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"Lisa's First Word" is the 10th episode of The Simpsons' fourth season.

Synopsis

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

It is March 1983, and Homer, Marge, and Bart lived in the Lower East Springfield district. One day, Marge says she is awaiting another baby, with Bart imagining a new brother who he can use as a scapegoat for his own misbehavior. 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 neighbors. Homer borrows a TV tray from Flanders for "a little while", which he just bought at the hardware store, but he still has it in the present time. Bart has turned two years old, and for the first time, he watches Krusty the Clown, 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-Flavored 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, Krusty loses $44 million and Homer gets a steady supply of Krusty Burgers.

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, which scares Bart (see 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 she 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. After this, Bart holds baby Lisa for the very first time, and seems to appreciate her more from then on. However, back in present day, the flashback ends and we see Bart and Lisa having a row. Homer takes Maggie to bed, saying that "the sooner kids talk, the sooner they talk back", and that he hopes that Maggie never says a word. However, when he leaves her bedroom, Maggie removes her pacifier and says "Daddy."

Trivia

• This is the first time Maggie has ever spoken in a realistic manner. She would later say other things, such as "Daddily-Doodily" in Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily
• This is the third Simpsons episode devoted entirely to telling the events of the past. The first two were "The Way We Was" and "I Married Marge." There would be several others after this episode, including "Homer's Barbershop Quartet", "And Maggie Makes Three", "Lisa's Sax" and "The Way We Weren't." These episodes all evolve around each other, and are usually considered to be among the strongest episodes in their respective seasons.
• Although Homer rejected Captain McAllister's houseboat, the Simpsons would one day later live in one in the episode, "Cape Feare."
• It is revealed in this episode that Homer was disappointed that neither Bart or Lisa's first word was "Daddy." He was also disappointed that both only referred to him as "Homer" (instead of "Daddy").

Cultural references

• 1983 references:
  • "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" — Homer sings the Cyndi Lauper song as he's walking home from work (even though the song wasn't released until late 1983/early 1984)
  • Joe Piscopo — New Jersey comedian was enjoying success on Saturday Night Live at the time.
  • M*A*S*H — Marge commenting about the TV series — which had just aired its last episode — to her neighbors.
  • Mama's Family — A promo for an hour-long episode of the then-new TV series is heard.
  • Ms. Pac-Man — A then-currently popular arcade game. Also: The decidedly less sophisticated video games of the era.
  • The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson — In its heyday at the time.
• 1984 Summer Olympics — Referenced or spoofed are:
  • The Soviet-led boycott of the games.
  • The United States' resulting domination of events usually won by the Soviets and its allies.
  • Corporate sponsorships (e.g., Krustyburger, the "official meat-flavored sandwich").
  • Howard Cosell and Keith Jackson — The sarcastic, pro-American sportscasters for the Olympic scenes is modeled after the real-life announcers.
  • The title of the Itchy & Scratchy short, "100 Yard Gash" (where Olympian Scratchy wins the gold medal, despite Itchy having nailed his tail to the track and the feline coming out of his skin) is a play on the Olympic event.
  • Mary Lou Retton - Dr. Hibbert remarks that Lisa's reflexes are akin to the United States gymnast, who won the hearts of Americans during the 23rd Olympiad.
• Advertising gimmicks — Marge's set-up for the flashback ("Ms. Pac-Man struck a blow for women's rights ...") is just like what's heard on radio and television commericals, where a company wants to promote an anniversary sale or gimmick.
• Chariots of Fire - The Vangelis-composed theme to the 1981 film is used in the soundtrack for the Itchy & Scratchy short "100 Yard Gash."
• Children's songs — Bart is forced to sing "I'm a Little Teapot" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider" to Patty and Selma. Also, Rod and Todd Flanders annoy Bart with their rendition of the religious song " Down in My Heart."
• Shun Fujimoto - During the 1976 Summer Olympic games, the Japanese gymnast broke his knee during a floor exercise early in his routine, but continued and made a perfect dismount from the rings. The fate of "Korean gymnast Kim Huyang" is similar (only she suffers a broken leg, which Kent Brockman unsympathetically points out).
• Knight Rider — The issue of TV Guide has a picture of David Hasselhoff and KITT, which were the stars of the 1982-1986 NBC series.
• McDonald's — Krustyburger's Summer Olympics promotion is inspired by McDonald's "scratch-and-win" promotion during the Olympics. Customers won a free food item — a hamburger, french fries or a soft drink — if they had a ticket listing an event where the United States won a medal. McDonald's lost millions on the promotion, just like Krusty fears will happen.
• Mister Rogers' Neighborhood - Bart's attempt to get Maggie to talk, "Can you say, 'Get bent,'" is inspired by the PBS children's series, where Fred Rogers used "Can you say ..." to encourage viewers to practice saying a new word.
• Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep - The clown bed's evil remark in Bart's nightmare, "If you should die before you wake" (followed by evil laughter) is a play on the line "If I should die before I wake" in the children's bedtime prayer.
• Sylvester the Cat - Bart's astonished remark, "Sufferin' succotash" (when Lisa says her first word) is the catchphrase of the Looney Tunes cartoon feline.
• Tennessee Tuxedo — Homer's comment "Homer J. Simpson, you're a genius" (as he admires his handiwork(?) on the custom-built clown bed he made for Bart) is a play on the cartoon penguin's frequent remark, "Phineas J. Whoopie, you're a genius."
• Mike Tyson — Drederick Tatum (who brutally squashes a Swedish boxer) makes another appearance as Springfield's answer to the boxing champion.
• Wendy's — The Springfield Shopper headline from the day Lisa was born ("MONDALE TO HART: WHERE'S THE BEEF?") uses the currently popular advertising slogan for Wendy's.
• Wheaties — A de-skinned Scratchy is pictured on a box of the breakfast cereal (as the ending gag of the I&S short "100 Yard Gash").

