As showrunner Bill Oakley

oakley (left) along weinstein, mike reiss , jeff martin in 1994.

other episodes included 2 bad neighbors , sees homer meet former president george h. w. bush, reference show s feud bushes in 1990s. weinstein said episode misunderstood. many audiences expected political satire, while writers made special effort keep parody apolitical. oakley stresses s not political attack, s personal attack! , , instead of criticizing bush policies, episode pokes fun @ crotchetiness . oakley described episode companion piece homer s enemy , in character juxtaposed alongside homer , not along him.

oakley considered working on show similar working in bubble due lack of interference fox network s executives, commonplace on other shows. allowed them produce episodes wanted, weinstein commented: great thing simpsons pretty able away everything, there weren t episodes wanted couldn t do. crazy high-concept ones 2 bad neighbors , homer s enemy managed put on air because there no network execs there stop us. such network s limited input that, when executive suggested staff introduce new character live simpsons liven show , staff rejected idea , instead created episode itchy & scratchy & poochie show , inserting one-time character roy, no explanation was, or why living family, reference executive s proposal. episode, marked point @ simpsons surpassed flintstones number of episodes produced animated series, named bbc 1 of ten memorable episodes of show. noted writers used opportunity pay tribute art of animation , rail against network interference in show. intrusion of network censors limited: normal procedure episode s script sent censor , faxed list of lines , words should substituted, causing limited problems, offending lines removed or changed comedic purposes after animation. episode homer s phobia drew censor s objections. script came 2 pages of notes every single line. censors stated did not use of word gay , or discussion of homosexuality @ all, , closed paragraph stated topic , substance of episode unacceptable broadcast . censor problems came nothing; when episode came animation in south korea, then-fox president had been fired , replaced, censors being replaced well. new censors sent merely 1 line: acceptable broadcast .