Producers behind the animated sitcom The Simpsons announced today that white actors will no longer voice non-white characters.
The Simpsons is currently the longest-running primetime scripted show on TV and aired the season finale for season 31 last month.
Created by Matt Groening, The Simpsons debuted in 1989 and shows the day-to-day stories of Homer Simpson and his family: wife Marge and children Bart, Lisa, and Maggie.
Most of these humorous tales happen in the imaginary town of Springfield. The Simpsons is well-known for its comments on pop culture, American society, and politics, as well as a handful of controversies.
Officially Done With Whitewashing
Per Variety, The Simpsons producers issued a statement today confirming the end of whitewashing on their show. “Moving forward, The Simpsons will no longer have white actors voice non-white characters,” affirmed the producers.
The statement came out around the same time actor Mike Henry posted on social media that he was stepping down from voicing a Black character on Fox’s Family Guy called Cleveland Brown.
The decision makes a lot of sense, especially considering the flurry of casting changes in the world of animated shows this week. It also seems like the logical next step for The Simpsons, following Azaria’s announcement about Apu.
The show has a number of characters this choice could affect, including Officer Lou, Carl, Dr. Hibbert, Judge Snyder, Drederick Tatum, Bernice Hibbert, and Janey. It’s hard to know if these characters will be temporarily sidelined, or if new voice actors will be found immediately. The Simpsons will be far from the only show dealing with these changes.
So, what do you all think about this guys?