The Simpsons (TV Series) Bart vs. Australia (1995) User Reviews

Even as an Australian I find it hilarious!

[pitabox987 · 10/10 · 7 July 2020]

I love the fact that there are Australians find this episode so "offensive", but it's hardly offensive by today's standards of television, in fact it just makes me laugh, whether it's the references to Skippy, cane toads, or various other digs t Australian culture. - But the Simpsons has been doing that for years who will they offend next??

it's not like it's using violence or adult material, it's just a satire of a country; and there are hundreds of tv shows and movies that do that in far worse ways.

Classic

[Derekruzella · 10/10 · 13 August 2023]

This episode is a perfect example of TV comedy from the good old days before comedy was required to care about everyone's dumb hypersensitive feelings. The premise of the episode is clever and original. The jokes are made at everyone's expense like they should be. There's no horrible virtue signaling, preaching, or finger wagging shoehorned in like you see in all the unimaginative and unwatchable "comedies" today. Any normal person with a healthy sense of humor can watch this and laugh at some harmless silly jokes that are very obviously not meant to be taken even remotely serious. It's fun for the sole purpose of fun like all comedy should always be. I wish I could say The Simpsons still did things this way. If they did, I'd still be watching.

A classic

[safenoe · 9/10 · 8 May 2022]

Sure, the Australian accents in Bart vs. Australia were on par with that in Point Break, but still, this is a hilarious episode that all folks Down Under would love. Sure, us Americans don't always get what happens Down Under (put a shrimp on the barbie!) but still, this episode is funny.

Disdainful

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 3 June 2022]

The Simpsons, of course, are classic Ugly Americans, but in this one both the US and the Aussies get what for. The inciting incident is Bart's disbelief about the way the water flows in the drains. Pretty funny in all respects.

USA comedies need to stick to their own turf

[theyoshifan-62738 · 1/10 · 25 November 2022]

Why are USA comedies that are normally smart and funny reduced to drivelling baseless stereotypes whenever they talk about other countries?

Like Arrested Development's bizarre Dick van Dyke series three (the same accents even return in this Simpsons episode!) - USA comedy cannot banter.

Why does it portray Australia as rural when much of the USA is the same? Why did the Simpsons portray Japan as having poor work-life balance when the USA is the same? They're not exactly wrong, but these jokes coming from USA writers is confounding.

None of the jokes are funny and lack the gentle ribbing of more refined comedy. Simpsons is great when it tackles the absurdities and banalities of USA life. Not whatever this is.

Missed opportunity

[badunkie-33458 · 5/10 · 11 February 2024]

I've just watched S6 of the Simpsons (for the umpteenth time) and I think this is one of its weakest episodes. I remember feeling the same way about it in 1995. There are a few great gags and lines, but a lot of the humour is just stating the obvious and it feels like less thought went into this one than other episodes. And what's with the accents!? They should have enlisted some better voice actors and actual Aussie comedians to help write this one. I'm sure they would have been happy to help - no one does self depreciation as well as the Australians. Anyone who knows Australia well knows that they could have done better with this episode.