Lisa's First Word

"Lisa's First Word" is the tenth episode of The Simpsons' fourth season. The episode aired on December 3, 1992.

Episode details

Production Number: 9F08
Original Air Date: December 3, 1992
Writer: Jeff Martin
Director: Mark Kirkland
Blackboard: "Teacher is not a leper"
Couch Gag: The family forms a chorus line, which turns into a large production number
Guest Voice: Elizabeth Taylor as Maggie

Synopsis

When Homer and Marge unsuccessfully get Maggie to speak, Marge tells the family the story of how Lisa says her first word.

It is the spring of 1983, and Homer, Marge, and Bart lived in the East Springfield district. One day, Marge says she is awaiting another baby, with Bart imagining a new brother who is as bad as him! But as Marge is pregnant, she feels that the Simpsons are going to need a bigger house. Homer and Marge try to look for houses, including a houseboat that Captain McAllister has. After unsuccessful attempts, the Simpsons find a house on Evergreen Terrace and buy it for $15,000 with Grampa's help.

In 1984, the Simpsons move into their new Evergreen Terrace home, with the Flanders family as neighbours, though you can only see Ned, Todd, Rod, and Grandma Flanders in this episode. Homer borrows a TV tray for Flanders for "a little while", which he just bought at the hardware store, but he never gives it back. Bart has turned two years old, and for the first time, he watches Krusty the Klown, as well as Itchy & Scratchy. Krusty also does a promotion for the 1984 Summer Olympic Games with his Krusty Burger chain, which is the "Official Meat-Flavoured Sandwich of the 1984 Olympics." The promotion offers scratch-and-win game cards in which people scrape off the name of the event from the game card, and if the U.S. wins a gold medal, that person will win a free Krusty Burger. However, the Soviet Union boycotts the Olympics, and with this, Homer eventually gets an enormous supply of free Krusty Burgers, but it costs Krusty $44 million.

Bart is asked to give up his crib so it can become the new baby's. Homer builds Bart a new bed of a clown and is scared (see trivia below). Marge thinks the baby is coming, and she and Homer go to the hospital, leaving Bart with the Flanders family. He goes home and is scared until Homer asks him to see Lisa. Bart thinks he hates Lisa. Everyone, except Bart, agrees that he is a beautiful baby. Later, Bart does bad things to Lisa—such as giving her a haircut with household scissors, sticking stamps on her, and sticking her through the Flanders' doggy door—and is punished. He blames Lisa for his problems and leaves, until she says her first word, "Bart." Bart discovers that Lisa can talk, and she even knows the name of David Hasselhoff. The flashback ends, and Homer takes Maggie, telling her that he hopes he'll never hear Maggie say a word, but she says "Daddy."

Trivia

• Lisa's First Word is best known as the source of the meme "Can't sleep, clown will eat me", said by Bart. The origin of the phrase is that Homer built a clown-inspired bed for Bart. But due to Homer's poor handicraft skills, the bed took on a sinister appearance when Bart slept there and came to life, intoning "If you should die before you wake...", after which the face on the headboard collapses into cackling. Bart then curls up into a fetal position, chanting "can't sleep, clown'll eat me..." The phrase has become a favorite among insomniacs.
• Although Homer rejected Captain McAllister's houseboat, the Simpsons would one day later live in one in episode 9F22, "Cape Feare".
• Headline on the Springfield Shoppper from the day Lisa was born: "MONDALE TO HART: WHERE'S THE BEEF?"

Quotes

• Grandma Flanders: Pa, can ya help me with my psalms?
  (Bart screams.)
  Ned Flanders: Oh, Bart, you met Grandma Flanders. Hope she didn't scare ya.
  Grandma Flanders: Hello, Joe!
• Marge: This story begins in the unforgettable spring of 1983. Ms. Pacman struck a blow for women's rights. A young Joe Piscopo taught us how to laugh.
• Bart: Homer!
  Homer: Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh. Homer's what grownups call me. Call me "Daddy."
  Bart: Homer.
  Homer: Daddy.
  Bart: Homer.
  Homer: DADDY!!
  Bart: Da... da... da...
  Homer: Yes?
  Bart: Domer! Hah, hah, hah...
  Homer: Why you little! (strangles Bart)
• Marge: I'm afraid we're going to need a bigger house.
  Homer: No, we won't. I've got it all figured out. The baby can have Bart's crib and Bart'll sleep with us until he's 21.
  Marge: Won't that warp him?
  Homer: My cousin Frank did it.
  Marge: You don't have a cousin Frank.
  Homer: He became Francine in '76. Then he joined that cult. I think his name is Mother Shabubu now.
• Homer: The sooner kids talk, the sooner they talk back. I hope you'll never say a word. (leaves the room)
  Maggie: (takes away her pacifier) Daddy.
• Marge: Homer, I think the baby's coming.
  Homer: Wow. A baby and a free burger. Could this be the best day of my life?
  Announcer: Coming up next, an hour-long episode of Mama's Family.
  Homer: Yes!