Examine individual changes

'{{Infobox Simpsons episode | episode_name = Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington | image = | image_caption = | episode_no = 37 | prod_code = 8F01 | airdate = September 26, 1991<ref name="book"/> | show runner = [[Al Jean]] & [[Mike Reiss]] | writer = [[George Meyer]] | director = [[Wes Archer]] | blackboard = "Spitwads are not free speech" | couch_gag = The family sits, then Homer pulls Santa's Little Helper from under him. | guest_star = | commentary = [[Matt Groening]]<br />[[Al Jean]]<br />[[Mike Reiss]]<br />[[Julie Kavner]]<br />[[Wes Archer]]<br />[[David Silverman]] | season = 3 }} "'''Mr. Lisa Goes to poshington'''" ihhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmms the second episode of ''[[The Simpsons]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki> [[The Simpsons (season 3)|third season]]. It originally aired on the [[Fox network]] in the United States on September 26, 1991. In the episode, [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]] enters in an essay contest to write an essay about America's greatness. When she wins it, she and the family travel to [[Washington, D.C.]] where the finals are to be held. Lisa is dismayed after witnessing a bribery scandal in the [[United States Senate|Senate]]. In her final essay, she disdains and condomns the [[Federal government of the United States|government system]], which leads to the arrest of the corrupt [[United States Congress|congressman]] who accepted the bribe. While Lisa fails to win the contest, her faith in government is restored. The episode was written by [[George Meyer]] and directed by [[Wes Archer]], and it was the first episode for which [[Al Jean]] and [[Mike Reiss]] served as [[show runner]]s. It features multiple references to the 1939 film ''[[Mr. Smith Goes to Washington]]'', including the scene in which Lisa appeals to Lincoln's statue at the [[Lincoln Memorial]] for advice. Other Washington landmarks referenced in the episode include the [[Jefferson Memorial]], the [[Watergate Hotel]], the [[Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts]], the [[White House]], the [[National Air and Space Museum]], and the [[Washington Monument]]. The episode acquired a [[Nielsen ratings|Nielsen rating]] of 12.9, and was the third highest-rated show on the Fox network the week it aired. It received mostly positive reviews from television critics, who praised the episode for its satire on American politics. However, the [[timber industry]] criticized the scene in which Lisa witnesses a timber industry lobbyist offering a bribe to the congressman in order to demolish the Springfield Forest. The scene was described as "an easy shot at hard-working people whose only crime is to have been born in a timber town."<ref name="Durbin"/> ==Plot== [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] takes an interest in the ''[[Reader's Digest|Reading Digest]]'' magazine after a copy is sent to the [[Simpson family]]'s residence. In the magazine, he notices an ad for a children's contest in which an essay must be written about what makes America great. [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]] chooses to enter, takes a trip to Springfield Forest, and is inspired to write her essay when she sees the forest's natural beauty and when a [[bald eagle]] lands right by the branch she is sitting under. Lisa's article is approved for entry in the national finals in [[Washington, D.C.]] after the contest judge observes Homer's poor vocabulary and realizes that he could not have written Lisa's essay for her. While [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] and Homer abuse the all-expense-paid perks of their trip, Lisa visits famous monuments for inspiration. At one particular monument, she overhears a corrupt congressman taking a bribe to demolish Springfield Forest. Heartbroken and disillusioned by the dishonesty of government officials, Lisa tears up her essay and writes a more painful yet truthful essay to show the patriotic judges. The new essay, entitled "[[Cesspool]] on the [[Potomac River|Potomac]]", disdains and condemns the government system, and mentions the names of those involved in the bribery. Lisa's essay causes a ruckus and elicits a hostile reaction from the judges and audience. Messages are quickly sent around the capital regarding Lisa's speech and the corrupt congressman is arrested. Lisa's essay does not win because of its content, but with the congressman arrested, her faith in government is restored. The episode ends with Bart slingshotting the annoying pianist that performed at the contest. ==Production== {{double image|right|Mikereiss.jpg|122|Al Jean by Gage Skidmore.jpg|130|[[Mike Reiss]] (left) and [[Al Jean]] (right) took over as [[show runner]]s this season.