The Simpsons Remember Their Michael Jackson Rehearsal: Sikhs, Nose and All
Since Michael Jackson's tragic death this summer, everyone from Al Sharpton to Heidi Montag has shared their memories of the King of Pop. Now, on the eve of John Ortved's The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History release, details have emerged about the time the Fox cartoon crew met the singer for an unprecedented location rehearsal. Instead of tiptoeing around the late artist's strangeness, The Simpsons team recalls the straight-up bizarreness of their 1991 experience, including an implicit "Don't Stare at His Nose" policy and Jackson's "sing-along guy."
The book which hits shelves tomorrow, details the Simpsons rehearsal with Jackson, who appeared as an overweight mental patient convinced that he is the former King of Pop. In preparation for the guest spot, Jackson requested the crew leave the studio to hold a read-through at Jackson's manager's house. Writer Wallace Wolodarsky remembers that the entire afternoon was weird, especially the fact that everyone was "served food by Sikhs in white robes and turbans."
Even in the early nineties, Hank Azaria (voice of Moe and Chief Wiggum) says that he tried to avoid looking at Jackson's face while talking to him: "I remember even then, staring at his nose, and it was all about, 'Don't Stare at His Nose.' "
So intimidated by the environment and pressure of the situation, editor Brian Roberts tried to avoid all eye contact with Jackson:
"I literally didn't want to look at him. So I get my head buried in the script, and then at one point in the script he sang, 'Man in the Mirror,' and I said, 'All right. How many times in your life are you sitting next to Michael Jackson and he's singing "Man in the Mirror?" I just gotta look.'
"So I look over to Michael Jackson, and he wasn't singing! He had a sing-along guy next to him who was actually singing for him. I couldn't believe it. I was like, What kinda weird [expletive] is this?"
A "sing-along guy"? Did he look anything like this?
· Jacko Freaked Out Simpsons [New York Post]
Comments
i love u
haha
"What kinda weird [expletive] is this?” "
Wow that is way cool dude!
RT
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Michael Jackson voiced the character but wasn't allowed to sing on the episode due to contractual and legal BS, so thats why he had the sing along guy.
Hmmm...what was up with Homer's "WOOOOOW" at the end? Didn't sound like him.
.....the sing-a-long guy was required because because of legal mumbo-jumbo, Jackson was not allowed to do any singing...it's a rehersal...blah blah blah...he was part of the deal.
the man was weird, i'm not trying to defend anything he's done in the past...if you remove the legal stuff, the "voice double" seems really strange..but it's one of rare moments that has a valid logical explanation.
homers voice sounds like its from the french simpsons
If you watch the DVD commentary for that episode you'll hear Matt Groening and Al Jean talk extensively about Jackson's appearance. As far as they explain he was fun and easy to work with. I'm sure it was surreal, but they quite openly expressed that they enjoyed working with him.
That is really cool!
I gotta hear the French version of "Doh!". Weird.
WAW MICHAEL YOU ARE THE MOST WANTED MAN IN THR WORLD
During the first couple of seasons there was more than one voice for Homer, this is one of the episodes where the other voice was used.
Eh? I thought they said on the episode commentary that they couldn't AFFORD to pay Jackson to sing. It wasn't legal stuff, it was that they could only afford to pay for his speaking part, not the singing.
It pisses me off....all these rumours about how the session with Michael was on the Simpsons.
I also read that Michael had legal reasons why he could not sing on the Simpsons. People just like to propogate lies without even wanting to know the truth.
yeah it's called being a Tabloid Junkie!
The King of Pop , you are a great Legend !
Mike the world misses u cn u imajine tht shit.after all the hatred 4rm the media nw these pple r missin ya.r.i.p mike ur legacy wil live 4eva
The reason Homer's wow didn't sound like him is because it wasn't. I'm pretty sure it was the actor that does the the French dubs.
On the DVDs in the French and Spanish Language versions, when there's singing involved it reverts to the original American Recordings.
I like hearing about the strangeness.
I love that episode.