When you ask “Simpsons” fans about their favorite character, Bart or Homer are usually at the top of the list. These are, after all, the show’s two biggest troublemakers – the ones whose shenanigans usually drive the plot and get the most attention. However, for series creator Matt Groening, the precocious eight-year-old Lisa (Yeardley Smith) is his favorite. As he explained in a Interview 2018“I love Lisa Simpson the most because she seems to be the only character who will evolve and eventually escape Springfield. The rest seem pretty clueless and seem to be stuck there.”
Groening also offered a list of his favorite supporting characters: “Ralph Wiggum, Milhouse van Houten, Principal Skinner and Apu (…) I forgot Principal Skinner’s mother, Agnes. Tress MacNeille does the voice, and every time she speaks, I laugh.”
He also talked about some of his favorite episodes in the show’s history: “Over the years there has been the atypical episode with Frank Grimes (aka Grimey)the guy who works at the nuclear power plant and is driven crazy by Homer. There is the episode in which Homer skateboards across the Springfield Gorge – almost (…) Our motto is: More pain, more fun.”
Why Lisa is still the best “Simpsons” character
Groening’s choice might come as a surprise to some “Simpsons” fans, many of whom consider Lisa to be something of a whiner or know-it-all. It’s common to go through the comments section of a random “Simpsons” clip and see people disparage Lisa for one reason or another. Some of this is just common trend on the internet, where the most prominent female character on any show is almost always the most hated. But it certainly doesn’t help that Lisa is sometimes relegated to the thankless role of voice of reason. When the show is at its laziest, it’s there to hypocritically express the writers’ point of view, a role that almost always rubs some viewers the wrong way.
However, Lisa still ruled during what I would consider the classic era those first eight seasons. Her dynamic with Homer is one of the funniest (and often sweetest) relationships in the entire series; The two are perfect together, although it seems to have taken the writers until Season 3’s “Lisa the Greek” to fully figure it out. She’s also a great partner for Bart when episodes allow, and her love of social justice lets her fight the good fight against villains like Mr. Burns and… that sleazy politician Bob Arnold. Perhaps the best gag about Lisa is that she is simultaneously the wisest person on the show and a typical eight-year-old. She can lead a lecture on lake pollution in the town hall, but also gets into childish arguments with her brother:
But Lisa’s greatest appeal is not only that she’s the only “Simpsons” character with a bright future ahead of her, but also that she is also the loneliest character and arguably went through the most turmoil throughout the entire show. “Moaning Lisa”, “Lisa’s Substitute”, “Round Springfield” and “Summer of 4’2” are among the series’ most emotional episodes, largely because Lisa’s sensitivity allows the series to go to places that others couldn’t quite reach Characters. Lisa isn’t just the brains behind the series; She is also his heart.
