Morrissey slams ‘Simpsons’ over unflattering parody

Morrissey has accused The Simpsons of “hatred” and “ignorance” after the show’s latest episode featured an unflattering parody of a moody British singer in part inspired by the former Smiths frontman.

In the episode, first aired Sunday in the US, the precociously intelligent Lisa Simpson makes a new imaginary friend: a depressed but charismatic indie rocker from 1980s Britain with an uncanny resemblance to Morrissey.

The character, named Quilloughby and voiced by Hollywood star Benedict Cumberbatch, is a devoted vegan who inspires her with his music and acidic social commentary. But when Lisa attends a concert by Quilloughby’s band The Snuffs in the present day, she is shocked and disappointed to see that instead of the imaginary dashing singer, he is an overweight, grumpy and anti-immigrant meat-eater.

Morrissey was less than impressed with the portrayal. “The hatred shown towards me from the creators of The Simpsons is obviously a taunting lawsuit, but one that requires more funding than I could possibly muster in order to make a challenge,” the rocker wrote in a lengthy post on his website.