"Stark Raving Dad" is the first episode in the third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 19, 1991. In the episode, main character Homer Simpson is mistaken for a "free-thinking anarchist" and sent to a mental institution, where he shares a room with a large white man named Leon Kompowsky who pretends to be American pop star Michael Jackson. Meanwhile, because he normally forgets her birthday, Bart promises his sister Lisa that he will get her the best present ever.
Alternate opening
The January 30, 1992 rerun of the episode featured a brief alternate opening, which was written in response to a comment made by the then President of the United States, George Bush, three days earlier. The show had previously had a "feud" with the President's wife Barbara Bush when, in the October 1, 1990 edition of People, she called The Simpsons "the dumbest thing [she] had ever seen". The writers decided to respond by privately sending a polite letter to Bush in which they posed as Marge Simpson. Bush immediately sent a reply in which she apologized. Later, on January 27, 1992, George Bush made a speech during his re-election campaign which included the statement "we are going to keep on trying to strengthen the American family, to make American families a lot more like the Waltons and a lot less like the Simpsons."  The writers decided that they wanted to respond quickly like Barbara Bush had to them. However, each episode of The Simpsons takes more than six months to produce, so it is difficult for the show to comment on current events. The writers therefore decided to add a brief response to the next broadcast of The Simpsons, which was a rerun of "Stark Raving Dad" on January 30. Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart, was quickly called in so she could record a line.  The broadcast included a new tongue-in-cheek opening. The scene begins in the Simpsons' living room where the family is watching Bush's speech. When Bush says "to make American families a lot more like the Waltons and a lot less like the Simpsons", Bart replies, "Hey, we're just like the Waltons. We're praying for an end to the Depression, too." The opening is featured on the season four DVD boxset.

Q: what were the alternate openings?
A: The January 30, 1992 rerun of the episode featured a brief alternate opening,

Q: what was the alternate opening?
A: unknown

Q: what was different about it?
A: unknown

Q: what can you tell me about the different opening?
A: we are going to keep on trying to strengthen the American family, to make American families a lot more like the Waltons and a lot less like the Simpsons.

Q: was there any controversy?
A: Hey, we're just like the Waltons. We're praying for an end to the Depression, too.
Are there any other interesting aspects about this article?
The broadcast included a new tongue-in-cheek opening. The scene begins in the Simpsons' living room where the family is watching Bush's speech.
The broadcast included a new tongue-in-cheek opening. The scene begins in the Simpsons' living room where the family is watching Bush's speech.