Fox Censor Practically Quit 'The Simpsons' From Airing Gay Episode

Fox Censor Practically Quit 'The Simpsons' From Airing Gay Episode

The Emmy-winning traditional \"Homer's Fear\" was as soon as considered \"inappropriate\" for television.

An acclaimed episode of The Simpsons was practically never ever aired as a result of its gay content.

In the 1997 episode, the protagonist of the long-running animated Fox series, Homer, is forced to confront his own homophobia after he discovers a male he befriended (a fun-loving proprietor of a vintages store articulated by out filmmaker John Waters), is gay. After fearing his son, Bart, could turn gay-- a panic that results in a funny see to a homoerotic steel mill-- Homer at some point conquers his biases and embraces John.

Aptly titled \"Homer's Fear,\" the episode would take place to win an Emmy Honor and also a GLAAD Media Honor. Yet the modern storyline was initial met criticism. In a meeting with The Ringer, the showrunners at the time, Bill Oakley and also Josh Weinstein, disclosed the unpredecented pushback they received from a censor at Fox Broadcasting.

Prior to \"Homer's Phobia,\" most scripts submitted for network approval by The Simpsons writers' area received very little notes-- an instance in the article is a request to substitute a less vulgar word for words \"butt.\" Yet in this instance, Oakley recalled, \"every single point in the episode that involved being gay or the word 'gay'\" gotten notes-- loads of critiques that filled up 3 pages.

The comments finished with an ominous line: \"The entire subject and content of this episode is undesirable for air.\"

Oakley and Weinstein took a threat. Neglecting this caution, they went on with production of the episode. \" Over the following 10 months, we just kept our fingers went across,\" Oakley stated.

The wager paid off. The guys think a brand-new censor was brought on in 1996, after the network's president, John Matoian, left for HBO. When the computer animation was submitted for authorization, the episode was deemed \"acceptable for broadcast.\"

Check out the full story of how Seas was brought on as well as the episode was made at The Ringer, which includes lots of words of wisdom from the Pink Flamingos supervisor.

\" I've always stated the only method to alter anybody's opinion is to make him laugh initially,\" Waters said. \"It still is.\"