Carl, The SIMPSONS and Black Identity

[@SaraBanartist]

I love how modern Simpsons seems to have mined all the wacky ideas, so now they have to look inward and expand on their characters. Thankfully, there's about a thousand of them so we might get some weird stories.

[@calebcardinal3867]

Really hits back to the simpsorama tagline “the show out of ideas teams up with the show out of episodes”

[@KobaniacMinded]

I like it there were some dark times like the last 10 years they finally found a new creative peak the writing is getting more clever

[@defsnotdevyn]

Exactly some call it a simpsoms renaissance which i feel is too strong a word but this revival of the show these past 4 seasons has been great

[@sarkisianhavens]

Um.. they're getting new writers in all the time also they have a whole wall of stuff they can't reuse.

[@VEE0034]

​@@KobaniacMindedwhere

[@mato4920]

Really great video! Carl actually mentions his "Icelandic boyhood" in a throwaway line in Season 14, really like that they remembered that detail for a plot almost ten years later.

[@DampWetstew]

The scene at the end when he is geeking out about cowboys with Naima is so real. You learn about something that resonates with you, and you just feel compelled to ramble about it. He's being honest with himself and she's so into it. Well she liked him being true but I bet being down a pint of blood helped.

[@irenic_raccoon]

"Me and the bad bitch I pulled by being autistic" (Ik Carl geeking out doesn't exactly mean he's autistic, as an autistic person myself I just kinda related to that scene bc apart of autism is hyperfixations and special interests)

[@salishanmusic]

It was very cute. It was nice to see him excited about something.

[@theknd]

​@@irenic_raccoonwtf

[@eatatjoes6751]

Carl. As someone who is black and raised around white people, what they do with him is eye-opening and I love that the girl is a lot more concerned that Carl's trying to fit in rather than being himself. I was expecting her to fight with Carl over it too because it happens *SO MUCH.*

[@bobbyshewan4229]

Tariq highlighting a rare Simpsons W/making me wanna give the show a chance again is wild

[@eatatjoes6751]

@@bobbyshewan4229 100%.

[@christopherwilliams9418]

@@bobbyshewan4229 Yeah same, it feels a lot like early Simpsons in that it's very... Warm and interpersonal? But from a broader perspective.

[@mlw9195]

I just love how you had to trash bw at the end. Completely unnecessary

[@allbutperfect]

@@mlw9195 It's disgusting and typical...

[@Marbles471]

Marge reading a book called "Caucasian Brittleness" --- a ribbing of "White Fragility" --- is funny enough, but I ADORE the detail that she's stuck a million bookmarks in there, clearly on pages containing ideas or arguments she wants to remember. That's just so Marge. ♥

[@j.2512]

extremely cringe. Thanks, 99.9% jewish writting team

[@bbhjvvbfhvv3357]

@@j.2512you’re extremely cringe. Get therapy

[@bbhjvvbfhvv3357]

@@j.2512🤦‍♂️

[@_vnfr]

caucasian brittleness sounds like a real book

[@shawnbay2211]

@@_vnfrit would probably b about the Caucasus then bc that’s the proper use of Caucasian.

[@beardpandaa]

That "struggling with my racial identity" really hit home for me as a half native person whose family comes from off the reservation.

[@54032Zepol]

My only insights into modern reservations is from that show reservation dogs. Is it as bad they say or is it half made up and half true or mostly true with some fluff for added affect??

[@laneyking2044]

They just said they didn't come from the reservation

[@twobitt2222]

@@laneyking2044😂😂😂

[@absolutemaniac7368]

​@@54032Zepolthey said they're. Not from there.

[@GoldenVulpes]

I was thinking the same thing myself as someone who is also half native...

[@ethansloan]

As a white guy raised in Portland, Oregon, literally the whitest major city in America, basically every black friend I had growing up was like Carl, in that they were the one black person brought up in an entirely white community. I can remember several times in school when the teacher (always a white person) would be talking about some aspect of black culture or history, be it Anansi the spider or A Raisin in the Sun, and at some point they would ask the one black kid in class to sort of confirm that what they had just said was correct. And every time, the black kid basically responded with, "why the hell would I know? You're the one teaching this thing. I just found out about it five minutes ago when you started talking." As if a black 13 year old in Portland would have any personal anecdotes about share cropping or whatever. The one time I can recall a black dude sort of touching on this was when I was talking with friends about recent movies that were coming out, one of which was a Tyler Perry movie. None of us had ever seen one, and we instantly turned to the one black dude for his thoughts. He just signed and said he tried to get into his movies, but couldn't relate to all that Southern, Bible-thumping stuff. There is no one black experience, just like there's no one white experience, or Hispanic, or gay, or deaf, or whatever. No group is entirely homogenous. This is why it's important to try and listen to as many perspectives as possible. Tariq, you run an awesome channel and I love your work. Keep at it, dude.