}} The episode was written by [[George Meyer]]. It is one of ''The Simpsons'' creator [[Matt Groening]]'s favorite episodes of the earlier seasons because he thought it took the show to another level.<ref name="Groening">{{cite video | people=Groening, Matt|date=2003|title=The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Meyer said he has a "deep suspicion of social institutions and tradition in general," which affected the way he wrote the episode.<ref name="Believer">{{cite news|url=http://www.believermag.com/issues/200409/?read=interview_meyer|title=George Meyer|accessdate=2009-07-30|work=[[The Believer (magazine)|The Believer]]|date=September 2004}}</ref> [[Al Jean]] and [[Mike Reiss]], who had written for ''The Simpsons'' since the start of the show, took over as [[show runner]]s for the third season. Their first episode as show runners was "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington" and they felt a lot of pressure about running the show. Jean and Reiss were so pressured that they did six to seven rewrites of the script to make it funnier.<ref name="Jean">{{cite video | people=Jean, Al|date=2003|title=The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Jean said "one reason for doing all these rewrites is because I kept thinking 'It's not good enough. It's not good enough',"<ref name="Jean"/> and Reiss added that "we were definitely scared. We had never run anything before, and they dumped us on this."<ref name="Reiss">{{cite video | people=Reiss, Mike|date=2003|title=The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> [[Wes Archer]] directed "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington", which was one of the first episodes to feature the Simpson family traveling to a real-life location.<ref name="Archer">{{cite video | people=Archer, Wes|date=2003|title=The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Because much of the episode takes place outside of Springfield, new background and character designs had to be animated. The Simpson family visits several real-life landmarks in Washington, which the animators were able to draw with the help of photographs from the animation studio's library. ''The Simpsons'' director [[David Silverman]] grew up in the Washington area so he was able to help out with the designs.<ref name="Silverman">{{cite video | people=Silverman, David|date=2003|title=The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> [[Marge Simpson|Marge]]'s voice actor, [[Julie Kavner]], said she loved the charm of the family "just being on a trip and experiencing the hotel room they're staying at, and the integrity of Bart's character. You know, you just want to kill him for doing all those tricks and pranks."<ref name="Kavner">{{cite video | people=Kavner, Julie|date=2003|title=The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Jean believes this is one of the secrets of show's success, the fact that it is about a family and the writers can use experiences from their own or their family's life as an inspiration in their writing. He thought "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington" was a perfectly constructed episode in that sense.<ref name="Jean"/> ==Cultural references== [[File:Lincoln statue.jpg|left|thumb|Lisa seeks advice from the [[Abraham Lincoln (1920 statue)|Abraham Lincoln statue]] at the [[Lincoln Memorial]].]] The title and plot of the episode is a parody of the 1939 film ''[[Mr. Smith Goes to Washington]]'',<ref name="Anderson"/> in which the character Jefferson Smith comes to Washington with patriotic enthusiasm, but is shocked to see evidence of corruption in the government.<ref name="Keith">{{cite book|last=Booker|first=Keith|title=Drawn to Television - Prime-time Animation from the Flintstones to Family Guy|chapter=Animation's New Age: Meet The Simpsons|publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]]|year=2006|page=61|isbn=9780313076152}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Bam|last=Bray|first=Nick|date=January 27, 2001 |work=[[The Courier Mail]]|page=M02}}</ref> ''[[The Tampa Tribune]]'''s Curtis Ross called this reference one of the best film references in ''The Simpsons''<nowiki>'</nowiki> history.