Lisa the Simpson
- Episode aired Mar 8, 1998
- TV-PG
- 30m
Lisa fears she is losing her intelligence when she learns about the fabled Simpson gene. Meanwhile, Jasper freezes himself in the Kwik-E-Mart freezer.Lisa fears she is losing her intelligence when she learns about the fabled Simpson gene. Meanwhile, Jasper freezes himself in the Kwik-E-Mart freezer.Lisa fears she is losing her intelligence when she learns about the fabled Simpson gene. Meanwhile, Jasper freezes himself in the Kwik-E-Mart freezer.
Photos
- Homer Simpson
- (voice)
- …
- Marge Simpson
- (voice)
- Bart Simpson
- (voice)
- …
- Lisa Simpson
- (voice)
- Principal Skinner
- (voice)
- …
- Troy McClure
- (voice)
- Milhouse Van Houten
- (voice)
- …
- Violinist
- (voice)
- …
- Miss Hoover
- (voice)
- …
- Martin Prince
- (voice)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaListed as episode 3 of season 9 on Disney+
- GoofsThe Simpson gene supposedly makes Simpson men dumb, however it hasn't affected Herb Simpson in Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? (1991)(#2.15), Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes? (1992)(#3.24), or Changing of the Guardian (2013)(#24.11)
- Quotes
Homer Simpson: I rounded up every Simpson in the tri-city area so I can prove to you there's nothing wrong with the Simpson genes. This is your great uncle Chet. Go ahead, Chet, tell her what you do.
Great Uncle Chet: I run an unsuccessful shrimp company.
Homer Simpson: [nervously] Oh... but you *run* it, right?
Great Uncle Chet: [smugly] Oh, yeah.
Homer Simpson: Okay... uh, this is your second cousin, Stanley!
Cousin Stanley: Um, I shoot birds at the airport.
Homer Simpson: [More nervously] Everybody hates birds, right?
[Homer frantically looks for a successful relative and spots a dapper man smoking a cigar.]
Homer Simpson: You look pretty successful!
Simpson Relative 1: Thanks! I play a millionaire at parties.
[sighs defeatedly]
Simpson Relative 1: At least, I'd like to.
Bart Simpson: You probably should have researched this first, eh dad?
Homer Simpson: What about you?
Simpson Relative 2: Well, sir, I step in front of cars and sue the drivers.
Simpson Relative 3: I beg celebrities for money!
Simpson Relative 4: I'm a prison snitch.
Simpson Relative 5: Jug band manager.
Simpson Relative 6: My legs hurt.
- Crazy creditsThe episode has a 1997 copyright date, despite airing in 1998. This is presumably due to the fact it was a holdover episode with Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein as show-runners, who by 1998 had already left The Simpsons to work on Mission Hill.
- ConnectionsFeatured in MsMojo: Top 10 Best Lisa Simpson Storylines (2016)
- SoundtracksThat's The Way (I Like It)
(uncredited)
Written by Harry Wayne Casey and Richard Finch
Performed by KC & The Sunshine Band
In the episode "Lisa the Simpson," when Jasper freezes, Clausen's music takes on a mysterious tone. It creates an atmosphere that perfectly complements the unfolding events. The music underscores the sense of wonder and intrigue as the characters grapple with the unexpected situation. It's like a musical guide, leading the audience through the story, emphasizing key moments, and eliciting the intended emotional responses.
Shifting gears, as a child, I watched this episode as impressive, likely in part thanks to Clausen's musical narrative, as I mentioned earlier. I was highly impressed by these episodes of The Simpsons as a child, and the truth is, that was also because the plots of many episodes of the golden era were already absurd, starting to become so in season 4. However, this is a flaw that's very present in modern episodes of the series. The difference is that this absurdity was well-directed in the golden era, focused on surprising with strategies such as music, the relatable behavior of the characters, very natural speech, and, most importantly, it was impressive how the characters behaved naturally, expressed themselves in a relatable manner like real-life individuals, yet were contrasted with their fictional and exaggerated dimensions, typical of fictional characters. This blending of a realistic dimension with their portrayal as eccentric figures in an exaggerated and fictional universe was a hallmark of the show's golden era. In contrast, modern seasons fail to showcase this particularity in an impressive manner and especially fail to make it humorous, as they have abandoned the natural spontaneity of phrases uttered by these characters as if they genuinely came without scripting.
However, although this episode respects that style, it also has some flaws. Because the plot begins with Lisa forgetting the combination to her school locker and starting to play the saxophone poorly, but then they resolve the episode in a way that doesn't clarify why Lisa has had these mishaps and taken them so seriously.
And it's true that this episode can be seen as sexist, this time to the detriment of men. In reality, resorting to this has been an intelligent way to resolve the episode, but it's important not to forget that there are people who lack critical judgment, and there are people of the female sex who lack critical judgment, especially among minors, or not minors, but have an unpleasant pride and like to be pampered and have their pride respected and fed without giving anything in return. Unfortunately, these types of women may interpret that part of the episode as something close to reality.
- santifersan
- Sep 30, 2023