Smart and Smarter
Encyclopedia
"Smart and Smarter" is the thirteenth episode of The Simpsons
' fifteenth season
, and originally aired on February 22, 2004. When Maggie takes an IQ test, she is informed that she may be smarter than Lisa, who worries that her life will go nowhere
. The episode was written by Carolyn Omine
and directed by Steven Dean Moore
. Simon Cowell
also has a guest-voice appearance, playing the role of a brutally honest judge.
and Manjula are sending two of their octuplets. Homer
and Marge
have a talk with Dr. Hibbert about getting in, and decide to have Maggie
go in. However, Maggie fails the initial screening because she cannot talk, until Lisa
discovers some traits of intelligence. Maggie makes another screening. The results show that not only is Maggie brilliant, but her IQ of 167 is higher than Lisa's IQ of 159. Lisa is no longer considered "the smart one" of the Simpson family. Her attempts to find a new identity, including a goth
girl named "Raven Crow Neversmiles", a cheerleader, a rapper, a soccer player, a cowgirl, and even a stand-up comedian
, do not work out well.
At home, Lisa teaches Maggie false information. Homer (with the Phonics Frog) and Marge scold her for trying to sabotage her sister's education and that if that is how she really feels, then she should not be her sister's rolemodel. She leaves the house and hides in the Natural History Museum, where there is no chance of Homer and Marge finding her, until Chief Wiggum, Lou and Eddie find her belongings in there. The family goes into the human body exhibit, but Maggie accidentally presses the swallow button, swallowing Homer, Marge and Bart. Maggie presses many buttons until she finally presses the evacuate button, following a visual cue from Lisa as to its color.
Ironically, after Maggie saves Homer, Marge, and Bart, she no longer has a secret to her intelligence — Henry (the owner of Wickerbottom's Pre-Nursery School) reveals a video tape of Maggie's audition and it turns out Lisa was showing her answers. Henry starts criticizing Maggie which leads an angry Homer to start punching him (while Henry criticizes his punches). Maggie plays Lisa's saxophone in the end and puts her pacifier into Lisa's mouth, showing another sign of intelligence. However, Lisa reclaims her saxophone and tells her that "it is not for babies".
.
The revelation that Maggie is only smart because she is watching Lisa is similar to the case of Clever Hans
at the turn of the century. Maggie as a genius taking through the phonics frog perhaps is a reference to Stephen Hawking
communicating through his computer.
Marge's line "All our children are smart. Some are just smarter than others" is a reference to Animal Farm
's "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." Marge giving Lisa the paper quoting "You are Lisa Simpson" is a reference to the season two episode, "Lisa's Substitute
", where the character Mr. Bergstrom gave her a similar paper - which Lisa shows framed next to her bed. Lisa's black and white nightmare of her pushing Maggie down the stairs in a wheelchair is a reference to the 1962 film What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
.
Lisa staying in the Natural History Museum is a reference to the book From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
, in which kids ran away from home and lived in the Metropolitan Museum of Art
in New York City
. The song playing during these moments is Moon River
. During the second interview, Henry calls Maggie "my quiet American," referring to a novel by Graham Greene
titled The Quiet American
.
Lisa's goth name could be a reference to Edgar Allan Poe
's poem The Raven
.
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...
The Simpsons (season 15)
The Simpsons 15th season began on Sunday, November 2, 2003 with "Treehouse of Horror XIV".The season contains five hold-over episodes from the season 14 production line...
, and originally aired on February 22, 2004. When Maggie takes an IQ test, she is informed that she may be smarter than Lisa, who worries that her life will go nowhere
Sibling rivalry
Sibling rivalry is a type of competition or animosity among children, blood-related or not.Siblings generally spend more time together during childhood than they do with parents. The sibling bond is often complicated and is influenced by factors such as parental treatment, birth order, personality,...
. The episode was written by Carolyn Omine
Carolyn Omine
Carolyn Omine is an American television writer. She has written for Full House, The Parent 'Hood and The Simpsons. She was credited as an executive producer by the Simpsons' 17th season, although this changed to a producer in the 18th....
and directed by Steven Dean Moore
Steven Dean Moore
Steven Dean Moore is an animation director who has directed 35 episodes of The Simpsons, in addition to several episodes of the long running Nicktoon programme Rugrats...
. Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
also has a guest-voice appearance, playing the role of a brutally honest judge.
