"Ay, carumba" isn't the only time The Simpsons has taken a dive into international linguistics.
In a thread Twitter user @mattomic broke down how the long-running cartoon has been translated into many different languages across the world. But as most Quebecers know, the French we speak here is a long way away from our Eiffel Tower-loving cousins across the Atlantic.
As @mattomic explains, the difference in dialects can present some pretty unique problems. Namely, "Fans of the Quebec dub hate the European dub and vice versa."
Thus, The Simpsons is actually translated into French twice - once for France and again for Quebec, where Homer et al, true to their working-class origins, bicker in joual.
But the differences don't end in slang and pronunciation. While the European version is a fairly standard translation, the Quebec version seems to reimagine the quintessentially American Simpsons clan as French-Canadians (there may be 33 Springfields in the U.S., but it seems unlikely that the family lives in Longueuil's Springfield Park). As @mattomic shows, that approach can result in some highly local jokes at the expense of Jonquiere and Alma.
Hardcore Simpsons fans might be asking 'Well what about that episode where Bart went to France on exchange?' Don't have a cow, man. @mattomic has you covered with an explanation.
The Simpsons might think that people in Canada are slow, eh, but a lot goes into making the show accessible to all. Woohoo!
