Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy

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The Simpsons episode
"Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy"
Episode no.	95
Prod. code	1F12
Orig. Airdate	February 17, 1994
Show Runner(s)	David Mirkin
Writer(s)	Bill Oakley & Josh Weinstein
Director	Jeffrey Lynch
Couch gag	The family gets crushed by a foot a la the opening of Monty Python's Flying Circus.
Guest star(s)	Kathleen Turner as Stacy Lavelle
SNPP capsule
Season 5 September 30, 1993 – May 19, 1994
Homer's Barbershop Quartet Cape Feare Homer Goes to College Rosebud Treehouse of Horror IV Marge on the Lam Bart's Inner Child Boy-Scoutz N the Hood The Last Temptation of Homer $pringfield Homer the Vigilante Bart Gets Famous Homer and Apu Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy Deep Space Homer Homer Loves Flanders Bart Gets an Elephant Burns' Heir Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song The Boy Who Knew Too Much Lady Bouvier's Lover Secrets of a Successful Marriage
List of all Simpsons episodes...

"Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy" is the fourteenth episode from the fifth season of The Simpsons, in which Kathleen Turner guest stars.

1 Synopsis
2 Trivia
3 Cultural References
4 Quotes
- 4.1 Malibu Stacy's phrases
- 4.2 Lisa Lionheart's phrases
5 External links

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The episode begins at the Grand Opening for the Center for Geriatric Medicine where Dr. Hibbert introduces a frail Ben Matlock to a crowd of excited seniors. But after seeing his idol mobbed to the ground by fans, Abe becomes aware, perhaps fearful, of his future death and gives the family their inheritances early: To Lisa he leaves his lifetime collection of correspondence, most seemingly by telegraph, while he leaves to Homer and his family a box of old silver dollars. The family leaves to spend them at the mall right away.

At the mall, Lisa sees the new Talking Malibu Stacy doll in a toystore. She warns Marge that she may get a little crazy, then rushes the display, shoving aside everyone in her path.

Throughout the trip, Abe won't stop telling stories and spouting useless advice, making the family shun him. He appeals to Homer for help, and while on the couch he sees an ad for Buzz Cola with dancing, scantily-clad seniors on a beach, inspiring him.

Lisa is anxious to hear what Talking Malibu Stacy has to say, but is disappointed with her sexist phrases (see quotes). "Right on, say it sister!" says an eavesdropping Bart, launching Lisa into a tirade decrying sexist attitudes and their effect on young girls, ending with her hurling the doll through the window.

Lisa is angry that no one else, friends or family, can see the ridiculousness of the doll. She calls the company to complain, and after getting some resistance from Marge who wishes she wouldn't complain so much, she signs up for the factory tour. There she sees assembly lines and a video detailing the doll's history, as well as the sexist inner workings of the company.

Lisa and Grampa sit at the kitchen table, bemoaning how they are treated because of their age. In walks Homer, saying how glad he is to be a white male, aged 18-49. Abe decides to get a job, and Lisa decides to find Malibu Stacy's creator.

Lisa visits Waylon Smithers, owner of the world's biggest Malibu Stacy collection and asks for help in finding Stacy Lovelle. She bikes to Stacy Lavelle's house (built exactly like Malibu Stacey's dream house), and plays the doll's phrases over the intercom... the gate immediately opens.

Lisa and Stacy Lavelle decide to create a new talking doll, Lisa Lionheart, voiced by Lisa herself. The doll is quietly released, and even Kent Brockman spends his whole newcast talking about the doll, ignoring breaking news that the President was arrested for murder. However, the creators of Malibu Stacy view Lisa's doll as a real threat, and plan to sink Lisa Lionheart.

Meanwhile Grampa struggles at Krusty Burger, suffering a war flashback at the drive-in and losing his false teeth making burgers. He soon becomes angry at the way seniors are treated, and quits, leading a group of angry seniors out of the restaurant.

As kids (and Smithers) rush out to buy Lisa Lionheart, a cart of the new Malibu Stacy dolls with a new hat is wheeled right into the path of the group running for the Lisa display. Lisa appeals to them that it's just the same doll with a new hat, but they all prefer to stick with Malibu Stacy... except for one little girl, who leaves with a Lisa Lionheart doll.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Trivia

Lisa Lionheart possesses the wisdom of Gertrude Stein, the wit of Cathy Guisewite, the tenacity of Nina Totenberg, the common sense of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and the down-to-earth good looks of Eleanor Roosevelt. Her hair is not based upon any of the Simpsons' as every member of the family has hideous hair (from a design point of view).

It cost Stacey Lavelle $46,000 to produce the Lisa Lionheart doll.

[edit] Cultural References

The entire plotline is based on the "Teen Talk Barbie" line of talking dolls and how they caused controversy.

Homer dances on giant piano keys recessed in the floor of the toy store, spoofing a scene from the film Big. Unfortunately, while attempting to play "Rock Around the Clock" and The Simpsons theme he destroys it twice during the course of the episode.

One of the Talking Malibu Stacy dolls owned by one of Lisa's friends says "My Spidey-sense is tingling. Anyone call for a webslinger?" This is one of Spider-man's catchphrases.

The doll with the Spider-man voice also references the activities of underground groups that secretly switch of voice boxes of talking G.I. Joe and Barbie dolls in order to protest traditional masculine and feminine ideals. [1]

[edit] Quotes

Lisa: It's not funny, Bart. Millions of girls will grow up thinking that this is the right way to act that they can never be more than vacuous ninnies whose only goal is to look pretty, land a rich husband, and spend all day on the phone with their equally vacuous friends talking about how damned terrific it is to look pretty and have a rich husband!
Bart: ...Just what I was going to say.

Marge: Lisa, ordinarily, I would say that you should stand up for what you believe in, but you've been doing that an awful lot lately.
Bart: Yeah, you made us march in that gay rights parade. (holds up a Springfield Shopper front page with his own picture on it, under the headline LOCAL GAYS SHOW PRIDE)
Homer: And we can't watch Fox because they own all those chemical weapons plants in Syria.

Marge: I grew up with Malibu Stacy and I turned out alright. Now let's forget about our troubles with a big bowl of strawberry ice cream!
(Lisa pulls string on Malibu Stacy)
Malibu Stacy: Now let's forget our troubles with a big bowl of strawberry ice cream!

Narrator (in a Malibu Stacy promotional video): ...a second plastic Malibu Stacy took America by storm. Jusk ask the owner of the world's largest Malibu Stacy collection... Waylon Smithers of Springfield!
Smithers: Hello Malibu Stacy collectors. I'll see you...at StacyCon '94, at the San Diego Airport Hilton.

Mr Burns (nude, appearing on a computer screen): Hello Smithers. You're. Quite good. At. Turning. Me. On.
Smithers: Umm... you probably should ignore that.

Lisa: It's horrible being young, nobody listens to me.
Abe: It's rotten being old, nobody listens to me.
Homer: I'm an average white male aged 18 to 49. Everyone listens to me, no matter how dumb my suggestions are! (Shows a product called Nuts & Gum, Together at last.)

Stacy: I see exactly what you mean; this is a problem. But what do you expect me to do?
Lisa: Change what she says. It's your company.
Stacy: Not since I was forced out in 1974. They said my way of thinking just wasn't cost effective.
Lisa: (gasps) That's awful.
Stacy: Well, that, and...I was funneling profits to the Viet Cong.