Disney has come under fire from critics of the Chinese government for allegedly removing a Sino-focused episode of The Simpsons from Disney Plus in Hong Kong, a territory the subscription streaming service just launched in on Nov. 16.
Local users say the 12th episode of Season 16 of the show, titled "Goo Goo Gai Pan," is conspicuously unavailable in Hong Kong. In the episode, the Simpsons family travels to China to help Aunt Selma adopt a child. (Turns out she can't adopt a child from the country without having a husband, so Homer steps in and plays the role.)
Along the way, there are the usual pointed barbs that the animated series has been known for over its three-decade FOX run, including one in which Homer pays homage to the embalmed body of Mao Zedong, noting that he looks "just like a little angel who killed 50 million people."
References are also made to locally touchy issues including Tiananmen Square.
Disney didn't immediately respond to Next TV's email inquiry Monday morning.
“Disney obviously sent out a clear signal to the local audience that it will remove controversial programs in order to please” the Chinese government, said Grace Leung, an expert in media regulation at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, to The New York Times. “Their credibility will definitely be hurt.”
