Rumble Delta So true. As a kid my favorite character was of course Homer, but as I grew up, I found myself identifying more and more with Lisa to the point where she now is my favorite character (even if the other characters are more funny)
That's fair if you felt that way but I had that kind of just chemical depression starting when I was young, and as much as I still relate to it it really is awful because as a kid no one really understands or believes you can be feeling that, especially the way adults respond to it can be so much worse than if they'd done nothing hahah. Anyway it can happen for anyone at any time, the mind is a crazy thing.
I have always found end scene of this episode extremely touching with Marge realizing her error immediately- seeing her daughter on the same path her mother put her on and immediately putting a stop to it, telling her its "okay to be sad" sometimes, and that she'll be there with her. I think you gave Marge way too hard a time in this review. The point of the scene was Marge being able to see past her horrible upbringing and realizing she needs to be better than her mother. I thought it was beautiful.
@@polocatfan jfc it isn't victim blaming to say that a victim (Marge) can potentially hurt Lisa with her terrible advice. And besides by the end she "redeems" herself by breaking the generational cycle.
I love the added touch that the very first time we see Marge's mother in the present day next season, she's an utterly deflated and critical old bag who refuses to waste her vocal chords on any sort of positivity towards her family. You can tell the 'always smile to show your love' mindset really broke her down.
"It must be awful being alone in the world" "I had a younger brother who grew up to be a doctor, he used to laugh at the most inappropriate times" "he he, I've got an older brother that I'll never see, he grew up to be a jazz musician of some kind. Oh well bye"
It wasn't until I became an adult that I understood why Bleeding Gums Murphy gave Lisa his saxophone before she left for her recital. He knew that he was dying but didn't let Lisa know because he wanted her visit with him to end on a good note. Since she was the only one who loved jazz music as much as he did, he felt that she deserved to have his prized possession.
As a young person dealing with depression back when this episode first aired, it really stuck with me and is one of my all time favorite Simpsons episodes.
You are one of the few analyzers on youtube I can tolerate. You are passionate about the subjects you talk about and keep your jokes to one second remarks that are related to the subjec at hand. You also don't try to troll the audience, I really get the sense of personalism as well as professionalism. Thank you for this channel, I can't wait to see what else you put up.
*"You wanna be sad, honey, be sad! We'll ride it out with you. And when you get finished feeling sad? We'll still be there. From now on, let me do the smiling for both of us."* And _that's_ how you fucking parent!
This is one of my favorite Marge episodes. It’s rare we get a glimpse into her upbringing and I love that she recants her bad advice to Lisa and apologizes to her. She becomes just emotionally supportive, rather than just trying to find a solution to Lisa’s sadness. It’s also rare that they truly explore Marge and Lisa’s relationship like they do with Lisa and Homer, which I think is unfortunate. I guess since there is an obvious bond and connection between the two, there isn’t a lot of drama and tension to explore. Plus with Lisa and Homer being so different, the comedic value is higher.
This episode had somewhat of a profound effect on me as a kid. Not that I was ever expressly told to smile and suppress my feelings but I felt like I had to, because everyone else seemed happy. But watching this episode I realised it’s okay to just be sad sometimes, even if there’s no particular reason, and mom will still love you even if you’re sad.
I love Homer's "OH NO!" when Marge pulls the plug on the game at the end of the episode. Also, did you notice the toothpaste on the sink says "glum" which is a synonym for sad or depressed?
Pulling the plug mid game would have been classified as a high crime at my house. I always felt Marge wasn't justified in pulling the plug. The level of disrespect for something meaningful to Homer and Bart is quite brazen, even if it just seems petty and pointless from the outside (they are working out father son rivalry issues obviously). (Also, in theory the game was still running, with Homer being victorious, so he should have plugged it back in.) Further, this act prevents Bart getting what's coming to him after taunting his father throughout the B story.
blade peterschick I hear you. Depression can be REALLY crippling. The circumstances of waking up, feeling like "what's the point in any of this?" Feeling the suffering of others and taking it upon your shoulders, and being mad at people for not feeling that empathy too. The crippling feeling of "my life isn't going anywhere" that you just can't shake off at times. Also, the constant feeling that you have to meet the standards of everyone else, but at the same time it makes you feel like "fuck what everyone thinks!" but still feeling the pressure, regardless.
I actually think the homer bart dynamic mirroring the lisa marge one makes this one underrated ....its such a assemble episode...homer for instance is going though a mid life crisis moment with his son trying to teach him a valuable lesson that will stick with him...you can tell homer doesn't enjoy winning cause he is sorta acting trolling through the last fight cause he knew he would win all along so theres no genuine excitement that hes going to win no instead hes trying to prove a point to the cocky smartass disrespectful bart he hopes will teach him something that sticks something homer feared he could still provide to either kid at their advanced age or brain in lisa's case.... not being able to fix lisa's issue makes homer more prone to help the dumber kid out so as a dad he can feel useful he does the same thing in lisa's substitute helping bart with his election rather than lisa with her sadness...the dad will gravitate to the boy while h leaves the girl to the mom...it makes sense
I recently re-watched Season 1 and found it to be one of the better balances for Lisa's sensitive, depressive, overly optimistic and too-smart-for-her-own-good nature while still incorporating a more down to earth and emotionally healthy element of her just being a kid who likes childish stuff and has a child's perspective on life and has almost Bart-like reactions to certain situations while *still* being depicted as highly intelligent and clearly the most naturally gifted member of the family.