[@_G4.R4_]

im mixed and across the river in vancouver and yeah, i grew up not seeing a lot of people like me around here and fitting in because of that,was always difficult, or my race being like the joke and being referred to as the token black kid in high school, and getting older, a lot of identity crisis because of how i look, and trying to define this shit to my white friends has gotten them heated before because it was obviously making them uncomfortable and I never did that shit again, i’m glad The Simpsons is putting a spotlight on this because I never see anyone showcase it really

[@Alucard-A-La-Carte]

It's funny cause my dad (white-European dude from Arizona) spent his 20s and early 30s in Oakland, CA (I once asked why we don't keep in-touch with his side of the family after his parents died and he flat-out told me, "They're a bunch of racist fucking hicks," and this was BEFORE 2016), and he knew other white dudes that a) he had less in-common with than PoC in Arizona and b) if you couldn't see their skin and just listened to them talk/watched their body language, you couldn't "tell" what ethnicity they were. They talked and behaved like everyone else in the neighborhood, because OF COURSE they did! He was really good at instilling in me: judge people for what they do, not how they appear to be. Yeah, reducing anyone's life experience to their appearance is...just shitty. One of those things to work on.

[@rainspectre3153]

This is appropriate given Portland is Springfield's main inspiration (being where Groening grew up).

[@pitpride1220]

Great comment man

[@niajerome7514]

It’s so important to see black stories in media. Thank you for highlighting this one so thoroughly. It’s true that not every black person is gonna have the same lived experiences or upbringing and some might take a little longer than others to gain their own understanding of and feel comfortable with their racial identity, and that doesn’t make them any more or less black. Thank you again for making your channel a home for black folks who love cartoons!

[@Guyro3278]

Glad Tariq is still continuing his indie animation segment

[@whydoweneedhandlesYT]

the poor starving indie animators on the simpsers 😭

[@DDarkestKnight]

I'm glad because I really like Sublo and Mustard

[@lilpetz500]

Heck yeah, I'm going to dive right in to Hearts of Titan blind, it sounds good. I saw an out of context pride month post from them and damn it has some broad queer rep.

[@raeshonns9084]

@@lilpetz500wepad a owe axaaxza

[@VEE0034]

​@@lilpetz500gay characters = good show now?

[@Noir_Man]

I love how in-depth you analysis this. The Black Simpson's fan perspective has long been ignored. This has to be your best video so far.

[@PaintraSeaPea]

So glad you're shining a light on this episode. Stories that deal with characters figuring out what their race means to them are always gonna hit close to home for me, and I think this latest Carl episode did such a perfect job at it. Really like that the recast wasn't just lip service, too, and that they've decided to give Carl a story where his status as the "black friend" is really given weight. Hope they keep it up with him and other characters too.

[@johndavis9321]

Swag

[@memesarekeem]

I relate a lot to this episode. I am mixed and was adopted by a white family, and grew up feeling disconnected from the rest of my black community. Outside of just the discrimination I received for being mixed, growing up with the knowledge that you "don't belong" is very isolating and it is comforting knowing that this is not a problem which was solely experienced.

[@KeeperOfSecrets-42069]

Lol as a mixed person raised around black people, you’ll get the same feeling with them.

[@Nameless-ny8nk]

​@@KeeperOfSecrets-42069I'm from latin america but my dad's side of the family all look white while my mom's side look black and I also feel disconnected from both sides, not to mention my dad's side has a lot of money while my mom's doesn't so on top of receiving colorism from both sides I also receive some uncomfortable comments and jokes about being too poor or having too much money despite being lower middle class all my life. It really does feel like you don't belong anywhere sometimes, you'd think me being from a country where virtually everyone is mixed despite how they may look then skin color would not matter, but it does.

[@54032Zepol]

It's all good your welcomed in the mixed community 🤠! It's true though your neither white enough or black enough so take your mixed heritage and own it all. Be above the pure bloods and be one of us!

[@salishanmusic]

The other thing that’s wild about being mixed is when you try to speak on it and it makes people mad and they miss the point of what you said. It’s so nice to be able to speak on the uniqueness and sometimes isolation of it all.

[@andieallison6792]

Big Mouth has a good storyline with Missy (who is biracial) and Devon (a fully black character who gets an amazing song about code switching). It unravels throughout several episodes in season 4 and as someone who is also mixed it was such a breath of fresh air.

[@bingoblackdynomite]

18:54 Carl just like me fr. I found myself at an event full of beautiful, interesting black women a few months ago, and I kept hitting a (mostly self-imposed) wall where it was like "Damn I put all my pop culture points into cartoons and pro wrestling. I don't remember shit about Baby Boy." EDIT: watched the rest of the vid. Thanks, Tariq and the Simpsons. Now I know to talk relentlessly about Mucha Lucha next time I'm in this situation

[@LucasTigy2]

then they too can understand "it's a way of life"

[@KobaniacMinded]

​@@LucasTigy2and spleen health

[@salishanmusic]

Mucha Lucha was the shit! Kids WB was good af for being off cable for a good bit. 🙌🏽

[@bingoblackdynomite]

@@LucasTigy2 I just need a woman who values honor, family, tradition, and donuts

[@johndavis9321]

​@@salishanmusic man we need a retrospective on mucha lucha

[@Oni_Manga_Land]

Great video! Fun fact: In the 360 / PS3 versions of The Simpsons Game, running around the overworld can cause you to listen in on conversations between two Springfieldians. One of those conversations is between Carl and Dr. Hibbert's wife, Bernice. "Runaway with me Bernice, Julius is no good for you," begs Carl. Man does he get around.

