History Recap / TheSimpsonsS4E10LisasFirstWord

* StuntCasting: In perhaps the biggest example of this in ''Simpsons'' history, Creator/ElizabethTaylor as the voice of Maggie. (Taylor returns at the end of Season 4 as herself in "Krusty Gets Kancelled", and gets ''two'' lines in that episode.) The writers soon regretted this as they spent hours trying to get Taylor to say, "Daddy" like a one-year-old child and not a 20-to-30 year old seductress.
** TheOtherDarrin: When the ending of the episode was put into the clip show episode "Gump Roast", Liz Taylor's "Daddy" line was replaced with the same line as done by series regular Creator/NancyCartwright (who usually does vocal effects for Maggie, such as crying, cooing, and laughing).

* BottleEpisode: Of the "FlashbackEpisode" variety. Aside from the flashbacks, the episode takes place in the Simpsons house with the main family.

* TheGhost: Homer has a cousin named Frank who [[{{Transsexual}} became Francine]] in 1976, then joined a cult and now goes by the name of "Mother Shabubu" -- all because he slept with his parents (not sexually) until he was 21.

* StuntCasting: In perhaps the biggest example of this in ''Simpsons'' history, ElizabethTaylor as the voice of Maggie. (Taylor returns at the end of Season 4 as herself in "Krusty Gets Kancelled", and gets ''two'' lines in that episode.) The writers soon regretted this as they spent hours trying to get Taylor to say, "Daddy" like a one-year-old child and not a 20-to-30 year old seductress.

* TheGhost: Homer has a cousin named Frank who [[{{Transsexual}} became Francine]] in 1976, then joined a cult and now goes by the name of "Mother Shabubu."

While waiting for Maggie to say her first word, Homer and Marge tell the story of their life after Bart was born (where they lived in an apartment in a neighborhood that looks like it was from the early 20th century rather than the mid-1980s), how Homer, Marge, and Bart moved into their current house, the early days of Bart and Lisa bonding, and Homer winning Krusty Burger's 1984 Olympics promotion.

* MonsterClown: The headboard of Bart's new bed, thanks to Homer's poor work, looks like one to the viewer, and even more so to the poor toddler.

* PrimalScene: PlayedForLaughs -- Bart saw his parents have sex when he was still in diapers and said his first words, "Ay caramba!" as a result.

* OverlyLongGag: "From now on, the baby sleeps in the crib." "Iron helps us play!" "AHAHAHAHAHAHA!" "Hello, Joe!"* PrimalScene: PlayedForLaughs -- Bart saw his parents have sex when he was still in diapers and said his first words, "Ay caramba!" as a result.
** SexyDiscretionShot

* OverlyLongGag: "From now on, the baby sleeps in the crib." "Iron helps us play!" "AHAHAHAHAHAHA!" "Hello, Joe!"
* PrimalScene: PlayedForLaughs -- Bart saw his parents have sex when he was still in diapers and said his first words, "Ay caramba!" as a result.

** TheOtherDarrin: When the ending of the episode was put into the clip show episode "Gump Roast", Liz Taylor's "Daddy" line was replaced with the same line as done by series regular NancyCartwright (who usually does vocal effects for Maggie, such as crying, cooing, and laughing).

* MadnessMantra: "Can't sleep, clown will eat me. Can't sleep, clown will eat me. Can't clown will eat me..."

The Simpson family is gathered around Maggie, and Homer is trying to get her to speak for the first time with no success. Out of curiosity, Bart and Lisa want to know what their first words were. Marge isn't up to recounting the story behind Bart's first words ("Ay carumba!" -- which he exclaimed when he walked in on his parents having sex), but is glad to tell the saga of Lisa's...

In 1983, Homer and Marge are living in an apartment in the colorful urban neighborhood of Little Springfield and raising their wily toddler Bart, who's the apple of their and Marge's sisters' eyes despite his mischief (which includes an insistence on calling Homer by his name rather than "Daddy"). When Marge learns she is pregnant again, he looks forward to the prospect of a younger sibling/scapegoat for his antics. In the meantime, the family has to move to a larger dwelling, and eventually come upon a certain house on Evergreen Terrace. Homer asks his dad for help in paying for the house via selling his own, and when he agrees to provide it, Homer promises him that he can move in with them. Back in the present, Homer cheerfully admits it was only a few weeks after Grampa moved in that he was shipped off to the old folks' home.

