We watch... so you don't have to.
A Call to Lisas
So it's Sunday night at the Casa de TeeVee and I've just witnessed an episode of The Simpsons where Lisa Simpson subjected everyone to her usual against-the-grain moralizing, followed by an episode of Six Feet Under where Lisa Fisher subjected Nate to her usual guilt trips and sulking. And it crossed my mind: why must these women -- these awful, whiny enemies of fun -- why must they have my name?
Sure, Lisa was a popular name in the 1970s; I went through school as Lisa S. so I wouldn't be confused with Lisas B., C., M. and U. I can understand how the name Lisa would percolate through the rosters of pretend people on television. I can also understand how Lisa Simpson is largely admirable: she takes reasoned stands of conscience instead doing the easy thing, no small feat given her home life and hometown. However, Lisa Simpson is also something of a hectoring killjoy. As is Lisa Fisher, who actually succeeded in making Brenda Chenowith -- the perpetually-stoned, sex-addicted Brenda Chenowith -- look like the One Who Got Away on Six Feet Under.
It was bad enough when Douglas Coupland used the name "Lisa" as shorthand for PR flacks in Microserfs, but to be slapped with the wet blanket label courtesy of television -- that really hurts.
Is there a Lisa plot? A Hollywood movement to discredit the name? Lisa Ling certainly seems like a smoking gun.
So I'm turning to you, the TeeVee readers. Help me uncover this covert entertainment conspiracy to besmirch my name -- or give me evidence that Lisas Simpson and Fisher are only two statistical blips in an otherwise sterling entertainment record.
Send in examples of Lisas on television who are either not guaranteed to be the downers in the crowd, or are the life of the party. Note: Lisas Rinna and Bonet do not count, unless they play characters named Lisa. I'm talking about examples of arguably fun Lisas like the one Pamela Anderson played on Home Improvement. Okay, so that Lisa the Tool Time Girl isn't necessarily my idea of fun, but she's undoubtedly someone else's.
Hook a Lisa up, readers. Send in your examples today.
