There has been considerable backlash ever since claims came out of the HBO “Finding Neverland” that Jackson sexually abused the two men featured in the film. I’ve tried not to have an opinion on whether he did it or not. Having followed the Jackson case for the better part of two decades, shifting opinions more times than I can remember, to the point where I have somewhat settled with permanent neutrality.
“The Simpsons” and Disney+ have an important partnership. There are no doubt plenty of folks out there who decided to subscribe to Disney+ just to have access to every single episode of “The Simpsons.” However, now comes the news that the streaming channel has decided not to include the famous Michael Jackson episode “Stark Raving Dad” in their otherwise complete 30-season selection.
This comes after, earlier this year, “The Simpsons” co-creator James L. Brooks decided to pull the famous M.J. episode as part of the show’s reruns on television. The only way to watch the episode now is either on home video or, gulp, through piracy.
“Stark Raving Dad” aired September 19, 1991, and had Jackson voicing a character named Leon Kompowsky, a New Yorker, and mental institution patient, who believed to be the real Michael Jackson. The episode aired just two years before Jackson would be accused of sexually molesting a minor. Brooks had previously told The Wall Street Journal, “The documentary [Finding Neverland] gave evidence of monstrous behavior.” Brooks acknowledged that he, Groening, and former showrunner (and episode co-writer) Al Jean made the decision post-documentary to remove the episode in order to show compassion for Jackson’s alleged victims.
All I can say, for certain, is that Jackson was vetted by the FBI, he was found innocent in multiple courts of law by our legal system. I find it disheartening that a documentary is being released 10 years after he is dead by people who chose not to speak up when he was facing these charges.
The infuriating part of the “Finding Neverland” controversy is that these accusers cannot tell their stories to a court and jury and that Jackson is being accused without a fair trial. And so, what I’ve seen the last year or so since the doc premiered, is the media playing judge. jury and executioner by covering Jackson’s “guilt.”