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 As "The Simpsons" celebrates its 800th episode, I've been thinking about my favorite, "I Love Lisa."


This is a Valentine's Day special. Ralph Wiggum is upset to discover that no one has left a card for him. Lisa feels a surge of pity--she gives Ralph a drawing of a train. The message is this: "I Choo-Choo-Choose You."

Ralph misinterprets the gesture; even after Lisa confesses that she is uninterested in romance, Ralph chooses to be persistent. He drags Lisa to a taping of The Krusty Show, where he announces that he plans to marry her; the announcement is caught on national TV.

I like this because it reminds me so much of James Marshall--the pitfalls of "gift-giving" were among Marshall's major concerns. I also like the feeling of a "campus"; Bart watches and records Lisa's behavior (because Bart is a Krusty fan), and Chief Wiggum gets involved (having decided to give his son very bad advice).

I think this show is a profound essay about how we all ought to treat one another; while being "deep," it's also completely plausible, and it has a light touch.

Hats off to "The Simpsons."
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