[@skarloey1214]

I loved that game as a kid

[@ToonrificTariq]

How the Hell did I miss this comment?? This is nuts lol.

[@richkee2024]

One of the most interesting things about early Simpsons is how arbitrarily characters were assigned race. Every crowd scene has generic black faces mixed in with the white/yellow ones, characters like Lou, Smithers and Judge Snyder shift between skin colour depending on the animators, Lenny and Carl's voices get mixed up, one of the handful of actors will read lines for an extra in a voice which they might not even know is attached to a black character. Characters like Drederick Tatum and Dr Hibbert are based on a white guy's impression of a black celebrity, but over time are featured more often and become less rooted in the impersonation. Then the series runs for over thirty years and they're still trying to unpack these brief choices, and characters who weren't planned to be major parts of the show have to evolve for modern representation. I'm glad that Homer's arbitrarily black friend Carl has been given the chance to become an authentic character.

[@tachobrenner]

Smithers was planned to be white, that one was an error in the first episode.

[@MagcargoMan]

"Arbritarily" Because they didn't make a big deal about his race before?

[@SpontaneousProcess]

@@MagcargoManYou think people didn’t make a big deal about race… in the 90s.

[@itwasidio1736]

@@MagcargoMan Huh? Did you watch the episode? Yes, they recast him with a black voice actor, but the original VA was fine with it. The point of the episode was to focus on Carl's character. Maybe he learns how to ride a horse now that he knows more about himself and that'll have an effect on future episodes of the show. I understand you like the Simpsons just as much as anyone in this comment section does, but please don't slap "identity politics" on well-needed character development.

[@iateyursandwiches]

​​​​​​@@MagcargoManlol "there are plenty of black voice actors look at these 2 actors on 2 shows out of the hundreds of shows each with multiple cast members." Dude, it's about ensuring more representation. The same thing we keep saying whenever white try to make this black washing/ recerse racism claim. Most of the voice actors on this show are white and few if any are black. It's sad that even a character that is supposed to be black adds to this statistic. At the very least if we end up giving most of the roles to white people(which does and always has happened, some of it being inevitable given whites are just the majority) we should at least make sure every or almost every black character is voiced by a black person. It ensures a more diverse cast. I guarantee you there are shows where every voice actor is white and you don't even have to look far. You get it now? What you're seeing now, my white friend, is an "era" where women are minorities are no longer afraid to call out the b.s. or things that make them feel uncomfortable due to fear of "rocking the boat" or being "difficult." If you want to call it "wokeism" as if it's just some type of trend(though perhaps some white people do treat it way about), then so be it. It's here to stay for us though. Most of us respect our saves too much now to put up with it anymore.

[@SirPaladin]

Carls' new voice is great but on the flip side moments like 25:25 REALLY highlight just how badly Julie Kavner's larynx has been absolutely shredded by THIRTY FOUR SEASONS of this. If they're gonna keep the show going (and episodes like this demonstrate they CAN tell new & interesting stories when they want) maybe they should consider recasting some other folks too...

[@ToonrificTariq]

If Julie Kavner wants to keep doing it, which it seem like she does, they should let her keep doing it. Marge is extremely close to her normal voice. I don’t get why everyone is so up in arms about it. She just sounds like a higher Patty or Selma.

[@supaskiltz9877]

⁠@@ToonrificTariqbesides for saying her voice is close to her original I completely agree, I feel saying her voice is close to how she was in older seasons is a bit of a reach but I don’t think it’s bad in anyway either. I don’t think her voice has been destroyed by doing the Marge voice, I think that just comes with age. If she wanted to quit she could’ve ages ago she got millions the only reason she sticks around is because she loves the role and sure I don’t think she sounds the same anymore but she clearly loves to do the voice and that’s commendable and in a way pretty inspiring. So overall I agree and I’m glad there are some people who think she should keep doing the voice regardless and I’m even happier that she keeps doing what she loves.

[@MsBrendalina]

I agree. Marge sounds like she's in constant pain in the recent episodes. It hurts to listen to her. God Bless Julie Kavner for being able to work as long as she has. But she needs to retire before her voice gets worse

[@animegx45]

Recasting the black characters were probably a really hard choice in of itself. The creators are so attached to the old voices that they don't actually like the idea of having someone new to do it. It's why the VAs that died in realized aren't simply replaced, but have the characters retire as well. It's unfortunate, but it does show the sentimental they are for their actors.

