The capsule for "They Saved Lisa's Brain (AABF18)" is now available at The Simpsons Archive, at "http://www.snpp.com/episodes.html". You may access it by following the link for episode AABF18.
We plan to have "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo (AABF20)" up next. (This is subject to change due to schedule and resource demands, however.)
Not among the world's web-enabled? That's okay -- a copy the AABF18 capsule follows immediately. Enjoy!
They Saved Lisa's Brain Written by Matt Selman
Directed by Pete Michels
==============================================================================
Production code: AABF18 Original Airdate on FOX: 9-May-1999
Capsule revision A (5-Nov-01)
============================================================================================================================================================
(Canadian TV Guide): Lisa's preachy ways impresses a group of Springfield
intellects, prompting the society to offer an exclusive membership with
hopes of enlisting her help to influence other residents to follow their
ideologies. Physicist Stephen Hawking guest voices as himself. {hl}==============================================================================
============================================================================== Blackboard: NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR / FROM MY ARMPITS
NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR / FROM MY ARMP at cutoff
Couch: The living room floor is now a body of water, with the
furniture floating on its surface. The family runs in
(shallow water, evidently) and jumps on the couch.
Unfortunately for them, an iceberg floats by and sinks the
couch. The family goes down with it, but seconds later Maggie
pops up on a cushion, and uses the remote to turn on the
television. [Recycled from AABF08]==============================================================================
==============================================================================
... Bart's costume for the contest is his "Bartman" mask, but without the
cape?
... former Secretary of State Madeline Albright was one of the contest
judges?
... fittingly, Smithers was the rear end of the horse in the Burns-Smithers
horse costume? [See "Comments" section for more -- Ed.]Ben Collins:
... nobody in the Mensa group knows the Comic Book Guy's name?
... the Comic Book Guy looks fatter than usual in his Star Trek uniform?
(I've seen people in Star Trek uniforms, and most of them don't have
the type of figure designed for full-body spandex underwear.)Don Del Grande:
... there were only eight voice actors (the regular six, Stephen Hawking,
and Tress MacNeille)?
... Kirk's pacifier sounds like Maggie's?
... Lisa didn't put her name on her letter?
... the Comic Book Store Guy's shirt uses "forward" slashes, while DOS uses
backslashes (because the forward slash is used for command line
options)? [See "Comments" section for more -- Ed.]
... the council didn't consider Chief Wiggum incompetent enough to fire
him?
... technically, Quimby didn't abdicate, so the council didn't really have
any powers? (If the council could take over whenever Quimby left, when
could he go on vacation, or on a business trip?)
... the bottom five cities are Flint, Michigan; Ebola, Rhode Island;
Dawson's Creek, North Carolina; "Springfield, USA"; East St. Louis,
Illinois?
... the "metric calendar" still has the month April, as opposed to, say,
Quadember?
... Martin's IQ is 216, yet he's not on the council, nor is he in MENSA?
For that matter, none of the other "Superfriends" are members?Yuri Dieujuste:
... the speakers on Lisa's shelf?
... the order of the members of Mensa who finished reading the town charter
goes counter-clockwise?Jordan Eisenberg: ... Lisa is smarter than Dr. Hibbert, but not CBG or Frink?
Andrew Gill: ... the distasteful joke in "Grandma Plopwell's"? ... Homer has changed his views on stealing since [9F13]?
Darrel Jones:
... Homer defaces the Van Gogh painting with a chocolate smear that looks
like his own "beard"?
... despite the fracas caused by Bart drinking Duff in [4F15], someone
throws a can of Duff Beer at him to swallow?
... nobody, not even fellow Springfieldians, likes the cast acting out of
character?
... the pig Bart rides looks like the one in Homer's fantasy in [3F05]?
... Dr. Hibbert used to live in Alabama?Joe Klemm: ... Dawson's Creek, NC is number 298 in the Top 300 Livable US Cities list?
Haynes Lee: ... Madeline Albright a judge [at the gross-out contest]? ... Mensa society on street no. 13? ... "Rise to vote sir" really is a palindrome? ... Comic Book Guys gets lucky less than once every seven years?
Andrew Levine: ... Madeline Albright's mug has the United States seal on it? ... Steven Hawking is the first guest voice who doesn't _have_ a voice?
Ondre Lombard:
... the dictionary isn't holding up the short end of the couch?
... one of the MENSA members looks like a blonde version of the network
executive from 4F12 and 5F15?
... Homer is wearing briefs that don't have the usual design of briefs?
(unlike earlier episodes)
... ritual circumcision included in the Springfield town charter?Travis D. McLemore Jr: ... Jimmy the Scumbag in the pudding ad? ... Apu dressed as a cow? ... Springfield ranks behind Dawson's Creek, NC? ... CBG wears Star Trek shirt?
Tom Rinschler:
... Homer has forgotten what "boudoir" meant after learning its definition
from his vocabulary building tapes?
... the Duff Beer commercial behind Lisa when she stands in front on the
TV?
... the MENSA group finally gets Gazebo 7 when they hold the town meeting?Benjamin Robinson:
... Snake dressed as a ballerina at the same event?
... although he's a Mensa member, Dr. Hibbert decides to go to the KBBL
fool-off?
... Lisa isn't smart enough to jump out of the gazebo like the other Mensa
members?
... this time, we got two riots in one episode?Evan Ross:
... "KBBL" has replaced Marty?
... Mr. Burns' and Smithers' costume (i.e., Smithers' head is straight in
Mr. Burns' rear)? [See "Comments" section for more -- Ed.]Gary Wilson:
... they apparently cancelled Ethnic Mismatch in the middle of an episode?
... it took Lisa the entire drive home to wipe her face off?
... Flanders implied that Jesus wasn't living?
... the Springfield branch of Mensa is located on Euclid St.?
... Homer never poses nude, despite what he's told?
... a spider is enough to keep Dr. Hibbert out of the gazebo?
... Frink was the last Mensa member to finish reading the charter?
... despite CBG's weight, he wants to outlaw obesity in women?
... the photo album is generically labeled 'for my Significant Other'?
... surprisingly, Homer is in favor of eliminating boxing?
... CBG changes [outfits] four different times in this ep?
... breeding once every seven years is an increase in amount for Skinner
too?
