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.

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.*

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.

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.

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

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.

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. ♥

Glad Tariq is still continuing his indie animation segment

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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

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...

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

Always nice to see Tariq talk about Simpsons.

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. 💯❤️‍🔥✨

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.

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 🤣

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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. 🔥

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.

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

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

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

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

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 🤷‍♂️🤓

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.

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.

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.

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."

Tairic, as a half native and Mexican mix, you wouldn’t believe how many black people lived in Mexico through the revolution and we got along. Same with Chinese and other whites as well. Pretty awesome if you ask me.

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. 👏🏾

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😂😂😂

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.

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

Hits after hits. Tariq doesn't miss

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

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

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

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.

Love this episode, haven’t watched this episode but will check it out because of your analysis.

The earliest episode i recall with a memorable line (to me) from Carl was in Season 11, Pygmoelian, where he points out the worst flaws of Moe, Lenny, Barney and Homer. All 4 break down and cry, at which point Carl breaks the 4th wall and tells the audience: "See this is why I don't talk much." I have always wondered if that line was maybe a response to the audience, with Carl directly delivering a hilarious reason for his low participation in the show.

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

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

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

I love this video so much you don't even know 😭😭😭💕💕💕amazing stuff fr

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.

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! 😂😂

Yay a new vid!! Excited to check it out as always ✨

genuinely have no idea how this channel doesn't have more subs. your content is tops, man. keep up the good work. watching all the way from Australia

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.

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

Cool video, got high hopes for your new show's pilot as well

I love your channel. You’re absolutely hilarious and your commentary is always so refreshing and insightful.

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

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.

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

bro your videos are amazing i can see all the effort man brooo pls never stop this are amazing

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

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.

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

I'm so happy I found this channel man, this is dope as hell

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

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.

Thank you so much, this is my favorite video make this year on KZfaq.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

Brand new subscriber here. Brilliant stuff.

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

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.

Great Video! I knew next to nothing about Carl. I’m glad they gave this character some depth! It was cool seeing how it came to be. Keep up the great work!

I enjoyed the detailed take and explanation of this episode and character and the themes!!

This man done changed the intro song edit like we aint gonna notice. I SEE YOU BIG FELLA

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

Dude, I am full on subscribed to you and watched every video in 2022. The algorithm hasn't pushed a single one of your videos to my front page in a hot minute. I'm glad you are doing fine, love your content and I hope you're not feeling too much hurt from how messed up the algo has been the last few months.

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

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.