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TV Diary

 An odd thing happened on Facebook. My town--which is frequently at war with itself--suddenly discovered self-composure. The reason: an intrusive third party.


Someone went on Maplewood Moms, anonymously, and wrote: "I'm thinking of moving to your town, but I have some questions about the public schools. The reputation is iffy. Can you elaborate?"

Almost immediately, a Maplewood resident wrote, "Invader! How dare you try to sow discord? Why do you hide behind the mask of anonymity? Show yourself!" And this resulted in a pile-on. My neighbors often argue about how to get rid of a tattered flag, or how to handle the somewhat disorderly public food pantry, or how to support (or not support) the embattled high-school principal. But we can all get behind our hatred for one (maybe innocuous?) "common enemy."

And so I have fondness, and admiration, for "Lemon of Troy," a classic episode of "The Simpsons." In this one, residents of Shelbyville steal Springfield's famous lemon tree. This could be met with silence; after all, a sense of Springfield pride has been waning, says Lisa, "ever since our lake caught on fire." But Marge stirs up a cauldron of jingoism. And Bart goes on a mission to save the lemon tree.

Are the two towns all that different? Springfield has "Groundskeeper Willie," and Shelbyville has "Groundskeeper Wilhelmina." Also, sometime in the 1600s, the founding fathers of Shelbyville argued that "anyone should have a shot at marrying his (or her) first cousin."

The show subtly endorses the idea of pacifism: When Milhouse sits down and speaks, at length, with his own nemesis, he discovers that he regrets the many weeks of animosity. "This is what it sounds like....when doves cry."

Another brilliant script.
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