[@MsBrendalina]

@@animegx45 This isn’t true for all of them. They re-cast Russi Taylor's characters after she died. But I guess that's because she mostly voiced child characters and killing them off or retiring them would be too depressing

[@TheRealJims]

Awesome video! Carl Carlson Rides Again was such a good episode and am glad to hear you break it down. You were so thorough, I feel like you did the official Carl Simpsons Histories 🤣

[@ToonrificTariq]

While making it, I was scared I was gonna stop you from doing a Carl one because I want that bad. 😂😂 Thank you, man!

[@ChiefMedicPururu]

Hi, Jims.

[@KrucialKenn-]

Carl saying “That’s not how blood works” was perfect. He’s a Cowboy. Finally some love for someone who deserves it. We feel the warmth with this one. 💯❤️‍🔥✨

[@mightyfilm]

I've always had respect for the writers to take a random, odd throwaway line ("You know what this reminds me of? My Icelandic boyhood." from "Scuse me While I Miss the Sky") and turned it into an actual episode and made it part of the character. And then they turned around and made an even deeper episode out of it, finally giving a gag character like Carl the depth he desperately needed. Of course, it would never have happened if it weren't for the show's new focus on deeper character driven episodes, but I'm thankful for the show's shift overall.

[@DandyProphet]

this video was so good, it's honestly amazing to see the simpsons hit these kinda notes and feel secure in what kind of show it needs to be nowadays. it's incredible to me that this show has been going for more than three decades and is just now giving carl his due. and im sad to say i didnt realize it until now. im gonna watch carl carlsen rides again and hope the show continues in this direction

[@ForteWily]

It's my head canon that this is the unofficial follow up to How To Black and no one can take that from me.

[@ToonrificTariq]

This da good version.

[@BugsyFoga]

Always nice to see Tariq talk about Simpsons.

[@AJPiersonToonParadise]

You said it

[@zainmudassir2964]

Yep

[@legrandeblackwell2541]

That part

[@toon4thought]

Well shoot, I already have so dang many TV episodes on my short-term watchlist and now I guess I have to add "Carl Carlson Rides Again" to the pile cause you really had my eyes wide-open with that one. This was definitely a video the world needed. 🔥

[@offbeatkiki]

thank you for mentioning that it was the 742ND EPISODE that finally gave carl a true story of his own. it says so much.

[@kylespevak6781]

Yeah, it takes 742 episodes for a random side character to get a full episode, because they ran out of ideas

[@SylviaRustyFae]

While Carl bein adopted doesnt go anywhere and is meaningless in the whole of things... I do love at least that they made him from Iceland. His last name has always been a Nordic name so it makes sense there, even if it feels out of left field

[@DDarkestKnight]

It's a surprisingly clever way to make up for the fact that they were really lazy when they made his last name. At least it's not worst than Lou the Cop.

[@Gloomdrake]

Is it meaningless? It’s why he’s so estranged from black culture, isn’t it?

[@SylviaRustyFae]

@@Gloomdrake I writ that when Tariq was talkin about the first ep (and the vid hadnt even been up long enuf to have seen the whole thing heh); so i meant that spec in ref to in the first ep of the two Altho i wud say, i dont think he needed to be adopted for a second story on the same caliber as it was. It wudve been a diff story, but cud still just as well deep delve into who he is and how his exp is diff from others and why

[@misterlinux9290]

Demomen from TF2: "Nice Joke Lad 💣💣💣💣💣"

[@lilwerner1518]

i love that kinda double-twist they pulled for a name that was probably made up on a lark for the original character sheets like with lenny

[@alejandrocervantes3624]

The whole Iceland stuff is actually a DEEP CUT all the way back to The episode where Lisa makes The Town go blackout to see The stars, the part where Lenny, Carl & Homer are walking out of Moe's & all the lights are back on, Carl says it reminds him of His youth in ICELAND so thats where they picked it from 🤷‍♂️🤓

[@elizabethmartin6707]

I feel like I remember a throwaway line from an earlier episode (as in before Saga of Carl) where Carl mentions his childhood in Iceland and nobody else noticed or commented on it.

[@mrpiccionedivino5598]

It is in "scuse me while i miss the sky" from season 14

[@snoot6629]

omg you're right , damn , the recent writers really dig up deep lore

[@zexion6fangirl12]

the use of the dolly shot (a total Spike Lee staple) as Carl walks through the black owned shops while still contemplating his own identity is so *chefs kiss* I love when animated works get creative with shots inspired by live action films

[@angiegray4987]

I love your Cree Summer joke about Dawnn Lewis, who also did Different World. Also, well done! It's hard to express these complex emotions.

