Liars and Saints

  My favorite TV script is for "Bart Gets an F," an early episode of "The Simpsons." This is a beautiful portrait of Bart--in the days before Homer became the series protagonist. It's also a meditation on the word "underachiever." Bart has been labeled a failure by various school authorities. But he shrugs. Many brilliant minds have struggled with conventional schooling: Edward St. Aubyn, Chris Rock, Jay-Z, and so on. (A Bart Simpson tee shirt popped up all over America.  "Underachiever," and Proud of It!  ....Some felt that Matt Groening should not glorify the idea of failure. Groening pointed out that "underachiever" was in quotation marks--because the people assigning the label to Bart were obviously wrong. But this reasoning was a bit too elaborate for certain American politicians--like Bush, Sr.--who tried to attack "The Simpsons.") Bart's F results from a book report. We open with Martin giving a stirring talk ab...

 Among my favorite "Simpsons" characters is Mrs. Krabappel, perhaps because I myself am a teacher. I understand Edna's frustration. (In one of her worst moments, she watches a "yo-yo gymnastics assembly." When a colleague questions the educational value of yo-yo tricks, Edna says, "This will give our children something pleasant to remember when they're grown up, and they're pumping gasoline for cash.") Edna dreams of adventure, mainly in the form of romance. But, in a non-canonical episode, her desired adventure has a "noir" flavor; she enlists Lisa Simpson in the cover-up of a murder. I feel I've known some Ednas--and I feel that I myself have been an Edna. The actress--Marcia Wallace--won at least one Emmy Award, and she is gone now. In "Bart the Lover," Edna seizes the reins of her own life and places a personals ad. ("1+1 equals....2?") She falls into a fast-paced epistolary romance; she takes chances; she ...

 Each week, I take my child to occupational therapy, because an authority figure once made this recommendation--and, after all, my son seems to enjoy the recurring session. He exits with a smile; the therapist says, "He is really maturing, emotionally, and, today, he stuck some stickers on a sheet of paper"; we all drive home.  Yesterday, a *new* expert dropped an "OT" bomb. "The practice can, in fact, be counterproductive. Too many occupational therapists want to make the world  comfortable .  Let's modify this....Let's purchase that special chair.....  But, in truth, the world is a challenging place. You want your child to  find comfort *in* discomfort ...." As my head began to spin, I recalled "The Simpsons," and its observations about adult idiocy. At the start of Season Four, Homer and Marge believe they are doing what is best for their kids, by sending them to "Kamp Krusty." But the camp is, in fact, "a Dickensian hor...