As you all know, I'm a big fan of Lisa Simpson. I really don't think she's given enough credit as a supporting character in the Simpson family.
Over the years we've seen her emulate or
talk about her heroes or idols. If you're an avid TV watcher, then
the name Bleeding Gums Murphy should be no
surprise to you here. I've compiled a list of a few of Lisa's
heroes, if for any case you're as interested as I am. It's
interesting to see what sort of people the show writers choose, as
this is probably where Lisa gets a lot of influence from.
Enjoy.
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Lillian Florence Hellman (1905 - 1984) Lillian Hellman was an American playwright who associated herself with many left-wing causes. She was romantically involved with mystery writer Dashiell Hammett, who made her the inspiration for his character Nora Charles. Her most famous plays include The Children's Hour (1934), The Little Foxes (1939) and Toys in the Attic (1959). Hellman also appears in the 15th episode of the 19th season of The Simpsons, in Lisa's hallucination, and urges her to take up smoking. |
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Margaret Mead (1901 - 1978) Mead was an American cultural anthropologist. She was quite a popular featured writer and speaker in the 60s and 70s. Her insights on modern American and Western culture as well as the sexual revolution in the 1960s within the context of traditional religious life made her quite prominent in the academic world. She also examined attitudes towards sex in Southeast Asian and South Pacific cultures - a famous work of hers is "Coming of Age in Samoa". She appears in Lisa's dream along with Hellman. |
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Bleeding Gums Murphy Bleeding Gums Murphy is a fictional character on The Simpsons whom Lisa befriends. An alto saxophone player, he got his nickname because he never goes to the dentist. She meets him when she runs away from home and sees him playing jazz on the bridge. He played at clubs and had an album. When he died he gave Lisa his saxophone. His one vice was an addiction Fabrege eggs - he would waste his hard-earned money of dozens of eggs a day. Dr. Hibbert is actually his long-lost brother. |
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Mr. Bergstrom In the episode "Lisa's Substitute", Lisa develops a strong relationship and feelings for her substitute teacher, Mr. Bergstrom. Voiced by Dustin Hoffman, his unconventional personality bonds him with Lisa. He sees potential and intelligence in Lisa whereas her dad Homer is oblivious. She tries to find a father figure in Mr. Bergstrom instead. When Mr. Bergstrom leaves his temporary teaching position, leaving Lisa forever - but not before giving her a note that says "You are Lisa Simpson." to remind her of how wonderful she is in times where she feels lost. |
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Jim Lehrer According to Lisa, she likes watching TV only for the MacNeil/Lehrer Report - known today as Newshour with Jim Lehrer. This PBS show focuses on public affairs and news. But we all know she likes watching Itchy and Scratchy too! |
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Paul and Linda McCartney Lisa admires these fellow famous vegetarians. Vegan Apu tells Lisa: "I learned long ago to tolerate others rather than forcing my beliefs on them. You know, you can influence people without badgering them always. It's like Paul's song, 'Live and Let Live'." Paul corrects Apu and tells him the song title is really "Live and Let Die", and Apu replies: "Well, whatever, whatever. It had a good rhythm." |
There you have it. I'm still racking my brain to find more of Lisa's influences and heroes - so if you have any, feel free to help me out!
Post Comments
lucyinthesky said – Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:08:13 -0000 ( Flag Edit Link )
Good one! I’ll have to add that in.