As a dad the scene where marge turns round to correct herself to Lisa really moved me, cuz it happens, you see yourself in growing into your own parents, and you see yourself through your kids eyes.."im sorry Lisa forget what I said, just be you and im here for you" something I bet she wished her mom once said
I wouldn't call this episode an "evolutionary dead-end" since they did do future episodes about Lisa's emotions. I always think of Moaning Lisa as a rough draft for Lisa's Substitute in Season 2, which is a more evolved version of this premise, and one of my all-time favorite episodes.
It is kind of a dead-end tonally, though... I can't think of many Simpsons episodes that would go for that opening shot. You're right that Lisa's Substitute and a lot of her other episodes do play around with what Moaning Lisa started. I might be overstating the tone differences, as maybe the big difference here is that Moaning Lisa really front-loads all of this stuff. Maybe the other episodes just feel "lighter" because they close with the heavy material.
Before she became a nerdy outcast pretentious loud mouth activist feminist health nut... we forget she was just a flawed 8 year old girl and sad musician who played sax
This was the second Simpsons episode I tackled for this channel and had always wanted to go back to it. Figured it was a decent opportunity to look at what makes Moaning Lisa so interesting on rewatch. It's an episode that is kinda forgotten sometimes, but there is still something super iconic about it. (Even if Bleeding Gums Murphy was never popular.)
Moaning Lisa is probably one of my favorite episodes from the first three seasons. It's both heartbreaking and entertaining. I do wonder how the scene with Homer complaining about the sax would work with Jerkass Homer. It would probably just be another throwaway gag.
I'm 21 year old guy who's role model 'Lisa Simpson'. Non Simpson fans must be shaking their heads at a grown man seeing role model of out an 8 year old little girl. In the Substitute, he leaves her the note saying this all you need know. You know what it says. That worked on so many psychological levels that I wonder how the writers were aiming. Because that was indeed a real jim
I liked the 2 main episodes with bleeding gums ...as well as the episode with his small role as a judge at the talent show ..he's great as a character ....why dont people like him?. ...moaning lisa is a solid idea with okay execution and I enjoy season 1 and 2 ability to try to have a B plot to show homer and bart entire life doesn't center around that episode focused character and weeks big emotional problem ...they liven the mood up ...its a side small story that has nothing to do with Lisa and yet it shows a realistic undertone of time passing by and how somehow homer without realizing it tries out of his way to get closer to Bart when his daughter is in need of him more but because he doesn't know how to help he ignores the issue and with Bart he knows how to confront it so he puts more effort into that smaller issue that he takes seriously ..its a way of coping ...most sitcoms would confront the issue all 21 minutes but they decided no this episode needs so cutaways..I respect that ..small vinnetes in their lives ...not the entire picture ..behind
Bleeding Gums is really important for Lisa's character I feel. He's the best friend she ever had. He taught her the importance of connecting with music and her self expression. He's exactly the kind of guy I'd have a pint with (a British term for "having a beer with", just in case you're not familiar). The way the writers dealt with his death is nothing short of pure respect (the Jamming session with Lisa always makes me emotional, it did then and it still does now). He was a short-lived early character, but his importance to Lisa is truly memorable. No one comes close to him (maybe bar the classic Homer moments).
one of the strongest Season 1 Episodes imho. It aged pretty good and you can still relate to it. Heck, the older you get, the harder you relate to it... It had a quality that Simpsons episodes post season 15 don't even have anymore… The early years had such depth and meaning… Oh the importance of a damn good writing staff. By the way in the German Dub says "Nothing personal, i just don't trust dark shades" which in german means Bleeding Gum's sunglasses.
The weird thing about the subplot is that Homer was made fun of for playing video games. This was back when middle-aged men playing video games was seen as awkward and made them a man-child. Almost 30 years later and Many, if not most men in their 30s play video games.
MasterMario548 Another interesting note to that is, prior to the 1984 North American video game crash, it was far more common for adults to play games. Video games were seen as a fad then
This has always been one of my Mom's favorites. As depressing as it is for Marge, what she does tell Lisa in the end about "Being sad is okay" really resonated with her.
I have suffered from depression my whole life and I first saw this episode when I was 18, I had seen a few of what were modern episodes at the time of the show and didn't care for it. This is the episode that made me a fan of the show and it is my favorite episode to this day. It is an amazing piece of writing and I wouldn't mind more episodes with this tone. Good review.
Especially when she outright told her PE teacher that she was too sad to play dodgeball! Lisa gets sent to Skinner's office and gets a note sent home to her parents!
It's also very interesting, if not a bit heartbreaking, how Marge and Homer both grew up with parents who were pretty bad to them but sort of reacted to it in opposite ways (Marge repressing it while still slowly working through it, and Homer continuing the cycle in some ways)
I remember the B plot to this episode way more than anything else from season 1 and I have no idea why. Something about the visuals and the sound design really stuck with me.
This episode has one of my favourite Homer moments, when he finally has Bart on the ropes and is winding up his final blow, "Here comes my right!", and BLINK! The TV cuts out. Dan Castalanetta's delivery of "OH NO!" is flipping priceless. Such a perfect moment of hubris and the subsequent humiliation. Just mmwah!
