Bart vs. Lisa vs. the Third Grade
Encyclopedia
"Bart vs. Lisa vs. The Third Grade" is the third episode of The Simpsons
' fourteenth season. It aired on November 17, 2002.
. The family earns the money to do this from Homer betting on a horse named No Risk and buys a satellite system with over 500 channels (one of which shows Tom Brokaw throwing up during the NBC live news feed). Homer and Bart get addicted to it, and Bart doesn't study at all for an important upcoming achievement test, even as Lisa
is spending all her time preparing. During the test, Bart begins hallucinating
, with all of his TV watching visions appearing in the classroom. Once the test is done, Principal Skinner announces the results at a school assembly: Not only does Bart fail the test and is DEMOTED to the third grade, but Lisa aces the test and gets PROMOTED to the third grade, where they meet their new teacher, Miss Audrey McConnell.
In class, Bart performs well on tests (having memorized the answers from his previous experience in the third grade), while Lisa has a hard time adjusting to the class. Their new teacher decides to clamp their desks together after Bart answers a trick question he had seen the previous year, thinking that Lisa needs Bart's help. Later, Bart gets an A on a map test while Lisa only gets an A-. Bart says that the test was easy and recites all of the answers to Lisa, which he had memorized from last year in third grade. Lisa proclaims that Bart cheated but the teacher did not hear Bart's recitation and tells Lisa to stop being jealous and changes Bart's grade to an A+. They are made field trip partners as part of the buddy system
on a field trip to Capital City. When they are there, they hear that the flag for the state Springfield
is an embarrassment (it contains a Confederate flag
, despite the state being from the North), and their teacher assigns for homework an assignment to design a new flag. Lisa calls Marge
as she designs her flag, which says "To Fraternal Love". On the phone, she complains about and makes fun of Bart, unmindful of the fact that Bart is overhearing the conversation on another phone and getting very angry about her comments.
The next day, Bart, Lisa and the other third-graders hand over their flag designs to the Governor (which Lisa points out that she made it herself). When the Governor sees Lisa's design, she starts to cry and displays the flag which now reads "Learn to Fart". This appalls Lisa, as Bart innocently admonishes her for making the Governor cry. Later, Bart again teases Lisa and they get in a fight and miss the bus heading back to Springfield (Lisa and Bart were buddies so the class left, since all the other pairs were accounted for). The fight brings them out of the parking lot and into the forest. As a result, the two wind up getting lost. Lisa tells Bart she's hurt by his behavior and Bart sounds somewhat apologetic, though he also adds in the interest of full disclosure that he wants to say he's sorry for using Homer's steamroller a while back to crush Lisa's bike, which he then blamed on Gypsies.
Back in Springfield, Principal Skinner
informs Homer and Marge that Bart and Lisa are missing. He says that they will not spare any expense to find Lisa, and have already elected a Class Clown pro tem
(Milhouse
) in Bart's absence. They go to Capital City to find them, but Bart and Lisa are confronted by a family of hillbillies, who save them by driving them back to Capital City (they had planned to pick up the latest issue of Spy magazine, and are saddened to learn it's no longer published). Marge is ecstatic on seeing her children safe and sound. Principal Skinner, worried about the effects of placing Bart and Lisa in the same class, suggests that they return to the "status quo ante
" - both Simpson kids go back to their proper grades. Everything is back to the way it should be, particularly the sheer contempt with which everyone views Milhouse after he tries to say "Ay caramba!" a la Bart.
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
Plot
The family is bored with the terrible reality shows inundating the (then) six major networks, so Bart has a suggestion: buy a satellite dishSatellite dish
A satellite dish is a dish-shaped type of parabolic antenna designed to receive microwaves from communications satellites, which transmit data transmissions or broadcasts, such as satellite television.-Principle of operation:...
. The family earns the money to do this from Homer betting on a horse named No Risk and buys a satellite system with over 500 channels (one of which shows Tom Brokaw throwing up during the NBC live news feed). Homer and Bart get addicted to it, and Bart doesn't study at all for an important upcoming achievement test, even as Lisa
Lisa Simpson
Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the middle child of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening...
is spending all her time preparing. During the test, Bart begins hallucinating
Hallucination
A hallucination, in the broadest sense of the word, is a perception in the absence of a stimulus. In a stricter sense, hallucinations are defined as perceptions in a conscious and awake state in the absence of external stimuli which have qualities of real perception, in that they are vivid,...
