Lisa Simpson: A Prototype of the Ideal Modern Female

by

Jessica Polin

[The text read by Jessica Polin at the conference was a considerably condensed version of following paper. The footnotes have not been included. For a printed version, complete with notes, see The Trinity Papers 18 (1998-1999) 10-27.]

Initially available to the public through cinema (and subsequently in television), women's portrayals in cartoons have played a key role in both reflecting and perpetuating their positions in society and popular culture. Cartoons offer us an exaggerated version of the modern woman, which would not be a cause for alarm, except that the influence which they possess over society as a whole, grabbing onto the psyche's of young children, is considerable. Children who grew up in the 1950's were the first generation who were raised on messages provided by the television and serial live-action shows and cartoons. Cartoons of the 1950's reinforced stereotypes. Author Susan J. Douglas sums up this generation which worshipped the homebodied, husband-oriented "Wilma Flintstone" and "Jane Jetson" quite well, "...I was told that I couldn't really expect much more than to end up like my mother." While times have evolved and women have gained more respectable roles in various parts of the media, their roles in cartoons, for the most part, have shown little to no improvement.

Since the 1970's numerous studies have been done analyzing gender roles in animated television programs. It has consistently been found that both males and females are placed in their stereotypical roles, males as dominant, females as weak and submissive. In a study done in 1974, researchers found that an abundance of cartoons had all male characters, with females only appearing in situations in which they needed to be rescued. Female characters who did appear often had the uncontrollable quality of succumbing to love at first sight, and even heroines who held good intentions tended to cause trouble for all those who they encountered.

In a follow-up study, done in the 1995, many factors remained the same, but significant differences were discovered as well. There were still more male characters than females, with male lead characters having twice as many spoken lines as female leads. Significant changes were observed in the representations of female characters including increased independence, assertiveness, intelligence, competence, responsibility, and helpfulness, as opposed to the findings of the older study. However, even though representations have improved, overall, the females observed "tended to be more emotional, warm, romantic, affectionate, sensitive, frail...and domestic," than their male counterparts. While the males were described as "more independent, assertive, athletic, important, attractive, technical and responsible."

Cartoons, by their very nature, offer the possibility for the unknown, the unearthly, yet females and males are repeatedly portrayed in the same, stereotypic gender roles. No matter how zany they may seem, cartoon characters are still very much a reflection of contemporary society. Lisa Simpson is unique and deserving of analysis and recognition because she is a female cartoon character who has been graced with qualities which typify the ideal version of the independent, modern woman (as opposed to the modern cartoon woman): highly motivated, intelligent, politically active and vociferous, and unafraid to show her many abilities and exceptional IQ. However, the problem which she encounters is that she has been placed into a society which is not yet ready to accept such a woman, let alone a precocious eight-year-old-girl who thinks she is already a woman. Such resistance to accept such a person is apparent just from the description of female cartoon characters. Therefore Lisa Simpson is somewhat of a test, a prototype of a strong female, allowing us a window into her world. She shows us what life would be like for a young girl in her predicament, and why it would indeed be quite arduous. She also serves to demonstrate a possibility for the future of today's young people.

For roughly a decade, The Simpsons have been one of the most watched families on televisions throughout the world. The show began as a series of thirty-second shorts in 1987 on FOX's "Tracy Ullman Show," and made its prime-time full-length television debut on December 17, 1989. It now holds the title of the longest running prime time animated series in television history, and holds twelve Emmy awards. Creator Matt Groening concedes that the members of the immediate Simpson family are modeled after his own family. Homer is the oafish, thick-headed, loving, caring, father to Lisa, Bart, and Maggie, and husband of Marge. Marge is the traditional housewife/homemaker (with the exception of a few lashings out), very intelligent and independent, yet extremely dedicated to her husband and children. Bart is a fourth grader with a devious, creative mind. He is intelligent although he uses his skill to create havoc and make life more difficult for his elders, as opposed to doing his school work. "A Dennis the Menace with self-awareness," he frequently argues with his parents and sister, although he is, at heart, dedicated to his family. Lisa is in second grade, and exceptionally smart for anyone of any age. She is frequently fed up with the delinquency of those who surround her, including her brother and father. She wishes she were an adult, yet is on an ongoing quest for popularity amongst her peers. Maggie is an infant who is never found apart from her pacifier. She has only said one word in her entire life:"daddy." She is the member of the family who is present, but not really an entity. There is no one key player in terms of episodes, the plotlines regularly shift to focus on the members of the family equally.

