Disney has pulled an episode of “The Simpsons” that features criticism of China from its streaming platform in Hong Kong.
The episode, titled “One Angry Lisa,” first aired in October last year and shows Marge Simpson taking a spin class as a screen displays images of the Great Wall of China.
“Behold the wonders of China,” the class instructor states. “Bitcoin mines, forced labor camps where children make smartphones.”
In recent years, Hong Kong has come under increasing control of Beijing, with Disney likely pulling the episode so as not to anger the Chinese government.
China is a pivotal market for Disney, and the country has become one of the company’s most significant sources of revenue.
While Disney touts itself as an enlightened and progressive company, China is under fire for human rights abuses, including cultural and religious persecution, so the company’s desire to remain cozy with the country has sparked accusations of hypocrisy.
“Capitalism is capitalism, but a company like Disney, which continuously spews how diverse and inclusive they are, should stand up for what they supposedly believe in instead of bending over backward for China’s money. It’s hypocrisy,” one critic recently railed on Twitter.
The Post has contacted Disney for comment.
Disney has pulled an episode of “The Simpsons” that features criticism of China from its streaming platform in Hong Kong. FOXThe “labor camp” quip in “The Simpsons” episode seemingly refers to the mass detention of Uyghurs, a predominantly Muslim group in western China.
According to the US State Department, there are as many as 1,200 state-run internment camps that have been set up for Uyghurs across the region.
“Detention in these camps is intended to erase ethnic and religious identities under the pretext of ‘vocational training,'” the department writes. “Forced labor is a central tactic used for this repression.”
“Behold the wonders of China,” the class’s instructor states. “Bitcoin mines, forced labor camps where children make smartphones.”FOXAxios first confirmed that “The Simpsons” episode had been pulled from Disney’s streaming service in Hong Kong.
However, it’s not the first time an episode of the cartoon series has been nixed.
In 2021, Disney pulled a separate episode of “The Simpsons” — one that featured a Tiananmen Square joke— from its streaming service in Hong Kong.
“Disney no stranger to China’s censorship demands and has a long track record of bowing to them,” Axios wrote in its report.
Hong Kong has come under increasing control of Beijing in recent years. Pro-democracy protesters take part in an anti-government rally in the territory in 2019. Anthony Kwan/Getty Images Disney isn’t the only American company to face criticism for seemingly cozying up to China.
Apple — which similarly touts itself as a progressive company — was called out after it hobbled the use of its AirDrop tool in China amid widespread protests against Xi Jinping’s “zero COVID” policies