<ref>{{cite news|title=‘The Simpsons’ Goes To The Movies|last=Ross|first=Curtis|date=July 27, 2007 |work=[[The Tampa Tribune]]|page=27}}</ref> Lisa's visit to the [[Lincoln Memorial]] is a direct reference to ''Mr. Smith Goes to Washington'', in which Smith appeals to [[Abraham Lincoln (1920 statue)|Lincoln's statue]] for inspiration like Lisa did in the episode.<ref>{{cite book | author = Kaufman, Will | title = The Civil War in American Culture| publisher = [[Edinburgh University Press]] | year = 2006 | isbn = 0748619356|page=56|chapter=Abe Lincoln's Mixed Reviews}}</ref> In his book ''Abraham Lincoln in the Post-Heroic Era'', Barry Schwartz writes that the scene with Lisa at the crowded monument shows how "thoroughly Lincoln's moral and emotional significance has waned."<ref name="Schwartz">{{cite book|last=Schwartz|first=Barry|title=Abraham Lincoln in the Post-Heroic Era: History and Memory in Late Twentieth-Century America|publisher=[[University of Chicago Press]]|year=2009|page=156|chapter=Erosion|isbn=9780226741888}}</ref> Mark Reinhart writes in the book ''Abraham Lincoln on Screen'' that the scene sums up "with brilliant wit" the American society's "annoying and ultimately useless tendency to ask [themselves] 'What would Lincoln have done?' whenever [they] face a political or social dilemma."<ref name="Reinhart"/> ''Mr. Smith Goes to Washington'' was once again referenced on ''The Simpsons'' in the [[The Simpsons (season 14)|season fourteen]] episode "[[Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington]]".<ref name="Keith"/> [[File:WhiteHouseSouthFacade.JPG|thumb|The family visits the [[White House]], where they meet former [[First Lady of the United States|First Lady]] [[Barbara Bush]].]] In addition to the Lincoln Memorial, other Washington, D.C. landmarks visited include the [[Jefferson Memorial]],<ref name="Reinhart">{{cite book|last=S. Reinhart|first=Mark|title=Abraham Lincoln on Screen: Fictional and Documentary Portrayals on Film and Television|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|year=2008|page=18|chapter=Introduction|isbn=9780786435364}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last = Lawler | first = James | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = [[The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh! of Homer]] | publisher = [[Blackwell Publishing]]| date = February 28, 2001 | chapter=I Didn't Do It: Ethics and The Simpsons | page =92 | url =| isbn = 0812694333}}</ref> the [[Watergate Hotel]] (where the family stays),<ref name="Stein"/> the [[Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts]],<ref name="Durbin"/> the [[White House]],<ref name="Gilbert"/> the [[National Air and Space Museum]], and the [[Washington Monument]].<ref name="Jean"/> When the family visits the White House, they encounter former [[First Lady of the United States|First Lady]] [[Barbara Bush]] in the bathtub of one of the many bathrooms.<ref name="Gilbert">{{cite book|last=Gilbert|first=Rob|title=Studying Society and Environment: A Guide for Teachers|publisher=Thomson Learning Nelson|year=2004|edition=3|page=7|chapter=Studies of society and environment as a field of learning|isbn=9780170122061}}</ref> Another American landmark mentioned in the episode is [[Mount Rushmore]].<ref name="book"/> In addition, Lisa proposes that the family attend the memorial of the fictional Winifred Beecher Howe, an early crusader for women's rights who later appeared on the unpopular 75-cent coins according to Lisa. This is a reference to the [[Susan B. Anthony dollar]] coin, which was only minted for three years and never became popular.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Simpsons go to college - Columbia offering a course that even noted school-phobe Bart would like |last=George|first=Jason|date=December 7, 2005 |work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|page=3}}</ref> The episode makes references to several real-life persons. The piano-playing satirist who annoys Bart is a reference to [[Mark Russell]].