The tourist board of Rio de Janeiro is contemplating legal action against the producers of The Simpsons for portraying the Brazilian city as lawless, dirty and overrun by monkeys. The controversy was sparked by an episode entitled Blame It On Lisa, in which the cartoon family travels to Rio in search of an orphan Homer’s daughter has sponsored.
In the process, the lovable patriarch is abducted by an illegal taxi – but only after he is mugged by a gang of street kids. The orphan, who had fled the children’s home after it was taken over by monkeys, turns out to be a TV star who comes to Homer’s rescue.
Riotur board president Jose Eduardo Guinle, has spoken to his attorneys. Though he has not yet seen the episode, which also shows Bart being swallowed by a boa constrictor, “He understands it is a satire,” said a spokesman. “What really hurt was the idea of the monkeys, the image that Rio de Janeiro was a jungle... It’s a completely unreal image of the city.”
The tourist board has invested £11 million in promoting the city over the last two years, and is concerned the outrageous images on the show could have “drastic consequences” on tourism. In 2001, more than 220,000 US citizens visited Rio, which is set against a backdrop of jungle-covered mountains, but is not home to any wild monkeys.
Blame It On Lisa aired on March 21 in the US, and will be screened by Sky on Britain’s screens in a few weeks.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
