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The original content missed the point of the scene. The idea was to connect the verbal abuse homer went through as a child to his current issues with alcohol and food. Instead, the original content interpreted it as Homer being too lazy to be affected. The entire episode was about this concept.
m Per Wikipedia talk:Naming conventions (television)#Follow-up RfC on TV season article titles (and cleanup), replaced: Simpsons (season 33) → Simpsons season 33
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| music = "[[I Wanna Rock]]" by [[Twisted Sister]]
| music = "[[I Wanna Rock]]" by [[Twisted Sister]]
| airdate = {{Start date|2021|10|24}}
| airdate = {{Start date|2021|10|24}}
| guests = *[[Matt Selman#Personal life|Renee Ridgeley]] as [[Wendy Sage|Dr. Wendy Sage]]
| guests = *[[Matt Selman#Personal life|Renee Ridgeley]] as Dr. Wendy Sage
| blackboard =
| blackboard =
| couch_gag =
| couch_gag =
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| next = [[A Serious Flanders]]
| next = [[A Serious Flanders]]
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"'''Lisa's Belly'''" is the fifth episode of the [[The Simpsons (season 33)|thirty-third season]] of the American animated television series ''[[The Simpsons]]'', and the 711th episode overall. It aired in the United States on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] on October 24, 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Listings - SIMPSONS, THE on FOX {{!}} TheFutonCritic.com|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/listings/20210930fox14/|access-date=October 27, 2021|website=www.thefutoncritic.com}}</ref> The episode was directed by Timothy Bailey and written by Juliet Kaufman.
"'''Lisa's Belly'''" is the fifth episode of the [[The Simpsons season 33|thirty-third season]] of the American animated television series ''[[The Simpsons]]'', and the 711th episode overall. It aired in the United States on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] on October 24, 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Listings - SIMPSONS, THE on FOX {{!}} TheFutonCritic.com|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/listings/20210930fox14/|access-date=October 27, 2021|website=[[The Futon Critic]]}}</ref> The episode was directed by Timothy Bailey and written by Juliet Kaufman.


==Plot==
==Plot==
At an abandoned water park, [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] and [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]] contract a bizarre infection, requiring treatment from steroids that cause temporary weight gain. Before they go back to school, [[Marge Simpson|Marge]] calls Lisa "chunky" with affection, which causes her to be insecure about her weight. Marge takes Lisa to the mall, shopping for back-to-school clothes to make her feel better. She later says "flattering", making the word "chunky" grow bigger in Lisa's mind. Lisa gets cranky in front of the customers and workers, so Marge takes her home.
At an abandoned water park (a parody of [[Action Park]]), [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] and [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]] contract a bizarre infection, requiring treatment from steroids that cause temporary weight gain. Before they go back to school, [[Marge Simpson|Marge]] calls Lisa "chunky" with affection, which causes her to be insecure about her weight. Marge takes Lisa to the mall, shopping for back-to-school clothes to make her feel better. She later says "flattering", making the word "chunky" grow bigger in Lisa's mind. Lisa gets cranky in front of the customers and workers, so Marge takes her home.

[[Homer Simpson|Homer]] asks Lisa what is wrong. He lets [[Patty and Selma]] take her to the park where they describe how they no longer care what people think of them. Later, Marge apologizes to Lisa about what she said to her, but says words like "Normal" and "Perfect" to Lisa, making "Chunky" grow bigger and causing her more frustration. In the piano store, Luann tells Marge about a hypnotherapist named [[Wendy Sage|Dr. Wendy Sage]], who had a mastectomy and chose not to have breast reconstruction surgery.
Hearing of the incident, [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] asks Lisa what is wrong and is horrified when she tells him Marge called her "chunky". He lets [[Patty and Selma]] take Lisa to the park where they describe how they no longer care what people think of them. Later, Marge apologizes to Lisa about what she said to her, but says words like "Normal" and "Perfect" to Lisa, making "Chunky" grow bigger and causing her more frustration. In the piano store, Luann tells Marge about a hypnotherapist named Dr. Wendy Sage, who had a mastectomy and chose not to have breast reconstruction surgery.