The colour, lighting, camera angles and especially the glowing things are some of the things i remember having seen first ONLY at the Simpsons. The show had such a radical look that i NEVER saw in any other cartoon show as a kid back in 1990/1991 when the show premiered on German TV. it was one of the reasons why i became an instant fan. The whole style and vibe of the series. It was so radically different in such a good way. This really impressed the 5 - 6 year old kid that i was.
I would recommend going back to this episode and watching it through the lens of just how well the writers dealt with mental health back in 1990! The realisation of Marge and what she says to Lisa is absolutely perfect. The episode was 30 years ahead of its time and is still an absolutely essential watch to help understand mental health issues and how to help even now.
21 year old guy who's role model 'Lisa Simpson'. Non Simpson fans must be shaking their heads at a grown man seeing role model of out an 8 year old little girl. In the Substitute, he leaves her the note saying this all you need know. You know what it says. That worked on so many psychological levels that I wonder how the writers were aiming. Because that was indeed a real jim.
I think it's interesting that someone can take such an interest in a show and come to know such an astounding amount of trivia about it. I get the feeling this guy knows more about the shrimpsins than many of the creators even probably remember
The main thing I remember about the blue moon scene was taping it on analog cable, and how poor the signal from our local Fox station was that day. The big blue moon caused a very audible analog staticy noise in the audio track on our tape when it's on screen. The silence when Maggie goes for the TV was quite loud as well. The analog noise almost adds to the early Simpsons ambiance.
As a child I remembered this episode for Bleeding Gums Murphy and the boxing video game. I'd actually largely avoided season one (I started watching around Season 5/6, so the whole feeling was off for me) until the completionist in me got the DVD box set a year or so ago. And then, as a 30 year old adult, this episode hit me like an absolute train. A comedy show addressing mental health in one of its characters, how that affects interpersonal relationships, and messes with family dynamics? In the late 80s? In its first season?!? Fair play, Simpsons. Fair play.
That arcade game was a hotel we would stay at when we went to six flags in New Jersey. My dad never gave me quarters to play and it always pissed me off. But I still remember that arcade game.
The fact that Lisa is only 8-years-old and is already contemplating such heavy stuff speaks to how wise for her age she is. Then again, that's always been Lisa's thing, she's basically the voice of wisdom in this series, or at the very least, the voice of the overly intellectual parts of the writing staff on The Simpsons. She also happens to be the voice of the writers in any given season, which can occasionally run afoul given Lisa's political views as presented in the show sometimes don't gel with what the writers want to say in a given moment, but I suppose that's beside the point. The point is, while Lisa can still act childish and still has growing up to do, I always did appreciate and sympathize with Lisa being an intellectual who not only realizes the cruelty of the world, but also recognizes that the world she lives in was clearly meant for the Homers and Barts of the world rather than for people like her, but still tries to find her place in it regardless.
I was 9 when the episode came out, and it really spoke to me. I had never before seen a cartoon describe my depression before. It's intangible... There had been better Lisa episodes since this one, but at the time it was one of my favorites.
I totally agree with your take! When I was a kid, I really related to Lisa in this episode. The ending packs an extra gut punch for me now since my mum died several years ago. It's hard to watch now. But as far as season 1 episodes go, this is my favourite and I will always have a soft spot for this one.
I grew up dealing with depression a lot and jazz music was a huge outlet for me in my teens... So I'm biased, but Moaning Lisa is easily one of my favorite episodes ever, and tied with Maggie Makes Three in the guaranteed to make me cry factor.
James earl Jones is amazing in this episode! I’m always going to be a huge fan of his! I also love that this episode features the very first Moe prank call!
As the counter to this episode can you do an Extra Seconds on Bart the Mother, the line at the end where Bart says "I raised them and I love them, I know that's hard to understand" and Marge answers "Not as hard as you think" has always stuck with me, it might even be better then Do It For Her
As a nerdy seriously depressed kid of Lisas age when i first saw this episode, I identified so hard with much of it without understanding why. Now I get it...
Awesome video! I’ve always felt that this episode was underrated and overlooked despite being (in my opinion) one of, if not the best season 1 episode. I love the scene when Marge says “I’ll do the smiling for both of us” which kinda shows that Marge isn’t tackling her own internal issues but rather just doubling down on them (albeit to spare her daughter more grief). This episode defies the cliches in many ways. As for jokes, I laugh every single time Homer has that nightmare and wakes up screaming at the top of his lungs only to go back to sleep immediately after 😆. I love your channel and thanks for uploading these!
This episode had a massive impact me as a child. I never really made sense of it until now. I think it tackles an extremely human issue for children trying to make sense of the way they feel.
I remember how Homer thought Lisa was having PMS! Marge and Homer were in bed discussing about Lisa and Marge mentioned that Lisa is becoming a young woman. Then Homer replied, "Oh. So that's it. This is some kind of underwear thing."
It's a different type. This is a haze versus a crushing weight being dropped on you. They're not the same and it can sometimes be hard for people who tend to feel sad in one way to understand that others feel the same emotion, but not in the same way. Especially when Homer mentions, "I dont see any tears." There are more than these two kinds of course. Marge keeps pushing down, and promises to "I'll do the smiling for both of us." She realizes it isn't right and does all she knows to help. Marge is not magic, but she'll smile enough for them both. Lisa doesn't need to worry about her anymore and what's more, she's there open to Lisa , even if that can't make Lisa happy again. Luckily it does help, and like many viewers that moment hurts me yet makes me smile every time.
