What Is Lisa The Skeptic

In The Simpson’s episode titled, “Lisa the Skeptic,” there is a dig for archaeological artifacts on the grounds of a future shopping mall. This is prompted by Lisa Simpson, who is upset by the excavation of the land, as it could be disturbing the potentially historical value of this land in Springfield. Thus, she contacts her lawyer and negotiates permission to excavate the site of the future mall with the businessmen. The owners of the land agree to the archaeological dig, as it could draw in publicity from the town, which could ultimately lead to greater profits. Lisa then approaches the principal of her school, and the honors classes and detention children are brought to the site on a school field trip to dig for fossils. The principal,
Although she is a young female, she is not intimidated by any men on the job in positions of power. This characterization is prominent as it differs from the stereotypical male archaeologist. Lisa encourages the skeptical workers to continue searching for artifacts, and ultimately uncovers a fossil resembling a human with wings. She rationalizes that it must be a Neanderthal bitten by two sharks, but the other townspeople are convinced that it must be an angel. While the community argues over what should be done with the fossil, Homer Simpson decides to make a profit and brings it to his garage. The public is deeply invested in the religious value of the angel, and pay admission to be in the presence of the fossil. This is especially accentuated by Ned Flanders, a pious Evangelical Christian, as he continuously praises the spirituality of this
Stephen Jay Gould’s lab. She hopes that she will be able to preserve the integrity of science, and disprove the irrational opinions of the community. However, the paleontologist returns to Lisa to report that the lab results did not prove yield any evidence. Consequently, Lisa proceeds to denounce the belief of angels on television, and the town violently reacts through the destruction of establishments associated with science in Springfield. In an effort to end this dispute between the credibility of science and religion, she plans to get rid of the angel completely. Yet, upon returning to her home, the angel has been mysteriously removed. When the angry mob hears of this, Lisa is put on trial for the obliteration of the historical artifact. However, her name is cleared when the skeleton reappears outside of the courthouse with the words, “the end will come at sundown...” The community anxiously waits for the apocalypse that evening, unsure of how the curse will bring an end to the world. However, the tension subsides when the skeleton is lifted over the entrance of the new mall. The mall’s owners fess up to planting the skeleton of the angel on the archaeological grounds for publicity. This upsets Lisa, as Dr. Gould should have picked up on this fake artifact in the lab. The paleontologist then admits to faking the results and not truly performing