, with all of his TV watching visions appearing in the classroom. Once the test is done, Principal Skinner announces the results at a school assembly: Not only does Bart fail the test and is DEMOTED to the third grade, but Lisa aces the test and gets PROMOTED to the third grade, where they meet their new teacher, Miss Audrey McConnell.
In class, Bart performs well on tests (having memorized the answers from his previous experience in the third grade), while Lisa has a hard time adjusting to the class. Their new teacher decides to clamp their desks together after Bart answers a trick question he had seen the previous year, thinking that Lisa needs Bart's help. Later, Bart gets an A on a map test while Lisa only gets an A-. Bart says that the test was easy and recites all of the answers to Lisa, which he had memorized from last year in third grade. Lisa proclaims that Bart cheated but the teacher did not hear Bart's recitation and tells Lisa to stop being jealous and changes Bart's grade to an A+. They are made field trip partners as part of the buddy system
Buddy system
The buddy system is a procedure in which two people, the "buddies", operate together as a single unit so that they are able to monitor and help each other.-Advantages:...
on a field trip to Capital City. When they are there, they hear that the flag for the state Springfield
Springfield (The Simpsons)
Springfield is the fictional town in which the American animated sitcom The Simpsons is set. A mid-sized town in an undetermined state of the United States, Springfield acts as a complete universe in which characters can explore the issues faced by modern society. The geography of the town and its...
is an embarrassment (it contains a Confederate flag
Flags of the Confederate States of America
There were only three flag designs adopted, with later, minor variants made to those designs, that served as the official national flags of the Confederate States of America and used during its existence from 1861 to 1865...
, despite the state being from the North), and their teacher assigns for homework an assignment to design a new flag. Lisa calls Marge
Marge Simpson
Marjorie "Marge" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. She is voiced by actress Julie Kavner and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
as she designs her flag, which says "To Fraternal Love". On the phone, she complains about and makes fun of Bart, unmindful of the fact that Bart is overhearing the conversation on another phone and getting very angry about her comments.
The next day, Bart, Lisa and the other third-graders hand over their flag designs to the Governor (which Lisa points out that she made it herself). When the Governor sees Lisa's design, she starts to cry and displays the flag which now reads "Learn to Fart". This appalls Lisa, as Bart innocently admonishes her for making the Governor cry. Later, Bart again teases Lisa and they get in a fight and miss the bus heading back to Springfield (Lisa and Bart were buddies so the class left, since all the other pairs were accounted for). The fight brings them out of the parking lot and into the forest. As a result, the two wind up getting lost. Lisa tells Bart she's hurt by his behavior and Bart sounds somewhat apologetic, though he also adds in the interest of full disclosure that he wants to say he's sorry for using Homer's steamroller a while back to crush Lisa's bike, which he then blamed on Gypsies.
Back in Springfield, Principal Skinner
Seymour Skinner
Principal W. Seymour Skinner is a fictional character in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer. Born in Capitol City, he is the principal of Springfield Elementary School...
informs Homer and Marge that Bart and Lisa are missing. He says that they will not spare any expense to find Lisa, and have already elected a Class Clown pro tem
Pro tempore
Pro tempore , abbreviated pro tem or p.t., is a Latin phrase which best translates to "for the time being" in English. This phrase is often used to describe a person who acts as a locum tenens in the absence of a superior, such as the President pro tempore of the United States Senate.Legislative...
(Milhouse
Milhouse Van Houten
Milhouse Mussolini Van Houten is a fictional character featured in the animated television series The Simpsons, voiced by Pamela Hayden. He is Bart Simpson's best friend in Mrs. Krabappel's fourth grade class at Springfield Elementary School....
) in Bart's absence. They go to Capital City to find them, but Bart and Lisa are confronted by a family of hillbillies, who save them by driving them back to Capital City (they had planned to pick up the latest issue of Spy magazine, and are saddened to learn it's no longer published). Marge is ecstatic on seeing her children safe and sound. Principal Skinner, worried about the effects of placing Bart and Lisa in the same class, suggests that they return to the "status quo ante
Status quo ante bellum
The term status quo ante bellum is Latin, meaning literally "the state in which things were before the war".The term was originally used in treaties to refer to the withdrawal of enemy troops and the restoration of prewar leadership. When used as such, it means that no side gains or loses...
