Month: August 2014

Lisa’s role on The Simpsons is a natural fit for episodes where the writers want to ground the show in emotional reality. For some, that makes her something of a killjoy, a too-rational counterpoint to Springfield’s broader comic insanity. And in 25 years, she, like every other member of the family, has certainly seen those qualities exaggerated in unflattering ways. But there’s a reason why Lisa is at the center of some of the show’s most affecting episodes (especially with Yeardley Smith as her voice)—of all the myriad residents of Springfield, Lisa is the most alone.
 
Sure, her family loves her—in their way—but her intelligence sets her apart, even as the little girl in her wants nothing more than to be one of the crowd. Lisa appeals to every viewer who looks at the craziness and boorishness of a loud, dumb world and longs to both transcend it and be embraced by it. And since Springfield is our world, only exponentially crazier and more boorish, Lisa’s isolation is even more profound

Everything interests me, but nothing holds me.