<ref name="Jean"/> Bob Arnold, the corrupt congressman, tells Lisa that there are quite a few women senators, but Lisa asserts that there are only two. At the time of airing there were indeed only two female senators: [[Nancy Landon Kassebaum]] of [[Kansas]] and [[Barbara Mikulski]] of [[Maryland]].<ref name="book"/> Then-President [[George H. W. Bush]] is featured briefly in the episode. Shortly after it aired, Bush disparaged ''The Simpsons'' in a speech during his re-election campaign on January 27, 1992. At that point family values were the cornerstone of Bush's campaign platform, so he gave the following speech at the [[National Religious Broadcasters]]' convention in Washington: "We are going to keep on trying to strengthen the American family, to make American families a lot more like [[the Waltons]] and a lot less like the Simpsons."<ref name="Brooks2">Brooks, James L. (2004). "Bush vs. Simpsons", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Fourth Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref> As a result, Bush appeared in future episodes in a more negative light.<ref name="Brooks2"/> ==Themes and analysis== "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington" has been labeled as a satire on American politics. Michael Bitzer, in an edited book by Joseph Foy and Stanley Schultz entitled ''Homer Simpson Goes to Washington'', said this episode "espouses the virtues, vices, and varieties of American political culture, public opinion, and ultimately the [[American Dream]]."<ref name="Foy">{{cite book|last=Foy|first= Joseph |coauthors=Schultz, Stanley|title=Homer Simpson Goes to Washington|publisher=[[University Press of Kentucky]]|year=2008|page=42|chapter=Popular Culture and Public Opinion|isbn=9780813125121}}</ref> Bitzer also wrote that ''The Simpsons'', through "skillful" use of satire, demonstrates with this episode "insights into the underlying political culture and public opinion of the United States' governing system (and, more broadly, society at large)."<ref name="Foy"/> In his book ''Gilligan Unbound: Pop Culture in the Age of Globalization'', Paul Arthur Cantor said he was amazed by how far the episode "willing to take its corrosive satire of national politics."<ref name="Cantor"/> He said it "attacks the federal government at its foundation, the patriotic myths upon which its legitimacy lies. It makes fun of the very process by which patriotism is inculcated in the nation's youth, the hokey contests that lead children to outdo each other in progovernment effusions."<ref name="Cantor">{{cite book|last=Cantor|first=Paul|title=Gilligan Unbound: Pop Culture in the Age of Globalization|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|year=2003|page=89|isbn=0742507793}}</ref> When the corrupt congressman is arrested, Lisa proclaims "The system works!" Benedict Anderson wrote in the book ''The Spectre of Comparisons'' that series creator Matt Groening "assumes that his tickled audience is confident that the system barely works [...] So why does he need to show a patriot at all, especially one who is a deluded little female block-head? Probably because he, too, wishes to be seen as giving America another chance. Mr. Lisa guarantees his good intentions."<ref name="Anderson">{{cite book|last=Anderson|first=Benedict|title=The Spectre of Comparisons: Nationalism, Southeast Asia, and the World|publisher=[[Verso Books]]|year=1998|page=365|chapter=The Goodness of Nations|isbn=9781859841846}}</ref> Günter Beck, a lecturer for the [[German Academic Exchange Service]] (DAAD) at the Haifa Center for German and European Studies at the [[University of Haifa]] in Israel, compared Lisa's role in the episode to the nineteenth century American poet and philosopher [[Henry David Thoreau]]. He writes that Lisa stands up against the public's indifference towards the political system that Thoreau criticized, and comments that the emphasis should be "on the brave moral decision to stand up for principles and against the broad public. By this courageous act, 'to do what is right', an individual could save the well-being of the whole community. And indeed, Lisa’s bravery is the impulse for the state’s representatives to carry out their democratic obligations, so she can gladly notice 'The system works!' — her trust in democracy and its institutions is restored. Thoreau on the other hand, had no lasting trust in the system but only in the people themselves and in the individual’s capacity to realize development and democracy."