Every Banned ‘Simpsons’ Episode (And Why)

When most people think about raunchy or controversial adult animation, their minds tend to go to shows like Family Guy and Rick & Morty. Of course, given their levels of off-the-wall content, it makes sense why that would be the case. It’s easy to forget that before those shows reached their current levels of infamy, there was one animated show that was considered “too much for TV.” That show is none other than The Simpsons.

Created by Matt Groening, The Simpsons premiered on Fox in 1989 and focuses on the fictional town of Springfield, where the title family members always seem to find themselves in funny situations that usually include the other colorful residents. The Simpsons aren’t just animated icons here in the U.S. ⏤ they’re international stars, widely recognized in dozens of countries worldwide. But even though The Simpsons is primarily loved in many countries for its hijinks and satirical content, not everyone agrees with some of the said content.

Over the course of its 30-season run, The Simpsons has had its fair share of episodes that were considered “inappropriate” for certain audiences, especially in other countries. Some have been considered so controversial that they’ve actually been banned while others have gone so far as to cut specific scenes from being broadcast in the first place. Even in these ever-changing times, some of The Simpsons’ most recent episodes have been banned by certain countries shortly after premiering. What were these episodes, and why were they banned? Let’s break it down.

“Stark Raving Dad” (Season 3, Episode 1)

In this episode, one of The Simpsons’ most controversial, Homer is committed to a mental institution where he meets Leon Kompowski, a man who believes that he’s Michael Jackson (ironically, the character was actually voiced by Jackson under the pseudonym John Jay Smith).

Due to all the controversy surrounding the pop icon after the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland‘s allegations against him involving child sexual assault, the episode was pulled from circulation and currently cannot be found in The Simpsons collection in the Disney Plus library. Given the sensitivity of the subject matter, it makes sens that the episode was pulled.

“Cape Feare” (Season 5, Episode 2)

In “Cape Feare,” Sideshow Bob returns to get revenge on Bart after having his last plans destroyed by the child. In order to protect themselves, the Simpsons are forced to enter the Witness Relocation Program and move to Terror Lake (a play on Jason’s Camp Crystal Lake) for their safety, where Sideshow Bob follows them.

The episode was seen as one of the show’s darker ones and ended up getting banned in Germany for depicting violence against a child and a character holding the ranking of Obergrupperfuehrer. If you’re wondering what that means, an announcer for the fictional news show Up Late With McBain shows up in the episode wearing an SS officer’s uniform, which was hugely taboo given Germany’s strict laws prohibiting the use of Nazi references and symbols except for educational or historic purposes.