How Marge Simpson changed Barbara Bush’s mind about the Simpsons after the first lady called the show ‘dumb’
- Barbara Bush had described The Simpsons as the 'dumbest thing I've ever seen
- Marge Simpson then wrote a letter to the First Lady saying she was 'deeply hurt'
- The showrunner Al Jean has now revealed that Mrs Bush replied to the letter
The showrunner of The Simpsons has revealed that former First Lady Barbara Bush changed her negative opinion of the show because of a letter from Marge Simpson.
Mrs Bush, who died at the age of 92 this week, famously once branded The Simpsons 'the dumbest thing I've ever seen' during an interview.
In response Marge Simpson, the mother of the fictional family, wrote a letter to the first lady saying she was 'deeply hurt' by the criticism.
Now showrunner Al Jean has revealed for the first time that Mrs Bush responded to the fictional character.
Former First Lady Barbara Bush, 92, appeared twice on the Simpsons, although she was voiced by actors both times
In a photo posted to his Twitter account, Al Jean revealed that the former first lady apologised to Marge for her words.
She wrote: 'How kind of you to write. I'm glad you spoke your mind. I foolishly didn't know you had one.
'I am looking at a picture of you, depicted on a plastic cup, with your blue hair filled with pink birds peeking out all over. Evidently, you and your charming family - Lisa, Homer, Bart and Maggie - are camping out. It is a nice family scene. Clearly, you are setting a good example for the rest of the country.
Showrunner Al Jean has revealed that Mrs Bush wrote a letter to Marge Simpson after the character had responded to criticism from the then first lady
'Please forgive a loose tongue.'
She ended the letter by writing 'P.S. Homer looks like a handsome fella.'
The first lady hadn't been a fan at first, echoing a statement her husband made when he said that American families should be 'a lot more like the Waltons and a lot less like the Simpsons.'
In her letter, Marge told Mrs Bush she was 'deeply hurt' by the criticism of her family.
She said: 'I always believed in my heart that we had a great deal in common. I hope there is some way out of this controversy.'
Mrs Bush had described the Simpsons as the 'dumbest thing I've ever seen' prompting Marge Simpson to write she was 'deeply hurt'
Mrs Bush was in two episodes of The Simpsons. In 1991, she appeared in the the second episode of season three, titled Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington.
Five years later, she appeared in the episode titled Two Bad Neighbors, which was the 13th episode of season seven.
Despite the hype generated by both episodes, Mrs Bush and her husband were both voiced by show regulars and didn't make a special appearance.
Most watched News videos
- Surveillance video of grandmother who is wanted for murder
- Moment husky 'cries' into owner's arms after rejection by female dog
- Jenna Bush Hager chokes up as she gives reading
- EMT speaks out after rescue attempt on Southwest Airlines flight
- Hundreds of tumbleweeds overrun town in Victor Valley, California
- Obama appears to joke with Melania at Barbara Bush's funeral
- Police open fire in Walmart parking lot, fatally shooting driver
- George H.W. Bush sits by Barbara's casket and welcomes mourners
- George H.W. Bush breaks down crying during eulogy for wife
- Flight attendants urge passengers to 'breathe' on Southwest plane
- David Copperfield in civil injury trail questioned about guest safety
- Cal Ripken, his wife Kelly and their kids attend 2005 AMAs
- Fresno State professor who bashed Barbara Bush as an...
- Heavily armed anti-fascists descend on Georgia town to...
- Trump uses to Twitter to dismiss claims his lawyer...
- President Trump watches Barbara Bush's funeral at...
- Homeless man 'bursts into a steakhouse and randomly stabs...
- First daughters Chelsea Clinton and Caroline Kennedy...
- Florida county commissioner 'kept a stripper as a sex...
- Casey Anthony parties alone at an Irish pub in West Palm...
- Haven't I seen you somewhere before? Twitter erupts as it...
- Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson meets with black men wrongly...
- Mika Brzezinski accuses Trump of being involved in a...
- Million-dollar regret: Chart shows how much money YOU...
- There's a lot more to the story than what’s being told':...
- Tearful Neil Bush reveals his mother Barbara, 92, is...
- 'My ex-boyfriend wants to run out my biological clock':...
- I'm not REALLY a friend of George Soros says judge in...
- Hannity is rebuked on his OWN show by Alan Dershowitz for...
- Trump goes on Twitter tirade against 'Slippery James...