My own personal Mandela effect in regards to this episode is that I would swear the events that happened in 'Round Springfield happened in this episode. Bleeding gums Murphy dying, dr. Hibbert giving clues that they are brothers, Lisa not brushing her teeth all of that. For a Season 1 episode, this one really is good, and a lot more thought-provoking.
This episode really resonated with me, as someone who was told to hide my feelings and "stop acting out". I really could have used a Marge in my life to tell me it's ok to be sad.
Marge's advice needs to be compared to Homer's in Tell Tale Head. It's an example of early Simsons counter culture, jabbing at the cheesy shows that preceded it.
Yeah I remember Homer's bad advice. " Son, being popular is the most important thing in the world." I didn't think about it as a little kid but when I watched it as a teen I thought that was the worst thing Homer said to Bart. (I'm sure there are other bad advice that Homer gave Bart.)
As this is very emotional episode of the Simpsons, have you ever considered to do an extra seconds episode on Bart Gets an F? I feel these two episodes go very well together, considering they both look at both the Simpson children's emotions (yes I'm ignoring Maggie a little bit) and as general worries children might have growing up, as being sad, and being a failure. Both very much relatable and very interesting a cartoon comedy show in the early 90's shed light on.
I have to say that the pacing and solemn mood of that episode made it feel like something from Season One, it had that same amount of pathos and self awareness for Bart as that point in the show. It's kinda sad how much the two kids had a sense of self loathing early on.
It only fits more to have Marge's mother enforce the 'always smile' mindset onto the next generation, since the next season it's made obvious her present day self has decided not to waste a second of her lasting years pretending life doesn't suck. A true representation of the side effects of her own ethics.
Also- I played the drums for a while. My family was encouraging but always hated when I practiced and would come in and tell me to practice more quietly. I gave up on them when I could only ever play with the muffler pads on. I hope to one day have a house on private property where I can pad a room and put a drum kit back in there, start playing again.
I love the moment of Marge realizing she's wrong, my mother had the same mentality as hers (plus some heavier shit) and it makes Marge into a flawed, realistic, and deeply good character from the get go. I relate to Marge and wish in a kinda sad way I could relate more to Lisa here.
I know this is weird and nerdy, but I always just giggled a bit when They were on that road bridge and I was like “omg is that how they based the first boss in level 1 of the Simpsons Arcade game?” Lol
Marge pulling back around to rectify the bad advice is one of my favorite Marge moments in the entire series. It's such a good character point.
then later on we get episodes like Homer Alone and Fear of Flying where Marge has to confront her own mental health problems.
"Always be yourself. You wanna be sad, honey, be sad. We'll ride it out with you. And when you get finished feeling sad, we'll still be there."
@@MandrakeHorse Made me cry the first time I watched it
This episode makes no sense watching it as a kid.
This episode makes _too much_ sense watching it as an adult.
Rumble Delta So true. As a kid my favorite character was of course Homer, but as I grew up, I found myself identifying more and more with Lisa to the point where she now is my favorite character (even if the other characters are more funny)
Rumble Delta yeah I never understood it back then but now I feel like I am having a breakdown
I’m very much like Lisa, so I always identify best with episodes that put the microscope on her.
That's fair if you felt that way but I had that kind of just chemical depression starting when I was young, and as much as I still relate to it it really is awful because as a kid no one really understands or believes you can be feeling that, especially the way adults respond to it can be so much worse than if they'd done nothing hahah. Anyway it can happen for anyone at any time, the mind is a crazy thing.
I have always found end scene of this episode extremely touching with Marge realizing her error immediately- seeing her daughter on the same path her mother put her on and immediately putting a stop to it, telling her its "okay to be sad" sometimes, and that she'll be there with her. I think you gave Marge way too hard a time in this review. The point of the scene was Marge being able to see past her horrible upbringing and realizing she needs to be better than her mother.
I thought it was beautiful.
incredibly
yeah it's arguably victim blaming from Jims which... isn't great...
@@polocatfan jfc it isn't victim blaming to say that a victim (Marge) can potentially hurt Lisa with her terrible advice. And besides by the end she "redeems" herself by breaking the generational cycle.
This episode is kind of a miracle. They took a premise so extremely simple,and made it both complex and great to watch.
first non homer Bart family based episode..it needed to be memorable stand out tone wise ...it did that
The miracle is that it's an episode that makes Lisa a likable character.
@@ericstoverink6579 old Lisa was really likeable. All of the family were originally until… uno
i know it's pretty off topic but does anybody know of a good website to stream newly released tv shows online ?
I love the added touch that the very first time we see Marge's mother in the present day next season, she's an utterly deflated and critical old bag who refuses to waste her vocal chords on any sort of positivity towards her family. You can tell the 'always smile to show your love' mindset really broke her down.
"It must be awful being alone in the world"
"I had a younger brother who grew up to be a doctor, he used to laugh at the most inappropriate times"
"he he, I've got an older brother that I'll never see, he grew up to be a jazz musician of some kind. Oh well bye"
I'm immediately picturing the Cosby Show appearance, except instead it's him visiting the Hibbert family.
waterfieldV A classic Doctor Who fan I see.
*Round Springfield, I like that episode.*
It wasn't until I became an adult that I understood why Bleeding Gums Murphy gave Lisa his saxophone before she left for her recital. He knew that he was dying but didn't let Lisa know because he wanted her visit with him to end on a good note. Since she was the only one who loved jazz music as much as he did, he felt that she deserved to have his prized possession.
