Girly Edition
Encyclopedia
"Girly Edition" is the twenty-first episode of the ninth season
of the animated television series The Simpsons
. It originally aired in the United States on April 19, 1998, and received a Nielsen rating
of 8.7. In the episode, Lisa
and Bart Simpson
must co-anchor a new news program
, though when Bart is seen as a more successful news anchor, Lisa becomes jealous and seeks revenge. Meanwhile, in the subplot, Homer Simpson
gets a monkey helper because of his laziness. "Girly Edition" was the first episode written by Larry Doyle and was directed by Mark Kirkland
, with much of the subplot being inspired by the film Monkey Shines
. Critics gave the episode positive reviews and it was well received by Lisa's voice actress Yeardley Smith
.
takes away Bart's skateboard
for destroying his leaf pile, Bart fills up Willie's shack with creamed corn
as he is sleeping, causing the shack to explode. As Willie is being taken away for medical attention, he swears revenge on Bart. Meanwhile, Krusty the Clown's show comes under criticism by the FCC
for not being educational enough for children. The Channel 6 female executive proposes that Krusty cut ten minutes from his three-hour show to make room for a kids' news program, Kidz News, where children deliver and report news items. Lisa is recruited as a news anchor along with other Springfield Elementary School children. Bart is not chosen at first, but is made sportscaster
after he complains to Marge
.
Lisa is deemed to be boring by the channel's staff, though they are impressed by Bart's performance. Bart is then promoted to be the co-anchor, which leads to jealousy by Lisa. However, after Bart hears Lisa talking behind his back, he tries to improve being an anchor. After failing to read an article concerning a U.S. Supreme Court decision, he goes to Kent Brockman
for advice, who teaches him about the power of human interest stories
. Bart becomes successful after creating a segment called "Bart's People", which Lisa immediately disproves of due to its sappy, emotionally manipulative content. Out of jealousy, Lisa makes many attempts to copy it, but her filming is twice hampered by an insane woman who throws cats at Lisa. She eventually sends a letter acting as an immigrant who lives in a landfill
who pleads to be on Bart's People, which causes Bart to rush to the landfill to do a live Bart's People. However, he learns that the immigrant was Groundskeeper Willie, who wants to get revenge on Bart. Lisa sees that what she did was wrong, and rushes off to save him. She is able to reach him, and is able to change Willie's mind about killing him, using the similar techniques Bart used in his stories to stir up emotions. The two decide from then on to make a good educational news program, but Kidz News gets canceled and replaced by an action cartoon that shamelessly plugs toys from Mattel
and candy by Mars, Incorporated
.
In the subplot
, Homer
obtains a monkey helper named "Mojo" after learning Apu
has gotten one following the latest robbery at the Kwik-E-Mart
, which has left him in a wheelchair
. Homer is initially refused one after openly admitting to the animal shelter clerk that he needs a helper monkey because he is lazy, but is able to use Grampa
to get one. Homer initially uses the monkey to do housework, which frightens and disgusts Marge (after she drinks the orange juice Mojo made), but then uses the monkey to steal doughnut
s from Lard Lad Donut Shop. Eventually, Mojo becomes tired, weak, and overfed from eating junk food and drinking beer with Homer. Marge pleads with Homer to take the monkey back to the shelter so it can be rehabilitated. Homer leaves Mojo on the doorstep, where the sickly simian is only able to type "Pray for Mojo" on a special computer the animal shelter clerk gives him.
; show runner
Mike Scully
asked the staff to reference to the film when they were making the episode. The animators also studied the behavior of monkeys from other resources, looking at their movements and how they reacts to humans. Eric Stefani
, a former animator for the show who had left and now was part of the band No Doubt
, was called back by episode director Mark Kirkland
to animate the scenes with Homer and Mojo. This was the final work Stefani did for The Simpsons. At the end of the episode, an incapacitated Mojo is only able to type "Pray for Mojo" into a computer; this line was written by George Meyer
, who cited it as his favorite personal contribution to The Simpsons. The Crazy Cat Lady was first introduced on The Simpsons in this episode.
A real-life journalist named Reid, who Gray interviewed for his book, states that "Girly Edition" mirrors well how some journalists actually work. She said the episode shows "the ludicrous nature of, you know, what we do in a lot of things. The kids news with Bart and Lisa: I mean, you see them do really stupid stories about the news, and 'news you can use,' and 'how to get rid of your sheets when you wet them.' I mean, people really do stories like that." Steven Keslowitz writes in his book The World According to the Simpsons that the episode showcases the fact that "the viewing of attractive newscasters and the use of persuasive tones of voice often do have an impact on the minds of many intelligent members of American society."
in the United States on April 19, 1998. It finished 26th in the ratings for the week of April 13–19, 1998, with a Nielsen rating
of 8.7, translating to around 8,5 million viewing households. The episode was the third highest rated show on Fox that week, following The X-Files
and King of the Hill
. The Fox network's ratings average for the week was 6.6.
