Black or White
Black or White
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Special Information
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Black or White is a 1991 short film and music video by Michael Jackson that features a special guest appearance by The Simpsons. Produced for the video's original television premiere, the collaboration includes exclusive animated sequences in which Bart Simpson introduces the world premiere and later appears with Homer Simpson at its conclusion.
Background
The world premiere of "Black or White" took place on November 14, 1991, as a global television event. In the United States, the video premiered at approximately 8:24 p.m. Eastern Time, following a specially shortened broadcast of The Simpsons episode "Saturdays of Thunder" on Fox. To accommodate the premiere, Fox interrupted its regular prime-time schedule, airing the 11-minute music video before the debut of Drexell's Class.[1][2][3]
The premiere was simultaneously broadcast in the United States on Fox, MTV, VH1, and BET, while television networks in 27–28 countries aired the video at the same time. The event attracted an estimated 500 million viewers worldwide, making it one of the largest television audiences ever for a music video premiere.[4][1][5]
The collaboration reflected the close association between Michael Jackson and The Simpsons during 1991. Earlier that year, Jackson secretly guest-starred as Leon Kompowsky in the episode "Stark Raving Dad" under the pseudonym John Jay Smith, and had also written the hit song "Do the Bartman" for the series.[6][7]
Plot
For the original Fox broadcast, Bart Simpson appeared in an exclusive animated sequence introducing Michael Jackson and the world premiere of Black or White. The segment served as a promotional bridge between The Simpsons and the music video, which followed immediately after the episode.
Following Jackson's performance, the scene shifts to the Simpsons' living room, where Bart watches the music video on television while dancing enthusiastically. Homer Simpson enters the room, irritated by the loud music, and tells Bart to "Turn off that noise!" Bart replies, "Chill out, Homeboy." Homer then switches off the television, abruptly ending both the broadcast and Bart's viewing of the performance.
Production
The Simpsons animation was produced specifically for the original Fox television premiere of "Black or White" and was not reused from any episode of the series. The opening sequence, featuring Bart introducing the world premiere, and the closing scene with Bart and Homer were created as a framing device for the broadcast. The animation matched the visual style of the show's third season and was produced as an official collaboration between Fox and Michael Jackson's production team.[7][8]
The music video was directed by John Landis, marking his second collaboration with Michael Jackson after "Thriller" (1983).[9]
Although the closing scene has been retained in some later releases, the opening introduction was omitted from most home video, DVD, and online versions, making it one of the rarest officially produced Simpsons animations.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 FOX Schedules for November 1991
- ↑ Michael Jackson's crotch-grabbing 'Black or White' dance routine shocked America on this day in 1991
- ↑ Michael Jackson: Black or White Trivia
- ↑ Largest TV audience for a music video premiere
- ↑ Review/Rock, New Video Opens the Jackson Blitz"
- ↑ The Simpsons Just Confirmed One of Its Most Popular Fan Theories
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 THE TV COLUMN
- ↑ 'I'm Not Gonna Spend My Life Being a Colour': The interaction of racism between Michael Jackson and the mass-media through Michael Jackson's 'Black or White'
- ↑ Michael Jackson All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track
External links
