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Victor Padilla

Professor Lamarr Green

ENGL 1314

03 February 2020

Comedy Giving Life Messages

The Simpsons is an American comedy animation television series that is set in the town

of Springfield; the first episode aired in December 1989. The episode of “Lisa’s Substitute”

premiered in the second season and aired on April 25, 1991. The focus of this episode is Lisa

Simpson and the substitute Mr.Bergstrom, who helps Lisa discover a life lesson that changes her

whole character for the rest of the series. Lisa Simpson was alienated from the towns people

because of her traits of being an intelligent young girl around her age. This can be a personal

connection to myself because I was alienated as a young child at school for having dyslexia.

Furthermore, the television show tries to stay with humor to grab the attention of the young

audience to give them positive messages for those who do not have a role model to follow.

The episode Lisa Substitute shows the audience how an isolated person can find a connection to

someone who can see beyond a perceived personality deficit. Despite The Simpsons being a

comedy series, the show’s content focused on serious real-life aspects of gender roles and target

a young audience.

The first artifact that the episode brings up is the gender roles in society. Women who are

strong or intelligent get isolated from society because of how strong male supremacy is, even

though society says women get equal rights. Throughout the series of The Simpsons, Lisa

Simpson gets put down from her own family and people who live in Springfield because of traits

of being intelligent. For instance, the male character Martin Price get praised for doing
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something intelligent but when Lisa Simpsons does something, she it ignored. Other people

characters are in the same situation as Lisa for being smart such as Leslie Knope from Parks and

Recreation, Marisol from Mr.IgIesias, Daenerys Targaryen from Game Thornes and Nancy from

Stanger Things (IMDB). Then there other female characters that are perceived as a weak

character such as Katinss from Hunger Games, Rachel Green from Friends, and Bella from

Twilight (IMDB). These are some examples of strong and weak female characters in television

shows or movies. According to critics Signorielli and Bacue and Sink and Mastro, “The lack of

representation of women leaders in television, particularly in non-stereotypic roles, these female-

led political TV shows provide unique areas for media analysis.” (qtd. in Hoewe and Sherill 1).

This can be proven because, “Women account for 25% of the dialogue on The Simpsons,

including Marge and Lisa, two of the show’s main characters” (A ‘Simpsons’). Therefore, male

supremacy can be shown in the television show because of dominant male writers for the show.

It leaves one to question, “If the episodes written by women have a more equal distribution of

dialogue between male and female characters” (A ‘Simpsons’).

Figure 1 . Groeing, Matt and Jon Vitti. “Lisa Substitute.” Dualpersonalities,

http://dualpersonalities.wordpress.com/2014/08/08/happy-birthday-dustin-hoffman-or-mrs-
krabappel-are-you-trying-to-seduce-me/.
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Fig 1. In this scene from the television show The Simpsons the episode “Lisa Substitute”

Mr.Bergstrom gives Lisa Simpson a note before he leaves Springfield. In the note it says, “You

are Lisa Simpson.” This powerful note gives Lisa the power to keep being herself even though

everyone might doubt her.

The second artifact is that the episode tries to target a young audience to give hope to

those who are isolated can find support from other people outside of their family. Demographic

for the episode “Lisa’s Substitute” is, “The audience for this episode is a children audience 56%

are kids from 2-11, 50%” (A ‘Simpsons’). This demonstrates that The Simpson episode tries

target a young audience to give young children role models. Example role models can be

teachers, coaches and neighbors. According to some pop culture research, “Role models ranged

from high profile athletes, older participants within the sporting club, coaches and instructors,

family members and peers” (Willis 8). This can connect to figure one because role models can be

anyone such as a teacher or substitute. For example like Lisa Simpson and her personal

connection with the substitute Mr.Bergstrom when he gives her a powerful note before he leaves

Springfield. Having role models for children will develop growth as individuals. This can be

proven by some researching the development of children, “Role models played a variety of roles,

motivating children to engage in these activities initially, providing challenges to explore their

limits, initiate goal development” (Willis 9).

The Simpsons proves different aspects of life lessons that most television shows do not

have, such as bringing up the isolation that Lisa Simpson faces because of her traits of being

intelligent. In the episode “Lisa’s Substitute” Lisa feels isolation because everyone in Springfield

treats her like a child because of her gender and age. But in the episode, the substitute

Mr.Bergstorm sees Lisa Simpson as equal as an intelligent girl. The personal connection I had
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with the episode “Lisa’s Substitute” is the scene with Mr.Bergstorm and Lisa Simpson at the

train station. Mr.Bergstorm gives a note to Lisa before he leaves. The note reads, “You are Lisa

Simpson”. This means that Lisa does should not feel doubt about being a girl and intelligent. She

should strive to be come successful. This message reminds me of my teacher Ms. Gallegos who

believed that even with having dyslexia, I am still capable of being successful. The Simpsons

tries to stick with humor to bring in their audience, but gives the real-life situation of the

isolation of women who have the traits of being intelligent. But it also brings up different types

of role models that children can follow, like Lisa Simpson and Mr.Bergstorm.
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Work Citied

“A ‘Simpsons’ Demographics Lesson”, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 1990,

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-10-16-ca-2464-story.html. Accessed 3

Mar. 2020.

“Friends.” IMBD, Amazon, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108778/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0.

Accessed 3 Mar. 2020.

Hoewe, Jennifer, and Lindsey A. Sherrill. “The Influence of Female Lead Characters in Political

TV Shows: Link to Political Engagement.” Journal of Broadingcasting & Electronic

Media, vol. 63, no. 1, Mar. 2019, pp.59-76, EBSCOhost,

doi:10.1080/08838151.2019.1570782.

“Hunger Games.” IMBD, Amazon, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1392170/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0.

Accessed 3 Mar. 2020.

“Parks and Recreation.” IMBD, Amazon, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1266020/?

ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0. Accessed 3 Mar. 2020.

“Stranger Things.” IMBD, Amazon, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4574334/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_2.

Accessed 3 Mar. 2020.

Willis, Claire, et al. "Elements contributing to meaningful participation for children and youth

with disabilities: a scoping review." Disability and rehabilitation 39.17 (2017): 1771-

1784.