Editing Dr. Hibbert (section)

==Cultural reception==
A [[tongue-in-cheek]] analysis in the ''[[Canadian Medical Association Journal]]'' (''CMAJ'') compares the services of Dr. Hibbert and [[Dr. Nick Riviera]], a quack physician often used by ''The Simpsons'' as an alternative source of medical advice. While Hibbert is praised for his sense of humor and quality of care, it concludes that Nick is a better [[role model]] for physicians; Hibbert is a paternalistic and wasteful physician, unlike Nick, who strives to cut costs and does his best to avoid the [[coroner]].<ref>{{cite journal |first1=Robert |last1=Patterson |first2=Charles |last2=Weijer |title=D'oh! An analysis of the medical care provided to the family of Homer J. Simpson |url=http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/reprint/159/12/1480.pdf |journal=[[Canadian Medical Association Journal]] |publisher=[[Canadian Medical Association]] |location=Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |volume=159 |issue=12 |pages=1480–1 |date=December 15, 1998 |pmid=9988570 |pmc=1229893}}</ref> This study was rebutted, also in ''CMAJ'', casting both characters aside as a role model in favor of Dr. [[Leonard McCoy|Bones McCoy]] of ''[[Star Trek]]'', "TV's only true physician" and "someone who has broken free from the yoke of ethics and practises the art and science of medicine beyond the stultifying opposition of paternalism and autonomy. A free and independent thinker and, indeed, someone even beyond role models".<ref>{{cite journal |first=Michael |last=Yao |date=December 15, 1998 |title=To boldly go: we have to look beyond the Simpsons for a true medical hero |url=http://www.cmaj.ca/content/159/12/1476.full.pdf |journal=[[Canadian Medical Association Journal]] |publisher=[[Canadian Medical Association]] |location=Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |volume=159 |issue=12 |pages=1476–1477 |pmid=9988569 |pmc=1229891 |access-date=January 23, 2018}}</ref>

In mid-2020, amid the [[Black Lives Matter]] movement and [[George Floyd protests]], the ''Simpsons'' producers declared their intentions to no longer use white actors to voice non-white characters; thus, Dr. Hibbert's voice actor was recast. Harry Shearer, the original voice actor, second-guessed this decision, saying all actors are hired to "play someone who they are not". This came amid similar recasting on other cartoons such as ''[[Family Guy]]''.<ref>{{cite web|first=Zac|last=Ntim|url=https://www.insider.com/dr-hibbert-actor-harry-shearer-questions-the-simpsons-casting-rules-2020-8|title=The actor who plays Dr Hibbert in 'The Simpsons' questions the show's decision to stop casting white actors as characters of color|website=[[Insider.com|Insider]]|date=August 5, 2020|accessdate=June 12, 2023}}</ref> In February of the following year, it was announced that beginning with the episode "[[Wad Goals]]", voice actor [[Kevin Michael Richardson]], who is African-American, would replace Shearer as Hibbert.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-56166823 |title=The Simpsons: Kevin Michael Richardson replaces Harry Shearer as Dr Hibbert |work=[[BBC News]] |date=23 February 2021 |access-date=23 February 2021}}</ref>