On Feb. 21 Harry Shearer voiced his last episode as Dr. Hibbert in The Simpsons. Though he has voiced the role since 1990, Shearer has decided to step down from the role as he is a white man and Dr. Hibbert's character is black. And according to woke millennials, that is an unacceptable combination.
Shearer will be replaced by Kevin Michael Richardson who is an established black voice actor but will remain in The Simpsons as other characters including Ned Flanders and Principal Skinner.
The stepping down for The Simpsons cast began in June 2020 after Fox announced the show will no longer have white actors play the voice of non-white characters. The Fox announcement followed Hank Azaria’s decision in Jan. 2020 to stop voicing the character of Apu on the show since Azaria is a white man and Apu Nahasapeemapetilon is an Indian American convenience-store proprietor. His reasoning is that he “didn’t feel right.”
Since apparently actors are only allowed to play their own races, should “The Simpsons” only hire people that dye their skin yellow to play in the cast? Sounds crazy right? Well luckily, most people on twitter agree that this is woke idiocy.
Editor-in-chief of The Daily Wire Ben Shapiro and host of conservative podcast “The Ben Shapiro Show” tweeted the recast announcement and sarcastically commented “Racism solved.”
And YouTuber Arielle Scarcella said “Might as well take the woman who voices Bart Simpson out too. Because sexism...or transphobia, somehow?” Where is the line going to be drawn?
Might as well take the woman who voices Bart Simpson out too. Because sexism...or transphobia, somehow? https://t.co/Lb2xv5i8k0
— Arielle Scarcella (@ArielleScarcell) February 23, 2021
Culture staff writer for Canadian news site The Post Millennial tweeted his disappointment for Shearer’s stepping down. He said “They can never erase his voice or laugh from our heads though.”
And finally, Sr. Columnist of conservative site Town Hall Kurt Schlichter said “Comedians are brave rebels who fight the power and refused to knuckle under to societies demands. Yah bravery!”
Comedians are brave rebels who fight the power and refused to knuckle under to societies demands.
— Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) February 24, 2021
Yah bravery! https://t.co/noVRH5ZQnz
The Simpsons was probably just worried about getting canceled due to possible racism since everything nowadays is subject to cancelation for lack of meeting woke standards. Honestly though, the show choosing a voice actor based on the color of their skin is racist.
If voice actors can’t act in a role that they don’t match exactly, why is it okay that black actress Jodie Turner-Smith plays Tudor queen Anne Boleyn in the new channel 5 drama then?
These social justice warriors aren’t understanding the meaning of acting yet again. The Simpsons is a comedy show but as of late, the comedy is coming more from what they are doing outside the script.