... Skinner says he doesn't like Dr. Hawking's tone, when Hawking obviously
doesn't have a tone at all?==============================================================================
==============================================================================
- Starring
- Dan Castellaneta (Ethnic Man, Homer, Hypersugar Teen, Bill, Barney,
Krusty, Quimby {je})
- Julie Kavner (Marge)
- Nancy Cartwright (Bart, Ralph)
- Yeardley Smith (Lisa)
- Hank Azaria (Geeky-voiced Teen, Carl, Moe, Chief Wiggum, Frink, CBG)
- Harry Shearer (Promo Guy, Announcer, Hibbert, Marty, Otto, Ranier
Wolfcastle, Lenny, Ned, Principal Skinner, Lovejoy, Brockman)- Special Guest Voice
- Stephen Hawking (Himself)
- Also Starring
- Tress MacNeille (Ethnic Woman, Lindsay Neagle, Photographer)
==============================================================================
==============================================================================
+ "They Saved Hitler's Brain" (movie)
- title a take-off of this B-movie + "Shut Up You Face" (song) {hl}
- Italian style pop song; "Ethnic Mismatch Comedy #644's" lead actor
uses this as his catchphrase [See "Comments" section for more -- Ed.] - NBC series promotions {bjr}
- often feature the characters dancing around, like the principals from
"Ethnic Mismatch Comedy #644" [Red Green reports that Fox also did
this at the time this episode premiered -- Ed.]+ "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" {bjr}
+ Orville Reddenbacher (popcorn maker) {bjr}
- Homer combines these two otherwise unrelated things to create the
"Reddenbacher Dreamcoat" + "Hot Blooded" (song)
- Homer sings his popcorn song to this tune by Foreigner + David Letterman (talk show host) {jk}
- Homer's popcorn suit similar to Letterman's Alka-Seltzer suit - Le Sex Shoppe (adult store chain) {rw}
- Lisa's comment about store names that begin with "Le Sex" is most
likely a reference [See "Comments" section for more -- Ed.] + "Dick and Jane" (reading primer) {jk}
- CBG's "C:/Dos/Run" shirt [See "Comments" section for more -- Ed.] + "Dennis Miller Live" (TV series) {er}
- ratio of people understanding jokes (because they often have obscure
references) + Annie Leibovitz (photographer) {bs}
- the photographer was clearly an animator's representation of the
Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair portraitist - Starr Congressional investigation {hl}
- Skinner not able to understand the "it" of "beat it" refers to
Clinton's semantic hair-splitting of the word "is" during the Starr
hearings. - United States Constitution {dj}
- Springfield's Town Charter looks like, and was probably modeled after,
this document+ Sir Thomas More's "Utopia"
+ Plato's "Republic" (books) {tr}
- both detail model governments ruled by the intelligentsia (and would
work about as well in practice as would Springfield's experiment) + "Walden II" (book) {mm}
- a book written by B.F. Skinner about the dangers of trying to create a
Utopian society
- ["Why is Lindsey in MENSA? She thinks creating Walden in Springfield
is not only feasible, but something that people would enjoy." -- {ag}] + "Candyland" (board game) {tr}
- Wiggum hopes that Springfield will become like this children's Game + "Making the trains run on time" (saying) {tr}
- Mussolini's only noted accomplishment. A catchphrase denoting
fascism. + "Roger and Me" (TV series) {ddg}
- Flint, Michigan is town 296 on the list + the Ebola virus {bjr}
- one of the cities in the livability survey is "Ebola, RI" + "Dawson's Creek" (TV series) {ddg}
- town 298 on the list + the Brat Pack {jk2}
- the "Bright Pack" nickname probably refers to this group of snotty
teenaged movie actors of the 80's. Anthony Michael Hall and Molly
Ringwald, people like that+ Natashia Kinski (actress) {ml}
+ Janet Jackson (actress) {hl}
- both women did a cheesecake photo with a python, � la Homer with the
firehose - "Fire" by Ohio Players (album) {dj}
- although she is not laying down, the cover has a picture of a lady
with a hose wrapped around her, and she is wearing a fireman's hat
(and little else) + "Star Trek" (TV series)
- CBG dresses yet again in a Star Trek outfit {tr}
- Comic Book Guy sings his taunt of Hibbert to the theme tune
- Willie does a good Scottie impression when replying to him {tr} + "Brief History of Time" (book) {hl}
- Stephen Hawking book + Fruitopia (juice drink) {tr}
- Steven Hawking says that the Springfield utopia is really a
"Fruitopia" ~ "Inspector Gadget" (TV series) {gw}
- Dr. Hawking's gadget-filled wheel chair + Larry Flynt (famous pornographer) {ag}
- Homer confuses Hawking with this other wheelchair-bound icon.==============================================================================
============================================================================== - [7F21] Bart wears his Bartman mask - [8F08] Marge's wig on the dresser {ddg} - [8F22] Homer and the word "boudoir" {ol} - [9F06] Springfield named "America's Worst City" (bc) - [9F10] Town charter seen - [9F14], [4F24] Bart walks past Lisa's room doing something stupid as she writes a personal journal about intellect {ol} - [9F18] Marge goes "whoo-whoo" {gw} - [9F19] Krusty with a lolly {hl} - [9F19] Character with outfit and big lollipop {gw} - [1F17] Anagrams mentioned {hl} - [2F09] Something treasured is used as a napkin {gw} - [2F10] Homer looks up a common word in a dictionary {al} - [2F10] Urinal cakes mentioned {hl} - [2F15] People dress in Renaissance outfits {dj} - [2F15] Two (or more) people engage in a speed-reading contest {bjr} - [2F18] Last appearance of Springfield Downs {dj} - [2F32] Someone is eaten by a snake {gw} - [3F04] Stephen Hawking mentioned, albeit as "that wheelchair guy" - [3F20] Skinner "phones ahead" {gw} - [3F24] Homer covered in a snack food {al} - [3G02] Fruitopia mentioned {bjr} - [3G04] "Planet of the Apes" music used {gw} - [5F04] Use of Foreigner's "Hot Blooded" {ol} - [5F06] A world-renowned intellectual appears (Steven Jay Gould) (bc) - [AABF05] CBG a virgin {gw} - [AABF07] Jokes about the current trend in sitcoms {ol} - [AABF09] Midseason replacement jokes {ol}
==============================================================================
==============================================================================
- Identifiable objects thrown at Bart {bjr} Wrapped candy, part of a celery stalk, Oreo cookies, can of Duff
(this was a miss), spark plug- Newspaper headline {bjr}
Pudding Spree
Not Enjoyed by All
-------------------------
An Open Letter to
the People of Springfield- Dictionary entries, letter "B" {bjr}
a long flowing garmen|
of Africa bouch�e \b�-'sha\ n
a small patty shell usu. containin|
creamed filling bouch� \b�-kla\ n
1. an uneven yarn of three plies o|
of which forms loops at inter|
2. a fabric of bouch� yarn boudoir \'b�-dw�r\ n
a woman's dressing room,
bedroom or private sitting
room bouffan| |�-'f�nt\ adj
puffed | |<~ hairdos><a ~- Dictionary entries, letter "P" {bjr}
one who p|
esp. one who makes a|
of taking photographs photographic \fo-te-'gra-fik�\ adj
1. relating to, obtained by, or use|
in photography 2. representing
nature and human beings with
exactness of a photograph
3. capable of retaining vivid
impressions photography \fe't�-gre-fe\ n
the art or process of producing
images on a sensitized surface
by the action of radiant energy
and esp. light photog| |re \fo-te-gre'-vyur a proc| |r printing from an
plate p| |ed by photograph
in| |�st |igh- Banner at Mensa {gw}
MENSA - THE HIGH IQ SOCIETY
- Comic Book Guy's T-shirt {bjr}
C:/DOS
C:/DOS/RUN
RUN/DOS/RUN- Photographer's van {bjr}
Boudoir
Photography
-----------
"Discretion
Guaranteed"- Skinner's book {bjr}
Gazebo
Reservation
Reform- Five least livable places {bjr}
296. Flint, MI
297. Ebola, RI
298. Dawson's Creek, NC
299. Springfield, USA
300. East St. Louis, IL==============================================================================
==============================================================================