Plot
The family visits Wickerbottom's Pre-Nursery School, where ApuApu 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...
and Manjula are sending two of their octuplets. 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...
and 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...
have a talk with Dr. Hibbert about getting in, and decide to have Maggie
Maggie Simpson
Margaret "Maggie" Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She first appeared on television in the Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Maggie was created and designed by cartoonist Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of James...
go in. However, Maggie fails the initial screening because she cannot talk, until 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...
discovers some traits of intelligence. Maggie makes another screening. The results show that not only is Maggie brilliant, but her IQ of 167 is higher than Lisa's IQ of 159. Lisa is no longer considered "the smart one" of the Simpson family. Her attempts to find a new identity, including a goth
Goth subculture
The goth subculture is a contemporary subculture found in many countries. It began in England during the early 1980s in the gothic rock scene, an offshoot of the post-punk genre. The goth subculture has survived much longer than others of the same era, and has continued to diversify...
girl named "Raven Crow Neversmiles", a cheerleader, a rapper, a soccer player, a cowgirl, and even a stand-up comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
, do not work out well.
At home, Lisa teaches Maggie false information. Homer (with the Phonics Frog) and Marge scold her for trying to sabotage her sister's education and that if that is how she really feels, then she should not be her sister's rolemodel. She leaves the house and hides in the Natural History Museum, where there is no chance of Homer and Marge finding her, until Chief Wiggum, Lou and Eddie find her belongings in there. The family goes into the human body exhibit, but Maggie accidentally presses the swallow button, swallowing Homer, Marge and Bart. Maggie presses many buttons until she finally presses the evacuate button, following a visual cue from Lisa as to its color.
Ironically, after Maggie saves Homer, Marge, and Bart, she no longer has a secret to her intelligence — Henry (the owner of Wickerbottom's Pre-Nursery School) reveals a video tape of Maggie's audition and it turns out Lisa was showing her answers. Henry starts criticizing Maggie which leads an angry Homer to start punching him (while Henry criticizes his punches). Maggie plays Lisa's saxophone in the end and puts her pacifier into Lisa's mouth, showing another sign of intelligence. However, Lisa reclaims her saxophone and tells her that "it is not for babies".
Cultural references
The episode's title is a reference to the film, Dumb and Dumber. In this episode, Henry quotes, "She's as common as an angry woman in an Ibsen play," perhaps referencing Nora in A Doll's HouseA Doll's House
A Doll's House is a three-act play in prose by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premièred at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 December 1879, having been published earlier that month....
.
The revelation that Maggie is only smart because she is watching Lisa is similar to the case of Clever Hans
Clever Hans
Clever Hans was an Orlov Trotter horse that was claimed to have been able to perform arithmetic and other intellectual tasks....
at the turn of the century. Maggie as a genius taking through the phonics frog perhaps is a reference to Stephen Hawking
Stephen Hawking
Stephen William Hawking, CH, CBE, FRS, FRSA is an English theoretical physicist and cosmologist, whose scientific books and public appearances have made him an academic celebrity...
communicating through his computer.
Marge's line "All our children are smart. Some are just smarter than others" is a reference to Animal Farm
Animal Farm
Animal Farm is an allegorical novella by George Orwell published in England on 17 August 1945. According to Orwell, the book reflects events leading up to and during the Stalin era before World War II...
's "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." Marge giving Lisa the paper quoting "You are Lisa Simpson" is a reference to the season two episode, "Lisa's Substitute
Lisa's Substitute
"Lisa's Substitute" is the nineteenth episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on April 25, 1991. In the episode, Lisa's teacher Miss Hoover takes medical leave due to what she thinks is Lyme disease, so substitute teacher Mr. Bergstrom takes over the...
", where the character Mr. Bergstrom gave her a similar paper - which Lisa shows framed next to her bed. Lisa's black and white nightmare of her pushing Maggie down the stairs in a wheelchair is a reference to the 1962 film What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (film)
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? is a 1962 American psychological thriller film produced and directed by Robert Aldrich, starring Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. The screenplay by Lukas Heller is based on the novel of the same name by Henry Farrell...
.
Lisa staying in the Natural History Museum is a reference to the book From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is a novel by E. L. Konigsburg. It was published by Atheneum Books in 1967, the second published from two manuscripts the new writer had submitted to editor Jean E...
, in which kids ran away from home and lived in the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The song playing during these moments is Moon River
Moon River
"Moon River" is a song composed by Johnny Mercer and Henry Mancini in 1961, for whom it won that year's Academy Award for Best Original Song. It was originally sung in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's by Audrey Hepburn, although it has been covered by many other artists...
. During the second interview, Henry calls Maggie "my quiet American," referring to a novel by Graham Greene
Graham Greene
Henry Graham Greene, OM, CH was an English author, playwright and literary critic. His works explore the ambivalent moral and political issues of the modern world...
titled The Quiet American
The Quiet American
The Quiet American is an anti-war novel by British author Graham Greene, first published in United Kingdom in 1955 and in the United States in 1956. It was adapted into films in 1958 and 2002. The book draws on Greene's experiences as a war correspondent for The Times and Le Figaro in French...
.
Lisa's goth name could be a reference to Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
's poem The Raven
The Raven
"The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in January 1845. It is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a talking raven's mysterious visit to a distraught lover, tracing the man's slow descent into madness...
.