Lisa the Simpson vs. Bart Gets an F
Posted: Tue June 14, 2016 4:30 pm
Lisa the Simpson
At Springfield Elementary, Lisa is presented with a brain teaser, which she is unable to solve. Following this incident, Lisa finds herself unable to perform simple tasks, such as remembering the combination for her locker, her saxophone technique, and forgetting to complete a homework assignment (as she'd stayed up late the previous night trying to complete the brain teaser). Later, Lisa tells Grampa about her recent cognitive problems. He seems to recognize this, and tells Lisa about the "Simpson Gene", which apparently causes all members of the Simpson family to gradually lose their intelligence as they get older. To prove his point, Grampa shows Lisa a picture of young Homer as a spelling bee champion, and a series of old report cards of Bart's which reveal that her brother was extremely intelligent when he was young, before slowly degrading into the ignorant hooligan he is today. Presented with such evidence, Lisa soon accepts this as her fate.
Meanwhile, Jasper visits the Kwik-E-Mart and attempts to empty the freezer containing ice cream in order to freeze himself, with the intention of being defrosted sometime in the distant future. Apu decides to take advantage of this unusual situation for financial gain by advertising the frozen Jasper as "Frostillicus" and re-branding the Kwik-E-Mart as the Freak-E-Mart. The convenience store becomes more profitable as a tourist trap, until the freezer's cooling system fails, causing Jasper to defrost and walk away. Fearing that he will lose customers, Apu turns the Freak-E-Mart into a combination of a convenience store and a strip club and re-renames his store to the Nude-E-Mart.
After watching Bart and Homer eat candy they had hidden in the sofa, Lisa imagines her future, which involves her being married to Ralph Wiggum, being morbidly obese, speaking in a Southern accent, and having many children. This frightens Lisa, causing her to appear on the TV news program Smartline to tell the citizens of Springfield to treasure their brains. As she does this, Homer decides to prove her wrong, and contacts the entire extended Simpson family (which the men all look and sound like Homer) to visit, so he can prove that at least some of the family are intelligent. However, when they arrive, Homer realizes they're also unsuccessful, unintelligent people, which only depresses Lisa further and causes Homer to send them home.
However, before they leave, Marge urges Homer to talk to the Simpson women. Reluctantly, he talks to them at her request and he discovers that the women are all successful: a doctor (who bears a striking resemblance to Lisa), an architect, an environmental lawyer, and a sales coordinator of a large company specializing in bunk and trundle beds. Dr. Simpson reveals that the defective "Simpson Gene" only exists in the Y chromosome, meaning that it only affects the male family members and not the females. As a result, she will be successful like them. Lisa is relieved that she is fine and she will not suffer the "Simpson Gene", because of her gender. However, Bart bemoans that he will be an unintelligent failure in life, like the males because he inherited the "Simpson Gene". However, Homer reassures him that he will be "a spectacular failure". Bart gladly accepts this and returns to playing with the other Simpson men (where they wear pots as helmets and hit each other's heads).
The episode ends with Lisa finally being able to solve the brain teaser she was unable to finish earlier in the episode with a Homeresque "Woo-Hoo!", before correcting herself with a restrained "splendid.". This proves that while she may not suffer the defective Simpson Gene, Lisa is still a Simpson.
Bart Gets an F
Bart presents a book report at Springfield Elementary School on Treasure Island, but it is blatantly obvious he did not read the book. After school, Mrs. Krabappel tells Bart his grades have steadily gotten worse and warns him about an upcoming exam on Colonial America, but Bart does not pay attention, and puts off studying. The next day at school, Bart feigns illness. At home that night, Lisa warns Bart he cannot evade his responsibilities forever, but Bart calls Milhouse for the test answers. After school the next day, an overconfident Bart hands in his test, only to get a poor score that is even worse than Milhouse's substandard test and have Mrs. Krabappel take remedial action.
Homer and Marge are called in to meet with Mrs. Krabappel and school psychiatrist Dr. J. Loren Pryor. Dr. Pryor says that Bart is an underachiever and recommends that he should repeat the fourth-grade. Homer and Marge consider that holding Bart back might not be such a bad idea. However, Bart is against this idea, and vows that he will start to do better and will pass. Left with little time to study on his own, Bart prays to God and asks that something miraculous happen to make him miss school the next day so he can have more time to study. That night, Springfield is hit with a massive blizzard, and the schools are closed.
After receiving word of the school closures, Bart prepares for a fun snow day. However, Lisa reminds him of his prayer, and Bart decides to make good with God by studying while everyone is outside having fun. The next day, he finishes the test and asks Mrs. Krabappel to grade it immediately. She does so, and tells him that he gets a 59, failing by just one point. Upset at having failed despite all his efforts, Bart breaks down in tears; Mrs Krabappel is stunned to see him cry and tries to console him. Bart compares his failure to George Washington's surrender of Fort Necessity to the French in 1754. Mrs. Krabappel, stunned at this obscure historical reference, realizes that Bart does make an honest effort after all. She gives Bart an extra point for demonstrating applied knowledge, pushing his grade up to a D minus, enough to pass. A proud Bart without thinking kisses Mrs. Krabappel on the cheek before running throughout Springfield, exclaiming to people that he actually passed.
