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D’oh! Simpsons join Barbie on Iran’s blacklist
Published: 06 February, 2012, 16:32
Iran bans the Simpsons
TAGS: Thrills&Spills, Lifestyle, Iran, Culture
Dolls of cartoon favorites the Simpsons have followed the fate of Barbie and other cult characters after being banned from sale in the Islamic Republic. Their crime, apparently, was the promotion of Western culture.
Iran’s “vice police” – the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults – has banned all toys with distinguishable features defining their sex. Also nixed are dolls which use the voices of Western singers, and toy kitchen sets with glasses for alcoholic beverages.
Superman and Spiderman were heading for the blacklist too, but were rehabilitated as it was decided they “help oppressed people and have a positive stance."
In 1996, the Institute declared war on Barbie dolls. Iranian police closed down dozens of toy shops and confiscated contraband toys by the truckload. Last year, Tehran also banned the production of Valentine's Day gifts.
Iran has been battling Western culture since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Bans and restrictions crop up in all areas from books, media and cinema to fashion, music and lifestyle.
06.02, 15:49
1 comment
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Colleen is your brain working, or are you really a dicatator trying to be a girl online? What person in their right mind would make statements like that. You must live in an oppressive country because in the "free world" stuff like that doesn't fly. Colleen the internet isn't a western an eastern internet, the internet is made up of cables off the coast of China. People who promote censorship like that make me sick. Our Government here sucks, many of us admit it, it is broken and imperialistic and absolutely wrong on many fronts. HOWEVER just because our government is sick and perverse doesn't mean people in Iran should be told not to have Barbies or watch the Simpsons. That is government oppression and censorship, and is one of the reasons that Iran is becoming a target for the US. (Along with an alleged nuclear missile program, but we all know it's cause the US just hates Iran..) And as Parham said, they'll just go ahead and do it anyway. As they should.
i like the idea of banning western culture. in fact, if a western show wants to be aired in Iran or any eastern country, then they should first get permission from that country. if the western show or music cannot prove it will make any positive contribution towards society, then it should not be allowed to enter the airwaves. the same thing goes for websites. access to eastern viewers should NOT be a given. if a western website wants to be viewed by easterners, then again, first they ought to gain permission, and AGAIN, if this website is shown to make no positive contribution, or contains elements of subversion, then it ought not be allowed into the country. let's make it real clear here. any western website normally doesnt receive a large amount of funding unless it serves an offensive, or propaganda application. this means that a large % of western websites contain subversion. there is no reason why an eastern country ought to allow this. kudos to Iran for standing up to imperialism, and may others follow this fine example of progressive civilisation. i am glad that Iran is bringing attention to the simpsons and calling out its subversive nature. that way, other countries will also be able to get the heads up. i watch old cartoons like gi joe, and see how americans are portrayed as the hero. then i think to myself, if i had to compare the u.s govt to something, wouldnt it be cobra? after all, it is the u.s military that go into countries like Libya, Afganistan, Iraq, and murder millions of people to steal their natural resources. isnt it the u.s military that is constantly making deadly weapons that are a threat to man kind?
Have you ever watched the simpsons? It's a married family, there are foreign people in it, and it is about as "normal" as you could get in that sense.