Gun Paranoia on "Simpsons"

[Meiji_man]

So just a few minutes ago I'm watching the Simpsons. I'm running it with the Closed Captioning on, but I'm still listening to it. At one point Bart steals Lisa's bike and pulls out a ring of Key's to open her lock. He goes though the Ring of keys going, "School, Front door, Back Door, Your House." But on the Closed Cap it says "School, gunlock gunlock, Your House."!!!!!

I thought the Gunlock line was funnier but I'm not sure why they cut it. Or did they? Or was it censored? Or have I been hanging around here too long?

 

[AR-10]

Watched it too. don't have closed captioning so I wasn't aware of the discrepancy in the script.

Did get a big kick though when the police officer asked Chief Wiggums if he could hold his gun sideways (ala Birdman) when they were storming that house. Also learned that the local mafia dudes ankle carry as well as using the more conventional carry methods.

Cartoons are so educational.

 

[GSB]

My guess is that somebody chickened out at the last minute, after the orginal dialog already got closed captioned. I have to admit, the caption line is a lot funnier. Sounds like someone at the network said "My Goodness! He's a child talking about evil GUNS! Eeeeek! Someone change it, change it now!!!!!"

 

[USP45]

Gee, we wouldn't want Bart Simpson explaining to America why triggerlocks don't work would we?

 

[dischord]

Actually, there was a Simpsons story-line a few years back in which Homer buys a handgun.

He was an awful, irresponsible, dangerous gun owner -- and at first I thought the story line was going to be hardcore anti gun ownership. You know, Homer Simpson as a poster boy for why the average Joe shouldn't have guns.

Homer joins the NRA and hosts his local NRA group at his home. He displays some of his horrible behavior, and the other members take away his membership card and give him a lecture on safe handling of firearms.

All in all, the show ended up fairly favorable to gun owners and even the NRA.

 

[Tamara]

"Guns aren't toys. They're for self-defense, shooting dangerous or tasty animals and keeping the King of England out of your face" -K.T. Klown

 

[PATH]

dischord,

One should also note that in the end it was Marge Simpson who ended up with the gun! Marge always was the sensible one! DOH!!!

 

[AR15shooter]

Troy Mclure

any of ya ever seen the one where they do Simpson outakes hosted by Troy Mclure, people wanted to know what the scanner said at the beginning when little Maggie got scanned at the cash register. He said that it said on the scanner NRA 4EVER , dont know what goes on over at Fox but they are considerably less anti-gun than most other networks if at all

 

[Mikul]

We need assault weapons to hunt down today's SUPER ANIMALS like the flying squirrel and electric eel.

 

[KSFreeman]

Anyone else wonder why poor Apu isn't armed at the Kwik-E Mart? Maybe the show takes place in Springfield, Illinois or Massachusetts?

The creator is a member of the Old Left and a committed Socialist, but more prone to sarcasm than bomb-throwing.

 

[Ledbetter]

I seem to remember a show where Apu defended himself

at the Quik-E-Mart. Anyone remember this and did he use a gun?

Reegards.

 

[Correia]

Apu has a double barrel. He used it when Springfield rioted. He also used a broom against the Hell's Satans.

And I've never heard anything about Matt Groening being a socialist. Actually I thought it was the opposite.

Keep in mind that the Simpsons is probably one of the only shows on TV that has lots of political commentary against both sides. As it should be, it is satire.

Remember the episode where Clinton tried to pick up on Marge? "There is a shed behind the Whitehouse, I spend most of my time there."

Or when Clinton gave Lisa some advice and she said; "Thats not very good advice." And he responded. "Well I'm not a very good president."

I enjoy the Simpsons.

 

[KSFreeman]

Correia, read the old "Life in Hell" strips that MG made his cult following in. The were definitely socialistic; however, could have been done when he was younger and foolish. (Although I am older, I am still foolish).

 

[MatthewM]

Most cartoons have had political comentary or sexual material either outright or "burried" by the writers. Watch bugs bunny re-runs from when you were a kid & you will see all kinds of political comment.

I think that writers frequently play games to sneak in their personal political views or to see what they can get away with sneaking in sexual material.

Sounds like one of the writers for Simpsons is pro gun and sneaks it in when he can.

 

[hkg3]

MatthewM,

I agree, the writers of the Simpsons do seem pro.

 

[Micro]

My Favorite Show!

As time passes I believe they are becoming more libertarian in general. One of the episodes tonight was the one with the model UN. I really liked the banner on the bus, "Model UN: Order at all costs"! The dove dressed like Rambo also on the banner completed it.

The gun lock comment could have been the line in the script that did not make it past the verbal censors but made it into the CC version.

Another gun episode favorite, "Its not a weapon its a tool, like a butcher knife, a harpoon, or an .... alligator!". Also the assault weapon quote by Lenny "... they are for today's super animals like the electric eel or the flying squirrel".

 

[RadicalRight]

Political Leanings

I do remember right before the election last year in the opening when Bart is writing on the chalkboard it said something like, "I will not use subliminal messaGores".

They talked about that on FoxNews and someone said that the staff that produces the Simpsons does tend to lean toward the left. I assume it's the right wingers that keep the show funny though. The bleeding heart types don't seem to be very humorous ya know?

Later - Radical Right

 

[thumbtack]

I believe that the studio does not produce the Close Captioning. I believe that there is a foundation that was setup for the hearing impaired and this is the company that does the transcribing. If what I am remembering is correct, then I think this was some transcriber’s idea of a joke.

 

[tc556guy]

I just read an article on the closed captioning industry; I didn't realize that they close-caption the shows live...that stuff isn't pre-taped and later broadcast with the show. Evidently someone is somewhere typing away madly as the show goes on. It might have been a typo on the part of the closed-captioner and nothing intentional.
The original article I read was bemoaning the industries inability to find enough qualified captioners.

 

[papercut]

Matt Groening is a socialist, pure and simple.

A sample quote of his: "The best humour has a strong point of view, and I don't have to agree with it. My politics are fairly progressive but I can enjoy right-wing morons who are funny," says Groening. For the uninitiated, "progressive" is a left-wing term for communist.

According to opensecrets.org, he gave Gore $1,000 in the 2000 election.

Having said that, I cannot explain the apparent pro-gun (or at least, not anti-gun) Simpsons' episodes.