- The house is pink in the opening shot. {ag}- What was powering Homer's hair dryers? {bjr}
- Strictly speaking, we *are* animals, at least in the sense that we are neither plants, nor single-celled organisms like bacteria. {bjr}
= When Lisa types her letter, her first line is much longer than would fit on a single line. {ddg}
- Lisa's typewriter doesn't have a carriage return. {ddg}
= The "B" words appear to be near the end of Homer's dictionary. {bjr}
= After [Homer] finds "boudoir," it looks like he's in the middle of the dictionary. He looks slightly further back for "photography." {bc}
= Homer closes Lisa's door when he leaves, but then it is open again when Bart rides by. {er}
- The plural of "ignoramus" is actually "ignoramuses," not "ignorami" (or so I read in the newspaper recently). {bjr}
+ According to 7G06 Springfield has a symphony hall. {gw}
- An unfolded paper airplane shouldn't be just a grid of squares. {je}
- The constellation Mensa IS visible from the Northern Hemisphere, but only if you are within a few degrees of the equator. {tr}
+ Lisa asks if she needs to take an intelligence test, but hasn't she already
done that? In "Homer's Enemy," Homer tells Frank Grimes that Lisa's IQ is
155. [156, actually -- Ed.] {nd}= CBG's coat appears out of nowhere. {er}
= The photographer's tripod camera seems to disappear after she distorts the lens. {ol}
- How did Bart and Milhouse reach Homer's window? {er}
- Yeah, and what were they standing on? {rc}
+ For an ex-Green Beret who has taken on the Disney Corporation (and their
henchmen) in hand-to-hand combat, Skinner sure is a wuss with drunken out
of shape blue-collar workers. {tr2}* On the traffic light without green, both directions have their yellow
lights on at the same time. (Note for UK types: in USA traffic lights, a
red light does not turn red-and-yellow when the other direction's green
light turns yellow.) {ddg}- Skinner says it's "80 past 2", but he should have said "80 past 1" as the hour hand hadn't reached 2 yet. {ddg}
= In some scenes, CBG's hairline is drastically high. {er}
- Ms. Hoover yells "Good!" during Frink's speech, but it's not her voice. (And Maggie Roswell wasn't in the credits.) {je}
+ Frink's trademark lab coat is white instead of green during the last scene. {er}
+ Homer has heard of Hawking. See Homer^3. (of course, that's non-
canonical, but still ...) ["mario1090" writes, "Yes, but he didn't know
his name."] {ag}* Stephen Hawking couldn't form sentences that quickly if his life depended
on it -- it takes him about 5 minutes per sentence. Still, the episode
would've moved rather slowly had they done it [that way]. {rb}- Hawking can only move his eyes and nothing else -- he made several facial expressions during his appearance. {rb}
= The shadow under Hawking's wheelchair rotates at the wrong time. Are we to believe this is some sort of a magical -*snort*- MOVING light source? {je}
==============================================================================
============================================================================== Rich Bunnell: An amazing episode in a lax season. Plenty of well-written jokes and Hawking's cameo was one of the most fitting and funny that they've had in a long time -- it didn't feel tacked-on at all. Homer's subplot was sort of unnecessary but at least there was a subplot and this one was so absurd that it worked. (A)
Ben Collins: "They Saved Lisa's Brain" is a good, solid, well-crafted episode Season 10 needed more of. It starts with an interesting, character-driven story and adds several ROFL gags (the jury duty notice, the CBG's T-shirt, Rev. Lovejoy's "book-burning mobile"). It's refreshing to see a rare non-Jerkass Homer and a Lisa the writers take seriously. The only real low point for me is the riot scene at the beginning (have we seen this before?). (B)
Lucas Cox: There it is! That was the episode I've been waiting all season. Both the main plot and the sub plot were very well thought out and the jokes were consistent. I was never bored at any time during this episode which I don't think I can say for any episode this season. Also, I was glad to see Frink get some good screen time for once. Also, the guest appearance didn't seem as contrived as many others have been, and Hawking had some pretty good lines. (Why did he actually have to guest star though? They could have just gotten any voice synthesizer.) If I had to pick the weakest part of the episode, it would be the first act, I saw the book burning gag coming from a mile away. Overall though, this was the best one of the season. (A)
Nathan DeHoff: This episode really consisted of two different (but connected) plots: Lisa joining MENSA, and the academic elite trying to run Springfield. These plots were tied together much more successfully than those in some other recent episodes, but the first plot lacked closure. Once MENSA took over the town, Lisa remained in the story, but she was no longer the focus. Overall, I thought that this was a good episode. I enjoyed the attempts by the "smart" people to improve the town (particularly those made by Frink and the Comic Book Guy) and Steven Hawking's appearance. Did we really need two riots in one episode, though? The second one was useful to the plot, but the first one wasn't really necessary; Lisa could easily have objected to the contest even without the rioters becoming involved. (B+)
Nicolas Di Candia: Now that's a good episode! "They Saved Lisa's Brain" shows that the much-criticized current writing staff is able to do classics. I like the good use of Frink and the comic book guy. The subplot wasn't needed, but added much fun to the episode. This is by far the best episode of the last two seasons, I want more like it. (A)
Yuri Dieujuste: Personally this episode was a lot better than last week's episode. Since it is a Lisa episode, I will give some extra credit. The story was well executed and the plot was believable. Some funny jokes added to the episode. Homer's subplot was not over-bearing and a nice surprise. (B)
Jordan Eisenberg: Were it not for the pathetic subplot, this would be the best of the season. But I liked the main plot so much that I'm willing to ignore the subplot entirely. (Think of it as an "extra-credit" problem when you see the final grade.) Last night's show was appropriately intelligent, and in my mind it came as close to an instant classic as any have for a long time. The only problem was that shameless attempt at a subplot which I've now blocked out of my mind. When The Simpsons is like this, I can only feel sorry for the show that comes after them. Well, not really. (A-)
Andrew Gill: Not even the smartest man alive can make this show something that it is not. What is it? Pretty darn good. I must admit that the timocracy wasn't exactly the most believable, but it does seem like the sort of thing that an old town charter would have. The failure of the timocracy wasn't too believable, either, but OK. The boudoir photo subplot ought to have been left out, IMNSHO. Stephen Hawking was great, OTOH, and the plot was interesting. Characterization was good, and I liked it, pretty much all-around. (A)
Carl Johnson: At last! A moderately intelligent episode! It still had the shakiness of Season Ten, but not as much as the other episodes. There was a lot of moderately intelligent dialogue, a couple of funny jokes (loved the Larry Flynt line), and some of the potty humor, but not enough to ruin the episode, like in last Sunday's. This episode didn't try to be funny, and that made it good. It was a disciplined episode, even though at some points the gun misfired. I thought the Quimby and the horse thing was dumb. I thought Homer's Boudoir photography was dumb, except for the part with Milhouse and Bart on the window. One loose end: What happened to Mayor Quimby? That's another Recent Episode Conclusion That Ain't (RECTA). (B-)