<ref name="Beck">{{cite journal|last=Beck|first=Günter|year=2008|title="Mmm... Individualism!": Thoreau and Thoreauvian Thought In The Simpsons|journal=Americana|publisher=[[University of Szeged]]|location=Hungary|volume=4|issue=2|issn=1787-4637|url=http://americanaejournal.hu/vol4no2/beck|accessdate=2009-07-19}}</ref> ==Reception== ===Broadcast and re-releases=== "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington" originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 26, 1991.<ref name="book">{{cite book|last=Richmond |first=Ray|coauthors=Antonia Coffman|title=The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to our Favorite Family |year=1997 |publisher=Harper Collins Publishers |page=63 |isbn=0-00-638898-1}}</ref> The episode finished 36th in the ratings for the week of September 23–29, 1991, with a [[Nielsen ratings|Nielsen rating]] of 12.9, equivalent to approximately 11.9 million viewing households. ''The Simpsons'' was the third highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following ''[[Married... with Children]]'' and ''[[In Living Color]]''.<ref name=Ratings>{{cite news|title=Nielsen Ratings /Sept. 23-29|work=[[Long Beach Press-Telegram]]|author=Associated Press|page=D5|date=October 2, 1991}}</ref> "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington" and the episode "[[When Flanders Failed]]" were released on videocassette in 1999, entitled ''The Best of the Simpsons''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Six of the 'Simpsons' most outrageous episodes now out|last=Tuckman|first=Jeff|date=May 8, 1999 |work=[[Daily Herald (Arlington Heights)|Daily Herald]]|page=7}}</ref> The episode was later included on the ''Simpsons'' season three DVD set that was released on August 26, 2003. Wes Archer, David Silverman, Matt Groening, Al Jean, Mike Reiss, and Julie Kavner participated in the DVD's [[audio commentary]] of the episode.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/releases/Simpsons-Complete-3rd-Season/2540|title=The Simpsons - The Complete 3rd Season|publisher=[[TVShowsOnDVD.com]]|accessdate=2008-11-30}}</ref> ===Critical reviews=== [[File:George H. W. Bush, President of the United States, 1989 official portrait.jpg|thumb|Bryce Wilson of [[Cinema Blend]] said the episode "bitch slapped" the administration of then-President [[George H. W. Bush]] (pictured).]] Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. It was named the third best episode of ''The Simpsons'' by Sarah Culp of ''The Quindecim'',<ref>{{cite news|url=http://media.www.thequindecim.com/media/storage/paper618/news/2003/02/19/ArtsAndEntertainment/The-Simpsons.Top.25.Episodes-372979.shtml|title=The Simpsons' Top 25 Episodes|last=Culp|first=Sarah|date=February 19, 2003|work=The Quindecim|accessdate=2009-03-01}}</ref> and one of the ten best episodes by Jim Schembri of ''[[The Age]]''.<ref>{{cite news|title=What a difference a D'oh! makes|last=Schembri|first=Jim|date=July 26, 2007 |work=[[The Age]]|page=15}}</ref> The authors of the book ''I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide'', Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, praised the episode for being one of the best Lisa-centric episodes, and called Lisa's talk with [[Thomas Jefferson]] and her nightmare vision of politicians as pigs "especially worthy of note."<ref name="BBC">{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season3/page3.shtml|title=Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington|accessdate=2009-05-26|author=Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian |year=2000|publisher=BBC}}</ref> Nate Meyers of Digitally Obsessed gave the episode a 4.5 rating and said it is one of the best episodes featuring Lisa, "complete with poignant observations about politics."<ref name="Meyers"/> He particularly enjoyed the appearance of Barbara Bush at the White House.<ref name="Meyers">{{cite web|url=http://www.digitallyobsessed.com/displaylegacy.php?ID=6129|title=The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season|last=Meyers|first=Nate|date=June 23, 2004|publisher=Digitally Obsessed|accessdate=2009-06-06}}</ref> The ''[[Austin American-Statesman]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Steven Stein said this was the first episode of ''The Simpsons'' he saw. Even though he did not understand half of the pop culture references, by the end of the episode he was a "''Simpsons'' convert."