Al-Shamsoons

I could not believe this when I first read it.

The Arab satellite network, MBC, has syndicated what many call American television's best show ever, after I Love Lucy: The Simpsons.



But to make the show more palatable to Middle Easterners, our favourite blue-haired, donut-eating, dysfunctionally-functional family have gotten a WEE bit different.

Homer Simpson, now Omar Shamsoon, looks like the same beer-bellied bum, but on Arab TV he's given up alcohol and bacon (which are both against Islam), and no longer hangs out at "seedy bars with bums and lowlifes." In Arabia, Omar swigs fizzy soda, and his hot dogs are barbecued Egyptian beef. The doughnuts he famously salivates over have become traditional Arab cookies called kahk.

Mischievous Bart is now called Badr, and Moe's Bar has been written out entirely. Others exorcised from the show include Jewish character Krusty [Krustofsky] the Clown and Reverend Lovejoy - apparently to keep them from "corrupting" audiences.

I'm utterly speechless.

All I can say is, they touch Apu, and the Kwickie-Mart, and they die.

TUESDAY UPDATE: One second, and I mean one second, after posting this, I lost power.