I don’t think this is the best episode of the Simpsons, it’s not even in the period most consider the best seasons (4-8), but it’s my favorite episode. It perfectly encapsulates what made the Simpsons amazing in the 90s: right amount of heart, wacky but not balls to the wall, and integrating a celebrity without it seeming like the episode was one long promo for that celebrity – fully understand the irony of that because he’s playing Michael Jackson in the episode. Before he died there was a lot of baggage that comes along with having Michael Jackson in your show or movie (unintentional theme this week since he’s in MIB2) but this came out way before any of those “allegations” were public. He was the most famous and beloved person in the world so that fact that he asked to be on the show had to seem like a dream come true. All he requested was that he record it under an assumed name, not do his own singing, and have the writers kids over for a sleepover. How could they say no?

Side note – just watched the episode with commentary on and Groening says that Jackson would talk about how much he loved Bart and wanted to write a song for him.

Side side note – He would later write “Do the Bartman” which would be a number one hit.

In the episode, main character Homer is mistaken for a “free-thinking anarchist” and sent to a mental institution, where he shares a room with a large white man named Leon Kompowsky who pretends to be Michael Jackson. Meanwhile, because he normally forgets her birthday, Bart promises his sister Lisa that he will get her the best present ever. At it’s bare bones like that it doesn’t sound like that great of an episode but that was a hallmark of the era – the writers managed to make the most basic plots into amazing episodes. After disappointing everyone in town because he told them Michael Jackson was coming over and about to be disowned by Lisa for forgetting her birthday the episode climaxes with Bart and MJ writing a birthday song for her. It’s sappy and funny which is how the Simpsons should be and not the dumpster fire of trying to mimic Family Guy that it is now.

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Favorite quote of the episode:

“I’m Bart Simpson. Who the hell are you?”

“I’m Michael Jackson.”