Growing up in Quebec, Joshua Biasotto developed a fondness for watching The Simpsons in Québécois French, embracing the show’s unique cultural adaptation. After 35 years, the Canadian broadcaster, Corus Entertainment’s Télétoon, opted not to renew the rights for the 36th season, endangering the existence of Les Simpson.
In response to this threat, Biasotto initiated an online petition titled Sauvons le doublage québécois des Simpsons – “Let’s save the Quebec dub of The Simpsons.” He emphasized the importance of preserving this version as part of Quebec’s identity, enriched with local expressions and references that distinguished it from the original.
The Quebec adaptation featured regional accents and swapped American locations with Quebecois counterparts, ensuring a personalized viewing experience. The public outcry to safeguard Les Simpson reflected a broader sentiment of preserving Quebec’s linguistic and cultural heritage through dubbing.
Dubbing has long been integral to Quebec’s entertainment landscape, offering audiences a familiar and relatable way to experience international content. Daniel Béland, from McGill University, highlighted the significance of dubbing in maintaining Quebec’s distinct cultural identity and language, emphasizing the need to protect the province’s mother tongue.
For voice actors like Thiéry Dubé, who voiced Québécois Homer Simpson, the potential loss of Les Simpson had profound personal and cultural implications. The community’s unwavering support and loyalty played a crucial role in reviving the show, with Bell Media partnering with Disney Entertainment to continue its broadcast.
The successful campaign to bring back Les Simpson underscored the passion and dedication of fans, ensuring the continuation of Quebec’s dubbing tradition. As the dubbing industry in Quebec thrives, challenges such as tighter production timelines and technological advancements pose new obstacles, highlighting the importance of human voice actors in preserving the authenticity of dubbed content.
