Editing Bart Simpson (section)

=== Bartmania ===
Bart became one of television's most popular characters in 1990, sparking a [[cultural phenomenon]] known as "Bartmania".{{sfn|Turner|2004|pp=120–121}}<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22062437-5009160,00.html|title=''Simpsons'' Set for Big Screen|access-date=October 27, 2008|date=July 15, 2007|work=[[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)|The Daily Telegraph]]|archive-date=March 1, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090301032414/http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22062437-5009160,00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Kleinfield">{{Cite news |last=Kleinfield |first=N.R. |date=April 29, 1990 |title=Cashing in on a Hot New Brand Name |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/29/business/cashing-in-on-a-hot-new-brand-name.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100830184121/http://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/29/business/cashing-in-on-a-hot-new-brand-name.html |archive-date=August 30, 2010 |access-date=October 27, 2008 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> He became the most prominent ''Simpsons'' character on merchandise, particularly [[T-shirt]]s; during the early 1990s, millions of Bart-themed T-shirts were sold.<ref name="k622">{{cite web | title=The T-Shirt Industry Sweats It Out | website=[[The New York Times]] | first=Isadore | last=Barmash | date=December 30, 1990 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/30/business/the-t-shirt-industry-sweats-it-out.html?smid=url-share | access-date=December 19, 2024 | archive-date=December 3, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241203024322/https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/30/business/the-t-shirt-industry-sweats-it-out.html?smid=url-share | url-status=live }}</ref> Bart's rebellious persona led some American public schools to ban T-shirts with sayings such as "I'm Bart Simpson. Who the hell are you?" and "Underachiever (and proud of it, man!)".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/30/business/the-t-shirt-industry-sweats-it-out.html|title=Overacheiver&nbsp;– And Learning to Deal With It, Man|access-date=September 18, 2008|date=December 30, 1990|last=Rohter|first=Larry|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref name="p594">{{cite web | last=Robinson | first=Gaile | title=Schools, Penney's Having a Cow About Bart Simpson T-Shirt | website=[[Los Angeles Times]] | url-access=subscription | date=May 3, 1990 | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-05-03-vw-411-story.html | access-date=December 19, 2024}}</ref> A T-shirt with the latter caption is in the [[National Museum of American History]].<ref name="z648">{{cite web | title=Bart Simpson "Underachiever and Proud of it, Man!" t-shirt | publisher=[[Smithsonian Institution]] | url=https://www.si.edu/object/bart-simpson-underachiever-and-proud-it-man-t-shirt%3Anmah_2028836 | access-date=December 22, 2024 |archive-date=December 19, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241219075451/https://www.si.edu/object/bart-simpson-underachiever-and-proud-it-man-t-shirt%3Anmah_2028836 |url-status=live}}</ref> The popularity of ''Simpsons'' merchandise was a commercial success, generating $2 billion in revenue in its first 14 months of sales.<ref name="j552">{{cite web | title=''Simpsons'' Couch on the Run | website=[[The New Indian Express]] | date=February 18, 2009 | url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/2009/Feb/18/simpsons-couch-on-the-run-26653.html | access-date=December 19, 2024 | archive-date=December 19, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241219234148/https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/2009/Feb/18/simpsons-couch-on-the-run-26653.html | url-status=live }}</ref> Bart's appeal also inspired a thriving black market for [[Counterfeit consumer good|counterfeit merchandise]], particularly T-shirts. The items featured Bart with various slogans and redesigns, including "Teenage Mutant Ninja Bart", "Air Simpson Bart", and "RastaBart".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/1990/07/27/bootleg-simpsons-shirts/|title=But Is It Bart?|access-date=October 28, 2008|date=July 27, 1990|last=Svetkey|first=Benjamin|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081003050127/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C317834%2C00.html|archive-date=October 3, 2008|url-status=live}}</ref> Although Groening generally tolerated bootleg merchandise, he objected to a series of "[[Nazism|Nazi]] Bart" shirts with Bart in Nazi uniforms or as a [[white power skinhead]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/wired/archive/7.02/futurama_pr.html|title=One-Eyed Aliens! Suicide Booths! Mom's Old-Fashioned Robot Oil!|access-date=October 30, 2008|year=1999|last=Kelly|first=Kevin|magazine=[[WIRED]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081004174227/http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/7.02/futurama_pr.html|archive-date=October 4, 2008|url-status=live}}</ref> 20th Century Fox sued the creator of the offensive designs, who agreed to cease production.<ref>{{cite news|title=Metzger Stops 'Nazi Bart' T-Shirt Sales|date=June 4, 1991|work=[[Houston Chronicle]]|agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>

[[File:Michael Jackson with the Reagans (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|alt=Michael Jackson in a blue suit with a gold diagonal strike, and a white shirt underneath. He has white gloves, waving with his right hand. He is wearing sunglasses.|[[Michael Jackson]] (''pictured in 1984'') provided backing vocals for "Do the Bartman".]]