Darrel Jones: All the Season Ten nay-sayers need to watch this show. My God, this is the best episode of the whole (nearly complete) season! A surefire classic, with excellent gags, writing, and FFF jokes. Not a single thing was wrong with it. Stephen Hawking was excellent, and I loved the gadgets in his wheelchair. 10/10 (A+)
Joe Klemm: While I don't care much about the story, I did find it enjoyable to see a whole bunch of cleverly written jokes in the episode. The first act alone is enough to last a regular episode. Let's hope the fun continues next week in the season finale. (B+)
Haynes Lee: Clearly the best this season. An patently offensive beginning with a classy ending. Stephen Hawking made one of the best guest appearances in a very long time. (A+)
Jake Lennington: IMO, one of the most boring episodes in a while. The typical "Springfield goes riot happy" became old quite fast and the CBG seemed somewhat smarter than normal, which I thought was bit unusual. Another nit: what is with these tasteless jokes? This week had an old lady pushed out in front of a train!? This is the third week in a row that TS has shown something rude and/or offensive. (C-)
Andrew Levine: This episode has far cleverer jokes than the previous three. Professor Hawking was probably the best guest voice of the season. The ending was a bit predictable but the show on a whole was consistently funny throughout. I'm a sucker for a good Lisa episode and this is one. (A-)
Ondre Lombard: There's too much one-dimensional characterization and too many liberties taken with realism here. Intellect is given too much of a shallow treatment with this episode for its story to be likeable, and its efforts are undermined by mostly idiotic gags. It's a bright milestone for Simpsons to celebrate to have someone as intellectually renowned as Stephen Hawkins on the show, but it still doesn't save the episode from having little impact for me. (D+)
Patrick McGovern: Pretty good. Nothing special, but there were some good moments. A strong 3rd act and a surprisingly good appearance from Stephen Hawking. Great usage of secondary characters and (for possibly the first time this season) a well balanced amount of screentime for all of OFF. Homer's possibly icky subplot was very funny, though. And, hey, there were 3 classic lines-"Larry Flint's right! You all stink!", "Are you sure you're a licensed pornographer!", and "Daddy says I'm this close from living in the yard!". Gets a bit of a grade raises thanks to the "Ethnically Mismatched Sitcom." (B+)
Tom Rinschler: Although it wasn't a laugh-fest, "They Saved Lisa's Brain"
makes up for it with a great plot and sub-plot. It was interesting to see
how Springfield's intellectual elite ran the city, and how their best-laid
plans fell apart. Moreover, Steven Hawking's appearance was actually
useful for a guest star, and he had several scene-stealing lines and
actions ("Your idea of a donut-shaped universe intrigues me Homer; I may
have to steal it" had me ROFL). (A)Jason Rosenbaum: Not as wonderful as I was expecting, but Hawking was one of best, if not THE best, guest stars of all time. His appearance was relevant, funny and actually quite touching. The MENSA plot could have gone on longer, and the Homer subplot was pretty stupid, but other than that, a nice episode in the sea of bad episodes (woah, bad analogy). (B+)
Evan Ross: All in all, a rather good episode. Lisa's feelings that everyone else is stupid can be quite relatable, and gives her some acceptance finally. No more episodes about how Lisa doesn't have any friends! The ending was pretty true to life, because, generally, smart people don't work well together and all want to be in charge. (I have a 155 IQ, so I can talk.) A better episode than some more recent ones, and that gives "... Lisa's Brain" an (A-)
Mike Smith: Matt Selman really written up some great third acts, first, in "Natural Born Kissers" (Homer & Marge fleeing in the nude), then in "Simpsons Bible Stories" (Bart as David vs. Nelson as Goliath), and now this (Stephen Hawking). (B)
Yours Truly: A good premise -- Lisa joins forces with the local Mensa club and ends up running Springfield -- and good execution make this one of the better episodes this season. Despite the lack of a really knockout scene, the show is amusing through its entirety. Balance in the writing makes everyone silly enough to be entertaining, but not so stupid (or nerdish) that it takes the edge off the fun. Even Homer's subplot works well. (A-)
AVERAGE GRADE: B+ (3.29) Std Dev.: 0.7487 (31 reviews computed)
==============================================================================
==============================================================================
Tom Rinschler: "Eine Kleine Nacht Musik" [is the] Mozart classic playing in the background at the MENSA house.
Joe Klemm: "I'm Too Sexy" [by Right Said Fred] Music for Homer's photo shoot
David Brunt: This was ostensibly a comedy pop record. It was composed and sung by the Italian-American Joe Dolce (billed as "The Joe Dolce Music Theatre" on the record). It is sung under the guise of his cabaret alias "Giuseppi" -- an Italian musician. Originally a big hit in 1980 in Australia -- where it was recorded -- it was a huge European hit in early 1981. It is, reportedly, one of the most covered songs in the world, with many European acts covering it at one time or another.
- Is Smithers gay?
Haynes Lee: Smithers was the rear end while Burns was the front end of the horse.
Yuri Dieujuste disagrees: Even though some see Smithers behind Burns in the horse, I see nothing that says that Smithers is gay. I have seen that scene in other cartoons before.
Ondre Lombard: Yes, but the fact that it's well established that Smithers *is* gay (and attracted to Mr. Burns) is what makes that ordinarily innocent costume routine have a double entendre.
- Where is Springfield?
Haynes Lee, again: Not Alabama or Connecticut and definitely not in the southern hemisphere.
Andrew Gill disputes this, however: Not Connecticut? How do you figure? They could still go to the insurance capitol of the world from inside the state.
And how do you figure not the southern hemisphere? Did Lisa ever say that they couldn't see Mensa?
Hardinger J. Flapdoodle: No, but think of an American city below the equator ...
Andrew Gill: Um, is American Samoa in the southern hemisphere?
Meanwhile, Don Del Grande notes: The list includes states for the other cities but says "Springfield, USA"
Rik Williams writes: "Le Sex Shoppe" [is] a chain of adult stores in the Los Angeles area. They're rather well-known for being more inconspicuous and classy than other shops of the same type (at least on the outside) even with locations in such otherwise family-friendly areas as historic Old Pasadena.
Joe Klemm: On September 6, 1997, Princess Diana's funeral took place. Seen throughout the world, it was the most-watched program in the world. Among the highlights included Elton John's only performance of the new version of Candle In the Wind, which with another song by John became the most bought single in the world.
Tyler McHenry notes: Unfortunately, DOS uses a backslash as a path separator, thus, CBG's shirt should read
C:\DOS C:\DOS\RUN RUN\DOS\RUN
Not so fast, says Rich Bunnell: Actually the episode was right, simply because that's the mistake that the actual shirt makes. It's wrong, of course, but the episode depicted the shirt correctly.
And with good reason, says Nathan DeHoff: The Generic Squeaky-Voiced Teen and Generic Sarcastic Middle-Aged Worker seem to have been joined by another generic character type, the Generic Female Business Executive. So far, this type has appeared in "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show," "Girly Edition," "Make Room For Lisa," and "They Saved Lisa's Brain." This type (presumably not always the same character) seems to have a fondness for modern business slang, of which "synergy" is a prime example.
