Why ‘The Simpsons’ Has Never Directly Mocked Scientology
There actually was a planned episode of The Simpsons that satirized Scientology, but it never came to fruition. Screen Rant posits that the episode was never produced to avoid offending Nancy Cartwright. Ms. Cartwright is, as Simpsons enthusiasts know, the voice of one of the show’s most popular characters, Bart Simpson.
She’s also a practicing member and staunch defender of the Church. Had it come to pass, the episode would have aired during the first decade or so of the show’s run when Bart was arguably the most popular character, and losing her could have spelled disaster.
South Park had to deal with this very thing when they criticized Scientology and subsequently lost Isaac Hayes’ voice acting talents. However, also a practicing Scientologist, Hayes voiced Chef, a popular character, though not a main one. In the early days of The Simpsons, the Church of Scientology was less well-known and more litigious.
Given the possible loss of Cartwright and legal action, a Scientology parody was probably seen as just a bit too risky. But in the aftermath of multiple documentaries about some of the Church’s questionable practices, other comedies taking it on since, and The Simpsons’ prominence in mainstream culture, a writer’s room conversation might read a bit differently today.
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