Continuing the fallout over the documentary Leaving Neverland, the producers of The Simpsons have yanked a Michael Jackson-themed episode from syndication.
The episode originally aired back in 1991 and featured Jackson providing the voice to a mental patient–depicted as a bald, overweight, Caucasian man–who also happens to believe he is the real Michael Jackson.
Over the years, fans of the series and critics have come to recognize it as one of the standout installments of the early seasons of the show; however, in light of the accusations made in Leaving Neverland, which details Jackson’s alleged pedophilic abuse of two boys, the bosses at The Simpsons feel it best to pull the episode, at least for the time being.
Oscar-winner James L. Brooks, who executive produces the show, told the Wall Street Journal “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. The documentary gave evidence of monstrous behavior.”
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Brooks also encouraged viewers not to regard the move as censorship. “I’m against book burning of any kind. But this is our book, and we’re allowed to take out a chapter.”
Leaving Neverland has ignited a fierce debate, with the Michael Jackson estate denouncing it as well as Jackson’s two accusers in the film, James Safechuck and Wade Robson.
Others in the media–including those that knew Jackson, like Oprah Winfrey–have commended Safechuck and Robeson for speaking out, as well as the documentary for its understanding of sexual abuse.
Related: ‘Leaving Neverland’ director Dan Reed documents Michael Jackson’s history of sex abuse
Brian
25 years ago this would have been a ballsy, respectable stand to take. Now it’s just virtue signaling of the worst kind.
The specific details in this and the R Kelly documentary may be new, but the info of the kind of things they were doing have been known for decades. Suddenly finding it unacceptable because someone made a documentary is idiotic. It has always been unacceptable, and the companies taking a stand now have known about it all along.
Jboo
Agreed. Removing the episode years after the pedophile is dead does nothing, says nothing. Action has to be timely to be meaningful.
Rock-N-RollHS
@ Mz Divine. Oh honey, and it will keep going on until they bury you with your make-up case. See you in Hades!
Jboo
Also, just gonna throw this out there – but Oprah is hypocritical. Wasn’t she buddy-buddy with Jackson? And NOW she’s suddenly turned her opinion on him? It’s no different that when she was knocking elbows with Harvey Weinstein and then all of a sudden she’s all for the #MeToo movement. She knew full well what these people were about, but associated herself with them nonetheless.
Rock-N-RollHS
Who cares. Haven’t seen this show in years. But Michael Jackson will forever remain on my playlist until the political correct police take me to prison, hook me up, and dismember me.
Beat it!
Jboo
Yeah, people aren’t concerned about his music. They’re concerned he was boofing little kids. Kind of a big difference there.
hansniemeijer
It IS Fahrenheit 451. And a bit cheap after twenty eight years. Yesterday (Fri 8th) Leaving Neverland was shown on Dutch and Flemish television after a proper introduction. I found it quite confusing. I can’t help seeing a parallel between the ambition of the parents of Michael Jackson and the ambition of the parents of Wade and James. Children should be allowed to be children. Violence of any kind should be banned.
GentlemanCaller
Good.
duke4172
At the time few people believed Michael Jackson was guilty and I honestly feel that James Safechuck and Wade Robson are telling the truth though at the time they denied anything of a sexual nature happened between them and Mr. Jackson I felt at the time that someone threatened them to remain quiet or he would make trouble for them! I blame the parents! There is no way I would let my child sleep with a grown man who is not a relative!
GentlemanCaller
I think we let the parents off too easily–yeah, they were seduced by MJ’s calculated dangling of the lifestyle of the rich and famous, and maybe they thought this was a great opportunity for their kid…maybe. But they totally gave up on their responsibility as parents to protect their children from predators, and the facts were right there in front of them. Any parent that consents to their young child sleeping with a 34 year old alone in his bedroom, isolated from them, is insane at best and criminal at worst.
OzJosh
Yes, the nature of the documentary avoids the parents being grilled too closely. And that soft-pedalling is one reason why Jackson fans are feeling able to sidestep the overwhelming evidence by pointing to the loopholes in the narrative. A more unforgiving approach to the parents would have fairly easily closed off those gaps. Also, I’d be interested to know what the two fathers have to say. One is now dead (though his views must have been known); the other is still alive. There’s no avoiding the fact that the major difference between all the children who surrounded MJ & the ones who were abused comes down to the parents who didn’t have any kind of problem with the 7 to 11-year-olds sleeping unsupervised in the same bed as an adult man – and an adult man who was by any normal standards just plain weird.