13-06-2025
Simpsons creator says being 'forbidden' is 'one of best things that happened'
The creator of The Simpsons has revealed how controversy surrounding the show was 'one of the best things' that ever happened to it.
The long-running sitcom boasts a whopping 36 seasons to its name and has been on the air since 1990.
However, from Homer Simpson's lazy approach to his job or Bart causing mischief at school, the series hasn't always been beloved.
Early on in its infancy, the show made headlines as many parents banned their children from watching it.
However, according to its creator Matt Groening, that negativity may actually have helped the show in the long run.
Speaking to Variety , Groening said: 'One of the best things that ever happened in the course of the show was that some people forbade the show.
'It became this exotic, forbidden thing. Bart Simpson Underachiever T-shirts were once controversial and banned in schools. So when we did a Lisa Simpson Overachiever T-shirt, but we got in trouble for that because it said 'Damn I'm Good'.'
Groening went on to add that the show's longevity was helped by its ability to be told through other mediums, such as comics or video games.
The 71–year-old explained: 'It is storytelling. Even merchandise –even a lunch box –we try to tell a little story, include a little joke. We try to avoid what's called in the biz a 'label slap. We actually try to have jokes on everything.'
This comes after the replacement for a long-running Simpsons character was announced last month.
In 1989, Pamela Hayden joined the American animated series, voicing characters including Milhouse Van Houten, Jimbo Jones and Rod Flanders.
But in November 2024, after appearing in more than 700 episodes over 35 years, the 71-year-old revealed she was leaving the show.
'The time has come for me to hang up my microphone, but how do I say goodbye to The Simpsons?……not easily,' she shared in a statement.
Six months on, it's now been revealed who will be replacing Hayden as Milhouse, best known for being Bart Simpson's best friend.
Entertainment Weekly has reported he will now be played by singer Kelly Macleod.
The musician has appeared in The Simpsons before — in 2022 she performed the song Two Badges, One Mind in an episode titled Bart the Cool Kid, which also starred The Weeknd and Michael Rapaport.
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The Simpsons is streaming on Disney Plus.
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