"Can't sleep, clown will eat me"

"Lisa's First Word" is perhaps best known as the source of Bart's meme "Can't sleep, clown will eat me".

Inspired by an event in Simpsons writer Mike Reiss' childhood, young Bart does not want to give up sleeping in the crib to make way for his newborn sister. Noticing Bart's affection for Krusty the Clown, Homer decides to build a clown-themed bed to please his son. But thanks to Homer's poor handicraft skills, the bed takes on a sinister appearance and frightens Bart, especially in the darkened room. In his first night in the new bed, far from 'laughing himself to sleep', Bart imagines that the face on the headboard of the bed is coming to life, intoning with sinister glee, "If you should die before you wake...", before collapsing into evil cackling. Bart then curls up into a fetal position on the sofa downstairs, chanting "can't sleep, clown'll eat me..."

The catchphrase inspired the Alice Cooper song, "Can't Sleep, Clowns Will Eat Me," and has become a favorite among insomniacs.

Goofs

• According to Marge, the first scene of the flashback is set on March 1, 1983, due to the M*A*S*H series finale airing the night before. In that scene, Homer is seen singing "Girls Just Want To Have Fun", which was not released until December 1983, and did not chart until January 1984.

• The Itchy and Scratchy title card is missing the closing quotation mark.

• Krusty is revealed to be illiterate in Krusty Gets Busted, yet he is seen reading the memo informing him of the Soviet Union Boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics.

• When Bart asks how long it was before Homer had Grandpa put into a home, Homer responds with "About three weeks." The family starts laughing, including Homer, however his mouth only moves once despite the fact that he is heard laughing along with everyone else.

• It says that this episode is when they moved into the house they're living in (in the present), although it says that they were either already living or moved into the house 2 other times (''I Married Marge'', and ''The Way We Was''.

• The scene were Homer is in the garage is the same one from Homer at the Bat

Quotes

• Bart: (in frightened mantra) Can't sleep, Clown will eat me! Can't sleep, Clown will eat me...
• 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. Pac-Man 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: D'ohmer! 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!
• (In Bart's head)
  Marge: From now on the baby sleeps in the crib.
  Todd: Iron helps us play!
  Bed Clown: Hahahahahahaha
  Grandma Flanders: Hello Joe!
  (repeats 2 times)
• Homer: (to baby Bart) Got your nose!
  Bart: Got your wallet!
• Bart: I am so great, I am so great, everybody loves me, I am so great!

External links

• "Lisa's First Word episode capsule". The Simpsons Archive.

• The Simpsons episodes, season 4