[@Deaniac25]

As a Black individual who was thrusted into both white and black spaces consistently throughout childhood, I can't believe how much this resonates with me. I had watched "Carl Carlson Rides Again" months ago and this _still_ had me rethink the themes in the episode. Growing up, I often felt so out of the loop on certain cultural and even colloquial aspects of Black community that I felt that I had to code switch with my own race. I'm doing much better now than I did then, and I'm striving to find a happy balance between increasing my cognizance of the Black experience without compromising my unabashed personal interests. Thanks for this.

[@bizzarejelly5818]

Really love seeing Carl geek out over Cowboy’s I think everyone has that moment where they find out something about their ancestors and have this immediate rush of pride they want to share with the world

[@geardog24]

I'm still waiting for Carl and Lenny to come out as a couple. Because you know the writers will do it eventually.

[@DDarkestKnight]

Lenny had his chance long ago but he can't compete with a Howard woman!

[@falconeshield]

It's over man, Lenny missed his chance

[@thegingerchannel5879]

"Don't you push them, they need to figure it out for themselves." Marge, in "There's Something About Marrying"

[@juannaym8488]

I am fine with them staying friends tbh. I think there was a chance for them to get together, but Carl has a girlfried now and Lenny seems to be okay with it

[@turnonmyaxel]

I've been waiting for this episode fr, ever since season 34 wrapped. I really liked the idea of making Carl Icelandic but they really didn't do much with that so this episode was a welcome addition. It really does capture that search for identity when you are black person whos been isolated from black culture. I also just adore your videos. Your humor is just so on point. No other cartoon vídeos make me crease this much while watching.

[@juord]

I really loved the recent episode where they focused on Carl’s blackness and his identity. Thought it was really neat

[@ToonrificTariq]

You’re gonna love this video, then lol.

[@juord]

@@ToonrificTariq That was a really great video and analysis man, great job!

[@cannibalisticrequiem]

This has just convinced me that we need way more crossover videos with Tariq and Jims about The Simpsons.

[@leea-leea]

there's absolutely a euphoric feeling when connecting and learning about your community. I can only speak as a gay person on this, but this evoked similar feelings. Seeing him get so excited about black cowboys was absolute joy.

[@aspebb]

Funny enough, there was a quote by Carlton from the Fresh Prince who said "Being black isn't what I'm trying to be. It's what I am". Being black isn't a personality trait, so Carl should've just been honest from the jump and owned it.

[@daelen.cclark]

I guess he just needed to learn that.

[@MrFRESHNESS231]

I don't even watch the Simpsons all like that. But watching your content makes me want to tune in more, and as a young black man I'm happy to see these stories more and more. 👏🏾

[@DDarkestKnight]

I'm so glad you're covering Carl! I was waiting for TheRealJims to do video on him but I guess you beat him to it😂😂😂

[@julesrules7297]

Tariq coming in clutch as usual. Lame Monday before this dropped.

[@deeeeniiiiss]

''that's lenny?? AWWW I WANTED THE BLACK OOONNEEE!!!'' that is the most family guy shit I've ever heard in the simpsons

[@clown2earth]

usually w/ youtube video essays like this i put it on in the background while i do chores (like a podcast), but w/ all yr video essays i always feel so engaged w/ the visuals u put on screen that i watch much more intently instead of just listening! love yr work

[@FernandsLiveShowShow]

What an episode - when the algorithm algorithms! I'm at a loss as to how incredible this indepth video is and learning things I didn't even realise, but also the pacing, editing and your humour all the way through. Even the ads are hilarious 😂 I've yet to see this episode but the multiple layers of Blackness is thrilling to watch in this deep dive Subscribed - and much love from the UK!

[@ToonrificTariq]

Much love, thanks for watching!

[@icecreamhero2375]

Lenny and Carl are kinda like Shermy, Patty, and Violet. I remember one thing Schultz said about them when he was speaking at a college. One person asked, "Why haven't we seen Shermy, Patty, and Violet in a while." He said " They are straight men. They are there to deliver a gag when another character has too much personality to."

[@PosthumanHeresy]

The hilarity of being able to use "straight men barely have any personality".

[@youtubeaccount697]

@@PosthumanHeresy?

[@sterthester736]

@@PosthumanHeresy ... It's not straight as in the sexuality. Have you NEVER heard of the phrase "playing the straight man" referring to comedy? It's a character meant to contrast heavily with over eccentric personalities, the calm and composed one with the over the top chaotic ones. It's composed, level headed next to the chaos to heighten the sense of ridiculousness or humor of the actual comedy character. The straight man role can also be taken up by women, it's just the term used for it.

[@BigJonB36]

Shermy, Patty, and Violet mostly existed to be team-up bullies on Charlie Brown, making them all very unsympathetic and probably not particularly missed. Lucy kind of absorbed their collective role and by being a single person, was well-rounded enough that it didn't make her as despicable

[@icecreamhero2375]

@@BigJonB36 Shermy never bullied Charlie Brown. Patty and Violet were frenemies with Charlie Brown. One day they would play with him and the next they would be mean to him.

