History YMMV / TheSimpsonsS30E17EMySports

* ItsTheSameNowItSucks: This episode is often compared to [[Recap/TheFairlyOddParentsS5E10ItsAWishfulLife "Its A Wishful Life"]] due to the fact that both Bart and Timmy are treated as an AppleOfDiscord, shown to be the root of virtually all the conflict around them despite the fact that it has nothing to actually to with them. In Bart’s case, Homer’s dysfunctional relationship with his father, Patty and Selma has been around long before Bart was even born. Also similar to how Timmy’s reward for agreeing to not exist was to exist with the knowledge that his presence actively makes everyone’s life worse. This episode ends with Bart having StoppedCaring that no one in his family cares about him.

* InformedWrongness: The entire weight of the episode's {{Aesop}} about the perils of living through your kids rests on Homer's dream sequences in which he's lectured by a very flawed group of successful [[SportsDad sports dads]]. Homer himself doesn't do anything worse than coach Bart and his team after Bart voluntarily enters the competitive gaming area, and even Marge approves of the fact that he and Bart are spending so much time together.

* {{Wangst}}: The scene with Marge when Lisa threw a tantrum and tried to appeal to her mother was a bit too exaggerated.

* HarsherInHindsight: This episode seems to confirm the BrokenAesop of [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS27E9Barthood "Barthood"]] that Bart’s life would be much better without Lisa in it.

* SpiritualAntithesis: This episode is essentially one to [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS30E9DaddicusFinch "Daddicus Finch"]]. In that episode, Homer and Lisa form a genuine bond, while in this one, Homer is just living vicariously through Bart. Bart is MadeOutToBeAJerkass for resenting being TheUnFavourite to the point of being given a CurbStompBattle while Lisa is given a SympatheticPOV.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: The opening scene of the episode involved everyone getting along without Bart. It then shows that Homer has averted AesopAmnesia by realizing that Bart responds better to positive reinforcement and brought him a top of the line gaming console designed to numb his spirit until he is no longer the family's responsibility. Only to then turn into a [[StageMom Stage Dad]] upon discovering that Bart is not only actually good at it but can make money. Through out it all the episode tries to play up Lisa’s MiddleChildSyndrome but due both to bad timing and the [[{{Wangst}} Wangsty]] way she acts it comes across as intentionally trying to sabotage her brother. [[note]] She was the one who pointed out that that family was getting along because Bart wasn’t there, she was bribed as well, instead of just asking to go to Korea we learn Lisa has a "happy diary" but she keeps it in the basement. Tonight she has reason to write in it. How horrible it must be in how it pales in comparison to its unhappy counterpart she writes in every night in her room. [[/note]] In the end Homer abandoned Bart and his team at the tournament, choosing instead to visit a Buddhist temple with Marge and Lisa. In the last scene of this episode, we see the team members throwing crap at Bart and hitting him, while he just sits there depressed and saddened. Nobody in his family cares about how he feels, nobody takes into account that the reason for the power shutting off was not his and to top it off, the man who caused the power outage proceeds to sit there and complain about his in-flight experience while ignoring his son getting punched and abused for what he did.