<ref name="Stein"/> He thought there was "something exotic about an issue as serious as political corruption being dealt with in a cartoon and being interrupted by jokes about beer and, yes, doughnuts."<ref name="Stein">{{cite news|title=Springfield on big screen? That's okely-dokely by me|last=Stein|first=Steven|date=July 27, 2007 |work=[[Austin American-Statesman]]|page=A16}}</ref> The episode was praised for its political satire. Bill Gibron of DVD Verdict called the episode a "biting political satire in the guise of a children's oratory contest", that "signifies that this season of the series will be all over the map, both emotionally and logically."<ref name="Gibron"/> Gibron added: "Everything, from the ''Reader's Digest'' rants to the formulaic speeches of the youths, has a resounding ring of truth. And once the story moves to Washington D.C, our nation's capital is in for a royal reaming as well."<ref name="Gibron">{{cite web |accessdate=2009-05-26 |url=http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/simpsonsseason3.php |title=The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season |publisher=DVD Verdict |date=2005-02-23 |author=Gibron, Bill }}</ref> Bryce Wilson of [[Cinema Blend]] said the episode solidified the series' politically satirical voice as it "bitch slapped the Bush administration" that [[History of The Simpsons#Feud with George H. W. Bush|would later badmouth ''The Simpsons'']].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cinemablend.com/review.php?id=545|title=The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season - DVD|last=Wilson|first=Bryce|date=June 18, 2004|publisher=[[Cinema Blend]]|accessdate=2009-07-18}}</ref> DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson, however, gave the episode a more negative review, stating that it "has its moments but never seems like one of the series’ better programs. Part of that stems from its somewhat icky ending. The show exhibits a tone that feels more appropriate to a less biting and cynical series. It starts well with Homer’s obsession with ''Reading Digest''. After that, the show seems more erratic, and it remains pretty average overall."<ref>{{cite web |accessdate=2009-05-26 |url=http://www.dvdmg.com/simpsonsseasonthree.shtml |title=The Simpsons: The Complete Fifth Season (1993) |publisher=DVD Movie Guide |date=2004-12-21 |author=Jacobson, Colin}}</ref> <!-- The episode was nominated for an [[Environmental Media Awards|Environmental Media Award]] in the "Best Television Episodic Comedy" category,<ref>{{cite news|title='Dinosaurs', 'Trials' up for environmental nods|date=1992-08-06|publisher=[[Daily Variety]]}}</ref> which has been awarded every year since 1991 to the best television episode or film with an environmental message.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ema-online.org/awards.php#TurnerAward|title=The EMA Awards|accessdate=2007-10-17|publisher=Environmental Media Awards}}</ref> --> ===Response from the timber industry=== According to ''[[The Plain Dealer]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Rodney Ferguson, the [[timber industry]] was insulted by the scene in which a timber industry lobbyist offers a bribe to the corrupt congressman so that he can demolish Springfield Forest. The Oregon Lands Coalition, a pro-timber group in [[Salem, Oregon]], "bombarded" the producers of the show with phone calls and mail protesting the episode.<ref name="Ferguson"/> The coalition said it portrayed loggers unfairly and is "allowing itself to be used by environmental extremists."<ref name="Durbin">{{cite news|title=Loggers Get Bad Vibes From Lisa|last=Durbin|first=Kathie|date=October 15, 1991 |work=[[The Oregonian]]|page=D01}}</ref> In an open letter to ''The Simpsons'' executive producer [[James L. Brooks]], the coalition wrote: "Rather than approach this issue with genuine concern for Mother Earth, you took an easy shot at hard-working people whose only crime is to have been born in a timber town."<ref name="Durbin"/> Karen Clark, a payroll clerk for a timber company in [[Stayton, Oregon]], said: "''The Simpsons'' portrayed us as greedy, bribery-type people. It didn't portray us as the everyday people—mothers, fathers, good members of society—that we are."