Executive producer James L. Brooks describes the Simpsons as,"the normal American family in all its beauty and all its horror." The family lives in a town called Springfield in an undisclosed state. On a daily basis they interact with roughly twenty-five regular characters, each of whom represent the various stereotypes surrounding all those who live in the United States-- ranging from the illegal alien Indian convenient store clerk Apu to the crooked, Jewish host of his own television show, Krusty the Clown. There are also myriad guests who visit Springfield periodically or even for one-time visits, including former president George Bush who moved in across the street from the Simpsons in "Two Bad Neighbors." The plot lines generally focus on one of the Simpsons or the entire family as a unit in relation to one of the regular or guest characters.

The Simpsons has a satirical nature which combines slap-stick comedy with a fairly intellectual humor, thus making it loved by children as well as adults. Overflowing with covert social overtones and political satire, it must be watched closely in order to catch every joke, commentary, and movie and television reference. Over the years the characters, while they have not aged, have grown and developed into more dynamic, multi-layered individuals. Story lines have also become increasingly more involved and the actual appearance of the cartoon has decreased in its crudeness.

Lisa Simpson is an exceptional specimen of the modern female when placed in reference to her fellow Simpsons characters, female cartoon characters, and even actual women. She is an outsider in almost every aspect of her life. She is an eight year old with virtually no friends, who presents a feminist point of view in a masculine society, attends a school which is astoundingly below her intelligence level, and lives within a family which has little understanding of who she is mentally, physically, and spiritually. Lisa is extremely gifted in terms of intelligence and, consequently, she places herself on an intellectual pedestal when dealing with her peers. When speaking of children, younger and older, she refers to them as though they are below her; she considers herself, essentially, to be an adult. She also talks down to her elders whom she does not hold in high respect, specifically father, but even, occasionally, her mother, asserting her independence from them and reprimanding and correcting them when she deems them to be wrong. This self appointed adulthood seemingly runs into inconsistencies when one takes into consideration her child-like obsessions such as her love for "Malibu Stacy" (the equivalent of "Barbie"), her life long pursuit of popularity among her peers, and her amusement at "The Itchy & Scratchy Show" (the equivalent of "Tom and Jerry). However, upon close investigation it becomes apparent that Lisa is not so much contradicting herself as she is filling in natural voids in her life, which were created by her family and, in part, by the cartoonists who created her.

The men in Lisa's life, primarily her father and brother, enjoy eating chocolate until they become ill and watching half-naked women put themselves on display. She frequently sees events such as the "Little Miss Springfield Pageant" (comparable to Miss America or Miss Teen USA), and logically, becomes confused as to how she should present herself to the public. In the episode, "Lisa The Beauty Queen," Lisa wins the title of "Little Miss Springfield" and among her principal duties while filling in the position of princess is to promote "Laramie Cigarettes," a company which she holds in moral contempt because of the health issues of smoking. She becomes rife with inner turmoil and, after much debate, publicly announces her belief that "smoking cigarettes is evil." Following this incident, she is stripped of her title. What truly is more important, fitting in and gaining high status among her peers or standing up for her beliefs and risking rejection, but retaining her pride? Lisa seems to struggle considerably with this dilemma. Often, she stays true to herself, and opts for brains over status, but she wavers considerably, never making a clear decision as to which trait she holds in higher regard.

Lisa was able to say "Bart" and correctly answer first grade level mathematics problems within her first years of life, soon after she could walk, and thus was labeled a genius early on. While she continues to remain at age eight, Lisa's knowledge seems to be constantly expanding, despite a burnt out, uncaring second grade teacher and a father who cannot even locate his own state on the map. Not a day goes by in class that her teacher does not refrain from calling on her because she participates too much. She is also, undoubtedly, the only elementary school child who would complain to her teacher for showing too many film strips. Even on her spring break, Lisa spent her free time learning about owls. Whereas the biggest threat that Homer Simpson can impose upon Bart is "no more cartoons," his most threatening comment to Lisa is "no college."

