I saw it as a stunt to discredit Reagan. So many Americans starving. His fault.
Remember when Bart Simpson tricked Sting into coming to Springfield to record (with Krusty and other Springfield celebs) a charity song for “Timmy O’Toole” who’d “fallen” down a water well (it was actually Bart’s Mr. Microphone) - and that was in turn based on the Jessica McClure drama in TX that ended happily thank God.