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Nerdist was started by Chris Hardwick and has grown to be a many headed beast.

Darkest. Simpsons. Opening. EVER.

by on October 11, 2010

The Simpsons has always been self-deprecating and Fox-bashing, but DAYYYYYYYY-UM! Remember the ep where Kent Brockman says that Fox purposely airs programming that will get fined by the FCC so the money can be funneled into the Republican Party? This goes beyond that. I mean, calling out itself and Fox for Korean sweat-shopping? Shredding kittens to stuff Bart dolls? Forcing a unicorn to punch holes in DVDs?* I was thoroughly impressed that it got made and that they were able to slide it past Standards & Practices. According to BBC News, the sequence was created by UK graffiti artist Banksy, whose work I particularly enjoy.

So, for all of you folks who’ve been saying “Maaaan, the Simpsons USED to be subversive! I wish it was like that now.” Well, you got your wish. A LOT.

I, for one, applaud their big yellow balls.

*actually, the unicorn thing made me giggle. i know i’m supposed to be all sad and thought-provoked, but it was a genius gag! i’m a sick asshole, i s’pose…
UPDATE: Fox pulled the youtube clip for copyright infringement, and probably also, “this makes us look like tools” infringement. Here’s another one. Let’s see how long this one survives!

 
73 comments read them below or add one

  2. Was this the real opening from last bight I missed it because I was the amazing race

  4. Yes, this aired in front of last nights episode. Loved the crap out of it, too bad it was tacked to a mediocre episode.

    I would totally buy a dolphin-head adhesive device!

  5. It’s funny because if I don’t laugh I will start to cry about this bitter, horrible world and never, ever stop! Ha ha… ha… ha (*sniff*).

  7. I believe what I said when that aired last night was “…Holy shit.” It’s possibly the grimmest thing I’ve ever seen on television.
    I didn’t realize the Bart dolls were being stuffed with kittens, though. I thought they were Bongo dolls.

  9. I laughed all throughout this sequence. definitely a return to the days when I wasn’t allowed to watch this show and had to sneak to my friends house thrusday nights. I loved it. and i hope Fox is embarrassed and has to address it in some way. I am also dying to see if the morality police at Fox News will have the ball to defend their corporate father.

  10. Don’t feel too bad about laughing at the unicorn bit. I myself laughed at the shredding cats part. In fact, it kind of explains why I always needed to take my Zyrtec before playing with my Bart Simpson doll.

  12. i wonder if anyone else got the whole dolphin thing too? at first i was smiling and then as soon as the sceen changed to the sweat shop i was like ..omg lmao. they did a great job. i loved it

  14. I believe those are Chinese sweatshop workers…i.e. that’s why they have a panda and yeah, who talks about Korean sweatshop workers? You mean the ones that work at Samsung and LG and wear suits?
    Lolz.

  15. The intro is pretty grim, but eventually it gets so audacious that you can’t help but laugh. Nothing wrong with you for doing that. :D

  16. Thanks for putting this up, completely missed the opening listening to one of the Nerdist podcast last night lol. Now this has got me wondering how dark they are going to go for the Tree House of Horror Episode this year? Honestly I thought you were putting up a preview of it, not the one for last night at first, until I read the rest of the post and comments.

  17. Sorry to differ with you Corpus, but in the animation industry Korea is the go-to for cheap animation, not China. Also, the Simpsons outsources to Korea.

    Read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_animation

    I don’t think they were using the panda to geo-tag the piece, just as a sight gag (technically incorrect though it may be).

  18. It was a very dark opening to what was actually a funny episode. Are the simpsons back? Cross your fingers, everybody!

  20. the artist’s name is Banksy not “Bansky”, you idiot! now the mispelled name is a TT on Twitter…

  21. Nitpicking over “geo-tagging” and whether Korea or China are referenced misses the point. Think more gestalt.

    I’m more worried by the fact that the majority of responses to this video are exclamations of surprise that it was allowed to air. We’ve normalized the idea of corporate censorship that much.

  23. Wow… That was very different.

    That opening was actually Lisa Simpson’s idea to show the truth behind her family’s empire. She’s always spoiling it for everyone.

  26. The funniest thing the simpsons has made in the last decade, and they didn’t even write it.

  28. It’s China. Read up on your fashion. Mandarin collars & frog closures. Distinct from Korean clothing. The panda is a geo-tag.

  29. Well now Fox pulled the video. As if to say, “We’re so evil we don’t even want people to see the funny animation we paid for that depicts how evil we are.” Now THAT’S evil.

  33. For now, you can watch it on hulu. It won’t be there forever, but it’s there now. All of it.

  34. I could not believe my EYES when I watched the episode on FOX last night! I thought I had fallen into some weird fever-dream from all our bizarre weather changes in Los Angeles this month–some mutated mold spores causing visions, I thought….
    Thank you, Chris, for reassuring me that I had not lost touch with reality!…?….

  35. It’s great to see the Simpsons, of all shows, working with street graff artisit Banksy. Plus, this show being the oldest running sitcom on television, amazing.

  36. For everyone still asking if it’s Korean or Chinese sweatshops depicted, click on the NY Times link that Sarah and Xerro have provided. Al Jean himself says it’s Korean sweatshops there.

  37. Yeah, j4782! Read up on your “quotes from the executive producer about this specific thing”.

    From Al Jean, “A lot of the show’s animation is produced in South Korea…” And guess what? NO MENTION OF CHINA. Because anyone who works in cartoons (as I have for years) knows that the US outsources to Korea. Our producers were always going to South Korea to oversee the production there.

    Source: http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/11/the-simpsons-explains-its-button-pushing-banksy-opening/

    Clearly, the artists made a Western mistake by putting Chinese imagery in what they meant to be a Korean setting. But I admire your tenacity for getting all Sherlock on the clothing!

  38. Fox isn’t the only one making money off of the Simpsons… as if the creator & producers aren’t multi-multi-millionaires. Waah! Gimme a break.

  39. K i don’t work in animation but I am addicted to Futurama and Simpson commentaries and both go to Korea for animation. and WHY OH WHY are you fucking trolls arguing about where this took place. if that is all you take away from that piece you missed the point. and you watch tv and movies because you like the moving colors in front of you.

  40. I think its amazing and its also amazing how FOX continues to support shows that bash them lol. I guess they have a sense of humor about it ;)

  43. The only way it could be sadder is if they showed Simpsons highlights from the last four years. I like the unicorn bit as well.

  44. it sort of takes the teeth out of it since FOX totally approved it. I have Teen Titans on dvd and in their extras, they talk to the korean animators. it looks like a normal animation studio. still, outsourcing, cheap labor.. the conditions are ok but its still about a bottom line. not exact but it grabs your attention and makes you think about it. art, ya know?

  45. Wow. Thats pretty intense. I remember the old days when the simpsons would run up to the couch and ZOMG! There were already some simpsons there!

    I missed this on tv. Thanks for posting it, I’m glad I got to see. Down with Fox!

  46. The Banksy opening is up on Hulu as a clip, as of about 2 hours ago anyway. (Sorry, non-US folks!)

  47. It was a brilliant opening!

    My first thought on seeing the unicorn was “Oh no-it’s the last unicorn on Earth & they’re using him as a DVD hole-puncher!

  48. Fox isn’t going to stand up much to The Simpsons. Without them, they wouldn’t be a network. Also, I thought it was fairly well known that The Simpsons do not get network notes. The writers and producers have complete creative control. All they could’ve done is refused to air it, which would have clearly bitten them in the ass.

    Also, y’all need to stop slaggin’ on The Simpsons. Not only was the opening good, but the episode was great as well.

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