Andrew Gill: Marilyn vos Savant is reported to have the world's highest IQ. Her column "Ask Marilyn" is a haven for self-congratulatory questions, which she typically answers correctly (but none less self- congratulatorily). She is probably most famous for her erroneous solution to the Monty Hall problem.
Mark Finegold asks: Was she actually "wrong"? My memory has faded here, but I thought she and her readers had slightly different versions of this problem in mind. I do not remember her being wrong any way you look at the problem. On the other hand, I have a relatively low I.Q. and would never ever be offered a column in PARADE magazine, so ...
Andrew Gill answers: It depends on the circumstances. IIRC, the question goes something like
You are a contestant on Let's Make a Deal. There are three doors, one of which has a car. You choose door #1. Monty shows you door #3, which has a wadded-up newspaper. Do you stay or switch?
The problems come in with the semantics:
1.) Are there two doors full of wadded newspaper, or, like on the show,
does one door have cookware?
2.) Does Monty want you to win or lose?
3.) Does Monty even know where the car is?
3a.) Could Monty inadvertently tip you off?
3b.) Or is Monty told which door to open?
3c.) Or does Monty occasionally open the door to the car?
4.) Is Monty even obligated to open a door?On the real show, Monty would very rarely give contestants the opportunity to switch.
In fact, Monty was eventually called in to host a demo. During the study, he tried something tricky. Every time a contestant would guess wrong, he'd immediately give them the newspaper, but he'd convince them to switch whenever they guessed right. In this case, your odds of winning by switching are always zero. If Monty wanted you to win, OTOH, he could just switch everything around and give you a 100% chance by switching.
So MvS was wrong on the details.
Andrew Gill: I've been meaning to get my MENSA membership for a while, now. MENSA, a genius group, only accepts people with IQs that are (1/4)*ln(e)*(4096) ... (inspired by an actual ad in Discover Magazine). In layman's terms, that's uhh ... go see the [4F19] capsule. It [MENSA, not the capsule -- Ed.] has a reputation for being pretty much what you saw -- as bunch of losers who want to feel in control because they have high IQs. I'd fit right in. (except for that whole high-IQ thing. Mine's only ~140.)
The aptly-named "Mr. Know-It-All" explains: Numerical IQ scores are meaningless because IQ scales can vary quite a bit. A 140 on one scale might only be a 120 on another. You really need to know the percentile score for the test you took. You qualify for MENSA if that score is in the top 2% (or, measuring from the other direction, the 98th percentile). On most Stanford-Binet tests that's usually a score of 130 or 132. On WAIS tests, it's about 148.
The top 2 percent isn't really that distinctive. It's sort of like being athletic enough to play high school varsity football (which doesn't mean you're good enough for NCAA ball, let alone NFL.) Theoretically, about 5 million people in the US qualify for MENSA. That sort of intelligence is a far cry from being a "genius."
People who achieve those test scores can be very different. They could be jocks and cheerleaders, as well as nerds and geeks. Admittedly, MENSA tends to attract the latter. The smug humor displayed by Lisa's new friends seemed about right -- as did Hawking's comments on intelligent persons doing stupid things. [See the MENSA newsgroups for examples.]
Benjamin Robinson: Admission to Mensa is typically won by doing well on a supervised admission test. However, prospective Mensans can also submit standardized testing scores to gain admissions. (If you are under 14, as is the case with Lisa, you =have= to use standardized scores, because the Mensa tests aren't useable for people that young.) The capsule for "Homer's Enemy (4F19)" (available at <http://www.snpp.com/episodes/4F19.html>) lists the I.Q. requirements, so I won't bore you with those now. Instead, I'll bore you with this list of IQs mentioned here and on other episodes, so you can see where Lisa fits:
1) Stephen Hawking, 280 [*]
2) Martin Prince, 216 {from "Bart the Genius (7G02)"
3) Professor Frink, 197 (by episode's end)
4) Comic Book Guy, 170
5) Lisa Simpson, 156 (from "Homer's Enemy")
6) Dr. Hibbert, 155Springfield's Mensa society seems really impressed by Lisa, but this chart shows that she's actually on the low end of the scale. (Still, this is way above most of the world's population.)
[*] In reality, probably not quite *that* high, since that would beat the record by 70 points or so.
Benjamin goes on to say, "Standard disclaimers about the validity of I.Q. tests apply." Mr. Know-it-all reinforces this point: As I said before, you can only compare results with someone who has taken the same *supervised* test. The numerical score is meaningless -- it's the percentile score that counts. Otherwise, it's nearly as bad as comparing prices in Canadian dollars to those in US dollars without applying the exchange rate.
David Brunt adds: MENSA does have small fan group sections within the overall 'group' newsletter. Most of those groups compile their own additional magazines/newsletters on specialized shows. Aside from the inevitable Star Trek and Doctor Who ones, there is (or was) also a Simpsons magazine.
Just thought I'd mention that ... Just *don't* ask ... !
On a personal note, Andrew Levine writes: Mensa was started in the U.S. by my first cousin (twice removed), Margot Seidelman. Just thought that was worth pointing out.
Oh, and Mike Lee notes: FWIW, (1/4)*ln(e)*(4096) = 1024. [A little higher than even MENSA demands ... -- Ed.]
Ostap Bender wonders: Martin Prince isn't even mentioned when it comes to high IQs and nerds?
"Scan" wonders: Now the fact that Bart stole Martin's test score would explain why Martin is not in Mensa but it was never explained what happened to Martin after his IQ test was sabotaged by Bart. Did they think he was being frivolous? Do they think he buckles under the pressure of an IQ test?
Vanessa Cox: Maybe Bart came out with a pretty good IQ score through sheer luck (you know in the 150's), and they assumed that that was Martin's score. The most likely explanation though is the negligent schooling system. Isn't that what OFF often satirized in those early episodes?
Mr. Know-it-all, again: That's not necessarily true. Most people who qualify for MENSA don't bother to join. Many of those who DID join allowed their memberships to expire after they got to know the other members. I would be very disappointed if Lisa Simpson continues to attend her local MENSA meetings.
Nathan DeHoff: I don't think that kids are usually accepted into MENSA, not matter how high their IQ's are. Of course, Martin is older than Lisa, but Lisa's admittance was a special case. Martin probably hadn't done as much to attract the attention of MENSA as Lisa had.
David Brunt: If they pass the test with a high enough figure and pay the enrolment fee they're a member. I have heard several instances of pre- teens joining over the years. They're usually referred to as 'child genius' in the press ...
Benjamin Robinson explains some of the place names mentioned in this show: Alabama: [mentioned for the benefit of our overseas viewers] One of the states in the U.S., which has a reputation for harboring the, shall we say, intellectually challenged. It's not an entirely deserved reputation, though: NASA has a research facility there, and Mercedes saw fit to make Alabama the site of their SUV factory.
Mel Levine counters: It has a NASA facility probably because the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee for most of the '70's and '80's, John Stennis, was from there ... plus some jerk named Tom Bevill, who was a big honcho on the House Appropriations Committee.
The Mercedes plant? Lots of factories love to relocate to the South, because the white-trash workforces hate unions, for some incomprehensible reason; thus, most of the redneck states are "right to work" states, corporate havens for low wages, crummy benefits and the like. Nice, docile workforce.
