Editing Lisa Simpson (section)

===Cultural influence===
Jonathan Gray, author of the book ''Watching The Simpsons'', feels that Lisa "is probably the best and certainly longest-running feminist character that television has had. She's the heart of the show and she quite often questions gender politics."<ref>{{harvnb|Ortved|2009 |p=86}}</ref> Christopher Borrelli of ''[[The Toledo Blade]]'' wrote, "Has there ever been a female TV character as complex, intelligent, and, ahem, as emotionally well-drawn as Lisa Simpson? Meet her once and she comes off priggish and one-note&nbsp;– a know-it-all. Get to know her and Lisa is as well-rounded as anyone you may ever meet in the real world."<ref>{{Cite news |title=She's not even real and she's a feminist role model liberated Lisa |work=[[Toledo Blade|The Toledo Blade]] |author=Borrelli, Christopher |date=March 11, 2001}}</ref>

According to PETA, Lisa was one of the first vegetarian characters on primetime television. In 2004 the organization included Lisa on its list of the "Most Animal-Friendly TV Characters of All Time".<ref name="PETA">{{cite news|url=http://www.peta.org/mc/NewsItem.asp?id=4375 |title=Friends' Phoebe tops PETA's list of most animal-friendly TV characters of all time |access-date=October 27, 2008 |date=May 4, 2004 |publisher=[[People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals|PETA]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121001205755/http://www.peta.org/mc/NewsItem.asp?id=4375 |archive-date=October 1, 2012 }}</ref> In 2008, environmentalist website The Daily Green honored Lisa's role in ''The Simpsons Movie'' with one of its inaugural "Heart of Green" awards, which "recognize those who have helped green go mainstream." They wrote "young Lisa Simpson has inspired a generation to wear their hearts on their sleeves and get educated, and involved, about global issues, from justice to feminism and the environment."<ref>{{cite web |title=The Daily Green's Heart of Green Awards 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090124040208/http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/heart-of-green-47032710|archive-date=January 24, 2009|url=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/heart-of-green-47032710 |website=The Daily Green |access-date=March 13, 2010 |year=2008}}</ref> Japanese broadcasters reversed viewer dislike of the series by focusing marketing of the show on Lisa. Lisa's well-intended but ill-fated struggles to be a voice of reason and a force of good in her family and community struck a chord with Japanese audiences.{{sfn|Turner|2004|p=327}} Mario D'Amato, a specialist in Buddhist studies at [[Rollins College]] in Florida, described Lisa as "open-minded, reflective, ethical, and interested in improving herself in various ways, while still preserving a childlike sense of innocence. These are all excellent qualities, ones which are espoused by many Buddhist traditions."<ref>{{harvnb|Pinsky|2007 |p=180}}</ref>

Lisa and the rest of the Simpsons have had a significant influence on English-language [[idiom]]s. The dismissive term "meh"—used by Lisa and popularized by the show—<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/mar/05/newmedia.broadcasting |title=Meh&nbsp;– the word that's sweeping the internet |access-date=October 14, 2007 |date=March 5, 2007 |work=The Guardian |author=Michael Hann |location=London}}</ref> entered the ''[[HarperCollins|Collins English Dictionary]]'' in 2008.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=f216bac2-8f0b-4202-a1ae-8f7ed4de2bd7 |title=Canadian politics: The definition of 'meh' |access-date=November 21, 2008 |date=November 18, 2008 |work=The Vancouver Sun |publisher=Canwest News Service |author=Boswell, Randy |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206011004/http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=f216bac2-8f0b-4202-a1ae-8f7ed4de2bd7 |archive-date=December 6, 2008 }}</ref> In 1996, ''[[The New York Times]]'' published an article saying that Lisa was inspiring children, especially young girls, to learn to play the saxophone.<ref name="Saxophone">{{cite news |title=A Sax Craze, Inspired by 'The Simpsons' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/01/14/weekinreview/january-7-13-a-sax-craze-inspired-by-the-simpsons.html |work=The New York Times |date=January 14, 1996 |access-date=March 12, 2010 |author=Barron, James|author-link=James Barron (journalist)}}</ref>

Lisa Simpson was mentioned at the 2018 [[Conservative Political Action Conference]] when Senator [[Ted Cruz]] called the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] "The Party of Lisa Simpson", as opposed to the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] being the party of several other family members.<ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2018/02/22/ted-cruz-simpsons/364747002/ "Ted Cruz: 'Democrats are the party of Lisa Simpson' "] by William Cummings, ''[[USA Today]]'', February 23, 2018</ref>

"Lisa the Skeptic" and "The Monkey Suit" are episodes of The Simpsons that delve into themes of skepticism, religion, and science. These episodes demonstrate the show's commitment to encouraging critical thinking and questioning of established beliefs, while also acknowledging the complexities and challenges that arise in such discussions. Despite occasional missteps, The Simpsons has provided a platform for exploring these important topics in an entertaining and thought-provoking manner.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sloughter |first1=Trevor |title=25 years ago today, Lisa the Skeptic became The Simpsons' critical thinking icon |url=https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2022/11/25-years-ago-today-lisa-the-skeptic-became-the-simpsons-critical-thinking-icon/ |website=The Skeptic |date=November 23, 2022 |access-date=16 May 2023}}</ref>