Banksy creates dark Simpsons opener

The typically buoyant and whimsical opening sequence for The Simpsons took a darker turn over the weekend, with a Banksy-created segment that referenced the cartoon's use of Asian workers.

Al Jean, executive producer of the long-running animated series, said he hired the provocativeBritish graffiti artist to create a special opener after seeing his film Exit Through the Gift Shop.

A modified version of the Simpsons intro that aired Sunday began as the traditional one does panning through scenes from the fictional town of Springfield. However, the Banksy version shows the town covered in graffiti, including the artist's tag over billboards.

As the segment lands on the final image of the Simpson family gathered and seated on their couch, the shot is shown to be a reference picture for a grim factory filled with Asian workers creating animation cells for The Simpsons. Further scenes show other Asian workers churning out Bart Simpson dolls and Simpsons DVDs.

The self-deprecating sequence, which was created for the MoneyBart episode, references the fact that much of the animation production for the show is outsourced to South Korean studios and workers.

Though the segment, which lasts less than two minutes, was "toned down a little" for airing, "there was nothing unusual for the network in terms of notes or delays," Jean told media on Monday.

"Fox has a remarkable ability to make fun of itself and be gracious," he noted about the network.

Past intros have been reimagined according to pop culture themes such as Mad Men, Star Wars and Kesha's song Tik Tok or holidays such as Christmas.