* HarsherInHindsight: This episode seems to confirm the BrokenAesop of '''Recap/TheSimpsonsS27E9Barthood''' that Bart’s life would be much better without Lisa in it.
* {{Misblamed}}: A big part of the internet, ranging from Reddit to Youtube to 4chan act like Lisa intentionally sabotaged Bart ironically very few are placing any of that blame on Homer.
* SpiritualAntithesis: This episode is essentially one to '''Recap/TheSimpsonsS30E9DaddicusFinch''' in that episode Homer and Lisa's form a genuine bond while in this one Homer is just living vicariously through Bart. Bart is MadeOutToBeAJerkass for resenting being TheUnFavourite to the point of being given CurbStompBattle while Lisa is given a SympatheticPOV.
* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: While at first the episode looks like another [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks Lisa is jealous of Bart’s success]] plot. It comes across more like Homer/Marge success story given that the competition wasn’t ruined because Bart performed a HeroicSacrifice, but because homer decided to follow Lisa’s advice.
* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: While the episode tries to depict Lisa being upset at being, once more, shunted aside just because her misbehaving older sibling has found something to distract him. The attempt at invoking MiddleChildSyndrome is undercut by the implication that implied everything would be perfect without Bart to the point where even Homer, Patty and Selma get along. The ParentalFavoritism of Lisa is further address with the [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments Heartwarming Moment]] of Homer telling the victorious Lisa, “With you as a daughter, I’m a winner at the game of life. Even if I lost at the game of Life.” Lisa herself was the one who pointed out that everyone was only getting along because Bart Wasn’t there.
** Her reaction to the Bart-Homer bonding is ambitious in its way, unfortunately instead of taking the opportunity of Bart going to South Korea to do something she dreamed about for probably a while. They make Lisa a depressed girl who can't be happy until she gets whatever she wants, with the joke of her happy diary in the basement. This level of {{Wangst}} makes it look like Lisa is PlayingTheVictimCard instead of being happy and supportive to Bart she throws a tantrum about him getting attention, approaches Homer while he's on the job and insisted he come to a zen practice that teaches that worldly things are meaningless RIGHT before Bart's big moment and the fact that once again this leads to her being the UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom to Bart’s misfortune.
** Finally, as pariah is Bart being pelted with in-flight snacks by his furious team for the 19-hour flight home instead of acknowledging her copiability or at least showing remorse Lisa instead chastises Homer as he irritatingly tries to regain his temporary calm
* {{Wangst}}: The scene with Marge when Lisa threw a tantrum and tried to appeal to her mother was a bit too exaggerated
* WriterCopOut: The biggest complaint of this story is the fact that Lisa’s plot kind of gets shoehorned into the episode and the role it plays in the conclusion, and how it leads to another situation where Bart is dumped on while Lisa gets what she wants. Something that has [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks in quite a few episodes]]

** While the episode tries to depict Lisa being upset at being, once more, shunted aside just because her misbehaving older sibling has found something to distract him. The attempt at invoking MiddleChildSyndrome is undercut by the implication that implied everything would be perfect without Bart to the point where even Homer, Patty and Selma get along. The ParentalFavoritism of Lisa is further address with the [[HeartwarmingMoments Heartwarming Moment]] of Homer telling the victorious Lisa, “With you as a daughter, I’m a winner at the game of life. Even if I lost at the game of Life.” Lisa herself was the one who pointed out that everyone was only getting along because Bart Wasn’t there.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: While the episode tries to depict Lisa being upset at being, once more, shunted aside just because her misbehaving older sibling has found something to distract him. The attempt at invoking MiddleChildSyndrome is undercut by the implication that implied everything would be perfect without Bart to the point where even Homer, Patty and Selma get along. The ParentalFavoritism of Lisa is further address with the [[HeartwarmingMoments Heartwarming Moment]] of Homer telling the victorious Lisa, “With you as a daughter, I’m a winner at the game of life. Even if I lost at the game of Life.” Lisa herself was the one who pointed out that everyone was only getting along because Bart Wasn’t there.

SpiritualAntithesis: This episode is essentially one to '''Recap/TheSimpsonsS30E9DaddicusFinch''' in that episode Homer and Lisa's form a genuine bond while in this one Homer is just living vicariously through Bart. Bart is MadeOutToBeAJerkass for resenting being TheUnFavourite to the point of being given CurbStompBattle while Lisa is given a SympatheticPOV.

* HarsherInHindsight: This episode seems to confirm the BrokenAesop of ''Recap/TheSimpsonsS27E9Barthood'' that Bart’s life would be much better without Lisa in it.

SpiritualAntithesis: This episode is essentially one to ''Recap/TheSimpsonsS30E9DaddicusFinch'' in that episode Homer and Lisa's form a genuine bond while in this one Homer is just living vicariously through Bart. Bart is MadeOutToBeAJerkass for resenting being TheUnFavourite to the point of being given CurbStompBattle while Lisa is given a SympatheticPOV.

* HarsherInHindsight: This episode seems to confirm the BrokenAesop of [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS27E9Barthood]] that Bart’s life would be much better without Lisa in it.

SpiritualAntithesis: This episode is essentially one to [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS30E9DaddicusFinch]] in that episode Homer and Lisa's form a genuine bond while in this one Homer is just living vicariously through Bart. Bart is MadeOutToBeAJerkass for resenting being TheUnFavourite to the point of being given CurbStompBattle while Lisa is given a SympatheticPOV.