The Simpsons "Michael Jackson" Episode Removal
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Overview
The Simpsons "Michael Jackson" Episode Removal refers to the self-imposed banning of the 1991 episode of the American animated comedy The Simpsons entitled "Stark Raving Dad," which guest-starred recording artist Michael Jackson. Following the release of Leaving Neverland, a 2019 documentary in which two men allege, in great detail, that they were the victims of sexual abuse at Jackson's hands when they were children, The Simpsons creators announced they would be removing the episode from future airings, home-video releases and streaming, a decision that was largely met with animosity by fans of the series.
Background
On September 19th, 1991, Fox aired the episode of The Simpsons "Stark Raving Dad," which features Michael Jackson as a guest star (clip below).[1]
On March 4th, 2019, HBO premiered the documentary Leaving Neverland to subscribers. In the film, two men, Wade Robson and Jimmy Safechuck, describe their experience with Michael Jackson, who they accuse of sexually abusing them over a period of time as children.
Following the film's release, Simpsons co-creator James L. Brooks told the Wall Street Journal[2] that he and Simpsons-creator Matt Groening and showrunner Al Jean decided to remove the episode from future airings, home-video releases and streaming platforms. He said:
It 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. This was a treasured episode. 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.
Developments
Online Reaction
There was a mixed reaction to the episodes removal among fans of the series. On Simpsons Shitposting Facebook groups, some used the depiction of Jackson's character from the Simspons to parody the perceived erasure of the character from Simpsons history (shown below, left).[3] Others agreed with the decision, one, in particular, argued this with the Am I Out Of Touch meme (shown below, right).[4]
Media Coverage
Several media outlets covered the removal, including The AV Club,[5] The Hollywood Reporter,[6] Rolling Stone,[7] CNN,[8] Associated Press[9] and more.
Search Interest
External References
[1] Wikipedia – Stark Raving Dad
[2] The Wall Street Journal – ‘Simpsons’ Episode Featuring Michael Jackson’s Voice to Be Pulled
[3] Facebook – There Ain't Michael Jackson Episode
[4] Facebook – Am I Out Of Touch
[5] The AV Club – The Simpsons is pulling its Michael Jackson episode from circulation, possibly for good
[6] The Hollywood Reporter – 'Simpsons' Episode Guest-Starring Michael Jackson Pulled From Circulation
[7] Rolling Stone – ‘The Simpsons’ Episode Featuring Michael Jackson to be Pulled
[8] CNN – 'The Simpsons' is pulling its Michael Jackson episode
[9] Associated Press – ‘Simpsons’ producers pull iconic Michael Jackson episode?
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