I don't really have anything to say about Michael Jackson or his death, but an unanticipated positive result of his death was Fox's re-airing of "Stark Raving Dad," one of the best episodes of "The Simpsons." It was great to watch this one again, but it made me realize (once again) something that hurts a bit to admit--an episode like this one (from Season 3), makes it quite clear how far this show has fallen. (This is something Amber and I have talked about a lot.) There is so much to appreciate in a gem like this including:
1) Homer standing out at work because of his pink shirt: A great little statement on conformity that would make Emerson proud. And we also hear Mr. Burns say, "Simpson, eh?" Seriously, when is the last time we heard that? Or even saw that much of Homer at the power plant?
2) Lisa's poem reflecting on her birthday which begins, "I had a cat named Snowball. She died! She died!"
3) The "insane" stamp on Homer's hand that he can't wash off.
4) The town's reaction to "Michael Jackson's arrival": "He's 300 pounds!" "He's white!" "He's dressed without flair!"
5) The fantastic "Happy Birthday, Lisa" song. (And Bart's first attempt at a song makes me chuckle, too.)
This is "The Simpsons" at its best: funny and wonderfully satiric, but also with a heart. So much of this is absent in the new episodes which seem driven by one or two jokes with no real purpose beyond them. (There are recent exceptions, of course, but they are few and far between.) I'll continue watching new episodes, but I really wish they could make episodes like they did back then.
Anyway, you might find the Wikipedia entry on this episode interesting, as it explains just how MJ's guest appearance came together.
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