Bart was described as "television's king of 1990",<ref>{{cite news|title=Television in 1990&nbsp;– Among Bright Spots: 'Civil War,' CBS, 'Simpsons'|date=December 30, 1990|last=McDaniel|first=Mike|work=The Sunday Times}}</ref> "television's brightest new star",<ref>{{cite news|title=Bart Simpson Was Ray of Hope in a Year of Generally Drab Television|date=December 30, 1990|last=Boone|first=Mike|work=[[The Gazette (Montreal)|The Gazette]]}}</ref> and an "undiminished smash".<ref name="Shirts">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20114134,00.html|title=Bart Simpson–Defiant, Saw-Topped And Cheeky—the Brat Terrible Gave Underachievers a Good Name|access-date=September 18, 2008|date=December 31, 1990|magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]]|volume=34|issue=26|archive-date=February 6, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090206050228/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20114134,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He was one of the most popular [[write-in candidate]]s in the 1990 United States [[1990 United States House of Representatives elections|congressional]], [[1990 United States Senate elections|senatorial]] and [[1990 United States gubernatorial elections|gubernatorial]] elections, second in a number of areas only to [[Mickey Mouse]] among fictional characters.<ref>{{cite news|title=Write-Ins Galore: Cast of Ballot Characters Widens|date=December 30, 1990|last=Potter|first=Bruce|work=[[Richmond Times-Dispatch]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Mickey, Bart Fit Write-In At Ballot Box|date=November 9, 1990|last=Stromberg|first=Amy|work=[[Sun-Sentinel|South Florida Sun-Sentinel]]|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1990-11-09/news/9002240447_1_write-in-votes-bart-simpson-election-day|access-date=June 30, 2017|archive-date=September 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170914172710/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1990-11-09/news/9002240447_1_write-in-votes-bart-simpson-election-day|url-status=dead}}</ref> In the 1990 [[Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade]], Bart debuted as one of the giant helium-filled balloons for which the parade is known.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bart Simpson, 'Falloon' Floats Debut at Macy's N.Y. Thanksgiving Parade|date=November 23, 1990|last=Stromberg|first=Amy|work=[[The Press of Atlantic City]]}}</ref> This was noted in ''The Simpsons'' episode "[[Bart vs. Thanksgiving]]", which aired the day of the parade, where Homer tells Bart: "If you start building a balloon for every flash-in-the-pan cartoon character, you turn the parade into a farce!". Behind and unbeknownst to Homer, the television briefly shows a Bart Simpson balloon.<ref name="Thanksgiving">{{cite episode|title=Bart Vs. Thanksgiving|episode-link=Bart vs. Thanksgiving|series=The Simpsons|credits=Meyer, George; Silverman, David|network=Fox|airdate=November 22, 1990|season=02|number=07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season2/page7.shtml|title=Bart Vs. Thanksgiving|access-date=October 30, 2008|last1=Martyn|first1=Warren|last2=Wood|first2=Adrian|year=2000|website=[[BBC News]]|archive-date=May 25, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060525122625/https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season2/page7.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref>

