Blame It on Lisa

Infobox Simpsons episode
episode_name = Blame It on Lisa
episode_no = 284
prod_code = DABF10
airdate = March 31, 2002
show runner = Al Jean
writer = Bob Bendetson
director = Steven Dean Moore
blackboard =
couch_gag = The Simpsons are marionettes, who fail to reach the couch when they get caught up in each other's strings. The camera pans up to reveal Matt Groening as the puppet master, who throws down his marionettes in frustration.
guest_star =
season = 13

"Blame It on Lisa" is the 15th episode from the thirteenth season of "The Simpsons" in which the family goes to Brazil in search of Lisa's pen pal, a Brazilian orphan named Ronaldo. Writer Bob Bendetson received an Writers Guild of America Award nomination for the episode.cite web|title=Awards for "The Simpsons" |url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096697/awards |publisher=IMDb |accessdate=2008-02-29]

Plot

While Homer and Bart are watching "Itchy & Scratchy", Marge tells Homer that someone has been calling Brazil and she does not want to pay the phone bill. Homer and Marge then visit to the phone company and are amused to find it staffed by robots, along with Mr. Moviefone. They then see Lindsey Naegle (who, after Marge points out how she and Homer always see Lindsay Naegle working in banks and offices, admits that she constantly changes jobs because she's a sexual predator) who cuts off their phone service. Later, Lisa tries to call her friend Janey, but can't. Homer tries to fix the phone line, but succeeds only in getting shocked.

Lisa then reveals she was making phone calls to Brazil to support an orphan named Ronaldo. She had been donating money to the orphanage where he lives, but after a few months Ronaldo went missing and Lisa has been trying to find out what happened. The Simpsons decide to travel to Brazil to solve the mystery, leaving Maggie with Patty and Selma.

When they arrive in Rio de Janeiro, Bart watches a "Xuxa" parody named "Teleboobies". Lisa plans the search at a restaurant, but their early efforts prove fruitless. During the search Homer is kidnapped. The family doesn't have enough money to pay the ransom, so they go looking for him. On the way they run into a parade featuring a Teleboobies float and Lisa is surprised to find out Ronaldo has become the show's flamingo because the shoes Lisa gave him made him good at dancing. Ronaldo then gives the Simpsons the money to save Homer. The exchange is made on the cablecar to the Christ the Redeemer statue. Homer is saved, but Bart gets eaten by a snake.

Cultural references

The "Itchy and Scratchy" cartoon that opens the show has a parody of "A Trip to the Moon".

The title "Blame it on Lisa" is possibly a title reference to the movie Blame it on Rio starring Michael Caine.

Reaction in Brazil

Even before the episode was aired in Brazil, Rio's secretary of tourism (Riotur) protested on how the city was portrayed (monkeys everywhere, rampant street crime, slums, kidnappings). Producer James L. Brooks apologized, but remarked that if needed, "Homer would like to invite Brazil's then-president Fernando Henrique Cardoso to "Celebrity Boxing".

Some of the events portrayed in the episode draw intense criticism in the mainstream media, like Amazon being so near Rio de Janeiro, or the streets filled with monkeys. This was interpreted as international (mostly from USA) ignorance and prejudice. However, many noted that while the government was eager to act when a TV show exposed real problems like crime ratings and urbanization, it's actual measures on those subjects where perceived as poor and inefective. In fact, the Brazilians themselves considered the reaction of the country's government ridiculous and exaggerated (especially considering that none of the countries that were satirized by The Simpsons had such a bad reaction like Brazil had). [ [http://www.cinemacomrapadura.com.br/especiais/a_imagem_estereotipada_do_brasil_no_cinema/turismo/simpsons.html] ] [ [http://info.abril.com.br/aberto/infonews/042002/09042002-18.shl] ] [ [http://jbonline.terra.com.br/jb/papel/colunas/ivan/2002/04/11/jorcoliva20020411001.html] ] [ [http://e-revista.unioeste.br/index.php/espacoplural/article/download/1461/1191] ]

The writers made a running gag of the situation:

*Homer’s references "the monkey problem getting worse" in Rio in "The Regina Monologues".
*Krusty the Clown's revelation in "Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington" that immigration officials are constantly hounding him because his monkey sidekick, Mr. Teeny, is from Brazil. Krusty comments "His uncle was the Head Monkey on the Bureau of Tourism".
*In season 18's "The Wife Aquatic", Lisa mentions that Barnacle Bay is "the most disgusting" place the family has been. Bart asks about Brazil and Lisa replies "After Brazil". Although, the gag was cut out from the Brazilian dubbed version.

References

External links

* [http://www.tv.com/simpsons/blame-it-on-lisa/episode/109999/summary.html Episode summary at TV.com]
*snpp capsule|DABF10
*imdb title|id=0763028|title="The Simpsons" Blame It on Lisa