At Springfield Elementary, Lisa is presented with a brain teaser, which she is unable to solve. Following this incident, Lisa finds herself unable to perform simple tasks, such as remembering the combination for her locker, her saxophone technique, and forgetting to complete a homework assignment (as she'd stayed up late the previous night trying to complete the brain teaser). Later, Lisa tells Grampa about her recent cognitive problems. He seems to recognize this, and tells Lisa about the "Simpson Gene", which apparently causes all members of the Simpson family to gradually lose their intelligence as they get older. To prove his point, Grampa shows Lisa a picture of young Homer as a spelling bee champion, and a series of old report cards of Bart's which reveal that her brother was extremely intelligent when he was young, before slowly degrading into the ignorant hooligan he is today. Presented with such evidence, Lisa soon accepts this as her fate.
Meanwhile, Jasper visits the Kwik-E-Mart and attempts to empty the freezer containing ice cream in order to freeze himself, with the intention of being defrosted sometime in the distant future. Apu decides to take advantage of this unusual situation for financial gain by advertising the frozen Jasper as "Frostillicus" and re-branding the Kwik-E-Mart as the Freak-E-Mart. The convenience store becomes more profitable as a tourist trap, until the freezer's cooling system fails, causing Jasper to defrost and walk away. Fearing that he will lose customers, Apu turns the Freak-E-Mart into a combination of a convenience store and a strip club and re-renames his store to the Nude-E-Mart.
After watching Bart and Homer eat candy they had hidden in the sofa, Lisa imagines her future, which involves her being married to Ralph Wiggum, being morbidly obese, speaking in a Southern accent, and having many children. This frightens Lisa, causing her to appear on the TV news program Smartline to tell the citizens of Springfield to treasure their brains. As she does this, Homer decides to prove her wrong, and contacts the entire extended Simpson family (which the men all look and sound like Homer) to visit, so he can prove that at least some of the family are intelligent. However, when they arrive, Homer realizes they're also unsuccessful, unintelligent people, which only depresses Lisa further and causes Homer to send them home.
However, before they leave, Marge urges Homer to talk to the Simpson women. Reluctantly, he talks to them at her request and he discovers that the women are all successful: a doctor (who bears a striking resemblance to Lisa), an architect, an environmental lawyer, and a sales coordinator of a large company specializing in bunk and trundle beds. Dr. Simpson reveals that the defective "Simpson Gene" only exists in the Y chromosome, meaning that it only affects the male family members and not the females. As a result, she will be successful like them. Lisa is relieved that she is fine and she will not suffer the "Simpson Gene", because of her gender. However, Bart bemoans that he will be an unintelligent failure in life, like the males because he inherited the "Simpson Gene". However, Homer reassures him that he will be "a spectacular failure". Bart gladly accepts this and returns to playing with the other Simpson men (where they wear pots as helmets and hit each other's heads).
The episode ends with Lisa finally being able to solve the brain teaser she was unable to finish earlier in the episode with a Homeresque "Woo-Hoo!", before correcting herself with a restrained "splendid.". This proves that while she may not suffer the defective Simpson Gene, Lisa is still a Simpson.
Bart Gets an F
Bart presents a book report at Springfield Elementary School on Treasure Island, but it is blatantly obvious he did not read the book. After school, Mrs. Krabappel tells Bart his grades have steadily gotten worse and warns him about an upcoming exam on Colonial America, but Bart does not pay attention, and puts off studying. The next day at school, Bart feigns illness. At home that night, Lisa warns Bart he cannot evade his responsibilities forever, but Bart calls Milhouse for the test answers. After school the next day, an overconfident Bart hands in his test, only to get a poor score that is even worse than Milhouse's substandard test and have Mrs. Krabappel take remedial action.
Homer and Marge are called in to meet with Mrs. Krabappel and school psychiatrist Dr. J. Loren Pryor. Dr. Pryor says that Bart is an underachiever and recommends that he should repeat the fourth-grade. Homer and Marge consider that holding Bart back might not be such a bad idea. However, Bart is against this idea, and vows that he will start to do better and will pass. Left with little time to study on his own, Bart prays to God and asks that something miraculous happen to make him miss school the next day so he can have more time to study. That night, Springfield is hit with a massive blizzard, and the schools are closed.
After receiving word of the school closures, Bart prepares for a fun snow day. However, Lisa reminds him of his prayer, and Bart decides to make good with God by studying while everyone is outside having fun. The next day, he finishes the test and asks Mrs. Krabappel to grade it immediately. She does so, and tells him that he gets a 59, failing by just one point. Upset at having failed despite all his efforts, Bart breaks down in tears; Mrs Krabappel is stunned to see him cry and tries to console him. Bart compares his failure to George Washington's surrender of Fort Necessity to the French in 1754. Mrs. Krabappel, stunned at this obscure historical reference, realizes that Bart does make an honest effort after all. She gives Bart an extra point for demonstrating applied knowledge, pushing his grade up to a D minus, enough to pass. A proud Bart without thinking kisses Mrs. Krabappel on the cheek before running throughout Springfield, exclaiming to people that he actually passed.