The scene with Marge turning the car around to retract her bad advice is the only time I have ever cried at a cartoon and it gets me everytime.
*hugs* wholesome.
As a young person dealing with depression back when this episode first aired, it really stuck with me and is one of my all time favorite Simpsons episodes.
That's cool...guess it made an impact ...hopefully like they wanted
You are one of the few analyzers on youtube I can tolerate. You are passionate about the subjects you talk about and keep your jokes to one second remarks that are related to the subjec at hand. You also don't try to troll the audience, I really get the sense of personalism as well as professionalism. Thank you for this channel, I can't wait to see what else you put up.
Hm
*"You wanna be sad, honey, be sad! We'll ride it out with you. And when you get finished feeling sad? We'll still be there. From now on, let me do the smiling for both of us."* And _that's_ how you fucking parent!
I love this episode and in particular Marge's speech when she drags Lisa back into the car. "If you want to be sad, be sad". Perfect
This is one of my favorite Marge episodes. It’s rare we get a glimpse into her upbringing and I love that she recants her bad advice to Lisa and apologizes to her. She becomes just emotionally supportive, rather than just trying to find a solution to Lisa’s sadness. It’s also rare that they truly explore Marge and Lisa’s relationship like they do with Lisa and Homer, which I think is unfortunate. I guess since there is an obvious bond and connection between the two, there isn’t a lot of drama and tension to explore. Plus with Lisa and Homer being so different, the comedic value is higher.
This episode had somewhat of a profound effect on me as a kid. Not that I was ever expressly told to smile and suppress my feelings but I felt like I had to, because everyone else seemed happy. But watching this episode I realised it’s okay to just be sad sometimes, even if there’s no particular reason, and mom will still love you even if you’re sad.
Marge is the greatest cartoon mom. Just for this end scene alone.
I love Homer's "OH NO!" when Marge pulls the plug on the game at the end of the episode.
Also, did you notice the toothpaste on the sink says "glum" which is a synonym for sad or depressed?
Yeah. I noticed that years ago.
Pulling the plug mid game would have been classified as a high crime at my house. I always felt Marge wasn't justified in pulling the plug. The level of disrespect for something meaningful to Homer and Bart is quite brazen, even if it just seems petty and pointless from the outside (they are working out father son rivalry issues obviously). (Also, in theory the game was still running, with Homer being victorious, so he should have plugged it back in.)
Further, this act prevents Bart getting what's coming to him after taunting his father throughout the B story.
As someone who grew up with depression, this episode really spoke to me.
blade peterschick I hear you. Depression can be REALLY crippling. The circumstances of waking up, feeling like "what's the point in any of this?" Feeling the suffering of others and taking it upon your shoulders, and being mad at people for not feeling that empathy too. The crippling feeling of "my life isn't going anywhere" that you just can't shake off at times. Also, the constant feeling that you have to meet the standards of everyone else, but at the same time it makes you feel like "fuck what everyone thinks!" but still feeling the pressure, regardless.
as someone who got depressed in later years and with school having been a big part of it… this episode still speaks to me.
I actually think the homer bart dynamic mirroring the lisa marge one makes this one underrated ....its such a assemble episode...homer for instance is going though a mid life crisis moment with his son trying to teach him a valuable lesson that will stick with him...you can tell homer doesn't enjoy winning cause he is sorta acting trolling through the last fight cause he knew he would win all along so theres no genuine excitement that hes going to win no instead hes trying to prove a point to the cocky smartass disrespectful bart he hopes will teach him something that sticks something homer feared he could still provide to either kid at their advanced age or brain in lisa's case.... not being able to fix lisa's issue makes homer more prone to help the dumber kid out so as a dad he can feel useful he does the same thing in lisa's substitute helping bart with his election rather than lisa with her sadness...the dad will gravitate to the boy while h leaves the girl to the mom...it makes sense
I really love the Extra Seconds it gives more time to have an in-depth look at an episode
I recently re-watched Season 1 and found it to be one of the better balances for Lisa's sensitive, depressive, overly optimistic and too-smart-for-her-own-good nature while still incorporating a more down to earth and emotionally healthy element of her just being a kid who likes childish stuff and has a child's perspective on life and has almost Bart-like reactions to certain situations while *still* being depicted as highly intelligent and clearly the most naturally gifted member of the family.
6:19 My mother literally said this to me when I was a child. This is some messed up stuff to say to a child with low self-esteem.
As a dad the scene where marge turns round to correct herself to Lisa really moved me, cuz it happens, you see yourself in growing into your own parents, and you see yourself through your kids eyes.."im sorry Lisa forget what I said, just be you and im here for you" something I bet she wished her mom once said
I wouldn't call this episode an "evolutionary dead-end" since they did do future episodes about Lisa's emotions. I always think of Moaning Lisa as a rough draft for Lisa's Substitute in Season 2, which is a more evolved version of this premise, and one of my all-time favorite episodes.
It is kind of a dead-end tonally, though... I can't think of many Simpsons episodes that would go for that opening shot. You're right that Lisa's Substitute and a lot of her other episodes do play around with what Moaning Lisa started. I might be overstating the tone differences, as maybe the big difference here is that Moaning Lisa really front-loads all of this stuff. Maybe the other episodes just feel "lighter" because they close with the heavy material.
