The Simpsons' Bart (Nancy Cartwright) and Lisa (Yeardley Smith) are two siblings who couldn’t be more different. One’s a troublemaker, not great in school, impulsive… and then there’s Bart. Kidding, of course, but despite their personality disparities, the pair has a strong sibling bond that has seen them join forces, challenge one another, fight, and make up with one another. It’s complex and realistic, and it’s a bond that is strongly evident in one particular episode. No, not “Bart vs. Thanksgiving,” although that one is akey moment in their sibling rivalry.It happened in"Lisa’s First Word,“and that one word changedThe Simpsonsforever.
‘The Simpsons’ Bart and Lisa Showcase the Highs and Lows of the Sibling Dynamic
Anyoneblessed with a siblingknows how complex that relationship can be. At times, it can be infuriating, leaving one or the other pondering how wonderful life must be for children without siblings. At other times, it can be tremendously rewarding, like your sibling is the only other person in the world that understands you.Over the course of its 36 seasons,The Simpsonshas showcased both ends ofthat sibling love/hate spectrumthrough Bart and Lisa(and, to a lesser extent, Maggie).
“Bart vs. Thanksgiving” is the perfect example of both, with their heated argument and the ensuing destruction of Lisa’s centerpiece leading to Lisa being heartbroken and Bart running away, feeling unloved and unwanted, an example of their relationship at its worst.Yet when they reconcile at the end, it’s one of the most emotionally uplifting moments in the history of the series.
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But there’s no shortage of examples on either side. On the ugly side, “My Sister, My Sitter” sees Bart deliberately sabotaging Lisa’s attempts to be a responsible babysitter (which points to a bigger issue about parenting, but that’s an article for another time). “Bart vs. Lisa vs. the Third Grade” has Bart cruelly making jokes at Lisa’s expense after she’s moved up to his third grade class. “Lisa on Ice” sees the pair at their competitive worst when they’re on opposing hockey teams.
At the other end, after taking aptitude tests in “Separate Vocations,” Bart learns he could be a police officer, which pushes him to work with Principal Skinner (Harry Shearer) to impose more rules, while Lisa learns she’s damned to be a homemaker, which sends her in a spiral downwards. But in an act of compassion, he takes the blame for a crime Lisa commits, so her perfect record won’t be blemished. That compassionate heart is seen again in “The Secret War of Lisa Simpson” when Lisa joins Bart at military school, where he’s been sent to fix his behavior simply so he has a friend. Lisa struggles with the intense training camp, but Bart helps her by secretly training her to pass the tests, leading to a deeper understanding of one another.And when they work together, as they do in"Kamp Krusty"or “Krusty Gets Busted,” they’re unstoppable.
“Lisa’s First Word” Thrills Bart on ‘The Simpsons’
That sibling relationship gets its start, chronologically, in Season 4’s “Lisa’s First Word,” a flashback episode detailing the events surrounding Lisa’s arrival into the family and, per the title, her first word (ending with Maggie’s first word, “Daddy”, famously voiced by the iconicElizabeth Taylor). The flashback begins with the road to Lisa’s birth, including their move into the family home at742 Evergreen Terrace.
Bart’s discontent with Lisa starts before she’s even born, with Bart being forced to give up his crib, so the baby can have it when she comes. That discontent grew even stronger when Homer (Dan Castellaneta), knowing Bart’s fondness for Krusty the Clown, made a custom clown bed for Bart, with thesame care and craftsmanshiphe gave his spice rack and trophy case.In other words, it’s a horrifying monstrosity in the semblance of a clown from the depths of Hell that terrifies Bart to his core.
Already bitter about how Lisa has already negatively impacted his life before even arriving, the attention Lisa receives after being born makes him seethe with jealousy. He does everything he can to make Lisa look bad – cutting off her hair, shoving her through the Flanders' doggy door, and, my personal favorite, sticking a bunch of stamps on her and putting her in a mailbox – but to no avail. He’s had enough, and decides he’s going to run away from home now that Lisa has ruined his life.As he turns to walk away, Lisa says her first word: “Bart.”
“Lisa’s First Word” Sets the Course for Bart and Lisa’s Sibling Relationship on ‘The Simpsons’
Instantly, the word turns Bart’s frown upside down, and a thrilled Bart can’t help but share the good news with everyone. Marge (Julie Kavner) explains that it’s not surprising, given how Lisa adores him, and the flashback ends with Bart and Lisa hugging one another tightly, bonding over their shared joy at calling Homer by his name instead of his preferred “Daddy.”
That instantaneous on/off dynamic has largely stuck throughout the series, when even their most heated moments can turn around to become the most touching. “Lisa on Ice” is the most obvious example, with their competitive anger at one another coming to a head during a shootout, only for the two to remember how much they mean to one another, flipping that switch from hate to love, and ending the game being closer than ever. Bart may be oblivious to Lisa’s adoration of him, selfishly thinking about himself more often than not, but when it dawns on him, it comes quickly. Likewise, Lisa may get frustrated with Bart, even angry at him, but when she remembers how he sticks up for her, even protects her, those feelings of frustration drop. Yes, it’s an eternal struggle, one that evenends all life on Earth, but Bart and Lisa see something in one another that no one else can see. Just like siblings in the real world.
All episodes ofThe Simpsonsare available on Disney+ in the U.S.
The Simpsons
The satiric adventures of a working-class family in the misfit city of Springfield.
