BUDAPEST, Hungary (Reuters) – An episode of the American television cartoon “The Simpsons (news – Y! TV)” reinforces Hungarian prejudices against its Roma or gypsy population, a rights official has said.

In a letter to the ViaSat3 commercial channel, Hungary’s minority ombudsman said one episode of the satirical animated show featured a Roma character who proves his ethnic origin to a school inspector by saying: “I will drink your blood.”

“In this scene, one of the characters declares Roma and vampires as borderline cases, and … suggests the Roma in general cannot conform to social rules and expectations,” Jeno Kaltenbach wrote in the letter dated November 25.

ViaSat3, which broadcast the episode, said that while the Hungarian language dubbing followed the original to the letter, translation in such cases could soften “offensive stereotypical expressions.”

The ombudsman examined the case after a private individual complained, the Roma Press Center said Wednesday.

The Roma are Hungary’s largest minority, making up about 5 percent of the central European nation’s population of about 10 million.

“The Simpsons” executive producer James Brooks apologized in April to Rio de Janeiro after an episode depicted the Brazilian (news – web sites) city as overrun with rats and monkeys.

Rio’s tourist board said it was considering legal action against the show for undermining its tourist industry.

Come on now! It’s the Simpsons!!!! Some people just get too carried away.