Submission 20,933

Part of a series on Leaving Neverland. [View Related Entries]

4F12 SC273 Note: Michal died on the wAy bACK to his home planet

SJW'S: Michael Jackson is a badman because documentary! Fox: Okay we'll remove The Simpsons episode. Sega: No false facts documentary in the universe going to stop me is

Michael Jackson was monitored by FBI for 13 years, his house was searched 2 times by more than 70 officers. Hundreds of kids were interviewed, some were offered money. NOTHING was found. He was tried for 4 months and was found not guilty. Couldn't even get him on a misdemeanor. The reason why we defend him is not because we are fans. We are fans because we have studied the depositions, testimonies and court documents instead of tabloid headlines. First accuser was caught on tape saying he wants money. The boy emancipated himself from his family and never spoke to them again. Second case was filled with timeline contradictions and gaps. They had scammed other celebs like Jay Leno. Wade Robson and James Safechuck are proven liars who sued MJ estate for money but when their cases were thrown out of court they decided to make a movie. Know your facts fam.

GO AWAy! THERE AIN'T NO MICHAEL TACKSON EPISODE AND THERE NEVER WAS

After watching two grown men graphically describe their abuse, did Fox decide to stop profiting off one episode? No, it's the damn libs censoring my favorite episode. I am oppressed

View All 6 Images

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?

Recent Images 6 total

View All Images

Recent Videos 0 total

There are no recent videos.

Load 141 Comments

The Simpsons "Michael Jackson" Episode Removal

Part of a series on Leaving Neverland. [View Related Entries]

PROTIP: Press 'i' to view the image gallery, 'v' to view the video gallery, or 'r' to view a random entry.

This submission is currently being researched & evaluated!

You can help confirm this entry by contributing facts, media, and other evidence of notability and mutation.

Overview

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]

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.