Smart and Smarter

"Smart and Smarter" is the thirteenth episode of The Simpsons' fifteenth season, and originally aired on February 22, 2004.^[1] When Maggie takes an IQ test, she is informed that she may be smarter than Lisa, who worries that her life will go no where.^[1] The episode was written by Carolyn Omine and directed by Steven Dean Moore.^[1] Simon Cowell also has a guest-voice appearance, playing the role of a brutally honest judge.^[1]

[edit] Plot

Homer Simpson bought a novelty toy called a "toilet seat squirter" (when someone sits on the toilet seat, they get squirted)and played the prank on Bart Simpson. But, Bart didn't sit on the toilet, so Homer makes him sit on it, but Homer gets squirted. Then, Bart and Homer fought, using an motorized toothbrush and a removal shower head, and Marge and Lisa wonders whats wrong, and Homer said "Lets get pancakes" to get out of trouble. The family, after visiting a pancake house, visits Mrs. Wickerbottom's Pre-Nursery School, where Apu and Manjula are sending two of their octuplets. Homer and Marge have a talk with Dr. Hibbert about getting in, and decide to have Maggie go in. However, Maggie fails the initial screening because she cannot talk, until Lisa discovers some traits of intelligence. Homer and Marge make another screening. The results show that not only is Maggie brilliant, but her IQ of 167 is higher than Lisa's IQ of 159. Lisa is no longer considered "the smart one" of the Simpson family. Her attempts to find a new identity, including a goth named Ravencrow Neversmiles, a cheerleader, a rapper, a soccer player, a cowgirl, and even a stand-up comedian, do not work out well.

At home, Lisa teaches Maggie false information. Homer (with the Phonics Frog) and Marge denounce her for trying to sabotage her sister's education. She leaves the house and hides in the Natural History Museum, where there is no chance of Homer and Marge finding her, until Chief Wiggum, Lou and Eddie find her in there. The family goes in the human body, but Maggie accidentally presses the swallow button, swallowing Homer, Marge and Bart. Maggie presses many buttons until she finally presses the evacuate button, following a visual cue from Lisa as to its colour. Ironically, after Maggie saves Homer, Marge, and Bart, she no longer has a secret to her intelligence — Henry (the owner of Mrs. Wickerbottoms) reveals a video tape of Maggie's audition and it turns out Lisa was subconsciously showing her answers. Henry starts criticising Maggie which leads an angry Homer to start punching him (while Henry criticizes his punches). Maggie, however, plays Lisa's saxophone in the end, showing another sign of intelligence; a worried Lisa reclaims her saxophone and tells her that it is not for babies.

[edit] Cultural references

The episode's title is a reference to the film, Dumb and Dumber..^[2] In this episode, Henry quotes, "She's as common as an angry woman in an Ibsen play". The revelation that Maggie is only smart because she's watching Lisa is similar to the case of Clever Hans at the turn of the century.^[2] When Marge gives Lisa the paper quoting "You are Lisa Simpson" is a reference to the season two episode, "Lisa's Substitute", where the character Mr. Bergstrom gave her a similar paper.^[2] Lisa's nightmare of her pushing a wheelchair bound Maggie down the stairs is a reference to the 1962 film What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?.^[2] Lisa staying in the Natural History Museum is a reference to the book "The Mixed Up Files of Ms. Basil E. Frankweiler," in which kids ran away from home and lived in the local museum.^[2]