Moaning Lisa

Moaning Lisa was the sixth non short Simpsons episode released on television. The episode deals with Lisa's depression and her attempts to sublimate it by playing saxophone.

Warning: wikipedia contains spoilers

Synopsis Lisa is glum at the start of the episode, and disinterested even in the cupcakes Marge offers. At school, she interrupts her band class with a bluesy saxophone solo; in physical education, the class is playing dodgeball but Lisa refuses to dodge it. During lunch, the children have a food fight but Lisa doesn't participate because she's glum. Principal Skinner sends a note home to Lisa's parents; Marge gives it to Homer while Bart is beating Homer at a boxing video game.

Bart and Lisa get into an argument over who Maggies loves most; Maggies is on the couch between them and stands, looking from one to the other. Bart and Lisa each urge Maggie to come to the one she loves most; Maggie toddles forward and hugs the television.

In her room upstairs, Lisa practices her saxophone until Homer comes to complain about the noise; he leaves and Lisa hears a saxophone outside. She climbs out the window and down the tree and goes to the bridge, where she meets Bleeding Gums Murphy. The two of them chat and begin to play saxophone together. Meanwhile, Marge dreams about her mother telling her always to smile and Homer is having a nightmare in which Bart is beating him again at the boxing video game. Homer wakes up screaming; Marge arrives at the bridge to pick up Lisa and take her home.

The next morning, Lisa is still glum and Bart cheers her up by calling Moe's Tavern to ask for a Jacques Strap. Homer goes to an arcade to get tips on the boxing video game; Marge takes Lisa to school and urges her to smile regardless of how she feels. Lisa gets out of the car and goes to the school's steps, smiling; she meets Ralph Wiggum and a friend and they comment that they used to think she was a brainiac but now see she's a regular person. Lisa's band instructor comes out and says he hopes the class "won't have another outburst of yesterday's unbridled creativity." Lisa says "no sir" and Marge, sitting in the car still, watching Lisa's interactions, becomes enraged and swings the car around to pick up Lisa. Marge tells Lisa to show whatever emotion she's feeling.

At home, Bart and Homer are playing the boxing game again, except Homer is now beating Bart. Marge tries to get their attention, and when he won't listen, she unplugs the video game. They go to a jazz show together, where they listen to Bleeding Gums and his band.

This episodes introduces Bleeding Gums Murphy as well as Ralph Wiggum, who was introduced simply as "Ralph" and not identified as Chief Clancy Wiggum's son until the episode where he has a crush on Lisa.

Memorable Quotes

• Marge, on grabbing Lisa from the bridge where she had been playing saxophone with Bleeding Gums: "Nothing personal, I just fear the unfamiliar."
• Lisa's band instructor: "I hope we won't have another outburst of yesterday's unbridled creativity."

Parodies