The Simpsons: 10 Episodes Probably Made Out Of Spite
7. The Fool Monty/How Munched Is That Birdie In The Window
This one is not so much an episode written out of spite but a reaction to one episode that then impacted another.
The episode Fool Monty tells the story of an amnesiac Mr Burns being taken in by The Simpsons. Then, for all the troubles he’s caused, Burns is essentially used and abused until Lisa takes him home and his memory returns.
Whilst the episode does poke fun at Vice President Dick Cheney in its side-story, there was one particular moment that caught the ire of the Republican party.
At the start of the episode, a Fox News helicopter swings into frame emblazoned with the phrase “Not Racist - But #1 With Racists”. Conservative TV host Bill O’Reilly in particular was upset with the show, crying foul that the Fox network was letting its cartoon characters run wild and “bite the hand that feeds”.
Happy to have stirred the pot, especially with such a vocal and well known political figure, The Simpsons poked back. A helicopter was written into the following episode How Munched Is That Birdie In The Window which reads “Fox News: Unsuitable for Viewers Under 75”.
Al Jean said of the reaction: “We're happy to have a little feud with Bill O'Reilly. That's a very entertaining thing for us”.