As a result of her considerably above average mentality, Lisa seems to be set in the frame of mind that she is an adult and should thus be treated accordingly. For example, she becomes offended when adults attempt to talk down to her. When Grandma Simpson uses the word "rapport" in describing her immediate bond with her, Lisa becomes overjoyed, exclaiming "You didn't dumb it down, you used rapport!" She often talks down to her parents, especially her below-average-intelligence father. However, she is also quick to point out to her mother when she feels that Marge is in the wrong. For example, Lisa silently reprimands her mother for her ultra-traditional, old-fashioned ideals: After hearing out Marge's suggestion to abandon any troubling thoughts regarding the chauvinistic "Talking Malibu Stacy" doll and "forget her worries in a big bowl of strawberry ice cream," Lisa, confident that the doll will say something equally as vacant, pulls the string in Malibu Stacy's back and out comes the exact same words. After hearing Bart label an episode of Krusty the Clown as "a new episode," Lisa takes it upon herself to inform him, "...they pieced it together from old shows, but it seems new to the trusting eyes of impressionable youth," as if taking herself out of the category of "youth." Lisa also makes frequent attempts to assume the role of an adult, but generally, much to her own surprise, ends up failing. An example of this may be found in the episode which she becomes a babysitter to children of Springfield who are her peers. She tries to make sense of her surroundings and attain contentment through taking on the role of an adult, but this is an impossibility for an eight-year-old girl, no matter what her intelligence level.

Aside from Lisa's extraordinary intellectual capabilities and fascination with adulthood, she still appears as very much a young girl. Her adoration of Malibu Stacy and desire to own every accessory and corresponding toy, such as the "Malibu Stacy collagen injection clinic," is typical of the desires and interests of young girls. She also has an unending desire to be popular, not caring whether people are using her, or if she is putting on a false persona, just as long the results bring her social status. In addition, one of Lisa's other characteristics which identifies her as a child is her interest in "The Itchy & Scratchy Show." Initially, these qualities do seem childish indeed, but when looked at in terms of contemporary research studies and scholarly observations, her behavior may be described as natural and necessary reactions to various factors in her life, many of which are not her fault. In other words, Lisa's "immaturity" is the result of extenuating circumstances which would not apply to the typical child. The average young girl does not have looks which are outstandingly different from all of her peers, the intellect of a college graduate, and a feminist critique on her position in society.

When taken at surface value it is quite simple to pass off Lisa's delight in Malibu Stacy as a characteristic interest for young girls to have; fixing hair, creating outfits, and making up fictional "doll worlds" with various dolls, each with their own "doll" personality. However, when dissected and investigated in terms of Lisa's lifestyle and appearance, we find a different motivation at work. Lisa's above average intelligence and aptness to place herself in the role of the adult over her peers help to make her an unpopular girl. Unlike the average "geek," she is rather extreme in that she does not just have a limited number of friends, but absolutely no friends. Lisa's only true, unconditional, loyal friend is her Malibu Stacy doll. It has been shown that dolls are more than simply fun to young girls, that often they are friends. "We create dolls to rehearse life with, to practice roles, to try out possibilities." It is quite obvious why Lisa would spend so much of her time playing with Malibu Stacy, as she has no friends to "practice" with. In having all the accessories, such as the penthouse, hoards of clothing, and the 'Alfa Romeo,' Lisa is demonstrating the concept of living out creative possibilities through her doll. In having all of the accompanying products, Lisa is demonstrating what experts describe as typical for older children who play with dolls,"For older children a varied wardrobe expresses possibility, going places, exploring new situations..." It once again makes sense that Lisa would want to own every companion toy available for Malibu Stacy, as she is so intelligent and, thus would very much enjoy acting out exotic situations. However since she has no friends to share in her adventures, Malibu Stacy is the ideal partner--beautiful, quiet, with an unending willingness to do anything and an endless amount of accessories and auxiliary trinkets to keep Lisa's creative drive appeased.

