They originally wanted George Takei to be the guest star, but had to bow out because he was on the LA Board of Transit and didn’t want to seem like he was disparaging public transportation
For the Leonard Nimoy role?
Yep!
They mention it on the DVD commentary for the episode
Gotta give some credit on Takei for that tbh, refusing to disparage public transport while you have responsibility over that stuff is both a very valid reason for recusing yourself from something and one of those moral dilemmas that only happen in real life because no one would ever think of it for fiction.
It so is and people reference it like it’s a smart commentary on trains.
It is smart if you read it as a riff on gadgetbahns, and monorails aren’t appropriate except in specific circumstances. But youre right it mostly comes off as car propaganda.
They also trashed solar lol
John Swartzwelder spent years using The Simpsons as a political tract and its kind of wild how that isnt a bigger topic when discussing the golden age of the show.
I always thought “The Simpsons got too preachy” coincided when Swartzwelder left the show.
Yea because jt stopped being preachy (right wing) and anything but preachy (right wing) is considered an affront.
