The Simpsons' 10 Most Desperate Attempts To Boost Ratings

5. Look, Celebrity Endorsement! - ‘Lisa Goes Gaga’ - S23, E22

The Simpsons Marge Boobs
Twentieth Century Fox

The Season 23 finale begins with a ‘change in the air’ when the Lady Gaga Express rolls into Springfield. While the episode begins with a parody of the role of celebrities in modern society - ‘it is our duty to cheer [people with low self-esteem] up,’ says Lady Gaga.

At school, Lisa is nominated ‘Least Popular Student’ and becomes depressed as a result. In an attempt to change public opinion, Lisa anonymously, as ’Truth Teller,’ posts positive things about herself on a message board, before getting found out and dubbed ‘Lie Smeller.’

Having superpowers, Lady Gaga senses someone is feeling miserable in Springfield and rushes to save the day. She sings a song, which Lenny comments, ‘that would be hollow coming from anyone other than you.’

This episode is infamous for being the worst episode ever, and it is hard to dispute this. For an episode that eschews positivity, it sure leaves a negative feeling in one’s bile.

Lacking any real substance, this episode exists seeming just to cram in Lady Gaga into as many scenes as possible. This shows just how the writing team’s reliance on celebrities has changed.

In Season 2, Dustin Hoffman, being credited as Sam Etic, appears as a substitute teacher, and the first onscreen character to truly understand Lisa. It wasn’t Dustin Hoffman being Dustin Hoffman going to Springfield to Hoff it up, and maybe fight with Duffman to see which ‘man is the most superior. The episode was about Lisa being an outsider but offering a glimmer of hope that she is not a freak.

What a difference 21 years and a whole different batch of writers make…

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