Initially it is somewhat puzzling to the outside observer why Lisa would choose to be obsessed with a vacuous, superficial doll over a creative, thought-inducing hobby such as drawing or origami. This may be explained through her external appearance when compared with her fellow Springfieldians. She is of average stature and complexion, but that is where the similarities end. Unlike any other being in the entire Simpson world, with the exception of her brother and sister, Lisa has hair which is the the exact same color as her skin. Not only is it the exact same color, but it is indiscernible from her skin, the only reason we know that she does indeed have hair being that it goes up into a pointed circular formation at the top of her head. For rapscallion Bart, his hair color, or lack thereof, is not an issue because of his dynamic personality and confidence. Lisa is actually voted in the school yearbook as "Most Popular Student's Sister." However, as a female, Lisa has the pressures of society working against her. That is to say, that as in the real world, females in the Simpson world have extreme pressure to be attractive--an expectation of which Lisa is extremely conscious. She is also excruciatingly aware that her hair is different from everyone else's, as she is blatantly reminded about it from time to time, "When the residents of Springfield go panic-buying before the hurricane, a woman grabs Lisa's prickly quiff and mistakes the girl for a pineapple 'I'm not a fruit I'm a kid!' protests Lisa." When, in a fleeting moment she has her hair temporarily restyled in such a way that it frames her face and appears as clearly distinct from her skin she looks in the mirror and exclaims, "I finally look like a real girl!" (only to become self-conscious and revert to her old style after being laughed at by the town bully [who also happens to be a male]).

Not only does she have bizarre hair, but Lisa's face is also rather odd in appearance: when compared to other girls in her class, her lips jut out a bit more, her eyes are larger and rounder [see appendix a]. Mark Ervin, now a director, but once a cartoonist for the Simpsons states that Lisa is the most difficult character to draw, "'She's very specific. If you don't draw her right, she would be the ugliest character.'" As a result of her uncomely physical intricacies, Lisa is relatively unattractive. While many girls in the real world may deem themselves unattractive or awkward, very few are so to the extent of Lisa, with her hair that is not comparable to anyone else's, and a face that is, in reality (not simply in the opinion of the girl whose face it is), strange looking. As soon as a girl's body begins to mature, she begins to lose advantages. However, if she is attractive, she will gain a set of new advantages. Perhaps, Lisa sees herself already lacking choice and power in the world as a female and as a child, and is aware that the situation does not generally improve for women, especially unattractive women (one of whom she expects to become).

Lisa's exceptional appearance further justifies her fascination with Malibu Stacy as not simply an immature and "typical girl" interest because it is logical that such a child would be obsessed with looks. She lives in a society which is extremely focused on the aesthetic, especially in terms of females, and she, herself is not aesthetically pleasing in her own eyes or those of the general population. In his study of the origins of universal attractiveness within cultures, Albert Magro discusses the notion that the qualities which the general American population perceive as extraordinarily attractive are not encompassed in the face and body of the average person. He also suggests,

The Barbie doll is illustrative of how perceived human beauty has evolved and demonstrates elements of our nature that are perceived as beautiful. ...it appears tall, long-legged, slim waisted, has long neck, curved red lips, large eyes, square shoulders, short torso straight teeth, with no points or spaces, smooth and hairless skin, plantar foot flexion, long, straight fingers, non-sloping forehead, flat abdomen, and is not

bowlegged.

As Malibu Stacy is directly comparable to Barbie [see appendix b], it makes complete sense that Lisa would become obsessed with the most beautiful, unrealistic version of her sex, as she most likely considers herself to be one of the more unattractive.