Before she became a nerdy outcast pretentious loud mouth activist feminist health nut... we forget she was just a flawed 8 year old girl and sad musician who played sax
This was the second Simpsons episode I tackled for this channel and had always wanted to go back to it. Figured it was a decent opportunity to look at what makes Moaning Lisa so interesting on rewatch. It's an episode that is kinda forgotten sometimes, but there is still something super iconic about it.
(Even if Bleeding Gums Murphy was never popular.)
Moaning Lisa is probably one of my favorite episodes from the first three seasons. It's both heartbreaking and entertaining. I do wonder how the scene with Homer complaining about the sax would work with Jerkass Homer. It would probably just be another throwaway gag.
I'm 21 year old guy who's role model 'Lisa Simpson'.
Non Simpson fans must be shaking their heads at a grown man seeing role model of out an 8 year old little girl.
In the Substitute, he leaves her the note saying this all you need know. You know what it says. That worked on so many psychological levels that I wonder how the writers were aiming. Because that was indeed a real jim
I liked the 2 main episodes with bleeding gums ...as well as the episode with his small role as a judge at the talent show ..he's great as a character ....why dont people like him?. ...moaning lisa is a solid idea with okay execution and I enjoy season 1 and 2 ability to try to have a B plot to show homer and bart entire life doesn't center around that episode focused character and weeks big emotional problem ...they liven the mood up ...its a side small story that has nothing to do with Lisa and yet it shows a realistic undertone of time passing by and how somehow homer without realizing it tries out of his way to get closer to Bart when his daughter is in need of him more but because he doesn't know how to help he ignores the issue and with Bart he knows how to confront it so he puts more effort into that smaller issue that he takes seriously ..its a way of coping ...most sitcoms would confront the issue all 21 minutes but they decided no this episode needs so cutaways..I respect that ..small vinnetes in their lives ...not the entire picture ..behind
Bleeding Gums is really important for Lisa's character I feel. He's the best friend she ever had. He taught her the importance of connecting with music and her self expression. He's exactly the kind of guy I'd have a pint with (a British term for "having a beer with", just in case you're not familiar). The way the writers dealt with his death is nothing short of pure respect (the Jamming session with Lisa always makes me emotional, it did then and it still does now). He was a short-lived early character, but his importance to Lisa is truly memorable. No one comes close to him (maybe bar the classic Homer moments).
Hari LOL WHATTT? 🤔😂😅
You always say things like "it feels like a Season ." Why not make a video explaining the characteristics of each season?
That's a good idea.
The origin story... ^_^
@@TheRealJims Please make that idea into a video. I'd subscribe twice for that!
@@HOTD108_ check the season retrospectives, they pretty much explain the vibe of every season
@@TheRealJims damn up to season 10 now.
one of the strongest Season 1 Episodes imho. It aged pretty good and you can still relate to it. Heck, the older you get, the harder you relate to it... It had a quality that Simpsons episodes post season 15 don't even have anymore… The early years had such depth and meaning… Oh the importance of a damn good writing staff. By the way in the German Dub says "Nothing personal, i just don't trust dark shades" which in german means Bleeding Gum's sunglasses.
The weird thing about the subplot is that Homer was made fun of for playing video games. This was back when middle-aged men playing video games was seen as awkward and made them a man-child. Almost 30 years later and Many, if not most men in their 30s play video games.
MasterMario548 Another interesting note to that is, prior to the 1984 North American video game crash, it was far more common for adults to play games. Video games were seen as a fad then
"The Jazz Hole"
I agree w/ the audio commentary. I still can't believe they got away with that.
"Lisa, get away from that Jazz Man!"
- Marge Simpson 1990
lisa 6 years later...when the jazz mans testifyin' a faithless man believes....
This has always been one of my Mom's favorites. As depressing as it is for Marge, what she does tell Lisa in the end about "Being sad is okay" really resonated with her.
I have suffered from depression my whole life and I first saw this episode when I was 18, I had seen a few of what were modern episodes at the time of the show and didn't care for it. This is the episode that made me a fan of the show and it is my favorite episode to this day.
It is an amazing piece of writing and I wouldn't mind more episodes with this tone.
Good review.
>"a simple cupcake will bring me no joy, let them [bart/homer] have it"
>"♫ my mother *gave* my cupcake away!"
Sounds like depression alright
Especially when she outright told her PE teacher that she was too sad to play dodgeball! Lisa gets sent to Skinner's office and gets a note sent home to her parents!
It's also very interesting, if not a bit heartbreaking, how Marge and Homer both grew up with parents who were pretty bad to them but sort of reacted to it in opposite ways (Marge repressing it while still slowly working through it, and Homer continuing the cycle in some ways)
I remember the B plot to this episode way more than anything else from season 1 and I have no idea why. Something about the visuals and the sound design really stuck with me.
This episode has one of my favourite Homer moments, when he finally has Bart on the ropes and is winding up his final blow, "Here comes my right!", and BLINK! The TV cuts out. Dan Castalanetta's delivery of "OH NO!" is flipping priceless. Such a perfect moment of hubris and the subsequent humiliation. Just mmwah!
The colour, lighting, camera angles and especially the glowing things are some of the things i remember having seen first ONLY at the Simpsons. The show had such a radical look that i NEVER saw in any other cartoon show as a kid back in 1990/1991 when the show premiered on German TV. it was one of the reasons why i became an instant fan. The whole style and vibe of the series. It was so radically different in such a good way. This really impressed the 5 - 6 year old kid that i was.