Darrel Jones: Yes; Bevill represented part of Alabama in the House of Representatives for 30 years (1967-1997). But Stennis (US Senator, 1947- 1989) was from Mississippi. I follow political history, so I know this.
Benjamin Robinson, again: Flint, MI: Factory town hit hard when the factory -- a General Motors automotive plant -- shut down. Flint's plight was made famous by the Michael Moore film, "Roger and Me."
East St. Louis, IL: Home to one of the nation's highest rates of violent crime. The police advise that if you're from out of town, and suffer a flat tire, that you keep driving until you're someplace safe, defined as being "anywhere but here." Consider yourself warned.
Andrew Gill writes: Stephen Hawking is widely considered to be the smartest man alive. Until one year in college, he seemed to be a perfectly healthy man. Hawking has ALS, AKA Lou Gehrig's Disease, AKA Stephen Hawking's Disease. ALS is a degenerative nerve disease that slowly renders a man immobile. Hawking has been very lucky, since it has progressed very slowly. He is now wheelchair bound, and only has any real ability in his one hand. That is the hand in which he holds a one-button switch which connects to a speech synthesis machine.
The speech synthesis program was originally the cause of much frustration for Hawking -- its voice is decidedly American, while he is an old Brit. When the ability to change it came along, he decided against it, since he (and others) had identified it with him so much.
Hawking has also become an icon for PWDs (people with disabilities). He visited a program called DO-IT (<http://weber.u.washington.edu/~doit/>) a year or so before I became a member (Grr!), and has had a server named after him at the UW (home to DO-IT).
Prof. Hawking must've been pleased with the way that he was drawn. In real life, his skin isn't nearly as yellow (it's a pale grayish fleshtone), and his lips are beet red. Brilliant man, but ALS has left his body a little unattractive.
[Referring to the end of the show ...] Hey! Hawking never actually drank the beer. Well, he probably needs his attendant to lift it to his mouth. I suppose that he prefers that not to be animated ...
Andrew Gill explains why: The Simpsons is one of the few shows on TV that still has any substance. Watch Melrose Place or Suddenly Susan (my condolences if you actually watch them) if you don't believe me.
Stephen Hawking apparently feels this way, too, judging from his comments: "I'm a great fan of The Simpsons. I think it's one of the cleverest shows on television and it always has a moral. So, I was delighted to be asked to appear." Hawking joins another scientific great, Stephen Jay Gould (on "Lisa the Skeptic") who has lent his voice to the show.
A few people wondered if Hawking really *did* lend his voice to the show, inasmuch as his "voice" is computer-generated. Sean Walsh answers: I would think there would be some sort of legal issues if Hawking wasn't actually there and he was advertised as being on the show (it's happened before, where some event hypes someone who wasn't even booked to be there ... that kind of thing).
Alexei S. Esikoff: for those of you who doubted it was really Hawking's "voice," Matt Selman confirms it in today's NY Times. Plus, he references a.t.s. -- "Mr. Selman said that he had read an internet chat among "Simpsons" fans suggesting the shows producers had faked it."
Andrew Gill: I must admit, a toral universe is intriguing. It fits in quite nicely with Einstein's curvature of space, especially WRT singularities. If Homer alleges that the doughnut holes created by black hole singularities pop up in other singularities, it may be worth thinking about, and might be an answer to time's arrow.
Speaking of physics, Benjamin Robinson adds: Hawking is known [...] for "A Brief History of Time," which makes astrophysics, if not simple, at least more comprehensible for people who don't like to curl up by the fire with a big book of equations.
... who haven't been discussed already, courtesy of Benjamin Robinson: Madeline Albright: Secretary of State under the Clinton administration.
Mel Lazarus: Cartoonist who draws "Momma," a strip about a Momma, a slightly overbearing mother and her three adult children. One son responsible but married to a woman of whom Momma disapproves, the other is a shiftless ne'er-do-well, and the daughter can't get her romantic life together. It's the kind of strip that used to be popular twenty or thirty years ago, before "Calvin and Hobbes" and "The Far Side" shook things up. Lazarus also drew "Ms. Peach," but as I haven't seen that comic in a long time I'm going to declare it defunct.
Larry Flynt: Publisher of the notorious "Hustler" girlie magazine. Like Hawking, he uses a wheelchair but, unlike him, he uses it because he was shot in the spine by a would-be assassin.
Ondre Lombard adds: Now he's not always in the news, but he is a champion for free speech and constitutional freedom.
Todd P. Emerson adds: Geena Davis: Actress. Geena Davis' first memorable performance (for me, at least) was in the movie "Tootsie," although she also appeared on a few episodes of "Family Ties," as well as starred in her own short-lived NBC sitcom, "Sara" (which also starred Bronson Pinchot, if memory serves correctly), before hitting it big in movies with such roles as in "The Fly." I think she won an Oscar for some movie, but I forget which one.
Ondre Lombard observes: Matt Selman's last episode "Natural Born Kissers" (5F18) revolved around sex. His next episode also includes sexual elements. And most interesting, both of them include Homer, or Homer and Marge doing embarrassingly secret sexual things.
The Haynes Lee alterna-title for this show is: Brainspotting
Jordan Eisenberg's Alterna-alterna-title: "Pax Springfieldia"
Patrick McGovern's Unofficial Alterna-Title: The Brain and the Boudoir
Jake Lennington suggests: Fahrenheit 71: The Temperature at which Lisa Complains
Andrew Levine suggests: I Am a Fugitive To a Brain Gang
Lucas Cox: Jane Austen's books are actually among the few classics that are generally spared from most school and church "banned books" lists.
Don Del Grande: Some states really don't use mechanical rabbits in dog races, because some people are afraid that the dogs are trained to chase the mechanical rabbit by chasing real ones.
Andrew Gill contributes the next two items: Red and Yellow lights. That's pretty much what I'd expect from someone who wants hamburger earmuffs ...
Marge can feel the pound coming off by eating? It must be the same gene that causes people to spend money to save money.
Daniel M. Gordon: Lisa has a higher IQ than Dr. Hibbert. (Lisa's IQ is 156, as revealed by Homer in 4F19, "Homer's Enemy", but Dr. Hibbert's is 155, as revealed by the Comic Book Guy in this episode.)
==============================================================================
============================================================================== % Another evening finds the Simpsons watching the TV's latest sitcom % offering. This one features an ill-tempered Italian man married to % a proper British girl. Hilarity briefly ensues until the commercial % break.
[the characters from the show dance in front of a plain white backdrop] Promo Guy: "Ethnic Mismatch Comedy #644" ... has been cancelled. [dejected, #644's cast walks off screen] While we scramble to find new programming, please enjoy this encore presentation of Princess Di's funeral. -- TV Darwinism in action, "They Saved Lisa's Brain"
% Marge regrets the demise of "Ethnic Mismatch Comedy #644" and its % plethora of Viagra [TM] jokes. Bart takes it in stride and changes % channels. As it happens, the new station is showing a commercial.
