# Michael Jackson on the Simpsons? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 6, 2003, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-on-the-simpsons/205908 "2003-10-06T19:16:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WILLASS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/54ee81/32.png) [@WILLASS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WILLASS)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-on-the-simpsons/205908/1 "2003-10-06T19:16:18Z")
Can anyone tell me whether it is actually Michael Jackson on the epsisode of the Simpsons when Homer is in the mental institution? He isn’t credited at the end but maybe he wanted to do it incognito. I believe he wrote the ‘Bartman’ song and judging from the calibre of some of the other guests I would say it is not beyond the realms of reality. So does anyone have any info? ---
**Author:** ![Velma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/85e7bf/32.png) [@Velma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velma)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-on-the-simpsons/205908/2 "2003-10-06T19:30:13Z")
The 3rd season DVD collection has this episode, and this is discussed in the commentary. It is indeed MJ himself doing the voice, but for some reason he refused to sing the song. That was done by an impersonator. He did not want to be credited for the episode, so they left his name off, but it was strongly implied that it was really him. He specifically asked to have a scene singing a song with Bart. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-on-the-simpsons/205908/3 "2003-10-06T19:43:35Z")
Wonder why he was willing to do the voice but not willing to sing? It was a nice song, by the way. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-on-the-simpsons/205908/4 "2003-10-06T22:23:04Z")
He was contractually unable to sing. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-on-the-simpsons/205908/5 "2003-10-06T22:27:59Z")
**mobo85** is correct, MJ’s recording contract would not allow him to sing on _The Simpsons_, so a MJ imitator was used for the singing. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-on-the-simpsons/205908/6 "2003-10-06T22:30:24Z")
The impersonator is one who’s authorized by Michael. Also, MJ insisted on writing Lisa’s birthday song. ---
**Author:** ![Mullinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@Mullinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mullinator)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-on-the-simpsons/205908/7 "2003-10-07T12:23:52Z")
And, this was self-reference by the Simpsons in the episode with the Itchy and Scratchy movie. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-on-the-simpsons/205908/8 "2003-10-07T12:43:28Z")
Not that Michael Jackson ever needs a rational explanation for his behavior. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-on-the-simpsons/205908/9 "2003-10-07T13:04:31Z")
I had no idea it was an impersonator singing. As a huge Simpsons fan, I am deeply ashamed. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-on-the-simpsons/205908/10 "2003-10-07T13:49:50Z")
Let’s see… Michael really, really wanted to do it. But he was contractually unable to put his name to it. So they found an impersonator to do the singing… Any chance that it actually was Michael, and the song was just credited to the impersonator for contractual reasons? It sure sounds like him. ---
**Author:** ![Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-on-the-simpsons/205908/11 "2003-10-07T13:53:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sam Stone \* > \*\*Let’s see… Michael really, really wanted to do it. But he was contractually unable to put his name to it. So they found an impersonator to do the singing… > > Any chance that it actually was Michael, and the song was just credited to the impersonator for contractual reasons? It sure sounds like him. \*\* If it was, Hank Azaria’s a liar. I once saw him on a TV show where he described the taping, and how bizarre it was when Jackson stopped talking and a white guy started singing. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-on-the-simpsons/205908/12 "2003-10-07T17:05:25Z")
I could sort-of-buy the contractural angle, if Jackson had signed agreements that any paid singing performance required that a fee be paid to his management company or agent, and that the minimal fee was more than the _Simpsons_ producers were willing to pay, or some other show-bizz bullplop. Dustin Hoffman ducking _his_ credit, though, especially since his episode had a blatant _The Graduate_ parody (“Mrs. Krabapple, you’re trying to seduce me”), continues to mystify me. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-on-the-simpsons/205908/13 "2003-10-07T17:46:10Z")
Homer: Disco Duck and Fleetwood Mac Marge: Coming out of my 8-track Homer/Marge: Michael Jackson still was black–those were the daaaaays! ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-on-the-simpsons/205908/14 "2003-10-07T18:29:05Z")
I forget which cast member it was, but I remember hearing in an interview that the fee to have Micheal Jackson sing is much higher than the fee to have him speak, and they simply didn’t want to pay that much. It actually makes sense to me to be paid more for doing the thing you are famous for; I’m sure Tiger Woods, for example, doesn’t get the same amount of money for a public appearance that he does for playing golf. (I know, I know - Tiger has to _win_ to get paid, but I’m sure you get my point.) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-on-the-simpsons/205908/15 "2003-10-07T19:08:43Z")
> [@](#): > > Dustin Hoffman ducking his credit, though, especially since his episode had a blatant _The Graduate_ parody (“Mrs. Krabapple, you’re trying to seduce me”), continues to mystify me. I’m pretty sure this was done for legal/contractual reasons as well, though I don’t remember any details. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-on-the-simpsons/205908/16 "2003-10-07T19:26:41Z")
Jackson’s name was not “left off the show.” He was credited under a psudonym, John Jay Smith. Also, I believe he also used a historical psudonym for the credit of _Happy Birthday, Lisa_: the Simpsons album credits the songwriter as W.A. Mozart. ---
**Author:** ![WILLASS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/54ee81/32.png) [@WILLASS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WILLASS)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2003, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-on-the-simpsons/205908/17 "2003-10-10T09:22:24Z")
Thanks for all the information…consider my bet won. ---
**Author:** ![j\_sum1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8baadc/32.png) [@j\_sum1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j_sum1)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2003, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-on-the-simpsons/205908/18 "2003-10-10T09:35:31Z")
> [@](#): > > …and how bizarre it was when Jackson stopped talking and a white guy started singing. Forgive me. I thought Jackson _ **was** _ the white guy. _ **sorry. couldn’t resist.** _ ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2003, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jackson-on-the-simpsons/205908/19 "2003-10-10T12:45:21Z")
“Yo, looney tunes—THIS is Michael Jackson. You’re just some big fat mental patient.” “You’d be surprised how much I hear that.” “This is Michael Jackson. I’m here with your father in a mental institution.” “Uh huh. And is Elvis there with you?” “Could be. It’s a big hospital.”