Ben & His Rat Army
Ben & His Rat Army is a group that was set to do a show in Springfield on October 25.
Behind the Laughter
Before the album The Simpsons Sing the Blues was released in 1990, it was rumored that pop icon Michael Jackson would contribute to it with a track. After being released, it was thought that "Do the Bartman" was the song written by Jackson, but executive producer James L. Brooks stated that the song was written by Bryan Loren, one of Jackson's friends. Eight years later, in 1998, Matt Groening stated that "Do the Bartman" was actually co-written and co-produced by Jackson.
"Ben & His Rat Army" is the only reference to Michael Jackson that can be seen in "Do the Bartman". It is a reference to the 1972 horror film Ben about a young boy and his pet rat, Ben, for which Jackson wrote the theme song.