The Simpsons Project #6

The Simpsons Project #6 (Season 1, Episode 6)
Moaning Lisa
Original airdate: 2/11/90

Lisa-based episodes of The Simpsons often elicit groans and jeers from the show’s fans. Where Homer is a dim-witted moron prone to overeating and overreacting and Bart is an underachieving smart-ass hellion, Lisa is a bright girl who is constantly hemmed in by the never-ending lunacy of Springfield. Whether her family is suffocating her or she’s being patronized by the idiots who live in the town, Lisa is constantly yearning for something more, even at the tender age of eight. Because of her character, it’s inherently a lot more fun to watch Homer and Bart get into mischief or to follow the other townspeople on their wacky misadventures. Lisa is often just as misunderstood or ignored by the viewers as she is by the townsfolk.

Lisa’s struggle to balance her superior intellect and her desire for more than Springfield, however, intersect wonderfully with the other denizens of the town in numerous episodes. In one of my favorite episodes of the show, “Lisa the Vegetarian”, Lisa becomes, well, a vegetarian, and impulsively ruins her father’s neighborhood barbecue. In “Lisa the Iconoclast”, Lisa works to expose the myth of town founder Jebediah Springfield in the face of the disbelieving and closed-eared citizens. Lisa’s stern head and clear thinking amidst the simple-minded people of Springfield can be played for big laughs, but it can also devolve into sappy sentimentality and lesson-learning, which in turn creates the backlash against “her” episodes.

Whichever side of the fence you’re on, the tradition got its start with today’s entry, “Moaning Lisa”. We’ve already seen episodes that explore the psyches of Homer, Bart, Marge and the family at large, and it’s fitting that we get an episode devoted entirely to the middle child of the Simpson family.

The episode begins with Lisa immediately miserable. She awakens to find that Marge has only made two cupcakes, and she relents to Bart and Homer, saying something about true happiness not being found in a cupcake. Later, she attempts to express herself in music class, playing a soulful solo on her saxophone during “My Country ‘Tis of Thee”, and is immediately stifled by Mr. Largo. Lisa has no way to vent her thoughts and creativity; no one takes her seriously or pays attention to her because she’s just a kid.

Lisa becomes an outcast at school because she’s unable to “go with the flow”, but her home grants no relief either. Homer constantly tells her to stop playing her saxophone in the house and Marge initially refuses to understand her situation. Of course, Bart has little sympathy for her either, constantly trying to make her life worse in any way he can.

At her wits end, Lisa hears a saxophone in the distance from her room. It beckons to her, and she feels compelled to follow the noise to its source. She goes all the way across town (through what appears to be an early shot of Bumtown or Junkieville), eventually finding Bleeding Gums Murphy, a local jazz musician. Bleeding Gums is not a complicated man (few with that nickname are), but he understands Lisa’s problems. The two play their saxophones together and Lisa immediately feels a little better about her situation. Finding someone who shares her world outlook and who is willing to listen to her is a big relief to Lisa, and she begins to turn things around.

In the meantime, Bart has some hilarious moments. He tries to cheer up Lisa (at Marge’s behest) by prank calling Moe. This episode’s non-de-plume: “Jacques Strap”. It doesn’t get a laugh out of Lisa, but I got a chuckle out of it.

Bart and Homer also steal the show with a hilarious subplot involving video boxing. Bart constantly destroys Homer in the game, so Homer goes to the local arcade to learn from a local boy who has never lost. Homer goes down in defeat, but learns enough strategy to give Bart a run for his money. The game is clearly a take on Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!! for the NES, and it’s actually very faithfully portrayed. Even the music sounds the same.

Meanwhile, Lisa is given some truly awful and irresponsible advice from Marge, who tells her to repress her true feelings because it’s “what’s on the outside that counts”. Though she immediately recants, it is odd to see Marge as such a poor parent at any moment, especially in the early seasons. With Marge realizing the error of her ways, however, Lisa is happy that one of her parents finally understands what she’s going through. She feels empowered by the support, and works to feel better and find a purpose in her life. The family goes together to see Bleeding Gums Murphy perform in concert at the episode’s conclusion.

This is a pretty famous episode. It really isn’t very funny, so I can’t go with a high grade, but it does have a few good gags and sets the tone for the Lisa character right away. Bart and Homer provide nice comic relief, but the episode works best as a set-up for Lisa, and built the foundation for a character still questioning the purpose of it all, twenty years later.

B-

John Lacey

"(Responding to Lisa saying he wouldn't understand her problems) Sure I would, princess. I have feelings, too. You know, like (whiny) 'My stomach hurts', or (worried) 'I'm going crazy!'" - Homer Simpson