The album ''[[The Simpsons Sing the Blues]]'' was recorded in September 1990 and released in December. It peaked at number three on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]],<ref name="Billboard">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.chartFormatGroupName=Albums&model.vnuArtistId=22526&model.vnuAlbumId=378393|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090301051415/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.chartFormatGroupName=Albums&model.vnuArtistId=22526&model.vnuAlbumId=378393|archive-date=March 1, 2009|title=Artist Chart History&nbsp;– ''The Simpsons''|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=October 28, 2008}}</ref> and was certified double platinum by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]].<ref name="RIAA">{{cite web|url=http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=Simpsons&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2008&sort=Artist&perPage=25|title=RIAA Searchable Database&nbsp;– Gold and Platinum|publisher=[[Recording Industry Association of America]]|access-date=November 5, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151103134319/http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=Simpsons&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2008&sort=Artist&perPage=25|archive-date=November 3, 2015}}</ref> The first single from the album was the [[Hip-hop|pop rap]] song "[[Do the Bartman]]", performed by Cartwright and released on November 20, 1990. The song was written by [[Bryan Loren]], a friend of [[Michael Jackson]] (who provided backing vocals on the track).<ref name="fact">{{cite web|url=http://www.factmag.com/2015/07/22/the-simpsons-do-the-bartman-michael-jackson-bryan-loren/|website=[[Fact (UK magazine)|Fact]]|title=Michael Jackson Didn't Write 'Do The Bartman' After All|access-date=July 22, 2015|date=July 22, 2015|archive-date=July 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150723004024/http://www.factmag.com/2015/07/22/the-simpsons-do-the-bartman-michael-jackson-bryan-loren/|url-status=live}}</ref> Jackson was a fan of ''The Simpsons'' (especially Bart),{{sfn|Cartwright|2000|pp=115–117}} and had called the producers offering to write Bart a single and make a guest appearance on the show.<ref name="h963">{{cite magazine | last=Rincón | first=Alessandra | title=Matt Groening Confirms Michael Jackson Was On ''The Simpsons'': 'We Really Did Have Him' | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | date=August 30, 2018 | url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/matt-groening-confirms-michael-jackson-was-on-the-simpsons-8472940/ | access-date=December 19, 2024 | archive-date=December 19, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241219185055/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/matt-groening-confirms-michael-jackson-was-on-the-simpsons-8472940/ | url-status=live }}</ref> Jackson guest-starred in the episode "[[Stark Raving Dad]]" ([[The Simpsons season 3|season three]], 1991) with the pseudonym John Jay Smith.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season3/page1.shtml|title=Stark Raving Dad|access-date=October 28, 2008|last1=Martyn|first1=Warren|last2=Wood|first2=Adrian|year=2000|publisher=[[BBC]]|archive-date=June 23, 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030623191042/https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season3/page1.shtml}}</ref> Although "Do the Bartman" was never released as a single in the United States, it was successful in the United Kingdom; it was the number-one song from February 16 to March 9, 1991, and was the year's fifth-best-selling song.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Copsey |first1=Rob |title=Official Top 40 best-selling songs of 1991 |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/official-top-40-best-selling-songs-of-1991__33179/ |website=[[Official Charts Company]] |date=May 21, 2021|access-date=9 February 2025}}</ref> It sold half a million copies, and was certified gold by the [[British Phonographic Industry]] on February 1, 1991.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bpi.co.uk/platinum/platinumright.asp?rq=search_plat&r_id=18135|title=Certified Awards|access-date=October 28, 2008|publisher=[[British Phonographic Industry]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080525230952/http://www.bpi.co.uk/platinum/platinumright.asp?rq=search_plat&r_id=18135|archive-date=May 25, 2008}}</ref>