"Girly Edition" was well received by critics. It was named the fifth best episode of the show with a sports theme by Jerry Greene of the Orlando Sentinel
. The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, thought well of the episode, calling it "a great episode, full of more than the normal quota of good jokes, but best of all is Lisa's revenge on Bart, and the mad cat-lady who goes around chucking her cats at people." Ryan Keefer of DVD Verdict
gave the episode a B rating and stated that he enjoyed the subplot with Mojo more than the main plot. Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide commented that "Girly Edition" takes "a clever concept and turns into something more than expected as it digs into the usual Bart/Lisa rivalry. I’m not quite sure why Bart reacts so sadly to Lisa’s comments about his stupidity when 'Lisa the Simpson
' just delved into the dumbness of the male Simpsons. There’s enough to like here to make the episode fun, though."
This episode is one of Yeardley Smith
's favorite episodes. Smith provides the voice for Lisa on the show. She says that "I don't actually remember a lot of the episodes because they all blend in together for me, and I don't have a really good memory anyway, but I do remember this one and thinking that it was terrific."
The Simpsons (season 9)
The Simpsons ninth season originally aired between September 1997 and May 1998, beginning on Sunday, September 21, 1997 with "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson". The show runner for the ninth production season was Mike Scully...
of the animated television series The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
. It originally aired in the United States on April 19, 1998, and received a Nielsen rating
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
of 8.7. In the episode, Lisa
Lisa Simpson
Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the middle child of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening...
and Bart Simpson
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
must co-anchor a new news program
News program
A news program, news programme, news show, or newscast is a regularly scheduled radio or television program that reports current events. News is typically reported in a series of individual stories that are presented by one or more anchors...
, though when Bart is seen as a more successful news anchor, Lisa becomes jealous and seeks revenge. Meanwhile, in the subplot, Homer Simpson
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
gets a monkey helper because of his laziness. "Girly Edition" was the first episode written by Larry Doyle and was directed by Mark Kirkland
Mark Kirkland
Mark Kirkland is an American director. He has directed 69 episodes, from 1990-present, of The Simpsons, more than any other person.-Career:...
, with much of the subplot being inspired by the film Monkey Shines
Monkey Shines
Monkey Shines may refer to:* Monkey Shines, a 1988 film written and directed by George A. Romero* Monkey Shines , a 1997 shareware game for the Apple Macintosh...
. Critics gave the episode positive reviews and it was well received by Lisa's voice actress Yeardley Smith
Yeardley Smith
Yeardley Smith is a French-born American actress, voice actress, writer and painter. She is best known for her long-running role as Lisa Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons....
.
Plot
After Groundskeeper WillieGroundskeeper Willie
William McDougal, usually referred to as Groundskeeper Willie, is a recurring character on The Simpsons, voiced by Dan Castellaneta. He is head groundskeeper at Springfield Elementary School. Willie is a Scottish immigrant, almost feral in nature and immensely proud of his homeland...
takes away Bart's skateboard
Skateboard
A skateboard is typically a specially designed plywood board combined with a polyurethane coating used for making smoother slides and stronger durability, used primarily for the activity of skateboarding. The first skateboards to reach public notice came out of the surfing craze of the early 1960s,...
for destroying his leaf pile, Bart fills up Willie's shack with creamed corn
Creamed corn
Creamed corn is a soup or sauce made by melting butter and adding flour, milk, canned corn, and optionally some spices. It is a common part of Midwestern American cuisine, typically sold canned by firms such as Del Monte Foods...
as he is sleeping, causing the shack to explode. As Willie is being taken away for medical attention, he swears revenge on Bart. Meanwhile, Krusty the Clown's show comes under criticism by the FCC
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
for not being educational enough for children. The Channel 6 female executive proposes that Krusty cut ten minutes from his three-hour show to make room for a kids' news program, Kidz News, where children deliver and report news items. Lisa is recruited as a news anchor along with other Springfield Elementary School children. Bart is not chosen at first, but is made sportscaster
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
after he complains to Marge
Marge Simpson
Marjorie "Marge" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. She is voiced by actress Julie Kavner and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
.
