Lisa the Skeptic
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"Lisa the Skeptic" is the eighth episode of The Simpsons' ninth season, first aired on November 23, 1997.
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[edit] Synopsis
As Homer attempts to get a motor boat, a new shopping mall in Springfield is being built on an area where a large number of fossils were found. Lisa condemns and protests the building of the mall. Thanks to her protest, it prompts the school to conduct an archaeological dig. When Lisa is digging, it reveals a human skeleton with wings. Springfield's residents are convinced it is an angel, and Homer cashes in by moving the skeleton into the family's garage; however, Lisa is skeptical, believing it may not actually be an angel, and even has Stephen Jay Gould test a sample of the skeleton. The tests come out inconclusive and after Lisa on television compares belief in angels to belief in unicorns and leprechauns, Springfield's religious zealots riot and destroy all of the scientific institutions. In keeping with the typical collective Springfield intelligence, the victims of this rampage include a Christian Science library. Lisa goes into the garage to destroy the skeleton; however, it has disappeared.
When the skeleton reappears, it carries a foreboding message that The End will come at sundown. As for science vs. religion, Judge Snyder issues a restraining order that keeps science and religion 500 yards apart at all times. Sundown approaches, and Springfield's citizens are frightened, but nothing catastrophic occurs. The skeleton suddenly yells "Prepare for the end... the end of high prices!" and is hoisted over to the entrance of a new discount shopping mall. Lisa realizes that the "end is near" saga was actually a publicity stunt for the mall as a way to exploit the deepest beliefs of people, and calls for a boycott of the mall. However, the bargain-hunting public still go shopping immediately. In the end Marge points out to Lisa that, despite all her skepticism, for a few seconds while the Angel was rising Lisa really did believe the Angel was real. Lisa denies this, but thanks her mother for her support in her moment of weakness.
[edit] Cultural references
- Some elements of the story are shared with Gabriel Garcia Marquéz's short story "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings". Both feature the appearance of an angel who is at some point put on display for paying visitors.
- Springfield's Dumbest Criminal program is similar to the TV show America's Dumbest Criminals.
- The blue whale that hangs in the Springfield Museum is much like the one that hangs in real life at the American Museum of Natural History.
- Homer's song for the angel is much like Handel's composition Hallelujah Chorus.
- The magazine Lisa is reading when the sun goes down is Scientific American.
- The robot fleeing the burning building is Professor Frink's robot Floyd from "Treehouse of Horror VIII".
- When Lisa and her schoolmates are digging up the skeleton there's a scene with a sunset that is clearly a reference to Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark.
- The plot bears a striking similarity to the historical hoax of the Cardiff Giant
[edit] Trivia
- Stephen Jay Gould voiced himself in this episode. After he died, the episode Papa's Got a Brand New Badge was dedicated to him.
[edit] External links
