"The Simpsons" Banned in Venezuela - The animated sitcom was deemed "unsuitable for children" and pulled off the air by president Hugo Chavez
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".
Reminds me of when our TV tried to remove the annual Disney christmas special, only they were just about lynched by the viewers.
I thought Roman candles meant they were imported. - Kelly Bundy
12 yards long, two lanes wide it's 65 tons of American pride, Canyonero! - Simpsons
Support the KKK environmental program - keep the Arctic white!
Darth Wong wrote:Ummm, they're saying Chavez banned The Simpsons for being left-wing? Isn't he himself very left-wing?
Yes. That is a pretty retarded editorial, in fact.
Well, assuming this is true, then it just goes further towards proving the assertion of some that Chavez is not some ruthless evil dictator, but is simply going batshit.
Nieztchean Uber-Amoeba wrote:Well, assuming this is true, then it just goes further towards proving the assertion of some that Chavez is not some ruthless evil dictator, but is simply going batshit.
Folks think he's a dictator?
I thought he was elected, even if he pretty well bought the vote...
BBC wrote:Venezuela TV standards officials have rules against programmes with "messages that go against the whole education of boys, girls and adolescents".
So this is not "Chavez saw Simpsons, banned them from TV, DICTATOR UNAMERICAN PIG" which the idiotic title suggests.
Instead it's "Venezuela's TV management does stupid thing", apparently on compaints from Venezuela's conservative citizens who dont' get the rude humour in Simpsons.
Or you are saying that Chavez personally was behind the decision to remove Simpsons from the morning slot? Is he even fucking aware of that? Televen removes Simpsons from morning slot, and suddenly it's "Chavez" personally plotting this evil demise. But of course it's Hugo's personal will to remove Simpsons, not some TV boss jackasses acting on the "protest" of other jackasses against Simpsons.
In the words of Homer, "doh". Post correct titles, not this "rraaaah Chavez bans Simpsons". And don't link to softpedia when there's the BBC.
Lì ci sono chiese, macerie, moschee e questure, lì frontiere, prezzi inaccessibile e freddure
Lì paludi, minacce, cecchini coi fucili, documenti, file notturne e clandestini
Qui incontri, lotte, passi sincronizzati, colori, capannelli non autorizzati,
Uccelli migratori, reti, informazioni, piazze di Tutti i like pazze di passioni...
...La tranquillità è importante ma la libertà è tutto!
Nieztchean Uber-Amoeba wrote:Well, assuming this is true, then it just goes further towards proving the assertion of some that Chavez is not some ruthless evil dictator, but is simply going batshit.
Folks think he's a dictator?
I thought he was elected, even if he pretty well bought the vote...
He's a "dictator" in the same sense that George W. Bush is. He came to power on a wave of populist support by playing to prejudice and ignorance, and then he attempted to expand the power of his office.
"It's not evil for God to do it. Or for someone to do it at God's command."- Jonathan Boyd on baby-killing
"you guys are fascinated with the use of those "rules of logic" to the extent that you don't really want to discussus anything."- GC
"I do not believe Russian Roulette is a stupid act" - Embracer of Darkness
"Viagra commercials appear to save lives" - tharkûn on US health care.
Darth Wong wrote:He's a "dictator" in the same sense that George W. Bush is. He came to power on a wave of populist support by playing to prejudice and ignorance, and then he attempted to expand the power of his office.
Until fairly recently, I would have said that the difference between the two was that Hugo Chavez has had more success in expanding his powers. But as we roll into the final month's of Shrubby's Big Adventure in Washington, I think that Bush will have not only gotten away with more, but he will have done so with most Americans barely seeming to notice. Sure, he hasn't declared himself President for Life (yet) but he has spent the last seven years raping the constitution he swore to uphold with no consequences. Hugo Chavez can't look out his window without someone in the US or elsewhere pouncing on him for nefarious intentions. I'm beginning to think that Dick Cheney could eat a baby in Times Square and most Americans wouldn't take notice.
Post 666: Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2005 12:51 am
Post 777: Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 6:49 pm
Post 999: Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 11:19 am
He's a "dictator" in the same sense that George W. Bush is. He came to power on a wave of populist support by playing to prejudice and ignorance, and then he attempted to expand the power of his office.
Well, except Bush will be gone this time next year.
The End of Suburbia
"If more cars are inevitable, must there not be roads for them to run on?"
-Robert Moses
"The Wire" is the best show in the history of television. Watch it today.
