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"Make Room for Lisa" is the sixteenth episode of The Simpsons' tenth season. The episode aired on February 28, 1999.

Synopsis

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Homer participates in a KBBL-sponsored drinking contest at P.J. O'Harrigan's, an Irish pub, and wins the honor of "Sir Drinks-A-Lot". When he comes home, he learns that he must spend more time with the children, as evidenced by what he has done. Lisa suggests that the family go to the travelling Smithsonian exhibit sponsored by the cell phone company OmniTouch, which has the Fonz's jacket, Archie Bunker's chair, and the Bill of Rights, which is ruined when Homer licks off the section that forbids cruel and unusual punishment. Homer is fined $10,000 for licking it off, which he cannot afford, until a prototype Lindsay Naegle (an OmniTouch representative) has a solution to the problem that can benefit both of them: install a transmitting tower in Lisa's room. It annoys Lisa, however, because her room is loaded with the communications equipment that runs the tower. Homer moves Lisa into Bart's room, but is overwhelmed when Bart's noises disrupt her homework.

Lisa is continuing to feel disturbed, and she also develops stomach aches. When she sees Dr. Hibbert, he suggests that Lisa go to a New Age store, Karma-Ceuticals, to find an alternate cure there. When Homer scoffs at this(beliving that Lisa likes whatever he likes), Lisa furiously reprimands him for being arrogant. Homer regrets what he'd been doing and takes her to the New Age store. The store's owner introduces Homer and Lisa to water-filled sensory deprivation tanks, in which they will each have a journey of their own. Lisa, on her journey, sees visions of how her father loves her, but when Homer is on his journey, the tank taken from the store by Repo men, and he goes on his own journey, which involves being buried by the Flanders family, through an underground pipe (without him knowing), and heading to a beach, before Chief Wiggum sees it and takes it back to the store, and he gets out of the tank. Lisa and Homer love each other very much, and they later decide to go to a demolition derby together.

Cultural references

• The title puns on the classic TV show, Make Room for Daddy.
• Homer sings Witch Doctor while in the tank, an American number one single by David Seville in 1958. However, by the time the episode premiered in the UK (25 April 1999) a cover version by the Cartoons was in the top ten of the UK Singles Chart, giving the song an unintended sense of topicality.
• When Homer introduces Lisa to her new room and roommate - Bart, he hums the theme from The Odd Couple, a TV series from the 1970s, based on a play by Neil Simon.
• Lisa saying the line "Get your stinky paw off me!" parodies the classic line from the 1968 film Planet of the Apes.

• The episode pays homage to the X-Files episode "Triangle", with Homer falling asleep at work and waking up to music suspiciously like the swing music from "Triangle" and a voice on the radio saying that it is 1939.

Quotes

• KBBL Announcer: (possibly either Bill or Marty) (after playing "The Safety Dance") That was Men Without Hats—or as they're known today, "Men Without Jobs"!
• Bart: Oh, come on. It's only half the work of the divorced dad.
  Homer: Yeah, but it's twice the work of the deadbeat dad!
• Homer: Ooh, here's something you like. When Animals Attack Magicians.
  Magician: Pick a card, any... (a primate attacks the magician) Aaugh!
  (Homer laughs)
  Lisa: That's awful.
  Homer: Awful entertaining!
• Homer: Lisa, what's your favorite movie?
  Lisa: Until you taped over it, The Little Mermaid.
  Homer: That's right—The Odd Couple! So meet your comically mismatched roommate, Bart Simpson! (he sings the theme to The Odd Couple)
  Bart: I'm going to make your life a living hell.
• Maude: Oh, Neddy, you almost hit that coffin!
  (the family exits the car)
  Ned: (gasps) Leaping Lazarus! Is this what passes for eternal rest these days? Rod, go get Daddy his burying shovel.
  Rod: Yay!
  (Later on, once the family buries the tank...)
  Todd: You sure buried him deep, Daddy.
  Ned: Not so deep the Lord can't find him—and judge him.
  Rod: This is the best birthday I ever had!
• Lisa: I need to stop thinking, starting...now. Hey, it worked! Oh, wait...that's thinking.
  Homer: (in his tank) Boring.
• Agnes Skinner: (on the phone with Principal Skinner) Seymour, you were supposed to call me three minutes ago.
  Principal Skinner: Sorry, Mother. I was going through a tunnel and my cell phone wouldn't work.
  Agnes: I don't want you going through tunnels. You know what that symbolizes.
  
• Bart: OK, If you are going to live in my room, you are going to obey my rules. One: I am Bart, thy God. If I am out, the Krusty doll is thy God. If the doll is with me, you will worship the night light. Should the night light be unable to fulfill its duties...
  Lisa: Shut Up!
  Bart: You shut up!
  Lisa:(resigned) This is not going to work.
  Bart No, You shut up!
• (Homer's tanks plummets below ground)
  Homer (getting banged around): This inner peace stuff is tough on the old coconut.
• Homer (after Lisa opens his tank): Hi, sweetie.
  Lisa: Hi, Dad! How was it?
  Homer: I went on a wild ride without ever leaving the building!
• Lisa: Hey, how come the Smithsonian needs to be sponsored by a cell phone company?
  Omni lady: I can answer that. Uncle Sam needs to spend our tax dollars on the essentials: anti-tobacco programs, pro-tobacco programs, killing wild donkeys, and Israel.
• Homer: (singing in his relaxing tank) Ooh,eeh,ooh-ah-ah! Ching,chang,walla-walla,bing,bang! Ooh,eeh,ooh-ah-ah! Walla,bing-bang,ching-chang,doo!

External links

• "Make Room for Lisa episode capsule". The Simpsons Archive.
• "Make Room for Lisa" at IMDb

• The Simpsons episodes, season 10