Lisa and Marge visit Sage, who uses hypnotherapy on them, transferring them to Lisa's mind. They see the "Chunky" word which takes up the entire space of her mind. They then travel to Marge's mind, where they discover that Marge's mother had said a hurtful word to her as a child: "plain". The word has been in her head for years. Realizing each other's insecurities, Marge and Lisa profess their love to each other, thus making "chunky" and "plain" shrink.
Lisa and Marge visit Sage, who uses hypnotherapy on them, transferring them to Lisa's mind. They see the "Chunky" word which takes up the entire space of her mind. They then travel to Marge's mind, where they discover that Marge's mother had said a hurtful word to her as a child: "plain". The word has been in her head for years. Realizing each other's insecurities, Marge and Lisa profess their love to each other, thus making "chunky" and "plain" shrink.
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Meanwhile, when Bart's sleeve rips while playing basketball, Jimbo, Dolph, Kearney, and [[Nelson Muntz|Nelson]] take him to an underground basement in school where they teach him to get into shape and become a man. When Bart sees the guys hanging around with their girlfriends, he feels betrayed, runs away from the basement and plays basketball with the other children.
Meanwhile, when Bart's sleeve rips while playing basketball, Jimbo, Dolph, Kearney, and [[Nelson Muntz|Nelson]] take him to an underground basement in school where they teach him to get into shape and become a man. When Bart sees the guys hanging around with their girlfriends, he feels betrayed, runs away from the basement and plays basketball with the other children.


During the credits, it is shown that there are words in everyone else's heads. Homer is shown as a child sleeping in a hammock with the many words he heard as a child (Lazy, dumb, stupid, fat, greedy) scattered around him. The scene changes to him as an adult, sleeping in the hammock, and the words have been replaced with empty beer cans and jars of peanuts in his hands. The show lingers on this scene before the credits play, in order for the audience to realize the connection between the verbal abuse Homer had as a child to his alcoholism, slothfulness, and overeating.
During the credits, it is shown that there are words in everyone else's heads. Homer is shown as a child sleeping in a hammock with the many words he heard as a child (Lazy, dumb, stupid, fat, greedy) scattered around him. The scene changes to him as an adult, sleeping in the hammock, and the words have been replaced with empty beer cans and jars of peanuts in his hands.

== Development ==
The character of Wendy Sage was created and voiced by Renee Ridgeley, an actress, writer, and real-life breast cancer survivor and the wife of ''Simpsons'' writer Matt Selman who said: “While Sage has all the telltale signs of a breast cancer survivor: a visible scar from a port-o-cath (a device used to deliver chemotherapy), curly hair regrowing from chemo treatment, an obviously one-breasted appearance, and is visually concave on her mastectomy side, the episode does not focus on her past disease.<nowiki>''</nowiki><ref name=":04">{{Cite web |title='The Simpsons': Meet Dr Wendy Sage, new breast cancer survivor character; fans are loving it |url=https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-%E2%80%98the-simpsons%E2%80%99-meet-dr-wendy-sage-new-breast-cancer-survivor-character-fans-are-loving-it-423928 |access-date=2021-11-01 |website=[[WION]] |language=en}}</ref> "Sage shows up as exactly who she is now," she added. "By living openly as a one-breasted woman, she sends a message of acceptance and wholeness celebrated by individuals in marginalized groups."<ref name=":04" />


==Reception==
==Reception==
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===Critical response===
===Critical response===
Wendy Sage has been very well received by fans of ''[[The Simpsons]]''.<ref name=":04" /><ref name="auto12">{{Cite web |last=Davies |first=Matilda |date=2021-10-28 |title=The Simpsons viewers praise new breast cancer survivor character |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a38093929/simpsons-breast-cancer-survivor-wendy-sage/ |access-date=2021-11-01 |website=[[Digital Spy]] |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name="auto2">{{Cite web|title=Simpsonlar, tek göğüslü kanserden kurtulan karakteriyle övüldü |url=https://www.mynet.com/simpsonlar-tek-goguslu-kanserden-kurtulan-karakteriyle-ovuldu-190101261704 |access-date=2021-11-01 |website=Mynet Trend |language=tr}}</ref>
Tony Sokol of ''Den of Geek'' gave the episode 4 out of 5 stars, stating "'Lisa's Belly' works because her healing and acceptance comes from the most unlikely of places. Homer, Patty and Selma are what they are and don't care how other people see them. This is valuable and the message is much more effective coming from them. This is a very sweet, and mature episode. It is just such a shame what happens to the ''Powerpuff Girls''."<ref>{{Cite web|date=October 25, 2021|title=The Simpsons Season 33 Episode 5 Review: Lisa's Belly|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/the-simpsons-season-33-episode-5-review-lisas-belly/|access-date=October 27, 2021|website=Den of Geek|language=en-US}}</ref>