[@DumbIdeaPresentedStupidly]

'Mans dooing everything but Daria' THATS WHY HEES THE GOAT, THE GOOA0OA0AOAAAT

[@Nahasapasa]

Carl actually refers to his Icelandic boyhood in Season 14's ~'Scuse Me While I Miss the Sky~

[@phantomstrider]

Hi Toonrific. Would you say Family Guy has done a better job with fleshing out Cleveland's character? I feel like I know him a bit better than Carl. But honestly I'd enjoy alot more scenes with Cleveland in Family Guy. I think he's the only character with a heart of gold.

[@ToonrificTariq]

Hey!! I do think FG did a better job with Cleveland, just because I feel like I can legitimately describe his personality without having to think twice. Cleveland has his own mannerisms, his own consistent family, his own running gags that are exclusive to him. I do think that there’s a shift in his attitude from the early years to Cleveland Show, but he’s definitely more of a character than Carl. Thanks for watching, man! Love your stuff!

[@user-xsn5ozskwg]

I can't even say I'm that surprised the Simpsons was the adult animated comedy to finally hit on this aspect of black identity, and I'm glad they did it so well.

[@soniadevlin487]

Did it air before Big Mouth?

[@DDarkestKnight]

@@soniadevlin487 If you mean the episode no Big Mouth before it

[@scottiboi05]

That ending almost got me, with "Faithful" playing "he's a fucking cowboy" magnificent stuff

[@jgee8421]

You say Carl wasn’t sure about the black side of town but he iss seen at the Springfield black church when they visited for Maggie’s illness

[@geligniteandlilies]

Almost offtopic but Dawnn Lewis is amazing. She also plays Captain Freeman on Star Trek Lower Decks. Her and Cree Summer have been huge crushes of mine since A Different World. Have you watched Lower Decks yet? Mariner, the main character and Captain Freeman’s daughter is so amazing.

[@LeeMilby]

As a transracial adoptee (asian with white family) I'm surprised at overall how well they treated this topic in the 2nd episode you talked about. Maybe they actually consulted with adoptees or did some research instead of doing what most storytellers do and writing nonsense based off their own opinions? So many orphan / adoption stories follow the same boring tropes and stereotypes and are told by non-adoptees... there are a few tropes shown here but glad they seem to have had a fresher take on things overall. Also the sister lore could actually have worked..... HOWEVER they went with the doorstep trope which makes things trickier. With foster care / adoption, it's not unusual for siblings to be adopted together or for adoptive families to be informed if the same bio family has more kids if they want to adopt the future kids. Now what would really be interesting in the future if they keep exploring his character history - is if they delved into the deeper nuances of the way society pressures people into relinquishing their kids instead of giving parents the support and resources to raise them themselves.

[@FluffyCloudsandCats]

The Family Guy crossover where cleveland is just upset that they sat him next to Carl, and Carl being so innocent is my favourite gag from that epside, so good I love how innocent he was to it. Like Cleveland is just used to it and knows its the overt racism and Carl never has to deal with that in Springfield cus its just a wholesome town

[@kennethbowman3784]

I love that @ 16:12 he uses Microphone Fiend (by Eric B and Rakim), who sampled Schoolboy Crush, written by AVERAGE WHITE BAND!

[@DDarkestKnight]

22:45 - 22:54 I don't know why but his 4th great grandfather's reaction to the fact that he'd been freed years ago always makes me laugh! 😂😂

[@lifewithlee6298]

So cruel 😢because I’m sure that did happy

[@DigiRangerScott]

Really fun timing with Alex Desert’s episode of Pod Meets World

[@memorian8472]

Also if you guys want to know more about Black Cowboys I highly recommend the podcast "BLACK COWBOYS".It's educational, fun and very informative, it will have you ranting at all your family and friends about everything you've just learned just like Carl.

[@tape-6]

24:59 i got so distracted from what u were saying bc i couldnt stop staring at the gorgeous character animation they gave nimah in this one shot. so much personality and such beautifully fluid movement

[@MaybachRuss]

I honestly didn’t know how to feel about this episode because The Simpsons touching on this topic caught me by surprise but after watching this i realized how great of a episode it was

[@wooper8924]

Tariq ily man i hope you’re well rested 24/7

[@DylanFergusC]

I think Carl's main character trait is also being smarter than the rest of the guys and entertained by their foibles

[@HipsterLumberjack]

I think you hit the nail on the head with Carl's struggle being internal. I grew up viewing my internal struggle as "other black people hating me" when they really just wanted to include me. Now, I'm kind of tired of black people wanting to identify themselves in opposition to black people

[@mahatmarandy5977]

They introduced in the idea that Carl was from Iceland well before coral saga. In the episode, where are they put up crime lights in Springfield and the night sky is all lit up. Carl says, “do you know what this reminds me of? My Icelandic boyhood.“ Which undoubtedly was just a blow off gag at the time but surprisingly, they decided to revisit it. There’s also that one rather uncomfortable gag early on where Carl is part of Moz, Civil War, re-creation, society, and he’s wearing gray.

