The episode was also omitted from the streaming service Disney+.[51] The Slate journalist Isaac Butler criticized the removal as “an offense against art and the medium of television, and part of a growing trend of corporations using their consolidated power and the death of physical media to do damage control by destroying works by troublesome artists”.
Michael Jackson guest-starred as Leon Kompowsky, but went uncredited (credited as John Jay Smith) for contractual reasons; his role was not confirmed until later. Jackson was a fan of the show and called its creator, Matt Groening, offering to do a guest spot. Jackson pitched several story ideas and wrote the song “Happy Birthday Lisa” for the episode. Leon’s singing voice was performed by a Jackson soundalike, Kipp Lennon, due to Jackson’s contractual obligations with his record company.[3] The episode references Jackson’s career, with Kompowsky singing portions of the songs “Billie Jean” and “Ben”.
Side note, why does this link above go through Google?
Android browser share button doesn’t copy the URL as shown. It prefixes the title to the clipboard content to help hide (behind “too long text”) that it secretly, unprompted, uses the share.google link shortener / tracking service.
I got bit by it within the last week. Fuck that feature.
I think it used to have a way to actually copy the URL, but most mobile browsers are making that harder for a variety of reasons.
I recommend Firefox for Android, share works normally, and you can install extensions. I have one for ad blocking and one to keep YouTube running even when I minimize the browser or lock the screen.
I have FF installed, and set it as my default. (It’s what links from Tusky use, at least.) I just happened to use the OS search bar which always (?) uses the Android browser.
I have UBO installed on FF because it’s the only way browsing the web leaves any content visible anymore.
I just happened to use the OS search bar which always (?) uses the Android browser.
Ah right, I had that issue too.
To avoid it I use the Lawnchair 3rd party launcher with a 5x5 grid, and placed a Firefox “search the web” Widget on the top row. Admittedly it’s not perfect, I encountered a few bugs in Lawnchair before (though not recently), but it still annoyed me less than the default.
I have FF installed, and set it as my default. (It’s what links from Tusky use, at least.) I just happened to use the OS search bar which always (?) uses the Android browser.
They do this with sunny, a bunch of sunny episodes are gone because of racial stuff, one including where Dee pretends to be Puerto Rican. As a Latino I found that episode hilarious and im more offended that they removed it.
If they removed the Simpsons Michael Jackson episode, they’ll probably delete the Sunny episodes with P Diddy
Also, Community, which is especially absurd in the case of the episode where Chang dons black facepaint to play… a dark elf. Guess it was thought that any real dark elf viewers could be offended.
Wasn’t the joke that Chang was in fact doing blackface, and everyone else scolds him for it? (this doesn’t make it good to remove, just changes the context)
My real annoyance with that is Chang was on screen for maybe a minute or 2 totally time in the paint. Couldn’t they just show a different characters face or have up a black screen with the audio or something. I’m sure it’s harder than what I’m thinking but it can’t be impossible. I just like this episode. I had to find it elsewhere when I was rewatching community.
Calling it corporate censorship, is just bullshit.
The news corporations had a major hand in framing Michael Jackson - who was literally innocent. So if the creators removed someone because corporate made money by pretending he is guilty, it is corporate censorship.
Correct. We don’t need to make stuff up to hate Disney, there’s plenty enough to hate already
Brooks told The Wall Street Journal: “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.”
Death of the author, Brooks. You don’t get to tear a page out of an already published book.
That said, Disney’s decision not to show that episode is a separate one. Both parties suck tbh
Stark Raving Dad - Wikipedia https://share.google/bkT2WOa5qDZKeQICR
Essentially corporate censorship for fear of maybe offending someone.
One excerpt I enjoyed reading.
Side note, why does this link above go through Google? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stark_Raving_Dad
Android browser share button doesn’t copy the URL as shown. It prefixes the title to the clipboard content to help hide (behind “too long text”) that it secretly, unprompted, uses the share.google link shortener / tracking service.
I got bit by it within the last week. Fuck that feature.
I think it used to have a way to actually copy the URL, but most mobile browsers are making that harder for a variety of reasons.
I recommend Firefox for Android, share works normally, and you can install extensions. I have one for ad blocking and one to keep YouTube running even when I minimize the browser or lock the screen.
I have FF installed, and set it as my default. (It’s what links from Tusky use, at least.) I just happened to use the OS search bar which always (?) uses the Android browser.
I have UBO installed on FF because it’s the only way browsing the web leaves any content visible anymore.
Ah right, I had that issue too.
To avoid it I use the Lawnchair 3rd party launcher with a 5x5 grid, and placed a Firefox “search the web” Widget on the top row. Admittedly it’s not perfect, I encountered a few bugs in Lawnchair before (though not recently), but it still annoyed me less than the default.
Switch to firefox. They’re assholes too but at least no google tracking BS and you can install ublock origin
Edit: just saw the other reply after I posted but let’s be honest, you knew what you were getting into with lemmy 😅
I have FF installed, and set it as my default. (It’s what links from Tusky use, at least.) I just happened to use the OS search bar which always (?) uses the Android browser.
They do this with sunny, a bunch of sunny episodes are gone because of racial stuff, one including where Dee pretends to be Puerto Rican. As a Latino I found that episode hilarious and im more offended that they removed it.
If they removed the Simpsons Michael Jackson episode, they’ll probably delete the Sunny episodes with P Diddy
Also, Community, which is especially absurd in the case of the episode where Chang dons black facepaint to play… a dark elf. Guess it was thought that any real dark elf viewers could be offended.
While I don’t agree I looked into the history of dark elves and I was shocked.
https://therpggazette.wordpress.com/2025/04/07/savage-stereotypes-and-dark-dilemmas-orcs-drow-and-dds-racial-reckoning/
http://gender-power.amu.edu.pl/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/JGP_Vol_18_No_2_3.pdf
Wasn’t the joke that Chang was in fact doing blackface, and everyone else scolds him for it? (this doesn’t make it good to remove, just changes the context)
also dies immediately and has no bearing on the episode.
My real annoyance with that is Chang was on screen for maybe a minute or 2 totally time in the paint. Couldn’t they just show a different characters face or have up a black screen with the audio or something. I’m sure it’s harder than what I’m thinking but it can’t be impossible. I just like this episode. I had to find it elsewhere when I was rewatching community.
That episode was officially restored in the US when the show went to Peacock.
Why did you short url a wikipedia link with google?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stark_Raving_Dad
Apparently Google does that now with the share function automatically
I guess we need to get that guy off Google shit then
Cheeky cunts, aren’t they?
nightmarish
It’s not even really shorter.
and people will blame the wokes/DEI/whatever
This is a decades old story.
The show runners themselves pulled the episode because the thought of Jackson using The Simpsons to get to kids was “icky” to put it lightly.
Calling it corporate censorship, is just bullshit.
The news corporations had a major hand in framing Michael Jackson - who was literally innocent. So if the creators removed someone because corporate made money by pretending he is guilty, it is corporate censorship.
https://themichaeljacksonallegationsblog.wordpress.com/
Not even remotely true. Disney pulled the episode in March 2019 after the HBO documentary Leaving Neverland premiered.
Doesn’t change the fact it was the production staff of the Simpsons that pulled the episode. Not Disney,
Correct. We don’t need to make stuff up to hate Disney, there’s plenty enough to hate already
Death of the author, Brooks. You don’t get to tear a page out of an already published book.
That said, Disney’s decision not to show that episode is a separate one. Both parties suck tbh
I hope to fuck you’re including the pedophile in that.
? I’m talking about the production staff and Disney, both of whom independently decided to toss the episode in the memory hole
Aww dude.