Doh! Rio blames it on The Simpsons (Brazil plans lawsuit against FOX)

The Guardian ^ | 4/09/02 | Alex Bellos

[LarryLied]

When the Simpsons, America's favourite dysfunctional family, visited Brazil last week they made some offbeat observations.

The cartoon characters found that Rio de Janeiro is a city where all men are bisexual, where fearsome monkeys roam the streets, and tourists are kidnapped by taxi drivers and mugged by children.

The ironic humour was par for the course for a show that has poked fun at middle American stereotypes for more than a decade.

Unfortunately, the Rio tourist board did not see the funny side and is preparing to sue the producers, Fox, for damage to its international image and loss of revenue. The issue threatens to become a diplomatic incident.

The Brazilian president, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, has entered the fray claiming that the cartoon "brought a distorted vision of Brazilian reality".

The episode, watched by more than 11 million Americans last week, was called Blame it on Lisa, a take on the 1984 film Blame It On Rio.

It follows the family from their home in Springfield to Rio to look for a poor orphan that Lisa, the sensitive daughter, is sponsoring. But as soon as they arrive Homer, the father, is kidnapped by a cabbie. Later, when he and his son Bart have a fruit juice they are mugged by a gang of children.

In his hotel room, Bart is glued to a children's TV show, presented by a semi-naked blonde stripper, in which sexy dancers seduce the child studio audience. He is also attacked by monkeys on Copacabana beach.

A statement from the Rio tourist board said that it has recently spent US$18m (£12.5m) promoting the city abroad and that the episode will have "drastic consequences" in the US market.

Rio has severe social problems and high levels of violence, although these are generally restricted to certain areas. Attacks on tourists are rare and no one has ever been attacked by a monkey on Copacabana.

Part of the anger in Brazil about The Simpsons is that, as well the stereotypes, there are many inaccuracies - Marge, the mother, finds that the local mode of transport is the "conga", which is a Caribbean dance. (She takes a conga to the hotel).

Also, the family visits a samba school to learn the macarena - a Latin dance not performed in Brazil. There is also the penetrada, a fictitious and lascivious dance shown them by the teacher.

Rio's tourist secretary, Jose Eduardo Guinle, said: "If Fox is so worried about Brazilian orphans and the poverty of our children, it should donate the profits of the episode to the city's social work programme."

The tourist board is now studying how best to proceed with legal action.

In January, the mayor of Rio threatened to sue a weather forecaster who predicted, wrongly, that there would be storms on New Year's Eve. The weather forecast kept crowds away from one of the biggest festivals of the year.

[Wolfie]

I L'dMAO when the cabbie/kidnapper flipped on his roof light that read "HOSTAGE".

[aomagrat]

HA! Ha!

[jalisco555]

I've always wanted to visit Rio. However, because of this lawsuit I won't go. I guess the tourist board will have to sue itself over my lost business.

[coydog]

WAAAH-WAAAAH!!

Will someone change these guys' diapers? I can smell them all the way up in Canada.

[Blackyce]

no one has ever been attacked by a monkey on Copacabana

Whew, good thing that they cleared that up ; )

[Fred Mertz]

I enjoyed the show Sunday evening.

[Dog Gone]

Uh, Brazil, why don't you get in line to sue right after the nuclear industry, the beer industry, the NEA, oh hell, just get in line.

[randog]

I was in Brazil (Sao Paolo, not Rio) several years ago on business, and here are my observations:

1) Bars, gates, high fences, electric wire, and/or broken glass embedded in walls around every building;

2) Private guards at every building/neighborhood that could afford it;

3) Graffiti everywhere;

4) Did I mention that guns were banned?

5) Drop-dead gorgeous women;

6) Some of the best food I've ever eaten abroad, especially the beef.

[jadimov]

Rio is in deep trouble if it is attempting to attract the kind of tourist who takes the Simpsons seriously.

[nunya bidness]

Do you still have that link to Simpsons episodes with monkeys in them?

[Calvin Locke]

Had other things to do. Sorry I didn't just start recording at the commercial break when I left.

I liked the "I'm distracting...rob you", but hostage sign was great too.

Maybe the Tourist board could have a class action suit. Ted Kennedy could join it.

Ooops, Teddy got slapped by the USSC about Rupert and bills of attainder once already.

[billorites]

Help me out if you can.

How do you say "bite me" in Portugese?

[chachacha]

I was in Brazil on Business. The stay was three weeks. I stayed in my Rio Hotel room most of time. From about the 30th floor you can watch out over the street and beach. I've seen kids stealing tourists cameras, handbags and everything else they could get their hands on. Even in broad daylight they attacked my partner and stole his wallet. Tore the back pocket right out of his pants. There was a shooting on the hotel steps. I did set out one day under the Hotel canopy only to get hit in the face by a child that was being held by a pregnent women. The reason was because I didn't give them a hand out. The Hotel staff instructed me not to. Fox has it right again. I was neve rso glad to leave any place in my life.

[Dacus943]

Figured that Brazil would have to get in line behind the Japanese. I remember that Homer tossed (head first) the Emperor of Japan into a laundry bin filled with SOILED Sumo Wrestler Thongs! I'm still laughing at that!

[buzzyboop]

And I had thought that with its Carnivale atmosphere, Rio had a sense of humor. Moreover, if anything, Rio will gain because of the exposure (not the beach variety), and ought to end up paying FOX for the advertising.

Heck, if any country/city has the justification to sue, it's Canada, for the continuous (and funny) beatings from South Park, TV and movie.

[Calvin Locke]

Give Rio a break. When it was the only city that kept Marion Barry's Washington, DC from being THE murder
capital of the world.

DC had to settle for the murder capital of CAPITAL CITIES of the world.

[Shooter 2.5]

The only thing that this has proven to me is that Brazil is such a screwed up place that they have to sue a cartoon comedy show to stay afloat.

[Shooter 2.5]

I think it's "Morder Mim".

[LarryLied]

Simpsons episodes with monkeys in them. . .

Others have notice too. There is a deeper, hidden meaning to the "chatter", the facial expressions, what the monkeys are holding and when and where the monkeys appear.Been working on it for two years now and I'm very close to putting it all together.