Still more intriguing about the enjoyment which Lisa derives from Malibu Stacy, is that it is not by any means unconditional. In the episode entitled "Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy," a talking version of the doll is put on the market. As Malibu Stacy has been her primary plaything and friend for years, Lisa is anxious to hear her speak as it would add still more dimensions to the imaginative play-world they share. "Come on, Stacy. I've waited my whole life to hear you speak. Don't you have anything relevant to say?" Upon pulling the chord in the back of the doll, much to her shock, dismay, and horror, out come the words, "Don't ask me-- I'm just a girl (giggle)." Instantly, Lisa is outraged, not so much because she had been let down by one of her idols, but because of the influence it will have on millions of girls, "...[they] will grow up thinking...that they can never be more than vacuous ninnies whose only goal is to look pretty, land a rich husband, and spend all day on the phone with their equally vacuous friends... ." Unlike many other young girls, Lisa, and her keen feminist consciousness, realizes that Stacy's words are extremely biased against women, but, unlike most young girls and even grown women, she goes out of her way to attempt to make a difference. She visits the Malibu Stacy factory and, after receiving no explanation or sympathy there, she goes out on a limb to sneak in to meet with Stacy Lovell, the original creator of Malibu Stacy, and a twenty year recluse. She manages to convince the antisocial, withdrawn Lovell to provide her with the funding to create a more socially constructive doll, called Lisa Lionheart, for impressionable young girls to play with. The doll is a bomb due to its fierce big business competitors coming out with a new "Malibu Stacy Plus" doll (which is actually the same doll with a new hat). However, Lisa is optimistic, concluding that, "even if my doll makes an impression on just one little girl, my efforts will have been worthwhile." Lisa's efforts in this situation were bolder and more caring about the future of children of today than most adults are. Many parents may forbid their child to play with a chauvinistic doll, but few will go above and beyond their concerns with the well-being of their own daughter and attempt to make a difference on a grand scale. This situation proves that Lisa has a different interest in Malibu Stacy than other young girls because she understands how they view the doll and, as a result, makes an effort to create an alternative. Another pertinent point from this episode is that when Lisa describes the talking doll she hopes to create she states, "She'll have the wisdom of Gertrude Stein and the wit of Cathy Guisewite, the tenacity of Nina Totenberg, and the common sense of Elizabeth Cady Stanton. And to top it off, the down-to-earth good looks of Eleanor Roosevelt!" This exclamation proves that Lisa sees a definite beauty and femininity in extraordinary intellectuality, feminism, and courage, thus proving that she does love Malibu Stacy, but she does not actually hold her as the pinnacle of complete beauty. Furthermore, this whole situation demonstrates Lisa's dedication towards making the world a place she and other young girls will want to live and grow up. She will not sit back and wallow in hopelessness, every situation has a potential solution for Lisa.

From her varied and astounding (for an eight-year-old) list of women who she wished to incorporate in the "Lisa Lionheart" doll it is apparent that Lisa is a devout feminist. Yet another example of such feminist ideals may be derived from her association with Malibu Stacy, in that Stacy is the ruler of her own universe, sharing her countless treasures with no one. "Still...girls play in a female-run universe, where women are queens and men are drones. The ratio of Barbies to Kens is about eight to one. Barbie works, drives, owns the house, and occasionally exploits Ken for sex." Lisa, however, does not even own one male doll (comparable to a Ken doll), thus making her play world completely female run. As a result, the time which she spends doting over and amusing herself with Malibu Stacy is quite refreshing and empowering as opposed to her everyday life, in which she encounters men running the country, and wives and mothers staying home and caring for the family, while husbands and fathers work outside the home and play the roles as breadwinners.

Other examples of her feminism include, her trip to Washington D.C. in which she is too excited to sleep and decides to go off on her own to see the memorial of little known Winifred Beecher Howe , "An earlier crusader for women's rights...led the Floor Map rebellion of 1910... appeared on the highly unpopular seventy-five cent piece." She also made a Thanksgiving centerpiece in school that very much differed from the usual elementary school festive project consisting of a turkey made out of toothpicks and marshmallows,

It's a tribute to the trailblazing women who made our country great...see there's Georgia O'Keefe...Susan B. Anthony... and this is Marjorie Stoneman Douglas. I'm sure you haven't heard of her, but she worked her whole life to preserve the Florida Everglades.

