The Simpsons: 10 Episodes Probably Made Out Of Spite
6. You Won’t Believe What This Episode Is About – Act Three Will Shock You!
In March 2022, The Simpsons decided to take another swing at the rise of the so-called “cancel culture” movement. What was particularly interesting about this decision is that it came two and a half years after The Simpsons was embroiled in its biggest controversy surrounding the character of Apu.
In the episode’s plot, unfortunate accidents lead to Homer trapping Santa’s Little Helper in a car and not picking up the kids. The town proceeds to label him as a “pariah”. Instead of reading a prepared apology, Homer essentially calls Springfield "soft" and accidentally pushes Reverend Lovejoy out of a window. The family gets doxxed and Homer loses his job, but he is eventually invited to The Institute; where those who have had their reputations ruined on the internet can find repentance.
Clearly a critique on the public perception of The Simpsons during the era, the episode takes shot at clickbait and society’s tendency to believe a headline rather than read a story's context. It also toys with a current day controversial figure by featuring Theo, a podcaster with a pretty clear inspiration in Joe Rogan, who wants to delete news of his misdeeds from the internet.
Whilst the episode was decently well received, it was kind of a case of "The Simpsons Already Did It" with the episode Homer Badman.