The Simpsons have cast Alex Desert to replace Hank Azaria as the voice of Homer’s nuclear power plant co-worker, Carl. The move comes after debate and discussion regarding the use of white actors to voice non-white characters on the hit show.
Back in June of this year, The Simpsons announced the change in their voice acting policy. The move began when Simpsons regular Hank Azaria’s announcement he would no longer voice Apu on the show. Apu, one of the show’s few Indian characters, has repeatedly been criticized by many. The problem rested not only in Azaria (who is white) voicing the character for so long but also in the stereotypical accent he utilized. Despite being a dependable and loyal friend to Homer (and many of the other inhabitants of Springfield), Apu felt far too much like the butt of an ongoing joke. A documentary by comedian Hari Kondabolu called The Problem With Apu pointed out what exactly made the character so offensive.
Now, thanks to Variety, Simpsons fans have learned that Azaria is also no longer voicing the character of Carl. The new voice will be supplied by actor Alex Désert, in the season 32 premiere, this coming Sunday. At present, The Simpsons’ producers have not made it clear if Désert – who has voiced several animated characters over the years, including Mr. Bojenkins on Adult Swim’s Mr. Pickles, as well as on Momma Named Me Sheriff – will be the permanent voice for Carl. Should Désert be a permanent fixture on The Simpsons, he could provide the voices of other Black characters as well.
The new season of The Simpsons is arguably the perfect place to test out a new voice for Carl, who has managed to become the subject of much debate over the years regarding his good friend Lenny. It will, of course, be interesting to hear how Carl’s new voice sounds. Purists will likely balk at the idea of changing something that has already been established for so long. However, the fact of the matter is that Azaria has made the personal decision to no longer voice the character, and that isn’t going to change. The new season will still provide the laughs The Simpsons has always been known for, and Désert’s take on Carl could very well be even better than what Azaria has been doing for years.
It’s also worth noting that should certain fans cause a fuss over this tiny alteration, there isn’t a valid argument for not changing things up with the character. Carl isn’t such a massive character on the show that a different voice will be a glaring change to how the series operates. One of the biggest reasons why The Simpsons has been around for as long as it has because it continues to evolve. Choosing to allow non-white actors to voice non-white characters is indeed a part of that evolution.
