【Thriller Archives】

There were some Australians who were unimpressed by The Thriller ArchivesSimpsons' "Bart vs. Australia" episode back in 1995.

"All they did was make Australia look like a bunch of loonies with Cockney voices," according to one viewer named Stephen Thomas, in a letter to The Age. "It's not funny that our crops are being eaten by cane toads and Australians have better ways of punishing people than kicking them with big boots."

SEE ALSO: Chance the Rapper sings Beyoncé a birthday song inspired by 'The Simpsons'

It's a strange reaction, considering Australia has a proud legacy of making fun of itself in much-loved films such as Crocodile Dundeeand Muriel's Wedding. Yet to hear ridicule from Americans was an affront to the country's national character.

---

You May Also Like

---

---

"Who are the Americans trying to kid here? I agree Australia has its faults, as does any other country," reads a letter titled "Stay home, Yanks" by Steve Dimer.

"But laughing in our face about it, then mocking our heritage was definitely NOT called for. It embarrassed and degraded our country as well as making us look like total idiots. I mean, do we normally go around with squeaky voices kicking people in the backside?"

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

For veteran The Simpsonsshowrunner Mike Reiss, the outrage even reached the higher echelons of power in the country.

"Whenever we have the Simpsonsvisit another country, that country gets furious, including Australia," he told The Agein 2007. "We were condemned in the Australian Parliament after the episode."

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Yet for many moreAustralians, the infamous episode has become a much admired as a friendly ribbing of the country's idiosyncrasies.

Mashable Top Stories Stay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news. Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

There's the glut of references to well-worn Australian stereotypes, such as Foster's beer (which no one drinks, by the way), cork hat wearing people that carry boomerangs, and kangaroos hopping around everywhere. It's all very incorrect, but charming.

Most of all, there's a fondness for the portrayal of Australia's politicians and their comically brutish way of handling international incidents. Sometimes, it's not far from the truth.

Via Giphy

Just compare Bart Simpson's booting to the recent treatment of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's two dogs Pistol and Boo, who an Australian politician threatened to euthanise after they were snuck into the country.

The Australians in the episode call money "dollarydoos" -- in some kind of weird Down Under malapropism. A real-life petition to change the name of Australia's currency to "dollarydoos" reached more than 60,000 signatures.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Years of nightly 6 p.m. broadcasts on Australian televisions screens has seen the episode build up a cult following amongst millennials too, arguably unlike any other.

In Australia, you easily find people who can quote more than a couple of lines from the show.

Online fan groups seem to flourish in the country, as indicated by the very popular Facebook pages Rock Bottom and podcast Four Finger Discount. The fondness for The Simpsonsin Australia, like in many other countries, is bigger than it is in the U.S.

"They like it in America but they don't love it," Reiss said. "I don't know if they even get it."

Via Giphy

It's perhaps a shock then that it's taken so long for The Simpsonscreator Matt Groening to travel Down Under, where he'll appear in the country for the very first time as part of Sydney's GRAPHIC festival in November. And there's plenty of excitement.

"The most intense Simpsonsfanatics I've met are from Australia, so I'm coming to Sydney to check out all you lunatics," Groening said in a statement.

Maybe they can give him the booting he's long deserved, after an autograph.

Topics The Simpsons

• Life
• Shopping
• Science
• Entertainment
• Games
• Tech
• Digital Culture
• Deals

• Watch how an old Venus spacecraft tumbled before crashing to Earth
• Famous Chinese actor Hu Ge becomes Volvo brand ambassador · TechNode
• 51job to IPO in Hong Kong in first half of 2025, with over 200 million users · TechNode
• DeepSeek releases new models Janus
• Skype is finally shutting down
• Baidu Search integrates DeepSeek and Large Model ERNIE for advanced search · TechNode
• Apple M5 series chips enter mass production with TSMC N3P (3nm) process · TechNode
• Phantom Blade Zero releases Lunar New Year demo featuring snake
• NYT Strands hints, answers for May 18
• Chinese automakers to stay ahead despite Tesla rolling out FSD features, expert says · TechNode

• Redux: A Pin
• International Dog Day deals: Save 50% at Petco through DoorDash or up to 35% at Wild One
• Inside 'Game Changer,' the internet's favorite game show
• What Really Killed Walt Whitman? by Caleb Johnson
• Elon Musk promises to kill block function on X (Twitter)
• Gangster Bedtime Stories by Rich Cohen
• JBL portable speakers: Get a JBL Go 3 for 40% off
• Summer is Made of the Memory of Summer by Nina MacLaughlin
• How to watch Purdue vs. Alabama basketball without cable: game time, streaming deals, and more
• The best Grok interactions according to users on X

• Is it 'Thunderbolts*' or *The New Avengers'?
• DeepSeek releases new models Janus
• China’s NIO reportedly aims to make profit in Q4 · TechNode
• Chinese expert predicts small
• I'm a college professor. My advice to young people who feel hooked on tech
• Phantom Blade Zero releases Lunar New Year demo featuring snake
• Chinese expert predicts small
• Oppo Find N5 to integrate DeepSeek
• Best keyboard deals: Save on Asus gaming keyboards at Amazon
• Phantom Blade Zero releases Lunar New Year demo featuring snake

• Outdoor speaker deal: Save $20 on the Soundcore Boom 2
• Tencent’s Supercell earned nearly $3 billion in 2024, up 77% y
• Huawei and China’s SAIC to launch affordable EV brand in Q4 · TechNode
• China’s Li Auto bases R&D center in Germany in global push · TechNode
• The Mismeasure of Media
• Chinese expert predicts small
• Famous Chinese actor Hu Ge becomes Volvo brand ambassador · TechNode
• Baidu CEO says robotaxi business ‘scale
• The cicadas aren't invading the U.S.
• Lanma Tech embroiled in salary dispute amid financial struggles · TechNode