" - both Simpson kids go back to their proper grades. Everything is back to the way it should be, particularly the sheer contempt with which everyone views Milhouse after he tries to say "Ay caramba!" a la Bart.
Cultural references
- In Bart's vision in class, BenderBender Bending RodríguezBender Bending Rodríguez, designated Bending Unit 22, is a fictional robot character in the animated television series Futurama. He was created by series creators Matt Groening and David X. Cohen and is voiced by John DiMaggio. In the series, Bender plays the role of a comic anti-hero, and is...
from Matt GroeningMatt GroeningMatthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
's other show FuturamaFuturamaFuturama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
, PikachuPikachuis one of the species of Pokémon creatures from the Pokémon media franchise—a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards, and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri. As do all Pokémon, Pikachu fight other Pokémon in battles central to the anime, manga, and games of the series...
of PokémonPokémonis a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
fame, robots from BattleBotsBattleBotsBattleBots is an American company that hosts robot competitions. BattleBots is also the name of the television show created from the competition footage. BattleBots Inc...
and Japanese-style FriendsFriendsFriends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
appear. He also turns Ms. Krabappel into Tom BrokawTom BrokawThomas John "Tom" Brokaw is an American television journalist and author best known as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News from 1982 to 2004. He is the author of The Greatest Generation and other books and the recipient of numerous awards and honors...
barfing. The Japanese Friends, Tom Brokaw, and BattleBots were all things Bart saw on the satellite TV, and Robot Rumble reoccurs in "I, D'oh-Bot". - When Bart is lifted up in his vision by the TV characters he conjured up with his remote, the song that they sing is Hava NagilaHava Nagila"Hava Nagila" is a Hebrew folk song that has become a staple of band performers at Jewish weddings and Bar/Bat Mitzvahs.-History:...
, a famous Hebrew folk song. - M.C. Safety's rap about safety has a similar sound to "Rapper's DelightRapper's Delight"Rapper's Delight" is a 1979 single by American hip hop trio The Sugarhill Gang. While it was not the first single to feature rapping, it is generally considered to be the song that first popularized hip hop in the United States and around the world. The song's opening lyric "I said a hip hop, a...
" by The Sugarhill GangThe Sugarhill GangThe Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop group, known mostly for their 1979 hit, "Rapper's Delight", the first hip hop single to become a Top 40 hit. The song uses the instrumental track from the classic hit "Good Times" by Chic as its foundation....
, a song that is widely considered the first breakout hit rap song. - When he learns that Bart and Lisa got lost on their trip to Capital City, Skinner orders Willy to engrave their names on the memorial to the kids who got lost on a school trip on the black wall (a clear parody of the Vietnam Veterans MemorialVietnam Veterans MemorialThe Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a national memorial in Washington, D.C. It honors U.S. service members of the U.S. armed forces who fought in the Vietnam War, service members who died in service in Vietnam/South East Asia, and those service members who were unaccounted for during the War.Its...
); one can see the name of members of punk band NOFXNOFXNOFX is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California .The band was formed in 1983 by vocalist/bassist Fat Mike and guitarist Eric Melvin. Drummer Erik Sandin joined NOFX shortly after. In 1991 El Hefe joined to play lead guitar and trumpet, rounding out the current line-up...
such as El Hefe (misspelled as El Jefe) and Fat Mike. - Lisa can be seen reading a book titled "Love in the Time of Coloring Books", a reference to Love in the Time of CholeraLove in the Time of CholeraLove in the Time of Cholera is a novel by Nobel Prize winning Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez first published in the Spanish language during 1985. Alfred A. Knopf published the English translation during 1988...
. - When Lisa says "Hyperbolic? Do you even know what that means, Bart?" the orchestral strike that occurs during the word "means" is sampled directly from Samuel BarberSamuel BarberSamuel Osborne Barber II was an American composer of orchestral, opera, choral, and piano music. His Adagio for Strings is his most popular composition and widely considered a masterpiece of modern classical music...
's Adagio for StringsAdagio for StringsAdagio for Strings is a work by Samuel Barber, arranged for string orchestra from the second movement of his String Quartet, Op. 11. Barber finished the arrangement in 1936, the same year as he wrote the quartet...
. - Bart says he will make Lisa's flag a "Bart-Mangled Banner," a play on the US national anthem, the Star-Spangled BannerThe Star-Spangled Banner"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships...
