UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown could make an appearance on FOX’s long-running animated series, The Simpsons, but show animators said that they’d probably need to input subtitles in his episode to make sure U.S. audiences would be able to understand his Scottish accent.
“He’s Scottish, I don’t know if anyone would understand him, he would probably need subtitles,” animator Dan Povenmire told Sky News Online.
Brown would not be the first UK Prime Minister to grace The Simpsons. In 2003, Tony Blair guest-starred as himself in the episode called, “The Regina Monologues.” In the episode, which was part of the show’s fifteenth season, Homer takes Marge and the children on a trip to London, where he meets Blair and confuses him with Mr. Bean.
“At the time Blair was on The Simpsons I would say 80% of people on the streets in America didn’t actually know who he was!” Povenmire said. “The people in LA thought he was great, the people in New York thought he was darn funny, but the vast majority of the middle of the country was unaware of him.”
Angus McNeil, a member of the Scottish National Party, said most Scots would find the idea of subtitling Brown quite humorous.
“Most Scots would find what they have said funny,” McNeil told Sky News Online. “Although we hear the words that come out of Gordon Brown’s mouth and understand them, I think subtitles would help because quite often his words have a different meaning, especially when he’s talking about the economy.”
Talks of Brown’s possible appearance on The Simpsons began early last year, but show creator
Matt Groening denied the reports, saying that they have “reached the quota of British Prime Ministers” they are supposed to feature on the show.
“We have one per century – I think that’s our rule,” Groening told the Radio Times. “Sorry, Gordon Brown, it’s too late!”
Then, later in the year, Brown himself said that no such appearance was in the works.
“I think Tony Blair did that, I don’t think that is for me,” Brown told GMTV television.
-Lisa Claustro, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Sky News Online
(Image Courtesy of ABC)
Staff Columnist, BuddyTV