[@TheVideoClubeTheBEST]

I know nothing about you or your channel, but 01:25 gave me all the info I needed to subscribe

[@mariem8666]

As someone mixed race but white-passing, this made me tear up. I’ve been doing some research into my own heritage, but it was only something I started doing recently, and feeling “not x enough” is something I struggle with a lot. Carl’s joy of finally connecting to the past and nerding out about cowboys really resonated with me. I’m glad the Simpsons of all things wrote an episode about these experiences.

[@danshive4017]

I’m reminded of when Worf got episodes on Star Trek The Next Generation, except they somehow wound up focusing more on Picard and/or Data.

[@cicabeot1]

Aw yeah, this is a favorite of mine from the new season. Carl deserved his right to shine

[@greensakana2673]

I loved this episode--I could relate to a lot of what Carl feels. This is now my favorite video on your channel. Awesome job!

[@de132]

"She's like their Cree Summers now" And Cree and Dawnn Lewis were both on A Different World, nice

[@DDarkestKnight]

Man I want her to be on Lower Decks. She can be a rival for Captain Freeman or her sister! Mariner can call her Auntie, it'd be amazing!

[@BlitzedPort]

New subscriber and I'm super happy to be here. Amazing video! This story brought me to tears ngl 😅

[@ToonrificTariq]

Welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@Santoryu90]

I love this episode. I like it when they give some focus on side characters and I definitely can relate to Carl here. Also, I don’t get where some people are coming from when they say Carl’s new voice sounds bad or too different, it really doesn’t. Same with Cleveland.

[@joseaguilar3323]

The actress who plays Carl's love interest also plays Captain Freeman in Star Trek: Lower Decks.

[@Sabata101]

Carl Carlson Rides Again was an absolutely amazing episode and is a great example of when modern Simpsons hits well. While I’m not black myself, I am biracial and the episode really hits what it feels like when you don’t feel like you fully belong in either of your cultures. Can’t wait to see what else they do with him.

[@sasamichan]

Simpsons is one of those shows I have on my list of "Times TV did representation." Black characters, gay characters, vegan characters, religion, all sorts of body shapes, hobbies whatever. They did every thing. Carl falls in to the category of what the 90s did a lot. A white guy and his black best friend. You saw it on Hey Arnold, Recess, Weekenders, and he's always the cool one, the funny one, the smooth one, the sports one It takes a while before get shows that are more evenly diverse. The 90s gave us Captain Planet and Burger King Kids Club and many other things, it was trying to be inclusive but a lot of times those characters felt like they were part of a formula. in a show were they really nail diversity or representation you wouldn't draw attention to it. You wouldn't use the race or the culture to describe the character. More modern shows have multiple characters of every race and every culture and that feels way more inclusive. To get to where we are now however we have to look back to the past and see how it was when we started.

[@westcoastavenger]

That’s an excellent point. The Simpsons won a GLAAD Award for Homers Phobia. If you watch that episode now (it’s still hilarious) but it would be canceled immediately. John Waters (in the episode) still talks about how the episode was great for the gay community at the time.

[@kaitlyn__L]

@@westcoastavengerI still see people referencing zzzzap! and the steelworks nightclub all the time, but of course we grew up with it so I have no idea what today’s teens think of it

[@westcoastavenger]

@@kaitlyn__L exactly. That’s the primary issue. Those of us around 40 or older that grew up during the peak years have a much different perspective. It was a different time and we remember how great this show was as arguably the best written comedy of all-time for 6 years (seasons 3-8). I haven’t regularly watched the show in years but it’s important that people understand how different the landscape of comedy was 30 years ago. It’s also critical that the younger generation knows that nothing was done with malice or intentionally underrepresenting any group of people. They had no money and everyone that made the show great left.

[@kaitlyn__L]

@@westcoastavenger I’m just coming up on 30, but I agree that gen Z don’t often understand the kind of stuff which was progressive representation for millennials. I’ve had a number of conversations about LGBT stuff in 90s film and TV with people who are surprised there was anything before 2011. Thankfully always came away with a new appreciation of the groundwork which got laid in the 90s rather than defensively digging heels in though! So there’s definitely hope, if the education and resources are there.

[@westcoastavenger]

@@kaitlyn__L the hope is we all become wiser and continue to learn as we age. Younger people should be idealistic and want to change things. It’s always been that way. It’s difficult to bridge the gap though and see it from the perspective of someone else. The first response to most anything that is deemed possibly problematic by today’s standards is to throw stones rather than build a bridge.

[@WheremyPoptart]

Hits after hits. Tariq doesn't miss

[@DaemonCorps]

Great video as always. As someone more familiar with Alex Desert through his role as the media arts teacher in Boy Meets World, I'm glad he's found another pop culture life through modern Simpsons. He actually just got interviewed in the Pod Meets World podcast today too if you're interested in him talking at length about his acting career.