Summer 1984 arrives, and with it comes a botched Krusty Burger Summer Olympics promotion. They promise a free burger for each winning game piece; a piece wins if the U.S. team wins the event printed on it. The contest was rigged in Krusty's favor, with the events on all the game pieces being ones the Soviets usually win, but after they are printed up the news comes in that the Soviets are boycotting the games; the U.S. sweeps the events in question, and Homer enjoys free burger after free burger.

Bart feels increasingly ignored as Lisa's arrival draws near, and attempts to attend to his needs backfire. Homer builds him a big-boy clown-themed bed to lure him out of the crib that she will soon occupy, but it's unintentionally terrifying. And staying overnight at the house of next-door neighbors the Flanders is almost as traumatizing for him (when it isn't deathly boring). When baby Lisa is brought home, he greets her with the words "I hate you."

As everyone fusses over Lisa, Bart tries to reclaim his household status in various failed ways -- cutting off her hair ("Who's cuter now?"), trying to mail her, and shoving her through the Flanders' doggie door. Finally he decides to run away from home, telling her off as he's about to go...only to be stopped by her crying out "Bart!" This is her first word; Marge explains to the astonished boy that she adores him, even with all he's done to her. She soon can say other words too, but like Bart, can only call her dad "Homer".

Returning to the present, as Bart and Lisa bicker over whether a certain spot on the floor belongs to the former, Homer takes Maggie up to bed. He admits to her that he actually hopes she never learns to speak, since kids start talking ''back'' almost as soon as they can talk. He leaves and closes the door behind him, so no one but the audience hears her very first word:

"Daddy."

* ThrowItIn: Homer's line, "Bart can kiss my hairy, yellow butt" after Marge worries that Bart will be jealous of Lisa was ad-libbed (and almost didn't get used as the censors thought the line would be construed as pedophilic, when really to tell someone to "kiss your butt [or ass]" is used as a rude brush-off, not a sexual come-on).

* TheEighties: The setting of the flashback sequences (Ms. Pacman struck a blow for women's rights, a young [[SaturdayNightLive Joe Piscopo]] teaches people how to laugh, Marge talks with an Irish housewife and an Italian housewife about the last episode of ''M*A*S*H'', Homer sings "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," and the 1984 Olympics are on).

* PrimalScene: PlayedForLaughs -- Bart saw his parents have sex when he was still in diapers and said his first word, "Ay caramba!" as a result.

** TheOtherDarrin: When the ending of the episode was put into the clip show episode, "Gump Roast," Liz Taylor's "Daddy" line was replaced with the same line as done by series regular NancyCartwright (who usually does vocal effects for Maggie, such as crying, cooing, and laughing).

* HarmfulToMinors: PlayedForLaughs -- Bart saw his parents have sex when he was still in diapers and said his first word, "Ay caramba!" as a result.
** SexyDiscretionShot

* AluminumChristmasTrees: Modern audiences might not realize that the Krusty Burger Olympic promotion and the subsequent backfiring due to the Soviet boycotting of the Games was based on a real McDonalds promotion that had the same results.
* TheEighties: The setting of the flashback sequences.

* ShoutOut: When Scratchy runs the marathon the soundtrack quotes ''ChariotsOfFire''.

* StuntCasting: In perhaps the biggest example of this in ''Simpsons'' history, ElizabethTaylor as the voice of Maggie. (Taylor returns at the end of Season 4 as herself in "Krusty Gets Kancelled", and gets ''two'' lines in that episode.)

Bart feels increasingly ignored as Lisa's arrival draws near, and attempts to attend to his needs backfire. Homer builds him a big-boy clown-themed bed to lure him out of the crip that she will soon occupy, but it's unintentionally terrifying. And staying overnight at the house of next-door neighbors the Flanders is almost as traumatizing for him (when it isn't deathly boring). When baby Lisa is brought home, he greets her with the words "I hate you."

!!!This episode contains examples of: