Well, if you haven't noticed, January was an unannounced theme month in the Fiction's Finest Nerds category; "Grade School Nerd Girls." No matter how hard you try, you cannot exclude Lisa Simpson, nor can you place her in the middle. She is the last name in grade school nerd girls, and as such, she is the last entry in this theme.Granted, The Simpsons has perhaps overstayed its welcome. I have not watched it in years, and no matter how good new episodes might be, I would rather the show stay great in my memory. I don't want to see Conan with a walker, and I don't want to remember The Simpsons as a show that sucked.
That being said, Lisa is the archetype of the young nerd girl. She is obsessed with good grades. Her zeal for school work annoys her ambivalent teacher. She respects her principal (I never did that). She is interested in Zen Buddhism, literature, philosophy, jazz, the environment, and is a vegetarian and feminist. Her intelligence makes her question the world around her, particularly when she discovers that her beloved Malibu Stacy is a poor role model for young girls. She is the foil for her June Cleaver mother, her borderline retarded father, and narcissistic brother. Being a nerd girl, she is cursed to be loved only by the less-than-bright dork Milhouse... Her's is not an easy road.
You could write a book about Lisa, so I'll stop here and simply thank the Invisible Pink Unicorn (blessed be her holy hooves) that she has graced our televisions.
4 comments:
Thank you for that...very well said. I actually have a very soft spot in my heart for the Lisa/Homer relationship. I think it is the best TV depiction of a father/daughter relationship. The one where he gets a message printed in the crosswords for her made me cry.
I have heard that the Invisible Pink Unicorn is not in fact invisible. It's just that you can't see her.
@ Angie - If I remember the same episode, I may have shed a tear or two as well. Of course the favorite in our house, being the only vegetarians in the family is the "You don't make friends with salad" conga line. I do like that Lisa never hates Homer, no matter how stupid he is.
@ Dr. Zaius - That is the mystery of our faith!
Lisa Simpson is clearly the most admirable TV character ever! Subjectively speaking, I absolutely adore her and so do I the family that produced her. The Simsons is hilariously funny, witty, deep and darkly satirical at times. They have all but overstayed their welcome! May they grace our television screens forever.
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