<ref name="Ferguson"/> Luke Popovich, vice president of the American Forest Council, wrote a letter to the show's producer to protest "the fuzzy-headed characterizations that pass for political correctness, the thinking in Hollywood where people are not very serious about these issues, but interested in pushing the right hot buttons, scoring the right points with audiences."<ref name="Ferguson">{{cite news|title=Opus, Doonesbury and Friends Ruffle Some Feathers|last=Ferguson|first=Rodney|date=February 2, 1992 |work=[[The Plain Dealer]]|page=16A}}</ref> [[File:Matt Groening by Gage Skidmore.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[Matt Groening]], creator of ''The Simpsons'', responded to the criticism of the episode.|alt=A man in glasses and a plaid shirt sits in front of a microphone.]]''The Simpsons'' creator Matt Groening responded to the criticism in an interview with ''[[TV Guide]]'', in which he said he did "research on the ecological damage caused by clear-cutting and over-logging [and] it's really appalling."<ref name="Ferguson"/> Jackie Lang, a timber industry activist in Salem who helped lead the protest against the Fox network and Groening, said she was appalled by Groening's response, and "he will be sorry he ever made it."<ref name="Ferguson"/> Jake Hogan, supervising producer of the show, defended Groening: "[The episodes] are just little stories, little comedies—stories that make people laugh."<ref name="Ferguson"/> On October 15, 1991, Groening issued another statement the public, in which he said: "So now a few lumber companies have joined the nuclear power industry, right-wing preachers and high-ranking Republicans in attacking ''The Simpsons''. We must be doing something right. I must point out ''The Simpsons'' is a cartoon show—not ''[[60 Minutes]]''. Later in the show, the same lobbyist proposed drilling for oil in [[Teddy Roosevelt]]'s head at Mount Rushmore. Please don't tell the oil companies about this."<ref name="Reinhard">{{cite news|title=I've Got A 'Brooklyn Bridge' To Sell You|last=Reinhard|first=David|date=October 25, 1991 |work=[[The Oregonian]]|page=C08}}</ref> David Reinhard of ''[[The Oregonian]]'' commented on the criticism: "Hollywood sharpsters can always make a group from the great American hinterland look ridiculous when it zeroes in on one show, particularly if that show is a cartoon. And the Oregon Lands Coalition's protest was a bit of an overreaction. But the environmental sloganeering of ''The Simpsons'' as well as Groening's cartoon commentary are symptomatic of a Hollywood and a popular culture that are hostile to the concerns and values of most Americans."<ref name="Reinhard"/> After the episode aired, media researchers Robert Lichter and Linda S. Lichter found in a study of prime-time television that when shows dealt with business themes, 89 percent portrayed businessmen as swindlers or liars.<ref name="Reinhard"/> The same day Groening released his second statement, ''The Simpsons'' publicist Antonia Coffman was invited by Wayne Giesy, sales manager of Hull-Oakes Lumber Co. in [[Bellfountain, Oregon]], to visit Oregon and see "responsible timber management."<ref name="Durbin"/> Giesy said they wanted to show the producers "how we log, how we manufacture, what goods we produce for everyone and how we replant for future generations. What most timber companies are interested in is a balanced program."<ref name="Durbin"/> ==References== {{Reflist|2}} ==External links== {{wikiquote|The_Simpsons#Mr._Lisa_Goes_to_Washington_.5B3.02.5D|Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington}} {{Portal|The Simpsons}} *[http://www.thesimpsons.com/#/recaps/season-3_episode-2 "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington"] at The Simpsons.com *{{snpp capsule|8F01}} *{{imdb episode|id=0701183}} *{{Tv.com episode|1322}} {{good article}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Mr. Lisa Goes To Washington}} [[Category:The Simpsons (season 3) episodes]] [[Category:1991 television episodes]] [[Category:Abraham Lincoln in fiction]] [[cs:Líza na stopě zlořádu]] [[es:Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington]] [[fr:Lisa va à Washington]] [[ru:Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington]] [[simple:Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington]] [[sv:Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington]]'