Image Credit: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic.com; FoxWho saysThe Simpsonsisnt as subversive as it used to be?
EW.com rang upSimpsonsexecutive producer Al Jean to get the behind-the-scenes story on the Banksy gag.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How did this collaboration with Banksy come about?
He submitted boards, which were more or less what you saw last night.
We all thought it was really funny.
What were the small things that got edited out?
I wouldnt go into them, but it was just a little sadder.
[laughs] I dont know if the unicorn made it in the original draft.
And you guys gave him no instruction about what to create?
What were your first thoughts when you saw what he wanted to do?
Well, my first thought was, Well, its really funny.
And my second thought was, I hope I keep my job if I do it.
[laughs] So far I still have.
And we all think Banksy is a brilliant artist.
You said Fox execs had some small issues, but what was their overall reaction?
I showed it to Broadcast Standards in the animatic stage.
Were you surprised that they were cool with it?
I think Fox is great.
There never would have been aSimpsonsif there wasnt a Fox.
Were you worried that this gag did not paint the show in the best light?
I can tell you as a fact there are no unicorns working in our DVD production plant.
Its a fantasynone of it is true.
That being said, its funny.
Honestly, there was no agenda except I thought it would be great to get this guy.
The concept in my mind was, What if this graffiti artist came in and tagged our main titles?
And we got what I think is the coolest, most technically proficient graffiti artist today.
Id never seen thata graffiti artist actually graffitiing the opening credits of a television show.
So when youre asking for that youre not really telling him what to do.
Weve depicted the conditions in a fanciful light before.
What kind of feedback are you getting this morning?
The first word I would use is enormous.
Other thanshowing Katy Perrys cleavage, I cant think of anything thats gotten this much attention.
Did you learn more about the identity of Banksy?
I never met him.
Im pretty sure its really him because if it wasnt him, the real Banksy would have said something.
Are there other things up your sleeve right now?
There are always are, and the only way to find them out is to watch every episode.
