Producers ofThe Simpsonshave decided to pull the Michael Jackson episode of the show from circulation. The decision was made after the release of theLeaving Neverlanddocumentary, which recently premiered on HBO and goes into the child molestation allegations against the King of Pop. The documentary has been criticized by many, but for some, there is too much evidence to ignore and some radio stations have started to pull Jackson’s music from rotation. The Jackson estate is currently suing HBO for airingLeaving Neverland.
The decision to pull the Stark Raving Dad episode ofThe Simpsonsfrom circulation was made by creatorMatt Groening, executive producer James L. Brooks, and showrunner Al Jean. The episode will be pulled from television reruns, streaming services, and from future Blu-ray and DVD collections from here on out. The decision will more than likely cause a backlash, but Groening, Brooks, and Jean stand by their decision to pull the episode featuring Michael Jackson’s voice.
Controversy aroundMichael Jacksonand child molestation started to come out in the early 1990s when several lawsuits were filed against the singer. The early 2000s saw more lawsuits against Jackson, but there were never any convictions, which his family stands by. Jackson has been dead since 2009 and many see the release ofLeaving Neverlandas a low blow since the singer cannot defend himself any longer. With that being said, there have been a lot of fans that have started to second guess their thoughts on Jackson’s allegations since the release of the documentary.
Michael Jackson is one of themost legendary musicians of all timeand is famous all over the world, not just in North America. He is often regarded as one of the greatest entertainers of all time and his album Thriller remains to be the highest selling record of all time with 130 million copies sold globally. With the new allegations andFinding Neverlandout, the world is starting to see the King of Pop in a new light, while his diehard fans and family maintain his innocence. With that being said, more and more radio stations are starting to pull Jackson’s music from their playlists.
It will be interesting to see the reaction toThe Simpsonsfor pulling Stark Raving Dad from future reruns and streams. At the time of the episode’s release and for years after, many didn’t even believe that it was Michael Jackson on the episode. As more and more backlash against Jackson is revealed, it will more than likely tarnish the singer’s legacy, which has pretty much already been the case since the early 1990s. However,Leaving Neverlandhas brought up a lot more evidence that many are taking very seriously. The decision to pull the Michael JacksonSimpsonsepisode news was first reported byThe Wall Street Journal.
