Trying to write something that’ll make millions laugh is hard enough. After reading the same joke over and over again, you’ll go mad second-guessing if something is actually funny or not. However,making people want to cry while watching a comedy the ultimate achievement, and it is somethingThe Simpsonsexcels at. For this, you need characters who can reveal a deeper layer to themselves than we previously thought existed, and you also need to find a topic that reveals a character’s vulnerabilities, while also being ironic enough that we find something funny, but not mean, about the characters' struggles. It’s a balancing act.
Sounds complicated? Well there’sno example more fitting for this criteria than Season 4, Episode 4, “Lisa the Beauty Queen.“This episode followsLisa’s (Yeardley Smith)insecurities around her looks and how her family tries to help her overcome her self-doubt and find confidence. Being able to combine serious topics and relatable character introspection has always beenThe Simpsons’secret weapon and it’s also what makes the show so good, and it’s never more obvious than in this singular episode.
“Lisa the Beauty Queen” Sees Lisa Become Little Miss Springfield in ‘The Simpsons’
“Lisa the Beauty Queen” lulls people into a false sense of security with its opening scenes. Hilarious gags from Principal Skinner (Harry Shearer) fighting off lawyers from Disney, to Nelson (Nancy Cartwright) beating upMillhouse (Pamela Hayden)andBart(Nancy Cartwright) keep us laughing until we get to our true opening of the episode’s central narrative. At a caricature stand, Lisa suffers a crisis of confidence when she believes she is “ugly” because the artist drew an exaggerated portrait of her. Heruncharacteristically negative tone, compared to her usually idealistic demeanor, contrasts with the first gags, subverting our expectations. ThoughHomer (Dan Castellaneta)wins a treasured flight on the Duff Blimp, he sells the ticket so Lisa can enter into the Little Miss Springfield Beauty Pageant after seeing an advert.
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Start perfecting your pausing skills.
‘The Simpsons’ Highlights Lisa’s Insecurities Without Judgment
There are clear and obvious scenes of Lisa’s insecurity over her appearance, such as crying and shouting at her family when they don’t give her a reassuring enough answer to the question “Am I ugly?” However, it is the smaller moments that truly emphasize the isolating and debilitating feeling that such insecurities can create. In one scene, we see Lisa’s distorted reflection in the back of a spoon, before a shot showing Lisa’s frown as she gazes at the utensil.
While this is hardly a “dark” scene, it subtly points both to Lisa’s distorted reflection of herself and real-world mental health conditions likebody dysmorphia. In doing this,The Simpsonsprovides an example of what, sadly, manyyoung peoplecan relate to, creating strong empathy between the viewer and Lisa. Even when Marge tells Lisa that Homer sold his ticket to enter her in the competition, such as simple reveal of information has a profound effect on Lisa, and shows howa simple act of service can mean the world to someone experiencing issues with their self-perception.
“Lisa the Beauty Queen” Reveals the Tender Side of The Simpsons Family
This episode also allows Homer and Bart to convey a far more poignant message about the role men can play insupporting women, especially young girls, when they struggle through this period of their lives. We have seen countless times inThe SimpsonsthatHomer truly does love his daughter, but giving away his Duff Blimp ticket is a truly impressive sacrifice for the character, and Homer does it without hesitation. Similarly, Bart plays a key role in “Lisa the Beauty Queen” becauseBart actually assists Lisa greatly in doing as well as possible in the beauty pageant. He not only embraces his feminine side by showing Lisa how to walk in heels, but, more importantly, he tells her that she isn’t ugly and truly convinces her that she has nothing to worry about.
In the end, “Lisa the Beauty Queen” is an unforgettable episode for what it offers not only to the series but also to the audience. The range of topics explored, from the aforementioned self-doubt to the role others can play in helping people overcome it, to the more systemic problems like advertising destructive products and manipulating the minds of young people, makes this an episode that feels likeit has a well-rounded argument to make. Therefore, in your 1000th rewatch ofThe Simpsons, this episode is one to pay extra attention to.
The Simpsonsis available to stream on FOX in the U.S.
The Simpsons
The satiric adventures of a working-class family in the misfit city of Springfield.