Lisa is deemed to be boring by the channel's staff, though they are impressed by Bart's performance. Bart is then promoted to be the co-anchor, which leads to jealousy by Lisa. However, after Bart hears Lisa talking behind his back, he tries to improve being an anchor. After failing to read an article concerning a U.S. Supreme Court decision, he goes to Kent Brockman
Kent Brockman
Kent Brockman is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer and first appeared in the episode "Krusty Gets Busted"...
for advice, who teaches him about the power of human interest stories
Human interest story
A human interest story is a feature story that discusses a person or people in an emotional way. It presents people and their problems, concerns, or achievements in a way that brings about interest or sympathy in the reader or viewer....
. Bart becomes successful after creating a segment called "Bart's People", which Lisa immediately disproves of due to its sappy, emotionally manipulative content. Out of jealousy, Lisa makes many attempts to copy it, but her filming is twice hampered by an insane woman who throws cats at Lisa. She eventually sends a letter acting as an immigrant who lives in a landfill
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
who pleads to be on Bart's People, which causes Bart to rush to the landfill to do a live Bart's People. However, he learns that the immigrant was Groundskeeper Willie, who wants to get revenge on Bart. Lisa sees that what she did was wrong, and rushes off to save him. She is able to reach him, and is able to change Willie's mind about killing him, using the similar techniques Bart used in his stories to stir up emotions. The two decide from then on to make a good educational news program, but Kidz News gets canceled and replaced by an action cartoon that shamelessly plugs toys from Mattel
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
and candy by Mars, Incorporated
Mars, Incorporated
Mars, Incorporated is a worldwide manufacturer of confectionery, pet food, and other food products with US$30 billion in annual sales in 2010, and is ranked as the 5th largest privately held company in the United States by Forbes. Headquartered in McLean, unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia,...
.
In the subplot
Subplot
A subplot is a secondary plot strand that is a supporting side story for any story or the main plot. Subplots may connect to main plots, in either time and place or in thematic significance...
, Homer
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
obtains a monkey helper named "Mojo" after learning Apu
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon is a character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria and first appeared in the episode "The Telltale Head". Apu is the proprietor of the Kwik-E-Mart, a popular convenience store in Springfield, and a friend of Homer Simpson. He is also...
has gotten one following the latest robbery at the Kwik-E-Mart
Kwik-E-Mart
The Kwik-E-Mart is a fictional chain of convenience stores in the animated television series The Simpsons. It is a parody of American convenience store chains, such as 7-Eleven and Circle K, and represents many myths and stereotypes of them. It is notorious for its high prices and the poor quality...
, which has left him in a wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
. Homer is initially refused one after openly admitting to the animal shelter clerk that he needs a helper monkey because he is lazy, but is able to use Grampa
Abraham Simpson
Abraham J. "Abe" Simpson, often known simply as Grampa, is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and he is also the patriarch of the Simpson family, the father of Homer Simpson, and the grandfather of Bart, Lisa, and Maggie Simpson...
to get one. Homer initially uses the monkey to do housework, which frightens and disgusts Marge (after she drinks the orange juice Mojo made), but then uses the monkey to steal doughnut
Doughnut
A doughnut or donut is a fried dough food and is popular in many countries and prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and franchised specialty outlets...
s from Lard Lad Donut Shop. Eventually, Mojo becomes tired, weak, and overfed from eating junk food and drinking beer with Homer. Marge pleads with Homer to take the monkey back to the shelter so it can be rehabilitated. Homer leaves Mojo on the doorstep, where the sickly simian is only able to type "Pray for Mojo" on a special computer the animal shelter clerk gives him.
Production
"Girly Edition" was the first episode Larry Doyle wrote for the show. He conceived both the main plot and the subplot. The subplot about Mojo was inspired by the film Monkey ShinesMonkey Shines
Monkey Shines may refer to:* Monkey Shines, a 1988 film written and directed by George A. Romero* Monkey Shines , a 1997 shareware game for the Apple Macintosh...
; show runner
Show runner
Showrunner is a term of art originating in the United States and Canadian television industry referring to the person who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of a television seriesalthough such persons generally are credited as an executive producer...
Mike Scully
Mike Scully
Mike Scully is an American television writer and producer. He is known for his work as executive producer and showrunner of the animated sitcom The Simpsons from 1997 to 2001. Scully grew up in West Springfield, Massachusetts and long had an interest in writing. He was an underachiever at school...
asked the staff to reference to the film when they were making the episode. The animators also studied the behavior of monkeys from other resources, looking at their movements and how they reacts to humans. Eric Stefani
Eric Stefani
Eric Matthew Stefani is an American musician, composer, writer and animator, best known as a former member of the pop rock band No Doubt. He is the older brother of Gwen Stefani and is also a former animator on the animated sitcom The Simpsons.-Biography:Stefani attended Loara High School in...
, a former animator for the show who had left and now was part of the band No Doubt
No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact...
