Blame It on Lisa (31 Mar. 2002)

Lisa sponsors an orphan in Brazil, and when he goes missing she convinces the family to go to Brazil to find him. While there, Homer is kidnapped.

Director:

Steven Dean Moore

Writers:

Matt Groening (creator), James L. Brooks (developer),

Stars:

Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright

Cast

Episode credited cast:
Dan Castellaneta	...	Homer Simpson / Itchy / Telemarketer / Co-Pilot / Waiter / Police Chief / Shooting Victim / Man on Fire (voice)
Julie Kavner	...	Marge Simpson / Patty Bouvier (voice)
Nancy Cartwright	...	Bart Simpson (voice)
Yeardley Smith	...	Lisa Simpson (voice)
Hank Azaria	...	Moon / Mr. MovieFone / Captain / Bag Boy / Lifeguard / Samba Teacher / Kidnapper #1 / Moe Szyslak / Man in Bird Costume (voice)
Harry Shearer	...	Scratchy / Lenny / Kidnapper #2 / Montgomery Burns / Ned Flanders (voice)
Pamela Hayden	...	Bartender (voice)
Tress MacNeille	...	Robot / Lindsey Neagle / Ronaldo / Nun / Women on Beach / Kids TV Hostess (voice)
Karl Wiedergott	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Russ Leatherman	...	Himself (voice) (as Mr. Moviefone)

Storyline

Lisa is worried because Ronaldo, the little orphan boy she has been sponsoring in Rio De Janeiro, seems to have gone missing so the Simpsons travel to Brazil to locate him. However, shortly after they arrive, Homer is kidnapped. They find Ronaldo, now a child star because the shoes Lisa gave him have made him a very good dancer. He pays off the ransom and Homer is returned but then Bart gets eaten by an anaconda.

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Plot Keywords:

brazil | carnival | 2d animation | nun | kidnapping | 

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Genres:

Animation | Comedy | Family

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 March 2002 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

20th Century Fox Television, Gracie Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min 30 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby (Dolby Surround)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The satirical take on Rio de Janeiro in "Blame It on Lisa", in which the streets of the city are teeming with monkeys, rats, thieving orphans, kidnapping cabbies and oversexed children's show hosts dancing suggestively on Carnival floats, provoked a threatened lawsuit by the Rio board of tourism against the producers of the show. In response, executive producer James L. Brooks released a statement saying "we apologize to the lovely city and people of Rio de Janeiro," but added, "If that doesn't settle the issue, Homer Simpson offers to take on the President of Brazil on Fox Celebrity Boxing." Rio tourism board president Jose Eduardo Guinle proceeded with exploring legal action, but eventually got over it. The show's writers, however, did not. After board spokesman Sergio Cavalcanti told Reuters that Guinle was most offended by "the idea of the monkeys, the image that Rio de Janeiro was a jungle", the writers made a running gag of it. In addition to Homer's reference to "the monkey problem getting worse" in Rio in "The Regina Monologues", Krusty the Klown also reveals in "Mr Spritz Goes to Washington" that immigration officials are constantly hounding him because his monkey sidekick, Mr. Teeny, is from Brazil, adding, "His uncle was the Head Monkey on the Bureau of Tourism."

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Goofs

Homer is kidnapped and held captive in the Amazon jungle, which the storyline implies is near Rio de Janeiro. The two are in fact as far apart as New York and San Francisco.

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Quotes

Lisa Simpson: Why must you fight with every utility?
Homer Simpson: I told you. I have too much time on my hands.

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Connections

Spoofs A Trip to the Moon (1902)

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Soundtracks

"I Go To Rio"
(uncredited)
Written by Peter Allen and Adrienne Anderson
Performed by Peter Allen

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