The Simpsons ties its episodes firmly to the contemporary pop culture of when they're released. But there's only one episode that has proven so specifically controversial that it was pulled from circulation and was even kept off streaming services. This was the Michael Jackson-led episode, "Stark Raving Dad."
How did this infamous episode of The Simpsons come to be, and how did it end up getting effectively removed from the series?
"Stark Raving Dad" came about because Michael Jackson — who provided the vocal performance for Leon — was a noted fan of The Simpsons, and Bart in particular. As the producers of the show recalled during the DVD commentary for the episode, Jackson specifically reached out to The Simpsons creator Matt Groening and asked to be in an episode. Written by the newly-minted series showrunners Al Jean and Mike Reiss, "Stark Raving Dad" served as the Season 3 premiere. Notably, Jackson only provided the speaking lines for Leon, with Kipp Lennon doing all of the actual singing within the episode. During production, Jackson also quietly contributed to the novelty single "Do the Bartman," which became a global hit and cemented his public fandom for the show.
"Stark Raving Dad" opens with Bart throwing his red cap into the washer, unwittingly dying all of his father's work shirts pink. This results in Mr. Burns deciding Homer must be mentally unstable, ordering him to be taken to a mental hospital. While there, Homer ends up sharing a room with a hulking but kindly patient named Leon Kompowsky who believes himself to be the then-contemporary musical artist Michael Jackson. The two become friends, and when Homer is released from the hospital, he arranges for "Michael" to stay with him and his family for a time. Bart ends up recruiting the man to help him make a last-minute birthday present for Lisa in the form of a song, leading to a sweet moment between the family before Leon reverts to his true personality and leaves, thanking the Simpsons for their hospitality.
The episode was originally well-received and was one of the biggest celebrity guest appearances of The Simpsons at the time. There was even briefly talk of a sequel to the episode which would have seen Leon return to Springfield, only this time believing he was the musician Prince. However, Prince objected to the script as presented and the episode was ultimately scrapped. Episodes like Season 28's "Mr. Lisa's Opus" featured cameos by Leon. However, the episode has aged poorly due to the portrayals of mental illness and the plot development of Bart being forced to share a bedroom with a fully grown man the family barely knows. Season 26's "Walking Big & Tall" referenced the latter, with Bart noting in retrospect that it was a very strange decision and Homer admitting, "it was different times."
The episode gained additional notoriety in 2019. Following the release of the two-part HBO documentary Leaving Neverland, allegations of sexual assault against the now-deceased Jackson resurfaced in the public eye. This resulted in a reexamination of his artistic output as a whole, including his appearance in The Simpsons. The episode was pulled from syndication and was kept from appearing on the Disney+ streaming service, where every other episode of the series is available, despite some of them also have their own controversies. Notably, the decision to pull the episode from syndication didn't come from Disney or Fox, but rather the producers of The Simpsons themselves. Matt Groening, Al Jean and executive producer James L. Brooks all felt the episode was tarnished by these latest revelations.