[@matti.8465]

They probably won't, but I want them to do this kind of character study for Apu. It's been long enough, just take that jump and tackle that issue one in for all.

[@queencockroach]

This is why I love your videos, because who else would take such a honest, sensitive, human look at such a seemingly insignificant character?

[@jeremypayne2040]

Sounds like this Carl episode is what the Cleveland show should have been

[@Msanimefanatic25]

bro you gotta be one of my favorite creators. i always enjoy whatever you’re going on about. keep it up and be safe 🙏🏽

[@DesperateHornet]

Oh, boy. This man doing **ANYTHING** but Daria! really though, I never even knew about this really sweet spotlight of carl learning about who he is, I only ever heard about the icelandic episode. Nor Carl nor Lenny were ever people i tended to think anything about really, but it's really nice seeing a little bit deeper into who Carl is as a person. I'm a simpsons fan moreso to see what people say about it than actually watching the show, but i'm trying to change that, so i might as well go watch these two episodes.

[@larrylaffer3246]

Giving depth to the side characters is probably the major highlight of the new seasons of The Simpsons. The Cletus centered episodes were particular favorites of mine.

[@parallaxabomination]

i totally dipped from adult animation besides Bobs Burgers really. so hearing about the tonal shift in rudeness and character depth is amazing honestly. We need a lot more heartfelt stories like this maan.

[@heathb2182]

it would be fun if they could revisit this in the future with more rodeo/cowboy stuff. i like the turn they've had towards nicer character stuff

[@connorhealy3562]

Another grade A Tariq vid👍 (Also, appropos of nothing, but that “Caucasian Brittleness” book is just a top-tier visual gag)

[@gazeboist4535]

Why did I think this was going to be a RealJims character history? Well, whatever, this is works too.

[@salt-emoji]

Man. Im glad i turned notifications on, the algorithm do you dirty man.

[@larryinc64]

I may not be black, but this episode does strike a chord with me as well. I am white and I live in the USA but I don't know what else to say about my heritage. I remember growing up, and there would be culture days at camp or school where everyone would bring in dishes from their cultures and I had no idea what to bring, and my mother did not have much of an idea ether. People would bring things from France, Ireland, Germany, Mexican, Italian, Soul food, so many things. I think we just brought Spongebob cheez-nips because it was 2003. I was born in the US, my parents were as well, and I'm almost sure my parent parents were. There is some Irish or something going back further, and I have a very Jewish name, but none of those things I really experienced or feel any connection to. I guess when the US is a melting pot, some things can melt to the point where you are not able to distinguish what it came from.

[@snoot6629]

America is a very young country, do not be ashamed of bringing idk PB&J (sorry i know no white food) , or something special from your childhood the meme "white people have no culture" towards Americans are offensive and racist imo I live in southeast Asia and its just so tiring to hear hate to any other kinds of people

[@someonelse2]

It's because the American construction of whiteness is based on the cultural erasure not only of settled peoples, but also of the settlers.

[@mosatoz]

Love your videos man! Can't wait for your pilot to drop!

[@MichaelUnderwood3507]

"Bitch stop talking to your tv" made my laugh a little to much haha

[@N8thePWNr]

Yo you got my gut BUSSIN with that gmcfosho, literally has been in my head for the last ten years

[@theluigifan1]

Comedic timing is always one of your strong points, man lol

[@XMachete]

Look at the YT algo showing out by giving me this video from a channel I didn't know about that hits two topics I have interest in presented in the video essay format I prefer.

[@B4dr4bbit]

As a very nerdy black kid who even had his mom crack a joke about him not being that black, yeah i felt this one a bit.

[@NerdMiGerd]

19:25 Okay unrelated note but why does that beer look so good in this scene like I just wanna be right there sipping my own mug. I know cartoons can make food look tasty but I never thought it could do the same for beer rofl.

[@mileswilliams9737]

Carl being from Iceland kinda sucks. There's lore this erases thats frankly just better. Carl, Lenny, and Homer growing up together has been shown here and there, they share experiences, and end up in the same dead end job working for the one big employer in town. Moe is involved in those memories too and established as a troubled kinda older kid and bad influence. So they grew up and their relationships changed but stayed the same. They are Springfield. Originally the show was supposed to be a lot of social commentary. Changes like this are part of the show existing just for it's own sake. Did people watch? Some of them laughed? OK successful episode, no need to say anything or build anything

[@icecreamhero2375]

"The Simpsons is supposed to be social commentary." in South Park when the Simpsons does it it's a sometimes thing.

[@bibbitybooper6437]

Never seen a video if yours before, but this was fascinating. I love the format and it was so interesting. Great video

[@bluesnake4626]

I’m going to assume him and his sister are twins and they were left of that door step together.

[@maxresdefault_]

Wherever Tariq makes a video on a topic I'm interested in, it's always golden. Love Carl's new voice btw, they did a great job capturing his energy

[@SL-cl9gt]

Carl’s greatest moment is the basketball scene 😂