It is quite miraculous that she would be so dedicated to and educated on feminism as she has numerous forces working against such an interest. One force is a traditional American public school education which "...emphasizes direct instruction of culturally given knowledge, skills, and social rules of conduct." It does not stray far from teaching the staples of each subject, thus leaving out much of women's roles in history and social studies. However, another large force affecting her values and belief system, and arguably the largest of such forces weighing upon her, is her mother. It is generally expected that most children, not ready to take an interest in human affairs and politics, will hold beliefs and values which are similar to their parents. In a recent study conducted regarding the importance of the mother in the development of her daughter's gender role attitude it was found that the more traditional a mother's attitudes towards gender, the more she will tend to place emphasis on her daughter's conformity, the more traditional her daughter's attitudes will be. Marge Simpson is a traditional woman; she did not go to college as finding a man to settle down with was more important, she is a homemaker, prepares all meals for the family, cleans, nurtures the children, takes care of the pets, and tends to the garden. She feels that a woman's place is in the home, looking happy and making sure her husband and children are as such, no matter what the consequences. On one instance, she provides Lisa with the following disturbing advice,

It doesn't matter how you feel inside... It's what shows up on the surface that counts. Take all your bad feelings and push them down...until you're almost walking on them. And then you'll fit in, and you'll be invited to parties, and boys will like you...and happiness will follow.

What is particularly astounding, and further proof of Lisa's exceptionality as a girl and an individual, is that she recognizes this advice as poor, and neglects to follow it, instead seeking out happiness on her own terms. Lisa's one major goal in life is to attend college. She does seem to want a husband or boyfriend, but places her studies ahead of such things as it is her nightmare to grow up to be a homemaker. In the episode in which Lisa takes a career test that lists her 'ideal future occupation' a "homemaker," she becomes so upset and disheartened that she loses interest in being a good student, turns into a mischief maker and slacks off on her schoolwork. Although she is on a never ending search for contentment "on her own terms," she does not ever really find genuine happiness because such an emotion is not possible for a girl such as herself in the corrupt, male-centered society in which she lives.

Not only does Lisa diverge from her mother in ways that she is aware of, but she also does so in a more indirect sense. In one episode Marge refers to music and music stores as "none of her business," implying that she leaves that kind of thing where she feels it belongs, on male turf. However, Lisa considers music to be one of the most important things in her life, providing her with sanity while she lives within a family to which she cannot relate. She hopes to be a jazz saxophone player in the future and enjoys socializing with jazz musicians, without regard for their prodigious differences in age and lifestyle. In the opening credits of the show, Lisa is depicted playing a saxophone solo while being reprimanded by her band teacher for musically acting out, showing her dedication and intimate tie to her music as well as her sense of independence. She also shows proficiency in the guitar in two episodes, in one actually playing back-up bass guitar for smooth jazz legend, Barry White.

At times Lisa actually uses her feminist knowledge of typical characteristics of women in attempts to liberate her mother from her an overly traditional nature. For example, Marge is debating about buying a used designer dress to which Lisa suggests, "C'mon, Mom, you never treat yourself to anything. To which Marge replies that she bought a Sanka (an expensive brand of coffee) not three days ago...but this dress happens to be a "real find." Lisa replies, recognizing that women tend to feel the need the provide justification to keep themselves from feeling guilty, "Just buy it, you don't have to rationalize everything." She demonstrates time and again that she is a liberated, highly intelligent female who is not afraid to share her knowledge, but does feel threatened when she begins to think that it is being challenged or taken away from her.

"The Itchy & Scratchy Show " allows Lisa to bond with and receive approval from her peers, including her older brother. It provides Lisa with a sense of belonging that is important to any young child, popular or unpopular. However, generally, Lisa is remarkably unpopular, which is the bane of her existence. She frequently speaks of her desire to become popular, but, once again, her quest for status has a different edge than that of the average child.