[the ad shows footage of people doing the limbo, and soldiers crawling under barbed wire] Announcer: Attention, Springfield! How low will you go? [Jimmy the Scumbag pushes an old lady in front of a speeding train] ... to win a trip to ... Hawaii! [the lady, all bandaged up, and Jimmy toast each other on the beach] This Saturday, our judges will select the lowest, most disgusting nitwit in town, and send him straight to Maui! Sponsored by Grandma Plopwell's, the low-fat pudding that's approved for sale by the government! [an actor dressed as Uncle Sam eats some pudding, then wipes his mouth on the American flag hanging behind him] Homer: All right, a gross-out contest! Grandma Plopwell, you've done it again! -- "They Saved Lisa's Brain"
% That Saturday draws a crowd of curious onlookers to see the nitwits % and sample Grandma Plopwell's wares. Lisa thinks it's pretty good % for low-fat, and Marge is convinced she can eat her way to a svelte % new figure. A teen giving away Plopwell samples touts that the % pudding gives you 300% of your daily sweetness requirement. (It % also gives Carl adult-onset diabetes.)
Marty: We're here live from the KBBL party lot to see how low will you go! Bill: Our most disgusting contestant will win a free trip to Hartford, Connecticut. Otto: I thought it was Hawaii! Bill: No one said Hawaii. Now, let's get stupid with our first contestant, the Human Garbage Disposal! [as the crowd applauds, Bart walks onto the stage. He's wearing his Bartman mask, and carrying a funnel] Bart: Ladles and jellyspoons, I will now take going low to new heights. I will swallow anything, and I mean anything, you people throw. [Bart holds the funnel to his mouth, while the audience throws a variety of unappetizing objects] [coughs] Please ... no more spark plugs. [cut to Marge and Lisa, sitting in the audience] Marge: Lisa, would you like a penny to throw at your brother? Lisa: Unbelievable. We're rewarding people for acting like buffoons. Marge: Young lady, this may be the high point of Bart's life. Cut him some slack. -- Peaking early, "They Saved Lisa's Brain"
% Next, Barney drinks from all six cans in a six-pack at once. The % crowd goes wild, and the three judges give him a decent score. % Barney protests that his *real* act was to juggle live chickens, but % to no avail. % % Now it's Homer's turn to shine.
Marty: Next, it's Homer Simpson and his Amazing Reddenbacher Dreamcoat, with a number he calls, "Kernel Knowledge." [Homer walks onstage, wearing a jumpsuit covered with corn kernels. He's holding two hair dryers, in holsters] Homer: [singing to the tune of "Hot Blooded"] I'm hot buttered, Check it and see! [takes the dryers out of the holsters, turns them on, and points them to himself] I've got a fever of 453! [the kernels start to pop] Hot, hot, so very hot ... -- "They Saved Lisa's Brain"
% The judges hold up their scoring cards -- all "4"s. Homer starts to % protest, but before he gets far he's besieged by Barney's chickens.
Lisa: Oh, this is so embarrassing. Marge: Lisa, did anyone force you to come here today? Lisa: You. Marge: Mmmm. Well, no one's forcing you to stay. Lisa: Okay, I'm leaving. [gets up] Marge: [grabs Lisa, and sits her down] Oh, you're not going anywhere, missy. -- Mixed messages, "They Saved Lisa's Brain"
% Meanwhile, the audience boos Moe, who's wearing a kiddie sailor % suit.
But it's me! Moe -- wearing a sailor suit! Moe, with a lolly! I mean, it's so out of character. Ain't that worth nothin'? -- Moe, "They Saved Lisa's Brain"
% It ain't, and Moe dismissively waves off the audience and walks % offstage. % % That's all the contestants, so Bill asks the judges to decide who % has won the trip to Hawaii (or at least Hartford). Ranier % Wolfcastle declares himself to be the winner, "for being seen with % you freaks!" His decision doesn't go over well with the crowd. % Lenny tosses a urinal cake at Krusty, who responds by hurling a % trophy. It misses its intended target, and instead knocks Kirk Van % Houten flat on his back. A riot ensues, with people throwing % pudding samples. % % Lisa implores the people to stop fighting, but nobody pays attention % to her. An truck carrying a travelling Van Gogh exhibit makes a % stop at the KBBL studios, and is immediately set upon by the % rioters. Homer smears some Grandma Plopwell's chocolate pudding on % Van Gogh's famous self-portrait, making the artist look like he has % Homer's five-o'clock shadow. Lisa herself gets the pudding % treatment -- twice. % % When she gets home, Lisa channels her anger into writing a manifesto % for the town.
Lisa: [speaking aloud as she types] An open letter to the people of Springfield: Today, our town lost what remains of its fragile civility, drowned in a sea of low-fat pudding. Homer: [stepping into Lisa's room] Look! I got runner-up prize! Lisa: You won second place? Homer: No, but I got it! [leaves, then returns a second later] Stealing is wrong. [leaves again] -- "They Saved Lisa's Brain"
% The runner-up prize is a free boudoir photography session. Homer is % happy, especially after he looks up the meaning of "boudoir." And % "photography." And "boudoir," again. % % Lisa resumes her letter.
Lisa: We are a town of low-brows, no-brows, and ignorami. We have eight malls, but no symphony. Thirty-two bars, but no alternative theater. Thirteen stores that begin with, "Le Sex." I write this letter not to nag or whine, but to prod. We *can* better ourselves! [Bart, butt nekkid, rides a pig through the hallway] [to herself] Well, most of us. -- "They Saved Lisa's Brain"
% Some time later, the newspaper publishes Lisa's letter. That was % step one. Step two: Getting someone to read it. Lisa starts with % her father.
Lisa: Dad, did you see anything provocative in today's paper? Homer: Yes, there's a real think piece here about a bra sale. Lisa: Dad, stop kidding around. Look, they printed my letter. [points to the article] Homer: Hey, that is wonderful, sweetie -- I'm going to read it. Just as soon as I finish what I'm doing here. [folds the paper, takes off his reading glasses, puts the glasses in his shirt pocket, and sits quietly] [Lisa waits a few seconds] Lisa: Well, I'm sure someone has the time to read it. Homer: I envy them. -- Homer Simpson, master of time management, "They Saved Lisa's Brain"
% Lisa approaches Ned Flanders.
Lisa: Hi, Mr. Flanders. I see you're reading the newspaper. Ned: [chuckles] Everything but the opinion page. I don't need to be told what to think -- by anyone living. -- Semi-independent thinker, "They Saved Lisa's Brain"
% Lisa runs across Chief Wiggum, who is carrying a whole stack of % papers.
Lisa: Chief Wiggum! Boy, you sure have a lot of copies of the paper. Wiggum: Yeah, I need to housebreak our new police dog. Plus, it couldn't hurt Ralphie to brush up on the fundamentals. [camera pans to the Wiggums' doorway, where Ralph is lying on the floor next to a Doberman puppy] Ralph: Daddy says I'm this close to living in the yard! [holds his thumb and forefinger close together] Lisa: [sighs] Doesn't anybody in this town read? -- What do you think? "They Saved Lisa's Brain"
% As if in response to her question, Reverend Lovejoy pulls up in his % bookmobile. He asks Lisa for book ideas, and she suggests anything % by Jane Austen. The Reverend thanks her and pulls away, revealing % that he's really driving a book-*burning* mobile. % % Lisa goes home. A paper airplane sails through her window. Lisa % catches and unfolds it, revealing a message. Someone actually did % read her letter, and wants to meet her at 13 Euclid Street. "Tell % no one," the anonymous writer instructs, "and bring a dessert." % % Lisa arrives at a modern and elegant home on Euclid. As requested, % she has brought a pie. She rings the bell.