, was called back by episode director Mark Kirkland
Mark Kirkland
Mark Kirkland is an American director. He has directed 69 episodes, from 1990-present, of The Simpsons, more than any other person.-Career:...
to animate the scenes with Homer and Mojo. This was the final work Stefani did for The Simpsons. At the end of the episode, an incapacitated Mojo is only able to type "Pray for Mojo" into a computer; this line was written by George Meyer
George Meyer
George A. Meyer is an American producer and writer. Raised in Tucson, Arizona in a Roman Catholic family, Meyer attended Harvard University. There, after becoming president of the Harvard Lampoon, he graduated in 1978 with a degree in biochemistry. Abandoning plans to attend medical school, Meyer...
, who cited it as his favorite personal contribution to The Simpsons. The Crazy Cat Lady was first introduced on The Simpsons in this episode.
Analysis
In his book Watching with The Simpsons: Television, Parody, and Intertextuality, Jonathan Gray analyses a scene from the episode in which it is announced that Kidz News has been replaced by the children's cartoon The Mattel and Mars Bar Quick Energy Chocobot Hour (a reference to the Mattel toys and the Mars chocolate bar). He says this mocks "how many children's programs have become little more than the ad to the merchandise." Gray also writes that The Simpsons "illustrates how the ad as genre has itself already invaded many, if not all, genres. Ads and marketing do not limit themselves to the space between programs; rather, they are themselves textual invaders, and part of The Simpsons parodic attack on ads involves revealing their hiding places in other texts."A real-life journalist named Reid, who Gray interviewed for his book, states that "Girly Edition" mirrors well how some journalists actually work. She said the episode shows "the ludicrous nature of, you know, what we do in a lot of things. The kids news with Bart and Lisa: I mean, you see them do really stupid stories about the news, and 'news you can use,' and 'how to get rid of your sheets when you wet them.' I mean, people really do stories like that." Steven Keslowitz writes in his book The World According to the Simpsons that the episode showcases the fact that "the viewing of attractive newscasters and the use of persuasive tones of voice often do have an impact on the minds of many intelligent members of American society."
Reception
The episode originally aired on the Fox networkFox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
in the United States on April 19, 1998. It finished 26th in the ratings for the week of April 13–19, 1998, with a Nielsen rating
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
of 8.7, translating to around 8,5 million viewing households. The episode was the third highest rated show on Fox that week, following The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
and King of the Hill
King of the Hill
King of the Hill is an American animated dramedy series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997, to May 6, 2010, on Fox network. It centers on the Hills, a working-class Methodist family in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas...
. The Fox network's ratings average for the week was 6.6.
"Girly Edition" was well received by critics. It was named the fifth best episode of the show with a sports theme by Jerry Greene of the Orlando Sentinel
Orlando Sentinel
The Orlando Sentinel is the primary newspaper of the Orlando, Florida region. It was founded in 1876. The Sentinel is owned by Tribune Company and is overseen by the Chicago Tribune. As of 2005, the Sentinel’s president and publisher was Kathleen Waltz; she announced her resignation in February 2008...
. The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, thought well of the episode, calling it "a great episode, full of more than the normal quota of good jokes, but best of all is Lisa's revenge on Bart, and the mad cat-lady who goes around chucking her cats at people." Ryan Keefer of DVD Verdict
DVD Verdict
DVD Verdict is a judicial themed website for DVD reviews. The site was founded in 1999. Current editor in chief is Michael Stailey, who also reviews for Rotten Tomatoes...
gave the episode a B rating and stated that he enjoyed the subplot with Mojo more than the main plot. Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide commented that "Girly Edition" takes "a clever concept and turns into something more than expected as it digs into the usual Bart/Lisa rivalry. I’m not quite sure why Bart reacts so sadly to Lisa’s comments about his stupidity when 'Lisa the Simpson
Lisa the Simpson
"Lisa the Simpson" is the seventeenth episode of the ninth season of the animated television series The Simpsons, which originally aired March 8, 1998. It was written by Ned Goldreyer and directed by Susie Dietter. This episode was also the final episode with Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein as show...
' just delved into the dumbness of the male Simpsons. There’s enough to like here to make the episode fun, though."
This episode is one of Yeardley Smith
Yeardley Smith
Yeardley Smith is a French-born American actress, voice actress, writer and painter. She is best known for her long-running role as Lisa Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons....
's favorite episodes. Smith provides the voice for Lisa on the show. She says that "I don't actually remember a lot of the episodes because they all blend in together for me, and I don't have a really good memory anyway, but I do remember this one and thinking that it was terrific."
External links
- "Girly Edition" at The Simpsons.com