Fox and The Simpsons have always had an unusual relationship. The long-running show, created by Matt Groening, has regularly poked fun at its parent company, Fox. But one particular episode almost led Fox to take legal action against itself. Here is all you need to know about the episode that started a legal tussle between the two.
The controversy comes from season 14’s episode “Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington,” where Krusty the Clown runs for Congress as a Republican. During his campaign, a Fox News-hosted debate helps Krusty gain traction. The episode features a fake news ticker at the bottom of the screen with satirical and outrageous headlines like “Study: 92% of Democrats Are Gay” and “Do Democrats Cause Cancer?”
According to Groening, Fox executives were not happy. He revealed in an interview that the network threatened to sue The Simpsons. However, the show’s creators didn’t believe the network would actually go through with suing its own program. Groening said they “called their bluff” and got away with it. However, this incident led Fox to introduce a rule forbidding fake news crawls in future episodes, claiming it could confuse viewers.
Fox News later denied making legal threats, with spokesperson Robert Zimmerman stating they enjoyed the episode and found it funny. Still, given the history of distrust between Fox News and The Simpsons, many fans doubt this claim.
This wasn’t the first time The Simpsons criticized Fox News. In the 2007 episode “You Kent Always Say What You Want,” Lisa Simpson highlights the contradiction between Fox’s conservative news outlet and its more liberal-leaning entertainment shows. Homer, after binge-watching Fox News, humorously spouts absurd claims about Mexican immigrants.
The broader issue here is the tension between shows like The Simpsons and their corporate owners. While The Simpsons takes jabs at Fox News, it still benefits from the network’s platform and funding. Some argue this weakens its critiques, but others believe it’s better than staying silent.
This dilemma isn’t unique to The Simpsons. Other shows, like The Boys, face similar challenges. The Amazon-produced series frequently criticizes corporations while being funded by one of the largest companies in the world.
Ultimately, The Simpsons continues to walk a fine line, balancing its satirical humor with the reality of its corporate ties. Whether Fox truly planned to sue or not, the episode remains a standout example of its bold storytelling.
