Smart & Smarter

Last updated

"Smart & Smarter"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 15
Episode 13
Directed by Steven Dean Moore
Written by Carolyn Omine
Production codeFABF09
Original air dateFebruary 22, 2004 (2004-02-22)
Guest appearance
Simon Cowell as Henry
Episode features
Couch gag The living room is a moving rack seen in dry cleaning shops, with the Simpsons in five dry-cleaning bags.
CommentaryAl Jean
Carolyn Omine
Matt Selman
Tim Long
Tom Gammill
Max Pross
Joel H. Cohen
Steven Dean Moore
Episode chronology
 Previous
"Milhouse Doesn't Live Here Anymore"
Next 
"The Ziff Who Came to Dinner"
The Simpsons (season 15)
List of episodes

"Smart & Smarter" is the thirteenth episode of the fifteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons . It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 22, 2004. [1] When Maggie takes an IQ test, she is informed that she may be smarter than Lisa, who worries that her life will go nowhere. [1] The episode was written by Carolyn Omine and directed by Steven Dean Moore. [1] Simon Cowell also has a guest-voice appearance, playing the role of a brutally honest judge (who in fact is shown as a caricature of himself). [1]

Contents

Plot

The family visits Wickerbottom's Pre-Nursery School, where Apu and Manjula are sending two of their octuplets. Homer and Marge have a talk with Dr. Hibbert about getting in, and decide to have Maggie go in. However, Maggie fails the initial screening because she cannot talk, until Lisa discovers some traits of intelligence. Henry accepts Maggie after the second screening. The results show that not only is Maggie brilliant, but her IQ of 167 is higher than Lisa's IQ of 159. Lisa is no longer considered "the smart one" of the Simpson family, much to her chagrin. Lisa attempts to prove everyone that she is smarter than Maggie and teaches Maggie false information. However, Marge, realizing this, scolds her for trying to sabotage her sister's education and that if that is how she really feels, then she should not be her sister's role model.

Heartbroken, Lisa leaves the house and hides in the Natural History Museum, where there is no chance of Homer and Marge finding her, until Chief Wiggum, Lou and Eddie find her belongings in there. The family goes into the human body exhibit, but Maggie gets distracted and accidentally presses the swallow button, swallowing Homer, Marge and Bart. Maggie presses many buttons until she finally presses the evacuate button, following a visual cue from an apologetic Lisa as to its red color.

After the family returns home and wonders why Maggie did not press the red button first, Henry arrives and tells the family Maggie is no longer welcome at the school. The family watches a video tape of Maggie's audition and it turns out Lisa was showing her answers, which Lisa does not remember doing, but it is explained she subconsciously did that as she wanted Maggie to succeed. Henry starts criticizing Maggie which leads an angry Homer to start punching him, while Henry criticizes his punches until he is knocked unconscious.

In the end, Lisa assures Maggie she does not care what anyone else thinks of her and that she is brilliant to her. However, Maggie plays Lisa's saxophone perfectly, showing another sign of intelligence. A shocked Lisa reclaims her saxophone and tells her that it is "not for babies".

In the credits, Simon Cowell criticizes everyone who had worked on the show.

Cultural references

The episode's title is a reference to the 1994 film, Dumb and Dumber .[ citation needed ] In this episode, Henry quotes, "She's as common as an angry woman in an Ibsen play," perhaps referencing Nora in A Doll's House . The revelation that Maggie is only smart because she is watching Lisa is similar to the case of Clever Hans at the turn of the century.[ citation needed ] During the second interview Henry calls Maggie "Pippi Nontalking", which is reference to the character Pippi Longstocking. Maggie as a genius talking through the phonics frog perhaps is a reference to Stephen Hawking communicating through his computer.

Marge's line "All our children are smart. Some are just smarter than others" is a reference to Animal Farm's "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." Marge giving Lisa the paper quoting "You are Lisa Simpson" is a reference to the season two episode, "Lisa's Substitute", where the character Mr. Bergstrom gave her a similar paper - which Lisa shows framed next to her bed.[ citation needed ] Lisa's black and white nightmare of her pushing Maggie down the stairs in a wheelchair is a reference to the 1962 film What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? .[ citation needed ]

Lisa staying in the Natural History Museum is a reference to the book From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler , in which kids ran away from home and lived in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.[ citation needed ] The instrumental version of the song playing during the scenes where Lisa is walking around the museum is "Moon River" from the film Breakfast at Tiffany's .

