Stark Raving Dad
| "Stark Raving Dad" | ||
Episode Information
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After Bart washes his red hat in with a white load, Homer is forced to wear a pink shirt to work. Mr. Burns has Homer detained for being a "free thinking anarchist". He is examined by Dr. Marvin Monroe who administers a 20 question quiz that Homer has Bart fill out. The results cause Homer to be sent to a mental institution, where he shares a cell with a large white man who thinks he's Michael Jackson. (The real Michael Jackson performed the voice of the white man under the pseudonym John Jay Smith. Jackson's contract at the time prevented him from using his real name. The producers of the show are/were legally prevented from confirming this and will only say "read between the lines". However, a later episode, "Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie", contained brief dialogue that clued viewers in on the John Jay Smith controversy.)
Marge comes to visit Homer and convinces his doctors that Bart is the primary cause of Homer's problems. Homer gets the official certificate that says he is not insane. Homer calls and tells Bart that he is bringing Michael Jackson to stay for a few days. Bart lets the word out and all of Springfield turns out to see Michael Jackson. All the town's excitement is deflated when the faux Michael is revealed by Homer. Lisa becomes enraged when she realizes that Bart has yet again failed to acknowledge her birthday. Bart and "Michael" write a song specifically for Lisa's birthday that wins Lisa over. At the same time, Michael regains his confidence and tells the Simpsons that he is Leon Kompowsky, a native of Paterson, New Jersey. He explains that he does his Michael voice due to the fact he felt angry for the majority of his life and that he earned people's respect when he did the vocal impersonation.
