TMC
04-20-2022, 08:46 PM
https://www.looper.com/838883/the-controversial-simpsons-episode-that-got-banned-from-disney/
The Simpsons' Season 3 premiere was pulled due to the involvement of a maligned singer
For those perusing Disney+'s "The Simpsons" offerings, it may have come as a shock to see the premiere episode of Season 3 absent from the service. Titled "Stark Raving Dad," the episode starts with Homer being sent to a mental institution for wearing a pink shirt to work. Once there, he befriends a fellow patient with the rather recognizable name of Michael Jackson (voiced by the actual King of Pop himself). As Lisa (Yeardley Smith) (https://www.looper.com/836820/the-lisa-scene-on-the-simpsons-that-went-too-far/) is upset that Bart wasn't there for her on her birthday as promised, Bart and "Jackson" sing her a birthday song. Then, it is revealed that "Jackson" — who looks nothing like the singer — is actually named Leon Kompowsky.
Although "Stark Raving Dad" is free of typical "Simpsons" controversy, the issue at hand is the presence of the famous Moonwalker. Jackson, who died in 2009, has been accused of sexually abusing minors, resulting in several lawsuits and a police investigation (via NPR (https://www.npr.org/2019/03/05/699995484/michael-jackson-a-quarter-century-of-sexual-abuse-allegations)). Speaking to the Wall Street Journal (via The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/mar/08/michael-jackson-simpsons-episode-pulled-by-producers)), producer James L. Brooks explained the decision to pull the episode. "This was a treasured episode," he said. "There are a lot of great memories we have wrapped up in that one, and this certainly doesn't allow them to remain. I'm against book-burning of any kind. But this is our book, and we're allowed to take out a chapter."
Ultimately, the stigma surrounding Jackson's legacy was enough to invoke a rather strong response, and "Stark Raving Dad" has earned somewhat of a pariah status because of it.
The Simpsons' Season 3 premiere was pulled due to the involvement of a maligned singer
For those perusing Disney+'s "The Simpsons" offerings, it may have come as a shock to see the premiere episode of Season 3 absent from the service. Titled "Stark Raving Dad," the episode starts with Homer being sent to a mental institution for wearing a pink shirt to work. Once there, he befriends a fellow patient with the rather recognizable name of Michael Jackson (voiced by the actual King of Pop himself). As Lisa (Yeardley Smith) (https://www.looper.com/836820/the-lisa-scene-on-the-simpsons-that-went-too-far/) is upset that Bart wasn't there for her on her birthday as promised, Bart and "Jackson" sing her a birthday song. Then, it is revealed that "Jackson" — who looks nothing like the singer — is actually named Leon Kompowsky.
Although "Stark Raving Dad" is free of typical "Simpsons" controversy, the issue at hand is the presence of the famous Moonwalker. Jackson, who died in 2009, has been accused of sexually abusing minors, resulting in several lawsuits and a police investigation (via NPR (https://www.npr.org/2019/03/05/699995484/michael-jackson-a-quarter-century-of-sexual-abuse-allegations)). Speaking to the Wall Street Journal (via The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/mar/08/michael-jackson-simpsons-episode-pulled-by-producers)), producer James L. Brooks explained the decision to pull the episode. "This was a treasured episode," he said. "There are a lot of great memories we have wrapped up in that one, and this certainly doesn't allow them to remain. I'm against book-burning of any kind. But this is our book, and we're allowed to take out a chapter."
Ultimately, the stigma surrounding Jackson's legacy was enough to invoke a rather strong response, and "Stark Raving Dad" has earned somewhat of a pariah status because of it.