The Simpsons and Family Guy will no longer use white voice actors for non-white characters, how do you feel about this?

I am pretty indifferent as I have stopped watching both long ago, still, I think it is really stupid.

As long as they don’t effect any established characters whose voice actors can still act, idc.

It is stupid as I don't know what they even mean when they said "non-white".

Much of the characters in the Simpson are yellow-colored, the only people who could fit that are people suffering with end stage liver disease.

(and I don't even know if they are actually humans considering the glaring anatomical differences that they have).

On some artistic consideration, I don't care if they are doing it for newly introduced characters, but it would be annoying if it introduce changes on long establish characters.

On a political perspective, that is essentially racism.

I mean they did'nt employ any form of racial profiling when hiring people for whoever they are (as a long as they have the talent that fits the artistic vision intended by the creators.)

It wouldn't matter if a white people play an Indian or Chinese playing a Canadian.

so having a selective racial preference is obviously a turn toward racism.

I mean considering that there are more "white" characters on the show, it will actually reduce the chances of non-white voice actors to be hired for the job.

???

Simpsons are yellow?

Don't care

Hiring whites to play whites,blacks to play blacks, and/or Arabs to play Arabs? What a novel idea. Somehow someway somebody will be upset with this.

@kingyang:

Well yeah its dumb.

Voice, accent, and expression style has little to do with skin color.

There are black people that lives in England and have a very good english accent.

They can readily play any animated english speaking characters whether it is black, white, asian or otherwise.

Same with white,

A white person that lives in China can probably speak fluent in Mandarin or a white person that live in Japan can speak Japanese.

As far as they are concern they may consider themselves as Chinese or Japanese,

Their skin color is irrelevant to their nationality and fluency in speaking their country's local language.

So why can't they play a role that where meant for Chinese or Japanese, just because of their skin color?

This isn't performance acting where the actors must fit the character's physical appearance.

It's just voice acting and as long as they are proficient with speaking they should be able to play the role, no problem

I'm indifferent, but I think it's a dumb idea to change well established characters be side of racist.

Pointless.

@mimisalome: See I knew it. How does this hurt or bother you? Ralph Fiennes and Idris Elba are both English but 1 sounds like a white man and the other sounds like a black man. It's like watching a dub of an Asian movie and everyone sounds white, as if they couldn't hire English speaking Asian voice actors. When your race is the default you don't notice the shit. English doesn't equal white. You can have a black a white and Mexican man all from the same neighborhood and they will sound different.

I understand why, but I also don't see why it really even matters. Pointless in all honesty.

Established actors have quit and it's not just the Simpsons and Family Guy

Wtf?

What the hell was the point? Why did they do this?

@cocacolaman: It has though, Mike Henry will no longer voice Cleveland.

@kingyang:

See I knew it. How does this hurt or bother you?

If skin color is the basis for voice roles in an animation, then it would really bothers me if I am working as a non-white voice actor.

Much of the characters in the Simpsons and Family Guy are white, meaning less roles would be available for me from now on.

Only white skinned people that share their skin color could play those roles.

Also what does "sound like a black man" or "sound like a white man" even mean?

I think that is stereotyping and racism.

It's like youre saying that African people are incapable of speaking in English Accent because they are "black man" and they should only be speaking in "black man" language, to be identifiable as a "black person"

"When your race is the default you don't notice the shit. English doesn't equal white. You can have a black a white and Mexican man all from the same neighborhood and they will sound different."

My default race is Asian and Im glad that there are many white, black, mexican, german, etc people who voiced asian characters in animes and asian movies in their respective countries.

It makes Asian culture relatable and understandble even for people that live in other countries.

Imagine if a Japanese anime is translated in english with an "Engrish" dialogue. That is stupid.

I don't watch the shows anymore but this is getting ridiculous.

I hear Jim Carey has employed a black actor to do his impressions of black people. A Chinese actor to do his impressions of Chinese people.

I hope they are not using any men to play women or vice versa. I hope they are not using adults to play kids or young people to play old people

Who cares? The Simpsons isn't half the show it used to be anyway.

And lmao at this being racist.

Imagine non-white voice actors cannot be hired to voice white characters because of their skin color,

regardless of their accents or proficiency

Yeah thats not racist at all... Lmao

It's absurd. Completely absurd. How is it offensive for a white actor to voice a black character? Is it because he or she is imitating a black person's voice?

Also, it's Jim Carrey.

This is stupid. Actors PRETEND to be someone else. That's what actors do. If we want to be consistent then Nancy Cartwright can't be the voice of Bart Simpson anymore, James Earl Jones voice of Darth Vader must be removed. The Wayan Brothers must be banned for whiteface in their White Chicks movie. Michael B Jordan must be "blackballed" for playing a Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four. Disney must cease production on the Little Mermaid a white European fairy tale character in its remake. And the entire cast of Hamilton must go.

Don't watch the simpsons but its ridiculous decision.

lmfao

Actors stepped down that's why

But it's sooooooooo stupid...

@ghostodoofus2: I mean does it really matter with Family Guy given the horrible stereotypes they have had over the years.

It's dumb, at this point you will have to get Black and Asian voice actors to leave as well.

I will say however that Black Actors playing White roles doesn't have the same stigma as the other way round because of the historic exclusion that Black People have faced in Film, Theater and Television. Whites haven't and still don't face this.

As I said before the Simpsons I can understand to an extent as they have generally meant to satire people in positions of power and their portrayal of Black characters in general isn't bad. But even then Willy's portrayal is pretty terrible and their Italian stereotypes are not that great either. Yes these are not as damaging, but still there.

And I guess we have the elephant in the Room Apu. I am not Indian, but from my perspective I don't think Apu started off as a bad character and he's had alot of notable moments but I don't think he's grown enough as a character to shake his defining trope as small shop manager with a strong Indian accent and cheapskate mentality. And I don't think that's even deliberate given the horrible flanderization that has happened to Flanders, Homer, Moe and even the likes of Liza, but then again Racial bias and prejudice is something that doesn't go away unless you actively combat it.

I watch neither of those, but that sounds weird.

Phil Lamar voiced Samurai Jack tho

*liberal brain explodes*

^Asian people don't count......

Technically, that's a non-white voice actor doing a non-white character, so all's fine. The brain doesn't process beyond that.

I don’t care

@theinsufferable: Phil Lamar isn't Asian bruh.

Indifferent

It's a bit of an odd thing to do, but I don't feel strongly one way or the other.

Indifferent.

@ghostodoofus2: I apologize. I thought this was a hypothetical question when I left my comment.

I voted that it is ridiculous.

Skin color has nothing to do with the performance.

Heck, Bart Simpson is played by a woman!

How is that fair to all the 10 years old little boys who are voice actors? Bigotry!

@killbilly: Don't give them any ideas. Little 10 year old boys need to stay as far away from Hollywood as possible.

Also, I just realized that two of my top three favorite fictional characters are played by women (Bart Simpson and Goku).

I know this is off topic, but this reminds me of something I read earlier today about Disney being pressured to make changes to their upcoming movie “Jungle Cruise” in regards to terms like “Savages” that depict an indigenous people in a negative light. The point of acting is to act. It is a portrayal. Literally no one forces you to watch or partake in that art. If you want more accurate depictions, create them. The issue with this in Jungle Cruise’s case is that during that time period in many parts of the world, indigenous people were considered savages because of cannibalism, selling other tribal members into slavery/service, and even traditions of impregnating women after their first period (for examples). We’re all so worried about hurting everyone’s feelings, even if it means we need to rewrite history and pick and choose which parts we think will be less offensive. It’s a dangerous, slippery slope.