March Madness - The Simpsons

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I am a huge fan of The Simpsons. For me, its not only one of the greatest comedy series ever made but also one of the greatest TV shows overall. I believe seasons 3-9 are pretty much untouchable in terms of comedy genius and that I can still watch episodes from that period and discover new jokes or a fresh perspective on a familiar joke.

It is fair to say the show’s quality dipped as it struggled to finds it place amongst a growing number of rival animated comedies. However, recents seasons have seen an improvement. With one glaring exception.

The episode “Lisa Goes GaGa” centres around the fact that Springfield is incredibly depressed and none more so than Lisa, who has just been voted the most unpopular student at school. Therefore, it falls to Lady GaGa to cheer up the city and teach Lisa the true meaning of happiness.

The Simpsons has always been noted for its guest stars and has featured appearances from some of the biggest names in the world such as Michael Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor and even former British prime minister Tony Blair. The show’s great skill has been how they have used their guest stars. Some have appeared as themselves, making brief appearances that serve a particular episode’s plot, while some have been let loose playing other characters such as the recurring genius of Kelsey Grammar as Sideshow Bob.

However, this is an episode constructed entirely around the presence of Lady GaGa with the plot being secondary. It is a self serving appearance featuring a number of gratuitous costume changes. It is a depressing sight to behold an episode of The Simpsons acting as what can only be described as a piece of propaganda for a flash in the pan pop star.

Review by Jonathan Gray

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