Unless, for the first time in US history, a *ahem* 'special emergency' arises which provides an excuse to do otherwise.
I know that's incredibly far-out and far-fetched, but when it comes to the specific gang occupying the White House right now, it's not quite far-out enough for me to brush it off completely.
I find myself endlessly fascinated by your career - Stark, in a fit of Nerd-Validation, November 3, 2011
Hugo Chavez has had more success in expanding his powers.
Isn't the difference also that Hugo acted with legal measures; including a referendum where his expansion of power was not upheld; and he didn't forge it, but Bush did use plenty of stuff the legality of which is now being found out (which are, from the stuff I've seen here, illegal per US laws)
Lì ci sono chiese, macerie, moschee e questure, lì frontiere, prezzi inaccessibile e freddure
Lì paludi, minacce, cecchini coi fucili, documenti, file notturne e clandestini
Qui incontri, lotte, passi sincronizzati, colori, capannelli non autorizzati,
Uccelli migratori, reti, informazioni, piazze di Tutti i like pazze di passioni...
...La tranquillità è importante ma la libertà è tutto!
Kanastrous wrote:Unless, for the first time in US history, a *ahem* 'special emergency' arises which provides an excuse to do otherwise.
I know that's incredibly far-out and far-fetched, but when it comes to the specific gang occupying the White House right now, it's not quite far-out enough for me to brush it off completely.
We've had elections through a world war and a civil war. Though I do admit the incumbent won in both cases. Still, there wasn't a two-term limit back then. I don't think anything short of nuclear war is going to keep Bush in power. And even then it's questionable.
Vendetta wrote:Richard Gatling was a pioneer in US national healthcare. On discovering that most soldiers during the American Civil War were dying of disease rather than gunshots, he turned his mind to, rather than providing better sanitary conditions and medical care for troops, creating a machine to make sure they got shot faster.
I believe I've said it before, but Bush's chance to become Caesar has come and gone. If you were talking about this in 2002, you might have had an argument. Today, any declaration of empire would see him run out of Washington on a pole. There wouldn't even be fighting.
Hugo Chavez has had more success in expanding his powers.
Isn't the difference also that Hugo acted with legal measures; including a referendum where his expansion of power was not upheld; and he didn't forge it, but Bush did use plenty of stuff the legality of which is now being found out (which are, from the stuff I've seen here, illegal per US laws)
That's largely what I was getting at, though I will admit that I have not followed Chavez's political maneuvers very closely. I just find it interesting that Chavez is so cloesly scrutinized for legal (if dubious) expansion of power, while Chimpo and Co. have literaly done whatever the fuck they please without anyone around here, you know, doing anything about it. I'll admit I share the blame, but beyond writing my Senators to make the case for legal action (which I have), I don't know what I can do.
Post 666: Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2005 12:51 am
Post 777: Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 6:49 pm
Post 999: Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 11:19 am
I'm pretty sure most SD Net guys in the US do write their Senators about, well, the need to do something about the massive fuckups that are connected with the Bush Admin. However, I do fail to see any discernable effect.
Lì ci sono chiese, macerie, moschee e questure, lì frontiere, prezzi inaccessibile e freddure
Lì paludi, minacce, cecchini coi fucili, documenti, file notturne e clandestini
Qui incontri, lotte, passi sincronizzati, colori, capannelli non autorizzati,
Uccelli migratori, reti, informazioni, piazze di Tutti i like pazze di passioni...
...La tranquillità è importante ma la libertà è tutto!
Darth Raptor wrote:I believe I've said it before, but Bush's chance to become Caesar has come and gone. If you were talking about this in 2002, you might have had an argument. Today, any declaration of empire would see him run out of Washington on a pole. There wouldn't even be fighting.
Unless there's another terrorist attack inside the US. Particularly if it does huge damage.
"It's not evil for God to do it. Or for someone to do it at God's command."- Jonathan Boyd on baby-killing
"you guys are fascinated with the use of those "rules of logic" to the extent that you don't really want to discussus anything."- GC
"I do not believe Russian Roulette is a stupid act" - Embracer of Darkness
"Viagra commercials appear to save lives" - tharkûn on US health care.
Is he even fucking aware of that? Televen removes Simpsons from morning slot, and suddenly it's "Chavez" personally plotting this evil demise. But of course it's Hugo's personal will to remove Simpsons, not some TV boss jackasses acting on the "protest" of other jackasses against Simpsons.
