"The Simpsons" Are Removing The Episode Starring Michael Jackson From Circulation
CNN- In light of the controversial “Leaving Neverland” documentary, “The Simpsons” is yanking one of its classic episodes featuring Michael Jackson. According to the Wall Street Journal, the show is removing the 1991 episode titled “Stark Raving Dad” which featured Jackson’s voice as a character named Leon Kompowsky, a patient Homer Simpson meets in a mental institution who claims to be the singer. The episode has been a fan favorite since it debuted, giving the world an earworm in the form of a birthday song Jackson sings to the Lisa Simpson character.
But “Simpsons” longtime executive producer James L. Brooks told the publication that in light of the disturbing claims made in the HBO documentary, pulling the episode “feels clearly the only choice to make.” “The guys I work with — where we spend our lives arguing over jokes — were of one mind on this,” Brooks said.
The Michael Jackson Cancel Tour continues and I can’t say I am all that shocked with this turn of events. No matter how much you love that episode (probably Top 20 for me, with “Lisa It’s Your Birthday” being by far my favorite Simpsons song ever, which is saying something), it’s hard to escape the current most problematic person dead or alive right now. “The Simpsons” yanking that episode from the rotation despite accusations against Michael Jackson we have known about for years is the same reason The Cosby Show was pulled without a jury’s verdict and why you won’t see Trapped In The Closet, the remix to Ignition on MTV anytime soon, and countless weddings won’t be able to get the dance floor going by simply playing “I Want You Back” or “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” (both with a 100% success rate when played at a wedding or any party).
I haven’t even watched “Leaving Neverland” yet because I honestly don’t have it in me to hear the horrid accusations that are detailed in the documentary. But based on some of the quotes I have read through social media, wiping any record of Leon Kompowsky, his incredible singing voice and “Lisa It’s Your Birthday” was the way to go, even if it meant getting rid of one of the pre-Season 13 episodes when The Simpsons was the best TV I’ve ever seen. I guess if the show’s creators still were operating under the lie that episode was voiced by John Jay Smith because of Jackson’s record label or whatever, they could have kept it. But again, the ENTIRE fucking episode revolves around a superstar accused of true scumbag shit visiting Springfield, even if that superstar turned out to be a regular dude that looks like me.
Shit, I just realized I look like both Leon AND Homer. Safe to say my life/looks have not gone the way I envisioned they would when I first watched this episode back in 1991 (I’m old as shit).