Some good stuff here. I like original music in episodes, and tonight there was the added bonus of it being part of several performances, so the break-out-in-song-ophobes can rest easily. The main plot of Lisa's participation in the contest was nice, and a fun if particularly obvious jab at another Fox phenomenon (and seemingly another Mr. Simpson's management style?), but wasn't so special. It was simple and perhaps a little predictable (though I didn't quite see the sabotage angle coming till the night of the final showdown), but I enjoyed the development of the Lisa/Homer aspect of the story, which did not seem like a retread. It was appropriately light in nature, except for Lisa's last song (a hair too much, I thought) and a few other parts (good acting and staging on Homer's "twinkle" comment)... as I mentioned before, I didn't suspect Homer's ulterior motive in managing Cameron at first, but it paid off very well. Time to go type up stuff for GABF14.
DYN: ...Homer seems unaware of the free call to 911 (or this is not done in Springfield)? ...Ralph's applause was really more pathetic/polite than sarcastic? ...no one seemed to interpret Cameron's song as a satire or something? (Hey, just playing devil's advocate)
Previous episode references 9F02: Lisa in a (Krusty-sponsored) performance contest AABF01: Lisa in an Itchy and Scratchy 9F13: She used to date Ralph ("date" is a pretty strong word, though) 9F21, EABF13: Homer a successful songwriter FABF17, EABF22, AABF20: Lisa's been to Paris, London, and Tokyo 9F12: Homer mentors another kid after being spurned by his own (...or does he?)