Lisa's Sax

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The Simpsons episode
"Lisa's Sax"

Episode no.	181
Prod. code	3G02
Orig. Airdate	October 19, 1997
Writer(s)	Al Jean
Director(s)	Dominic Polcino
Chalkboard	"I no longer want my MTV"
Couch gag	The family portrayed with Nesting dolls.
Guest star(s)	Fyvush Finkel as himself playing Krusty
DVD commentary by	Al Jean Mike Reiss Dominic Polcino
SNPP capsule
Season 9 September 21, 1997 – May 17, 1998
The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson The Principal and the Pauper Lisa's Sax Treehouse of Horror VIII The Cartridge Family Bart Star The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons Lisa the Skeptic Realty Bites Miracle on Evergreen Terrace All Singing, All Dancing Bart Carny The Joy of Sect Das Bus The Last Temptation of Krust Dumbbell Indemnity Lisa the Simpson This Little Wiggy Simpson Tide The Trouble with Trillions Girly Edition Trash of the Titans King of the Hill Lost Our Lisa Natural Born Kissers
List of all Simpsons episodes...

"Lisa's Sax" is the third episode of the ninth season of The Simpsons, which explains how she got her saxophone.

1 Synopsis
2 Trivia
3 Cultural references
4 External links

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Because of a struggle with Bart, Lisa's saxophone is destroyed by Nelson Muntz, a truck, and a car on the street of Evergreen Terrace. In a period of mourning, Lisa reveals she cannot remember ever not having that saxophone, so Homer recounts the instrument's origins. The story also involves Bart's first experiences at school, and how his initial enthusiasm was crushed by an uncaring teacher, eventually turning Bart into the troublemaker he is today. It was during discussions of Bart's future that the school psychologist realized the young Lisa is very gifted. With private school being too expensive, Homer instead considered buying Lisa a musical instrument to nurture her intelligence. In making this purchase, Homer sacrificed his own comfort, because he could no longer afford an air conditioner during a terrible heat wave. In the present, the saxophone is replaced.

In addition to revealing Bart's reasons for being a troublemaker and underachiever, this episode is also notable for fuelling suspicions of Milhouse's sexuality, after a school psychologist identifies the young Milhouse as having "flamboyantly homosexual tendencies." The episode is also notable for a rare glimpse at Snowball I.

[edit] Trivia

This is the last episode in which Doris Grau has a speaking role as Lunchlady Doris (although this episode aired nearly two years after her death). It would also mark the final time the character would speak until Season 18's "The Mook, the Chef, the Wife and Her Homer" (voiced by Tress MacNeille).
While telling Bart and Lisa about 1990, Homer says "the Tracey Ullman was entertaining America with...crudely-drawn filler material" - this is a reference to The Simpsons' debut as "bumpers" airing before and after the show's commercials.
The white cat in the Simpsons' living room is the original Snowball.
In the music store is a guitar based on Eddie Van Halen's Famous Frankenstrat.
This was the first of very few things Al Jean ever wrote without Mike Reiss
There is a goof involving the air conditioner scene, where Rod and Todd are 9 and 10 during the flash back, the same age they are currently.
There is another goof about continuity in this episode. Lisa should have 2 saxophones, her original one and the other one she got from Bleeding Gums Murphy. She shouldn't have to buy another one.
Bart can apparently read the sign which reads "Keep off the grass" in spite of his being in Kindergarten.

[edit] Cultural references

The song "Those Were the Days" parodies the opening credits of the classic television show All in the Family
In the flashback, Dr. Hibbert fashioned his hair and attire like Mr. T in The A-Team.
The song Lisa plays on her new saxophone near the end of the episode, is "Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty
A flashback to 1990 shows Homer watching Twin Peaks as Dale Cooper remarks, "That's some damn fine coffee you got here in Twin Peaks... and damn good cherry pie." The Giant is then shown waltzing with a white horse, under a tree with a traffic light hanging from a branch. Homer says: "Brilliant! I have absolutely no idea what's going on."
When Lisa's saxophone gets run over, one of the people who runs over it is Jasper on a tricycle, who promptly falls over. This is a reference to a character played by Arte Johnson, an old man in a raincoat on a tricycle, which is a running gag from the NBC variety show Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In.