Tony Sokol of ''Den of Geek'' gave the episode 4 out of 5 stars, stating "'Lisa's Belly' works because her healing and acceptance comes from the most unlikely of places. Homer, Patty and Selma are what they are and don't care how other people see them. This is valuable and the message is much more effective coming from them. This is a very sweet, and mature episode. It is just such a shame what happens to the ''Powerpuff Girls''."<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|first=Tony|last=Sokol|date=October 25, 2021|title=The Simpsons Season 33 Episode 5 Review: Lisa's Belly|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/the-simpsons-season-33-episode-5-review-lisas-belly/|access-date=October 27, 2021|website=[[Den of Geek]]|language=en-US}}</ref> Regarding the character of Wendy Sage, he wrote "The hypnotherapist, Dr. Wendy Sage, voiced by Renee Ridgeley, actually provides the strongest non-verbal message. She is obviously a breast cancer survivor who has taken control of how she defines herself, proudly uni-boob, which is subliminally as effective as her spinny thing. The hypnosis session itself breaks the walls between Lisa and Marge, but this time it’s their attitude which could use adjustment, having nothing to do with body issues. Lisa thinks hypnosis is a little “woo-woo,” scientifically, and the word which has been lodged so uncomfortably in Sage’s subconscious is “quack.” This has two meanings as well. It is the word skeptics use to describe the wacky world of mental health professionals, but it’s also the thing hypnotists are supposed to make their clients do after the most clichéd sessions. This makes her as universal a victim of bad words as any major character."<ref name=":0" />


Marcus Gibson of ''Bubbleblabber'' gave the episode a 8 out of 10, stating "Overall, 'Lisa's Belly' continues the show's strength in delivering humorous yet relatable stories that deal with current issues. This is another episode that provided a healthy balance between comedy and drama in terms of representing real-life problems and mental health. No amount of harmful words can stop this season from chugging along smoothly."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Gibson|first=Marcus|date=October 25, 2021|title=Review: The Simpsons "Lisa's Belly"|url=https://www.bubbleblabber.com/review-the-simpsons-lisas-belly/|access-date=October 27, 2021|website=Bubbleblabber|language=en-US}}</ref>
Marcus Gibson of ''Bubbleblabber'' gave the episode a 8 out of 10, stating "Overall, 'Lisa's Belly' continues the show's strength in delivering humorous yet relatable stories that deal with current issues. This is another episode that provided a healthy balance between comedy and drama in terms of representing real-life problems and mental health. No amount of harmful words can stop this season from chugging along smoothly."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Gibson|first=Marcus|date=October 25, 2021|title=Review: The Simpsons "Lisa's Belly"|url=https://www.bubbleblabber.com/review-the-simpsons-lisas-belly/|access-date=October 27, 2021|website=Bubbleblabber|language=en-US}}</ref>
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[[Category:2021 American television episodes]]
[[Category:2021 American television episodes]]
[[Category:The Simpsons (season 33) episodes]]
[[Category:The Simpsons season 33 episodes]]

Revision as of 17:55, 1 April 2024

"Lisa's Belly"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 33
Episode 5
Directed byTimothy Bailey
Written byJuliet Kaufman
Featured music"I Wanna Rock" by Twisted Sister
Production codeQABF20
Original air dateOctober 24, 2021 (2021-10-24)
Guest appearance
Episode chronology
← Previous
"The Wayz We Were"
Next →
"A Serious Flanders"
The Simpsons season 33
List of episodes

"Lisa's Belly" is the fifth episode of the thirty-third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 711th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on October 24, 2021.[1] The episode was directed by Timothy Bailey and written by Juliet Kaufman.

Plot

At an abandoned water park (a parody of Action Park), Bart and Lisa contract a bizarre infection, requiring treatment from steroids that cause temporary weight gain. Before they go back to school, Marge calls Lisa "chunky" with affection, which causes her to be insecure about her weight. Marge takes Lisa to the mall, shopping for back-to-school clothes to make her feel better. She later says "flattering", making the word "chunky" grow bigger in Lisa's mind. Lisa gets cranky in front of the customers and workers, so Marge takes her home.

Hearing of the incident, Homer asks Lisa what is wrong and is horrified when she tells him Marge called her "chunky". He lets Patty and Selma take Lisa to the park where they describe how they no longer care what people think of them. Later, Marge apologizes to Lisa about what she said to her, but says words like "Normal" and "Perfect" to Lisa, making "Chunky" grow bigger and causing her more frustration. In the piano store, Luann tells Marge about a hypnotherapist named Dr. Wendy Sage, who had a mastectomy and chose not to have breast reconstruction surgery.

