Op-Ed: Disney+’s Willingness To Edit “The Simpsons” In Hong Kong Is The Reason Why Dave Chappelle And Netflix Are So Important

Hong Kong isn’t even 30 years removed from British rule, but the Chinese state is making sure that the locals know who is boss. In a move that South Park has been writing episodes about forever, Disney+ was forced to change a joke on The Simpsons mentioning Tienanmen Square because local censors don’t allow any mention of the 1989 massacre that saw demonstrators protesting the legitimacy of CCP. The result was the government injuring 6000 people and killing 300.

It’s a stark reminder that we, Americans, are afforded to have. Where The Problem with Apu challenged the notion of freedom of expression, the fact that Disney+ removed an episode of The Simpsons due to local censorship restrictions shows us was real censorship looks like, a future that seems to be what former Netflix employees were looking for in wanting to remove the recently released stand up comedy special known as The Closer. The fact that Ted Sarandos stood side-by-side by his talent and bravely fought against these ridiculous critics is deserving of a Freedom of Speech Award.

American-produced art and expression need to be left alone. It’s largely Twitter bot accounts that account for the majority the causation of someone being canceled for no apparent reason. I do think we’re getting on the other side of this issue, but it’s still very much pertinent, and as such needs to be fought against. Otherwise, we could just as easily end up like China, no freedoms of speech or expression. The people of Tienanmen Square fought for the same freedoms we have, it would behoove us not to continue to support those freedoms.

For those who prefer to be censored, have fun watching the TV edit of Birds of Prey, streaming now on HBO MAX.