Related Research Articles

Marjorie Jacqueline "Marge" Simpson (née Bouvier) is a character in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. Voiced by Julie Kavner, she first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Marge was created and designed by cartoonist Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of James L. Brooks' office. Groening had been called to pitch a series of shorts based on Life in Hell but instead decided to create a new set of characters. He based the character on his mother Margaret Groening. After appearing on The Tracey Ullman Show for three seasons, the Simpson family received their own series on Fox, which debuted December 17, 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maggie Simpson</span> Fictional character from The Simpsons franchise

Margaret "Maggie" Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the youngest member of the Simpson family. She first appeared on television in the Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Maggie was created and designed by cartoonist Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of James L. Brooks' office. She received her first name from Groening's youngest sister. After appearing on The Tracey Ullman Show for three years, the Simpson family was given their own series on the Fox Broadcasting Company which debuted December 17, 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa's First Word</span> 10th episode of the 4th season of The Simpsons

"Lisa's First Word" is the tenth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It was first broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on December 3, 1992. In the episode, as the Simpson family gathers around Maggie and tries to encourage her to say her first word, Marge reminisces and tells the story of Lisa's first word. Maggie's first word is voiced by Elizabeth Taylor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treehouse of Horror IX</span> 4th episode of the 10th season of The Simpsons

"Treehouse of Horror IX" is the fourth episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 25, 1998. This is the ninth Treehouse of Horror episode, and, like the other "Treehouse of Horror" episodes, contains three self-contained segments: In "Hell Toupée", Homer gets a hair transplant and is possessed by the spirit of an executed criminal; in "Terror of Tiny Toon", Bart and Lisa are trapped in a special, extremely violent episode of The Itchy & Scratchy Show; and in "Starship Poopers", Marge reveals that Maggie is the product of a one-night stand with the alien Kang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simpson family</span> Family of five fictional characters in animation series The Simpsons

The Simpson family are the main fictional characters featured in the animated television series The Simpsons. The Simpsons are a nuclear family consisting of married couple Homer and Marge and their three children, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. They live at 742 Evergreen Terrace in the fictional town of Springfield, United States, and they were created by cartoonist Matt Groening, who conceived the characters after his own family members, substituting "Bart" for his own name. The family debuted on Fox on April 19, 1987, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" and were later spun off into their own series, which debuted on Fox in the U.S. on December 17, 1989, and started airing in Winter 1989.

"Summer of 4 Ft. 2" is the twenty-fifth and final episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series, The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 19, 1996. In the episode, the Simpson family stay in Ned Flanders' beach house. Hanging around with a new set of children, Lisa becomes popular, while Bart is left out. Bart tries to sabotage his sister's newfound acceptance, but fails.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Married Marge</span> 12th episode of the 3rd season of The Simpsons

"I Married Marge" is the eleventh episode of the third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 26, 1991. In the episode, Marge worries that she may be pregnant again and visits Dr. Hibbert's office. While anxiously waiting at home, Homer tells Bart, Lisa, and Maggie the story of his and Marge's marriage and Bart's birth. The episode was written by Jeff Martin and directed by Jeffrey Lynch.

"Homer Alone" is the fifteenth episode of the third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the fiftieth episode overall. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 6, 1992. In the episode, stress from household chores and her family's demands causes Marge to suffer a nervous breakdown, so she vacations alone at a spa. She leaves Bart and Lisa with Patty and Selma; Maggie stays at home with Homer but leaves home looking for her mother, causing Homer to frantically search for her.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jazzy and the Pussycats</span> 2nd episode of the 18th season of The Simpsons

"Jazzy and the Pussycats" is the second episode of the eighteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 17, 2006. When Bart turns a quiet funeral into a chaotic mess, Homer and Marge are faced with angry Springfielders who have had enough of Bart's mischievousness. But when a psychiatrist assists Bart by channelling Bart's anger through drums, Lisa feels Bart may have stolen the one thing she held strong: music. As a result, Lisa begins collecting animals to subdue her misery. It was written by Daniel Chun and directed by Steven Dean Moore. Meg White and Jack White of the White Stripes guest star as themselves. In its original run, the episode received 8.94 million viewers.

