being sarcastic!” and I think Marge saying, “Well … duh!”)
[/distraction from a thread]
The Daryl Strawberry episode was created after he had already had legal problems with drug issues. Since his more major troubles have started, I’ve seen the episode several times. FOX has not withdrawn or edited the episode in any way that I can tell. Your local station may have decided to remove it from rotation but it’s not a FOX action.
I’m sure it’s on a fansite somewhere, but aren’t there some famous people who have appeared in Simpsons episodes either voiced by themselves or parodied who have since died? Linda McCartney is the obvious one. Are there others?
My favorite part is where he sees a bus going to Flushing Meadows, and starts day dreaming about dancing around in a field full of toilets.