“He Probably Could Have Sued Us”: The Simpsons Producer Reflects On Writing Mary Poppins Song Parodies

The Simpsons easily could have been sued for its depiction of Mary Poppins, but a friendly creative saved them. Mary Poppins first appeared on the show in the form of her parody character, Shari Bobbins, in season 8, episode 13, "Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious". Shari attempts to improve the family's relationship and work ethic by singing songs and teaching them cleaning strategies. The episode was a success, and, as The Simpsons awaits its season 37 renewal, its producers have been considering its long history.

In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant about season 36, producer and writer Al Jean opened up about his favorite songs from the show's run. In particular, he cited the "Feed the Birds" parody, "A Boozehound Named Barney". While he was proud of the song, he reflected that they easily could have been sued, if not for Richard Sherman's love for the episode and the song. Check out his full quote below:

Screen Rant: I used to buy CDs of songs from The Simpsons. The songs are some of my favorite things from the show, and I know you’ve written your fair share of them. What, to you, is the thing that makes a Simpsons song work?

Al Jean: One of the episodes Mike Reese and I wrote was the Mary Poppins one, and when we had Barney—Dan Castellaneta—singing the “Feed the Birds” song, that blew me away at the read. I heard that Richard Sherman (co-writer of the Mary Poppins song) thought it was a great episode, which is good because he probably could have sued us. But he loved it, and that really blew me away because I love the songs from Mary Poppins so much.

The Simpsons Could Have Been Sued

The Lawsuits Would Not Have Gone Anywhere

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Realistically, there was no great threat that could have come from a lawsuit. As an evident parody, the songs would have most likely fallen under the protection of the Fair Use doctrine. That is why the episode was allowed to air in the first place. If it was something that would cause an immediate lawsuit, it is unlikely that the network's lawyers would have approved its release. Had there been a case, Disney could potentially have sued without Sherman's consent. Thankfully, far from serving as the end of The Simpsons, the episode never drew a lawsuit.

Another cartoon, South Park, was sued for a song parody in 2008, but the lawsuit was eventually dismissed.

There would still be dangers from a suit, however meritless. While it would have been a clear dismissal, any lawsuit would still have been a costly endeavor. Court cases are extremely expensive, so the network would have been displeased if the show brought a lawsuit to its door. The show was sued several times, including by Frank Sivero (Goodfellas), producer Alf Clausen, and even Tracey Ullman, who sued for merchandising fees after The Simpsons spun off from her show, but they all ended in dismissals. All the same, it took ample resources to fight those cases.

Our Take On The Legality Of The Simpsons' Mary Poppins Songs

Fair Use Protects Parodies

Anyone can file a lawsuit, but few of those potential lawsuits have any merit. Sherman could have sued, but his case would have been dismissed, as the legal protections exist for cases like these. As a cartoon parodying a classic movie, The Simpsons has a long-standing right to portray those characters in ridiculous scenarios. That right is why parodies can exist at all, and it is the reason comedy is even possible in the United States. While it is good that Sherman enjoyed the episode, it is unlikely that the show would have seen any real consequences for the songs.