Lisa and Marge visit Sage, who uses hypnotherapy on them, transferring them to Lisa's mind. They see the "Chunky" word which takes up the entire space of her mind. They then travel to Marge's mind, where they discover that Marge's mother had said a hurtful word to her as a child: "plain". The word has been in her head for years. Realizing each other's insecurities, Marge and Lisa profess their love to each other, thus making "chunky" and "plain" shrink.

Meanwhile, when Bart's sleeve rips while playing basketball, Jimbo, Dolph, Kearney, and Nelson take him to an underground basement in school where they teach him to get into shape and become a man. When Bart sees the guys hanging around with their girlfriends, he feels betrayed, runs away from the basement and plays basketball with the other children.

During the credits, it is shown that there are words in everyone else's heads. Homer is shown as a child sleeping in a hammock with the many words he heard as a child (Lazy, dumb, stupid, fat, greedy) scattered around him. The scene changes to him as an adult, sleeping in the hammock, and the words have been replaced with empty beer cans and jars of peanuts in his hands.

Development

The character of Wendy Sage was created and voiced by Renee Ridgeley, an actress, writer, and real-life breast cancer survivor and the wife of Simpsons writer Matt Selman who said: “While Sage has all the telltale signs of a breast cancer survivor: a visible scar from a port-o-cath (a device used to deliver chemotherapy), curly hair regrowing from chemo treatment, an obviously one-breasted appearance, and is visually concave on her mastectomy side, the episode does not focus on her past disease.''[2] "Sage shows up as exactly who she is now," she added. "By living openly as a one-breasted woman, she sends a message of acceptance and wholeness celebrated by individuals in marginalized groups."[2]

Reception

Viewing figures

The viewing figures for this episode is 1.83 million and was the highest-rated show on Animation Domination that night.[3]

Critical response

Wendy Sage has been very well received by fans of The Simpsons.[2][4][5]

Tony Sokol of Den of Geek gave the episode 4 out of 5 stars, stating "'Lisa's Belly' works because her healing and acceptance comes from the most unlikely of places. Homer, Patty and Selma are what they are and don't care how other people see them. This is valuable and the message is much more effective coming from them. This is a very sweet, and mature episode. It is just such a shame what happens to the Powerpuff Girls."[6] Regarding the character of Wendy Sage, he wrote "The hypnotherapist, Dr. Wendy Sage, voiced by Renee Ridgeley, actually provides the strongest non-verbal message. She is obviously a breast cancer survivor who has taken control of how she defines herself, proudly uni-boob, which is subliminally as effective as her spinny thing. The hypnosis session itself breaks the walls between Lisa and Marge, but this time it’s their attitude which could use adjustment, having nothing to do with body issues. Lisa thinks hypnosis is a little “woo-woo,” scientifically, and the word which has been lodged so uncomfortably in Sage’s subconscious is “quack.” This has two meanings as well. It is the word skeptics use to describe the wacky world of mental health professionals, but it’s also the thing hypnotists are supposed to make their clients do after the most clichéd sessions. This makes her as universal a victim of bad words as any major character."[6]

Marcus Gibson of Bubbleblabber gave the episode a 8 out of 10, stating "Overall, 'Lisa's Belly' continues the show's strength in delivering humorous yet relatable stories that deal with current issues. This is another episode that provided a healthy balance between comedy and drama in terms of representing real-life problems and mental health. No amount of harmful words can stop this season from chugging along smoothly."[7]

References

  1. ^ "Listings - SIMPSONS, THE on FOX | TheFutonCritic.com". The Futon Critic. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "'The Simpsons': Meet Dr Wendy Sage, new breast cancer survivor character; fans are loving it". WION. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  3. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (October 26, 2021). "ShowBuzzDaily's Sunday 10.24.2021 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  4. ^ Davies, Matilda (October 28, 2021). "The Simpsons viewers praise new breast cancer survivor character". Digital Spy. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  5. ^ "Simpsonlar, tek göğüslü kanserden kurtulan karakteriyle övüldü". Mynet Trend (in Turkish). Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Sokol, Tony (October 25, 2021). "The Simpsons Season 33 Episode 5 Review: Lisa's Belly". Den of Geek. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  7. ^ Gibson, Marcus (October 25, 2021). "Review: The Simpsons "Lisa's Belly"". Bubbleblabber. Retrieved October 27, 2021.