The tarnished legacy of Michael Jackson is starting to hit home for millions of his fans, as while radio stations have begun to mute his music across the globe, now one of his most classic moments on television has been pulled from syndication indefinitely.
Back in 1991, The Simpsons were in their third season when Michael Jackson voiced the character of Leon Kompowsky for the episode "Stark Raving Dad." During the episode, Homer Simpson meets a man in a mental institution who claims to be Michael Jackson, yet later he's revealed to be Kompowsky, a bricklayer from Paterson, New Jersey.
One of the highlights of the episode is when Kompowsky sings "Happy Birthday Lisa" as a present to the family, following numerous other references and soundbites of Jackson's iconic career.
Now, however, after the release of the documentary Leaving Neverland, the producers of the show have decided to erase the episode from their catalog altogether, a move that was supported by its creator Matt Groening.
"There are a lot of great memories we have wrapped up in that one," executive producer James L. Brooks said about the decision, "and [Leaving Neverland] certainly doesn’t allow them to remain."
For that reason, the episode has been removed completely from television circulation, while efforts are being made to scrub it from DVDs and streaming services.
Source: TMZ