Hibbert: [through an intercom] Lisa Simpson, are you ready to go on a voyage of intellectual self-discovery? Lisa: I think so. Hibbert: Is that a pie, or a quiche? Lisa: A pie. [some murmuring over the intercom] Hibbert: You may enter. -- Real intellectuals don't eat quiche, "They Saved Lisa's Brain"
% Lisa opens the door. Inside is a group of Springfield's finest % eggheads, including Dr. Hibbert, Principal Skinner, Comic Book Guy, % Prof. Frink, and Lindsay Neagle.
Hibbert: Welcome to Mensa, Lisa! Skinner: It's the organization for people with high IQs. Lisa: I know that. It's also a constellation visible only from the Southern hemisphere. [puts the pie on the dessert table] Frink: She's good -- she's very good. Mwa-ha-hi-vee, and she bought a cream pie. -- What more can you ask for? "They Saved Lisa's Brain"
% [End of Act One. Time: 6:58] % % Lisa is flattered that the Mensans want her to join their ranks, but % is a little confused. After all, she didn't take any special IQ % test to join. Skinner assures her there's no problem, since he % thoughtfully shared her confidential test scores with the rest of % the group. % % Skinner explains that Lisa joins such Mensa luminaries as Marilyn % Vos Savant, Geena Davis, and Mel Lazarus, each of whom stands at the % top of their field. (Well, except maybe Mel.)
Hibbert: Lisa, I think you'll really enjoy it here. Now, let's get down to business. Any new palindromes? CBG: [clears throat] Rise to vote, sir. Hibbert: Now, you know the agenda: palindromes, anagrams, eat Lisa's pie, then voting. Lisa: But, "Rise to vote, sir," is a palindrome. [the rest of the group murmurs favorably] Hibbert: Lisa, I think you're going to fit in just fine around here. Lisa: Wow. Me -- fit in! -- "They Saved Lisa's Brain"
% At home, Homer furtively pulls the shades and dials the phone.
Homer: [disguising his voice, sort of] Hello, I have a certificate for a free erotic photo session. Photographer: Oh, yes. Your name? Homer: Eh, Geraldo ... Simpson. Photographer: All right, Mr. Simpson ... Homer: [normal voice] Aghh! Who told you?! Photographer: Don't worry, these photos are perfectly legal. Many husbands use them as a romantic gift for their wives. Homer: Uh, you're not going to ask me to pose nude, are you? Photographer: Well, yes, unless you have some issues with revealing your body. Homer: Well, I don't but the block association seems to. They wanted a *traditional* Santa Claus. -- Some people are so narrow-minded, "They Saved Lisa's Brain"
% Meanwhile, the Mensa group talks about the declining standards at % the Springfield Library.
Lisa: My family never talks about library standards. And every time I try to steer the conversation that way, they make me feel like a nerd. CBG: We are hardly nerds. Would a nerd wear such an irreverent sweatshirt? [open his jacket to show off his shirt] Lisa: [reading the shirt] "C:/DOS C:/DOS/RUN RUN/DOS/RUN". [laughs] Oh, only one person in a million would find that funny. Frink: Yes, we call that the, "Dennis Miller Ratio." -- "They Saved Lisa's Brain"
% Lisa tries to tell Homer about her day, but the commercial he's % watching finishes before Lisa does. % % The next day, Homer gets ready for his erotic photo shoot. He's a % little reluctant to pose in his underwear (and with good reason). % The photographer reassures Homer, and then "adjusts" her lens by % slapping some Vaseline on it. "Try not to speak," she advises, % "it's making your body ripple." % % While Homer's posing, Bart knocks on the bedroom door. Homer jumps % off the bed and bars the door with his body. Bart gives up and goes % away -- only to appear at the bedroom window, shocked at what he is % seeing. Homer quickly draws the shades. When he opens them a few % seconds later, Bart is there, and Milhouse has joined him. Homer % draws the shade again, and reschedules the session. % % The Mensans decide to hold a Renaissance-themed meeting in the park. % They are all dressed in elaborate Elizabethan costumes.
Lisa: This is so cool! I feel like I'm back in the Renaissance. Frink: Please stay in character, gentle wench. CBG: Verily, I declare that the Earth revolves around the Sun, and not t'other way 'round. Lindsay: Stop looking down my blouse, Copernicus. CBG: Forsooth, mine eyes doth rove of their own accord. -- "They Saved Lisa's Brain"
% When the group arrives at the gazebo they've reserved, they find % that -- egad! -- some ruffians have already claimed it. Skinner % goes over to straighten things out.
Skinner: Excuse me, gentlemen. Might I take a peek at your gazebo reservation form? Lenny: Beat it! Skinner: [chuckles] Yeah, well -- we each have a good case. Carl: What part of "beat it" didn't you understand? Skinner: Mmmm ... I guess that would be the "it." I'm not too sure to what that refers, as the -- [a beer can bounces off his forehead] Ow! -- That clears things up, "They Saved Lisa's Brain"
% The Mensa group huddles and assesses their situation.
Hibbert: Oh, it's hopeless. There's some she-males in gazebo three, a nasty-looking spider in gazebo six, and the less said about gazebo eight, the better. [Chief Wiggum walks by] Skinner: Ah, Chief, thank God you're here. We reserved gazebo seven and look. [points to the gazebo] Wiggum: Jeez, how many gazeboes do you she-males need? [walks into the gazebo] Beer me, boys! [Carl tosses him a cold one] Hibbert: Why do we live in a town where the smartest have no power and the stupidest run everything? Maybe I should just move back to Alabama. -- "They Saved Lisa's Brain"
% Instead of moving someplace else, Lisa pushes the others to fight % and make Springfield better. The others agree. % % Back in their street clothes, the gang marches into Mayor Quimby's % office, announcing that the "jig is up" and that their report (on % gazebo reservation reform) will change how things are done in the % town. This was perhaps not the best choice of wording. Convinced % that one of his scandalous deeds has caught up with him, Quimby % calls for his goons, who shred all his incriminating documents. % Hizzoner himself flees on horseback to a waiting plane. % % Shortly thereafter, the police burst into the office.
Wiggum: [cocking his pistol] What's going on? Where's the mayor? Skinner: He skipped town. Wiggum: Really? [lowers his weapon] So, who's in charge? Hibbert: Well, that's a good question. Let's, uh, take a quick look at the town charter. [takes it down from the wall, and lays it on the mayor's desk. The Mensans begin to read] Lindsay: Done! CBG: Done! Lisa: Done! Hibbert: Done! Skinner: Done! Frink: [sing-song] Fin-ished. Skinner: According to the charter, should the mayor abdicate, a council of learned citizens may rule in his stead. Lisa: Well, there [truncated]