Talks to Watch

The Simpsons - Worker and Parasite

1.5M views · Nov 21, 2013 · 0:35 · 1 HN recommender · 3 mentions · discussed 2022–2026

A clip from The Simpsons episode 'Krusty Gets Kancelled' showing 'Worker and Parasite', an Eastern European take on Itchy and Scratchy. It is reportedly one of Matt Groening's favorite moments from the show.

Why Hacker News points people here: HN brings it up as a funny parody of odd Eastern European cartoons and as a joke about automation or replaced entertainment.

“is absolutely hilarious”HN comment, 2024

What Hacker News said 3

RecommendstroadJun 2024

“is absolutely hilarious”

Hilarious Simpsons parody of weird Eastern European cartoons.

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The Czechs have historically had a fairly significant animation industry, and the vast majority are very cute, e.g.: [0][1]. There also exist a few stop motion animation films intended for adults, and those can be more arthouse (e.g. Alice). [2] In America, Czech cartoons somewhat unfairly have the reputation for being weird, because a dozen Tom & Jerry episodes were made in Prague in the early 1960s in very weird circumstances, on a shoe-string budget by animators unaccustomed to the very idea of violent cartoons. [3] These were received with some confusion by the American audience in the midst of the Cuban Missile Crisis. From this you then have consequent parodies like The Simpsons' Worker and Parasite , which - though not exactly a fair reflection of Czech animation - is absolutely hilarious. [4] [0] Krtek a telefon / The Little Mole and the Telephone : link [1] Krtek chemikem / The Little Mole as the Chemist : link [2] link [3] The story of this is told here: link [4] this video

in “The case for not sanitising fairy tales” · view on HN
JoketzsDec 2022

“The Simpsons had a bit about cartoons being replaced by weird Eastern European cartoons”

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> I can't describe the disappointment of rushing home from school to find the Looney Tunes slot on BBC 2 be replaced by a "cultural exchange" cartoon from Eastern Europe. Interesting. The Simpsons had a bit about cartoons being replaced by weird Eastern European cartoons [1]. I didn't know that actually happened in real life. [1] this video

in “Moog Dancers Prove That TV Was a Lot More Adventurous in the 70s” · view on HN
JokeSyneRyderApr 2026

“my first thought went straight to this”

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I shouldn't admit it, but when you described a czechoslovakian cartoon about automation, my first thought went straight to this: this video

in “People Do Not Yearn for Automation” · view on HN