Lisa attends a school which holds true to the description of a 'traditional school,' or a school which discourages social interaction because it hinders "the learning task at hand, the imposition of knowledge from without by the teacher." However, distinguishing herself from her peers, she actually outsmarts the system; the only thing retarding her victory is that the other students are not as wise as she is. It is theorized that the behaviors of elementary school students are not biologically or culturally determined by their families, but very much products of the learning environment in which they spend the greater portion of their young lives. Painfully aware that her school is not keen on the promotion of social interaction, Lisa goes about joining and founding as many clubs and committees as she possibly can in order to meet people and get involved. The one major flaw in her plan being that her classmates do not realize the socially isolating practices of their school and, as a result, do not make many attempts to meet new people or stray far from those children who they have met through the seating arrangement or their parents. Therefore, in making a concerted effort to become popular, Lisa has actually served to isolate herself. She cannot figure out why she does not have more friends, "I don't get it. Straight A's, perfect attendance, bathroom timer I should be the most popular girl in school." Not mentioned aloud, but written in the yearbook: Junior Overachievement, Spelling Bee Queen, and Camera Club--she is also editor of the yearbook.

Lisa also beats the odds in another sense. In his study on high ability students who are unpopular with their peers , Dewey Cornell describes the typical socially unpopular child as, "lacking in initiative, especially when it comes to working independently, making decisions, and undertaking new tasks or challenges. ...[they] do not assume leadership roles with their peers and generally do not refer to themselves in positive terms." Lisa's behavior contradicts every aspect of this description, demonstrating yet again that she is indeed too extraordinary for her own good.

A study of the emotional toll of being gifted discusses the gifted child's extreme need to exercise his or her intellectuality and, at the same time, receive social acceptance. Generally, in the case of females, this need to exhibit intelligence but elicit charisma and receive acceptance of peers, results in conformity and a severe compromising of intelligence. What is particularly interesting is that Lisa does occasionally conform to, what she may consider, childishness or idiocy of her peers, but she is actively aware of her adaptation. Still more fascinating is that Lisa, although not in the practice of using such speech, has a full understanding of the teen jargon which baffles adults nationwide. An article in People Weekly articulates this point quite well, "The pools, beaches, and playing fields of summer are rich breeding grounds for two things: mosquitoes and teenage slang. Both can bite, and both can drive adults to distraction." Lisa is aware that teens have their own language , and the confusion which it elicits in adults, however, she distinguishes herself from adults as she is able to completely comprehend the jargon. Lisa also distinguishes herself from young people in that she makes a conscious decision not to participate in the usage of such slang, as opposed to most young people who utilize it unconsciously. In "Summer of 4 ft.2, Lisa decides to make a concerted effort to fit in with a group of "cool" youth. She goes as far as to purchase new clothes and practice their 'senseless' lingo. Before approaching the group of kids she says quietly, to herself several times over, "like you know, whatever." Then she walks over to the group and replies to their ridiculous claims regarding the police confiscating skateboards so they can use them themselves, with the same comment which she was practicing, to which the group chides in with expressions of understanding and agreement.

Lisa Simpson is a complex individual, trapped between her own intellect and a cold, misunderstanding world. She is a lost soul, confused as to whether to follow her instincts and allow herself to be a unique and misunderstood young girl, or to conform to the standards set by society and lie to herself and others. In one sense, pretending to be something which she is not has the potential to be quite painful and shame inducing. However, living her life as an outsider can have the same detrimental effects, or worse.

"Do cartoon characters spawned on a drawing board and given a mere simulation of life have souls to lose?" Logically, the answer to this question is no, however, do ground breaking characters such as Lisa Simpson possess the power to create a new type of person or soul in our society? In providing the viewing public with a simulation of life, the Simpsons creators allow us to see how cruel and rigid our social rules have become. While we tend to view ourselves as liberated, we are still very much held in captivity by social norms and rules. Perhaps in continuing to develop Lisa as a character and showing us how she continues to negotiate the conflicting trends in her own life, she will provide us with a window into how gender roles and boundaries are in need of rebuilding, the place to start being our youth. So Lisa has shown us a beginning, appropriately through the traditionally child-focused venue of cartoons. Hopefully, the general public will begin to view her turmoil and the problems she faces within herself, and use them to re-examine their own values and the values which they would like to see promoted in generations to come.

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