On Simpsons Day last year I posted an old video of Groening on Letterman right before “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire” premiered. He wasn’t exactly camera comfortable then. Here’s an interview with him from The Tonight Show in 1991 (this must be Leno guest hosting for Carson), and he’s got his shtick down much better.
This has to be shortly after the premier of the third season when the show couldn’t get a bigger, and even then Groening only rates as the third guest. What’s funny is that Leno asks if that really was Michael Jackson’s voice, and Groening has to demur. It’s kinda hard to remember now, but The Simpsons really was a subversive show that a lot of people were genuinely nervous about. How quaint.
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(The crotch really does wear out too fast.)
Really dumb question but that was indeed MJ’s voice was it not?
My understanding has always been that he did all the spoken dialogue but that he had someone else actually sing the “Lisa, It’s Your Birthday” song.
That’s what I’ve heard. I don’t know if this is true or not but I also heard that having a voice double on the singing was due to contract issues with Sony.
In one of the commentaries, someone mentioned that after Jackson and Hoffman the Simpsons producers put their foot down on famous stars coming on the show “anonymously” and under a pseudonym. Their stance was if you’re that worried about your “image” then forget it.
According to Wikipedia (which I assume is going from the episode’s audio commentary), Jackson did the speaking parts while Kipp Lennon did the singing.
Also, I find it funny that Leno says he could never fit in The Simpsons… when 6 seasons later, he’d be guesting as himself.
In hell Leno, IN HELL.