. That name would become the title of a later episodeBart-Mangled Banner"Bart-Mangled Banner" is the twenty-first episode from The Simpsons fifteenth season. It aired on May 16, 2004 on FOX.-Plot:Homer and Marge take the kids to get their shots. Just before Dr. Hibbert is about to inject Bart, he escapes. After a chase through town, Hibbert finally outsmarts Bart and...
. - When the Capital City Goofball points to the state flag, it is similar in appearance to the provincial flag of British ColumbiaBritish ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. - The hillbillies are heading into town to get the new issue of "SPYSpy (magazine)Spy was a satirical monthly magazine founded in 1986 by Kurt Andersen and E. Graydon Carter, who served as its first editors, and Thomas L. Phillips, Jr., its first publisher. After one folding and a rebirth, it ceased publication in 1998...
" magazine. Lisa is correct that the magazine stopped publishing by 2002, as it ceased publication in 1998. - The posture of the two human figure cutouts, as well as the theme, of Bart's proposed State flag, is reminiscent of Terrance and Phillip.
- At the end of the episode, Principal Skinner breaks the fourth wallFourth wallThe fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
by talking about "what this episode has taught us", although by 'episode' he may simply be referring to the series of events rather than the actual TV episode. - When Bart is listing mnemonicMnemonicA mnemonic , or mnemonic device, is any learning technique that aids memory. To improve long term memory, mnemonic systems are used to make memorization easier. Commonly encountered mnemonics are often verbal, such as a very short poem or a special word used to help a person remember something,...
s, one he uses is "Quiet nerds burp only near school," to remember the original four Canadian provinces QuebecQuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, New BrunswickNew BrunswickNew Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, and Nova ScotiaNova ScotiaNova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
. - Another mnemonic Bart uses is for the Canadian Governors General, "Clowns love haircuts, so should Lee MarvinLee MarvinLee Marvin was an American film actor. Known for his gravelly voice, white hair and 6' 2" stature, Marvin at first did supporting roles, mostly villains, soldiers and other hardboiled characters, but after winning an Academy Award for Best Actor for his dual roles in Cat Ballou , he landed more...
's valet" (Adrienne ClarksonAdrienne ClarksonAdrienne Louise Clarkson is a Canadian journalist and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 26th since Canadian Confederation....
, Roméo LeBlancRoméo LeBlancRoméo-Adrien LeBlanc was a Canadian journalist, politician, and statesman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 25th since Canadian Confederation....
, Ray HnatyshynRay HnatyshynRamon John Hnatyshyn , commonly known as Ray Hnatyshyn, was a Canadian politician and statesman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 24th since Canadian Confederation....
, Jeanne SauvéJeanne SauvéJeanne Mathilde Sauvé was a Canadian journalist, politician, and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 23rd since Canadian Confederation....
, Edward SchreyerEdward SchreyerEdward Richard Schreyer , commonly known as Ed Schreyer, is a Canadian politician, diplomat, and statesman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 22nd since Canadian Confederation....
, Jules LégerJules LégerJules Léger was a Canadian diplomat and statesman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 21st since Canadian Confederation....
, Roland MichenerRoland MichenerDaniel Roland Michener , commonly known as Roland Michener, was a Canadian lawyer, politician, and diplomat who served as Governor General of Canada, the 20th since Canadian Confederation....
, and Georges VanierGeorges VanierMajor-General Georges-Philéas Vanier was a Canadian soldier and diplomat who served as Governor General of Canada, the 19th since Canadian Confederation....
) - When the bus honks, it sounds very similar to the bus from the PBS version of The Magic School BusThe Magic School BusThe Magic School Bus is a series of children's books about science written by author Joanna Cole. They feature the antics of Ms. Valerie Frizzle, an elementary school teacher, and her class, who board a magical school bus which takes them on field trips to impossible locations such as the solar...
. - Bart suggests to Lisa to walk in circles like in the movie The Blair Witch ProjectThe Blair Witch ProjectThe Blair Witch Project is a 1999 American horror film pieced together from amateur footage. The film was produced by the Haxan Films production company. The film relates the story of three student filmmakers The Blair Witch Project is a 1999 American horror film pieced together from amateur...
, Bart walks off and returns seconds later from the other side of the screen and sees Lisa, he says 'We Must be close, I recognize that girl.'.
External links
- "Bart vs. Lisa vs. the Third Grade" at The Simpsons.com