I would recommend going back to this episode and watching it through the lens of just how well the writers dealt with mental health back in 1990! The realisation of Marge and what she says to Lisa is absolutely perfect. The episode was 30 years ahead of its time and is still an absolutely essential watch to help understand mental health issues and how to help even now.
21 year old guy who's role model 'Lisa Simpson'.
Non Simpson fans must be shaking their heads at a grown man seeing role model of out an 8 year old little girl.
In the Substitute, he leaves her the note saying this all you need know. You know what it says. That worked on so many psychological levels that I wonder how the writers were aiming. Because that was indeed a real jim.
I think it's interesting that someone can take such an interest in a show and come to know such an astounding amount of trivia about it. I get the feeling this guy knows more about the shrimpsins than many of the creators even probably remember
Moaning lisa has ALWAYS been my favorate episode ever and i seen it when it came out and i've seen every episode up to season 17
9:12 “Mellon Collie Road”
Is such a badass name for a band or song
As a kid I remembered this as the episode about Homer and Bart playing video game boxing. Now it's just that relatable episode.
This has always been
one of my favorite episodes. ☺️
I really enjoyed moaning lisa when i was younger, but now as an adult i love it that much more. Bleeding Gums Murphy was perfect for Lisa’s character
The main thing I remember about the blue moon scene was taping it on analog cable, and how poor the signal from our local Fox station was that day. The big blue moon caused a very audible analog staticy noise in the audio track on our tape when it's on screen.
The silence when Maggie goes for the TV was quite loud as well. The analog noise almost adds to the early Simpsons ambiance.
Bleeding gums Murphy is also one of my favorite characters
As a child I remembered this episode for Bleeding Gums Murphy and the boxing video game. I'd actually largely avoided season one (I started watching around Season 5/6, so the whole feeling was off for me) until the completionist in me got the DVD box set a year or so ago. And then, as a 30 year old adult, this episode hit me like an absolute train. A comedy show addressing mental health in one of its characters, how that affects interpersonal relationships, and messes with family dynamics? In the late 80s? In its first season?!? Fair play, Simpsons. Fair play.
That arcade game was a hotel we would stay at when we went to six flags in New Jersey. My dad never gave me quarters to play and it always pissed me off. But I still remember that arcade game.
This is one of my favourite episodes. It has videogames, Jazz and a cool song.
The fact that Lisa is only 8-years-old and is already contemplating such heavy stuff speaks to how wise for her age she is. Then again, that's always been Lisa's thing, she's basically the voice of wisdom in this series, or at the very least, the voice of the overly intellectual parts of the writing staff on The Simpsons. She also happens to be the voice of the writers in any given season, which can occasionally run afoul given Lisa's political views as presented in the show sometimes don't gel with what the writers want to say in a given moment, but I suppose that's beside the point. The point is, while Lisa can still act childish and still has growing up to do, I always did appreciate and sympathize with Lisa being an intellectual who not only realizes the cruelty of the world, but also recognizes that the world she lives in was clearly meant for the Homers and Barts of the world rather than for people like her, but still tries to find her place in it regardless.
I was 9 when the episode came out, and it really spoke to me. I had never before seen a cartoon describe my depression before. It's intangible... There had been better Lisa episodes since this one, but at the time it was one of my favorites.
I totally agree with your take! When I was a kid, I really related to Lisa in this episode. The ending packs an extra gut punch for me now since my mum died several years ago. It's hard to watch now. But as far as season 1 episodes go, this is my favourite and I will always have a soft spot for this one.
I grew up dealing with depression a lot and jazz music was a huge outlet for me in my teens... So I'm biased, but Moaning Lisa is easily one of my favorite episodes ever, and tied with Maggie Makes Three in the guaranteed to make me cry factor.
Please keep up the great work. I love having a Simpson's dedicated youtube channel to follow.
This is actually my favorite Simpsons episode. It tore me up when Bleeding Gums died. I really felt for Lisa.
Huge fan of your work!
keep going, great description
James earl Jones is amazing in this episode! I’m always going to be a huge fan of his! I also love that this episode features the very first Moe prank call!
4:56 Poochie returned to his home planet. I mean, seriously. That kid looks like a human version of Poochie.
Definitely underrated
As the counter to this episode can you do an Extra Seconds on Bart the Mother, the line at the end where Bart says "I raised them and I love them, I know that's hard to understand" and Marge answers "Not as hard as you think" has always stuck with me, it might even be better then Do It For Her
Marge's connection with her kids is honestly so underrated.
Honestly, the moral of this episode is something I need in my life right now
Do you think they repurposed the cool kid at 5:00 into Roy? The hairdo (with a hat parting the middle) and glasses fit pretty well
They also Rastified him by 10% or so.
SIMPSONS MYSTERIES
Put a sock in it Roy
Rose Tico Enthusiast He has an apartment with two sexy ladies
As a nerdy seriously depressed kid of Lisas age when i first saw this episode, I identified so hard with much of it without understanding why. Now I get it...
Awesome video! I’ve always felt that this episode was underrated and overlooked despite being (in my opinion) one of, if not the best season 1 episode.
I love the scene when Marge says “I’ll do the smiling for both of us” which kinda shows that Marge isn’t tackling her own internal issues but rather just doubling down on them (albeit to spare her daughter more grief). This episode defies the cliches in many ways.
As for jokes, I laugh every single time Homer has that nightmare and wakes up screaming at the top of his lungs only to go back to sleep immediately after 😆.
