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'The Simpsons' Exported to Middle East -- Minus Bacon, Beer
Key Aspects of New Arab Version Get Lost in Translation
By JAKE TAPPER and AVERY MILLER
Oct. 18, 2005 After 17 seasons of entertaining U.S. audiences, "The Simpsons" can now be seen on Arab television. While U.S. foreign policy is not always a hit overseas, there is a huge audience for American popular culture.
So the Arab satellite network MBC is bringing the cartoon saga of Springfield to the heart of the Arab world. "The Simpsons" has been exported overseas and is now called "Al Shamshoon."
The new take on the cartoon classic debuted this month, just in time for the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, as first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
With Omar instead of Homer, and Badr substituting for Bart, MBC hopes to win coveted young viewers. After all, 60 percent of the Arab world is 20 years old or younger.
"I think 'The Simpsons' will open new horizons for us to the future by creating a new genre of programming that will appeal to young adults in the Middle East," said Michel Costandi, MBC's director of business development.
But with a show that is so disinctly American, Arab media experts say, it's not enough to just translate the language.
"Translating the show linguistically, as well as culturally, as well as socially so that it appeals to the audience that's watching it here, I think there's a lot of details that one has to pay attention to," said Nadia Rahman, a professor at the Zayed University Media Center in the United Arab Emirates. "How does the mother dress? How does the sister dress?"
So MBC is making some changes as the characters go from American to Arab. They will remove references to things forbidden by the Koran, such as bacon, beer and other references that might be construed as offensive.
Homer Simpson's ubiquitous Duff beer will now be soda in the Arab version of the show.
Hot dogs will become Egyptian beef sausages, and donuts will become popular Arab cookies called "kahk." Moe's Bar has been completely written out of "Al Shamshoon."
With characters who are Jewish (like Krusty the Clown), Hindu (like Kwik-E-Mart owner Apu) and Christian (like the family's pastor, Rev. Lovejoy), Al Jean "The Simpsons" executive producer says those changes mean they aren't "The Simpsons" anymore.
"If he doesn't drink and eat bacon and generally act like a pig which I guess is also against Islam then it's not Homer," Jean said.
Some on the Arab street agree. Many bloggers have also expressed discontent.
"It's different," one Arab viewer told ABC News. "We are a totally different culture, so you can't be talking about the same subject and in the same way."
One thing didn't change, according to Costandi. Omar Shamshoon still says "D'oh!"
Avatar4321 said:I can understand why they are doing this, but then also can't. I mean didnt the simpsons make its debut as a controversial show? What is the point of taking out the controversial part? I mean without beer or bacon, Homer isn't Homer. And without Moe's how will they have exciting episodes where Bart makes phone pranks?
It's offensive because to Muslims, Islam is the only true religion. Everything else is blasphemy.Trigg said:With characters who are Jewish (like Krusty the Clown), Hindu (like Kwik-E-Mart owner Apu) and Christian (like the family's pastor, Rev. Lovejoy), Al Jean "The Simpsons" executive producer says those changes mean they aren't "The Simpsons" anymore.
I'm confused. Does this sentence mean they are pulling these characters out of the show and if so why? How s it offensive to Arabs to have people of other religions on the show, it isn't like they are putting one religion over another??
Hagbard Celine said:It's offensive because to Muslims, Islam is the only true religion. Everything else is blasphemy.
You know, before the Italian Renaissance, Arab nations were the world leaders in mathematical and scientific innovation. Go figure! I guess everybody gets a turn eventually.sitarro said:It would seem that muslims are the absolute definition of a closed mind, no wonder why they haven't done anything worthwhile in a thousand years.
Hagbard Celine said:You know, before the Italian Renaissance, Arab nations were the world leaders in mathematical and scientific innovation. Go figure! I guess everybody gets a turn eventually.
Hagbard Celine said:You know, before the Italian Renaissance, Arab nations were the world leaders in mathematical and scientific innovation. Go figure! I guess everybody gets a turn eventually.
Hagbard Celine said:You know, before the Italian Renaissance, Arab nations were the world leaders in mathematical and scientific innovation. Go figure! I guess everybody gets a turn eventually.
It amazes me that they did in fact pioneer some of the sciences.Hagbard Celine said:You know, before the Italian Renaissance, Arab nations were the world leaders in mathematical and scientific innovation. Go figure! I guess everybody gets a turn eventually.
Kathianne said:Well except the Irish. :coffee3:
no1tovote4 said:I laughed so hard I snorted!
Bonnie said:
Kathianne said:Damn country, kept being invaded! Then the potato problem! :coffee3: No wonder their best literature is so dark and they drink.
And there was much that must have been plain irritating at any time about his calm assumption that the Ango-Saxon, for all his faults, was head and shoulders above the Celt in any trait or talent that really counted in this world. Since most of the Celtic scholars were Celts themselves--or Germans, and in this essay Arnold seemed insultingly patronizing to the German character, or lack of it....
