A recent episode of The Simpsons featuring a joke criticizing the Chinese government has been removed from Disney+ in Hong Kong, according to Variety.
What’s Happening:
- The episode, “One Angry Lisa” (episode 2 of season 34), sees Lisa called up for jury duty and Marge becoming obsessed with her exercise bike.
- While on a virtual bike tour the episode carries images of the Great Wall of China and the exercise instructor says “Behold the wonders of China. Bitcoin mines, forced labor camps where children make smartphones.”
- Local sources confirmed to Variety that the episode is not available in Hong Kong, a “special administrative region” of China that has a degree of policy independence from Beijing.
- The labor camp reference would appear to be criticism of China’s policies in Xinjiang, the large province where the government has been widely criticized by the United Nations, western governments and human rights organizations for a range of measures that are alleged to oppress the Muslim Uighur population. China denies abuse and says its measures are designed to combat domestic terrorism and grow the province’s economy.
- Disney+ previously removed a 2005 episode of The Simpsons that made reference to the famous “Tank Man” of Tiananmen Square.
- Check out Mike’s review of “One Angry Lisa” from October 2022.
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