I love your channel and thanks for uploading these!
This is the only series one episode I'll still watch.
It's always a good day when you upload, I could listen to you review simpsons episodes for hours.
This episode had a massive impact me as a child. I never really made sense of it until now. I think it tackles an extremely human issue for children trying to make sense of the way they feel.
Another great video. Well done, man!
This is one of my favs episodes 💞
"Proto-Ralph Wiggum" is so hard to say for me. . . Walph Riggum.
it always surprised me how Homer has no idea how to deal with Lisa's depression, three episodes after he himself tried to commit suicide.
Yeah, well Simpsons continuity has mostly been 90% reset button.
I remember how Homer thought Lisa was having PMS! Marge and Homer were in bed discussing about Lisa and Marge mentioned that Lisa is becoming a young woman. Then Homer replied, "Oh. So that's it. This is some kind of underwear thing."
It's a different type. This is a haze versus a crushing weight being dropped on you.
They're not the same and it can sometimes be hard for people who tend to feel sad in one way to understand that others feel the same emotion, but not in the same way. Especially when Homer mentions, "I dont see any tears."
There are more than these two kinds of course. Marge keeps pushing down, and promises to "I'll do the smiling for both of us." She realizes it isn't right and does all she knows to help. Marge is not magic, but she'll smile enough for them both. Lisa doesn't need to worry about her anymore and what's more, she's there open to Lisa , even if that can't make Lisa happy again.
Luckily it does help, and like many viewers that moment hurts me yet makes me smile every time.
My own personal Mandela effect in regards to this episode is that I would swear the events that happened in 'Round Springfield happened in this episode. Bleeding gums Murphy dying, dr. Hibbert giving clues that they are brothers, Lisa not brushing her teeth all of that. For a Season 1 episode, this one really is good, and a lot more thought-provoking.
This episode really resonated with me, as someone who was told to hide my feelings and "stop acting out". I really could have used a Marge in my life to tell me it's ok to be sad.
I dont understand why you dont have hundred thousand views and likes, top notch videos and scripts man. Cheers.
This is like the fifth time I’m watching this video and I’m still excited
This is one of the first episodes to truly develop Lisa's character to what it is today.
Finally after you referencing this episode so much I finally found the breakdown
This episode is just scarily relatable
"Playing the blues isn't
about making yourself
feel better; it's about
making other people
feel worse."
Marge's advice needs to be compared to Homer's in Tell Tale Head. It's an example of early Simsons counter culture, jabbing at the cheesy shows that preceded it.
Yeah I remember Homer's bad advice. " Son, being popular is the most important thing in the world." I didn't think about it as a little kid but when I watched it as a teen I thought that was the worst thing Homer said to Bart. (I'm sure there are other bad advice that Homer gave Bart.)
Speaking as a person who showed signs of depression even as a kid, this one always stuck with me.
Love your videos dude, always great to see you upload. Keep up the amazing content!
This episode is so real
I relate to this so much! I deal with depression a lot. An excellent episode.
That arcade kid is one of my favorite characters on the show. So nostalgic.
I remember this episode. And to me this episode and marge not be proud is darkest episodes to to me
Love these videos, you're the best!
As this is very emotional episode of the Simpsons, have you ever considered to do an extra seconds episode on Bart Gets an F? I feel these two episodes go very well together, considering they both look at both the Simpson children's emotions (yes I'm ignoring Maggie a little bit) and as general worries children might have growing up, as being sad, and being a failure. Both very much relatable and very interesting a cartoon comedy show in the early 90's shed light on.
I have to say that the pacing and solemn mood of that episode made it feel like something from Season One, it had that same amount of pathos and self awareness for Bart as that point in the show. It's kinda sad how much the two kids had a sense of self loathing early on.
The first of many great Lisa episodes.
0:40 When @TheRealJims discusses the general feeling of moodiness, you can see the name of the toothpaste is GLUM. I have no idea what this means.
I think the existentialism is a holdover from matt Groenings previous comic series life in hell
It only fits more to have Marge's mother enforce the 'always smile' mindset onto the next generation, since the next season it's made obvious her present day self has decided not to waste a second of her lasting years pretending life doesn't suck. A true representation of the side effects of her own ethics.
Also- I played the drums for a while. My family was encouraging but always hated when I practiced and would come in and tell me to practice more quietly. I gave up on them when I could only ever play with the muffler pads on. I hope to one day have a house on private property where I can pad a room and put a drum kit back in there, start playing again.
I love the moment of Marge realizing she's wrong, my mother had the same mentality as hers (plus some heavier shit) and it makes Marge into a flawed, realistic, and deeply good character from the get go. I relate to Marge and wish in a kinda sad way I could relate more to Lisa here.
"sadness leads to sadness, but repressing sadness is even worse"
Hey just wait there I'm counting on that
I know this is weird and nerdy, but I always just giggled a bit when They were on that road bridge and I was like “omg is that how they based the first boss in level 1 of the Simpsons Arcade game?” Lol
6:07 holy shit that used to be basically my motto last year and I never realized how screwed up that was... shit...
Hope things are better for you
I just noticed. In that opening shot there is a tube of 'GLUM' toothpaste.
Makes sense given how Lisa feels through much of the episode. Glum.
Bravo, good sir!
This was one of the first episodes I ever watched.
i'm a sucker for sad lisa episodes
Something that I found interesting is that the Simpsons had a video game console at home capable of replicating the arcade version of video boxing.