Goodbye Leon Kompowsky...
In world news 
An episode of The Simpsons featuring Michael Jackson’s voice has been pulled by its producers after a powerful documentary accused the star of sexually abusing two men when they were children.
The singer featured in the Stark Raving Dad Simpsons episode which aired in 1991, but his involvement was only confirmed years later. Jackson voiced Leon Kompowsky, who meets Homer in a psychiatric hospital, where he claims to be the pop star and does the moonwalk.
Producers of The Simpsons have decided to remove the episode from streaming services and TV channels which broadcast the show, with executive producer James L Brooks saying it was “the only choice to make”.
Fellow executive producers Matt Groening and Al Jean agreed with the decision, Brooks said, telling the Wall Street Journal: “The guys I work with – where we spend our lives arguing over jokes – were of one mind on this.
“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.”
He added: “I’m against book-burning of any kind. But this is our book, and we’re allowed to take out a chapter.”
An episode of The Simpsons featuring Michael Jackson’s voice has been pulled by its producers after a powerful documentary accused the star of sexually abusing two men when they were children.
The singer featured in the Stark Raving Dad Simpsons episode which aired in 1991, but his involvement was only confirmed years later. Jackson voiced Leon Kompowsky, who meets Homer in a psychiatric hospital, where he claims to be the pop star and does the moonwalk.
Producers of The Simpsons have decided to remove the episode from streaming services and TV channels which broadcast the show, with executive producer James L Brooks saying it was “the only choice to make”.
Fellow executive producers Matt Groening and Al Jean agreed with the decision, Brooks said, telling the Wall Street Journal: “The guys I work with – where we spend our lives arguing over jokes – were of one mind on this.
“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.”
He added: “I’m against book-burning of any kind. But this is our book, and we’re allowed to take out a chapter.”
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Replies
That was a really good episode as well.
Was one of my favourite episodes!
Also hope to keep the thriller moonwalk NPC zombie
I watched it but wish I hadn't.
Though I much prefer to see Leon stay in the game: You need proof to send someone to prison. You don't need proof to remove a character from the smartphone game your company developed.
Yeah I’m so mad at it all, whatever happened to ‘innocent until PROVEN guilty’? The words of 2 men going back on testimonies made until oath, and all of a sudden MJ is public enemy #1, now they’re shelving a CLASSIC Simpsons episode, which I personally love, why?....
True, but since we’re talking in the realms of “the game”, Leon ISN’T MJ, he’s a different unvoiced character?
I have always hoped for a complete bluray (or 4k) set in the future and it sounds like it'll be missing a classic episode.
I'm afraid I just don't understand the sudden urge to censor and wipe out MJ's existence. The allegations have been public knowledge for decades, he spent much of his final years dodging the media circus and fighting to prove his innocence. It's not a secret, it never was...suddenly everyone is shocked and outraged?
I suppose it's "karma" given the sudden change in opinion following his death. I recall he was ridiculed and despised by some for years leading up to his death... only for those same people to call him a hero and beloved icon after his death. It struck me as massively hypocritical to condemn him while he lived and sing his praises after he died. My opinion was that he was likely guilty, and my judgement didn't change after his death. That being said; erasing him from history is just a witch hunt at this stage and censorship.
Annie, are you ok?
So, Annie are you ok
Are you ok, Annie
Annie, are you ok?…
It's not about proof but about perception. Which is a bit odd they do this now seeing as how pretty much everybody had made their mind up about Jackson a long time ago.