<i>The Simpsons</i> opening sequence Opening sequence of the TV series The Simpsons

The Simpsonsopening sequence is the title sequence of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It is accompanied by "The Simpsons Theme". The first episode to use this introduction was the series' second episode "Bart the Genius".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marge Gamer</span> 17th episode of the 18th season of The Simpsons

"Marge Gamer" is the seventeenth episode of the eighteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 22, 2007. It was written by J. Stewart Burns and featured a guest appearance from Brazilian soccer star Ronaldo.

"Midnight Towboy" is the third episode of the nineteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 7, 2007, and in the United Kingdom on November 11, 2007. This is the first Simpsons episode to premiere in October since season eleven's "Treehouse of Horror X", which aired on October 31, 1999.

"Smoke on the Daughter" is the fifteenth episode of the nineteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 30, 2008, and was written by Billy Kimball, and directed by Lance Kramer. Lisa becomes a ballerina at an academy and discovers her natural talent is enhanced by second hand cigarette smoke. Meanwhile, Homer shows Bart his secret room where he has secretly been making beef jerky and is torn when a family of raccoons steal it. During the first broadcast, the episode was watched by 7.1 million people.

"Father Knows Worst" is the eighteenth episode of the twentieth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 26, 2009. In the episode, Bart and Lisa start struggling in their academic and social lives at school and Homer starts monitoring them and forcing them to do better, becoming a helicopter parent. Meanwhile, Marge discovers a sauna in the basement.

"Four Great Women and a Manicure" is the twentieth and penultimate episode of the twentieth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. First broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on May 10, 2009, it is the second Simpsons episode to have four acts instead of the usual three. The episode tells four tales of famous women featuring Simpsons characters in various roles: Selma as Queen Elizabeth I, Lisa as Snow White, Marge as Lady Macbeth and Maggie as Howard Roark from Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gone Maggie Gone</span> 13th episode of the 20th season of The Simpsons

"Gone Maggie Gone" is the thirteenth episode of the twentieth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 15, 2009. The episode was written by both Billy Kimball and longtime Simpsons writer Ian Maxtone-Graham, and directed by Chris Clements. In the episode, Homer leaves Maggie on the doorstep of a convent, but when she disappears, Lisa goes undercover as a nun to solve the mystery and find her. Meanwhile, Homer tries to keep Maggie's disappearance a secret from Marge, who was temporarily blinded while watching a solar eclipse.

"Wedding for Disaster" is the fifteenth episode of the twentieth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 29, 2009. In the episode, Marge and Homer's second marriage turns out to be invalid, so they decide to get married again. Right before the remarriage, Homer goes missing, and Bart and Lisa suspect that he has been kidnapped by Sideshow Bob. The episode was written by Joel H. Cohen and directed by Chuck Sheetz. It features Kelsey Grammer in his 12th vocal appearance as Sideshow Bob.

"Judge Me Tender" is the twenty-third and final episode of the twenty-first season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. The 464th episode of the series overall, it originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 23, 2010. In the episode, Moe discovers his talent for judging in competitions and is invited to appear on the show American Idol. Meanwhile, Homer drives Marge crazy when he starts spending too much time at home, and Lisa tries to comfort Santa's Little Helper.

"The Kids Are All Fight" is the nineteenth episode of the twenty-sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 571st overall episode of the series. The episode was directed by Bob Anderson and written by Rob LaZebnik. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 26, 2015.

"'Tis the 30th Season" is the tenth episode of the thirtieth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 649th episode overall. The episode was directed by Lance Kramer with a story by Jeff Westbrook and teleplay by John Frink and Joel H. Cohen. It aired in the United States on Fox on December 9, 2018.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Simon Cowell Guest Stars on "Simpsons"". About. February 15, 2008. Archived from the original on June 8, 2011. Retrieved February 15, 2008.