“Simpsons” Poke Fun at Sweatshop Animation in New Intro

Graffiti activist Banksy crafts opening sequence

"The Simpsons" has no trouble laughing at itself, and help from graffiti activist Banksy made it easy Sunday night.

The long-running cartoon switched up its famous intro, poking fun at the fact its animation has long been outsourced to South Korean studios. Banksy's substitute sequence opened the Fox cartoon, showing hometown Springfield covered with his graffiti. When the delightfully dysfunctional family gathered on their living room couch, the image becomes a reference shot for sweatshop workers in the grim industrial complex where they paint cartoon cells and churn out Simpsons merchandise.



 

Cats are shown being thrown into a wood chipper to make stuffing for Simpsons dolls, and a unicorn, chained to a wall, is used to punch holes in the centers of DVDs. And Bart is shown writing "I MUST NOT WRITE ALL OVER THE WALLS" all over the walls.

"This is what you get when you outsource," joked executive producer Al Jean.

Selected Reading: The Associated Press, The Guardian, The Simpsons.com.

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