This thread is about Lisa's family, her parents and siblings.

My two cents about Marge... I read very contradictory opinions about her sometimes. To my surprise, many people if not hate her, but at least think that her character has degraded over past years. To me, Marge is Lisa's mom in the first place, and if she acts weird sometimes, that always can be explained. The only thing in her character/appearance I don't like, is her maniacal urge towards order and cleanness (remember Marge cleaning the roof with the mop, or saying "everything should have a couple", and bringing Helper and Snowball together). But that's the only thing, everything else I do like: she's a clever, nice, caring woman, she manages to live together with Homer and Lisa - and that's not an easy thing to do! And after all, she's very pretty (to Springfield merits of course, but I do understand them now ).

I'll post about other Simpsons family members eventually, but I'd like to know your opinions.

Dagdamor... This is what I think about Marge: She's a caring mom and a typical housewife. Lisa obviously has her good heart, but will choose a different path in life. I cant see Lisa living Marge's life, staying at home and babysitting her ungrateful husband. I believe Marge has issues with her self worth, she needs to feel needed. She irritates me sometimes, when she doesn’t understand Lisa. Especially her vegetarianism. (I’ll never forgive her for tricking Lisa!) Other times she is proud of her, usually concerning school work.  Although sometimes I wonder if she's just proud of succeeding as a mother. (after pretty much failing with Bart, not to mention Homie heh) and she sees Lisa’s success in school as her own?

But she is the only "solid" character Lisa can rely on while she's still living at home. Lisa will go further in life than Marge could ever wish for. I bet Marge's vision of success for her daughter is to get married and keep the kitchen clean.  I can’t recall now if she actually ever had a day dream about this issue? Anyway, Marge is a good mom, typical, traditional and American in many ways, NOT perfect but she will do. I love her hair.  (you should never drink and draw!  )

Yggdrasill
Unless you're going to go into a long disgusting discussion about Fatty and Smelma, I see no harm...
Long ago, there were times I wasn't obsessed with Lisa, wasn't even recognizing her enough in the show, because other Simpsons family members were more interesting to me. I still remember times when I liked Marge - and one of the reasons I loved Lisa so much afterwards, was Marge's attitude towards her older daughter. She was caring, understanding mom, Marge and Lisa were helping each other so many times in the show. I still remember that final moment in the "Lisa The Skeptic" episode, where Lisa says thanks to Marge for hugging her and Marge replies, "Anytime, my angel". This can sound funny, but during these old times I kinda got Marge's approval to feel nice to Lisa, and I'm thankful to her for that.

Yggdrasill
Actually, it's always seemed so strange to me - that young Marge's attitude to future life. Maybe because I've lost in chronology: after school she and her friend Chloe chooses their ways, and Marge's choose not to continue her education, but stay with Homer. But it's so controversial with her feministic position. And at the same time, Homer wasn't going to marry her and her pregnancy was kinda surprising for both. And why she haven't used some contraception, and have got two little children, when it was tough time to the Simpsons? She gave her future in Homer hands even before she knew about Bart's existence.

In her marriage Marge is definitely bored -that's why she is drinking some time, has addiction problems and few times dreamed about better partner. But, I suppose, Homer and housekeeping not so guilty. Marge had some potential when she was young and she has it now, but maybe she is unsure, maybe she couldn't choose perfect way to live vividly, I don't know. However, it's kinda weird for girl with such views refuse to study further and work as unqualified till birth of her children. Homer also has dependence from Marge, but for him it's more natural.

And I wonder, how could change her life, when she'd got amnesia and forgot Homer in 17x20. If it could be shown in cartoon, it could be a great way to show Marge as herself - starting a new life having already three kids, she could use all her hidden power, if there is any.

And such life for Lisa is also possible, but hard to imagine, because I think, with her family's help and her character she would be more self-reliant young woman and could choose her life path better.

I'll add something about other members of Simpson family, when my mind will be clearer.

lizard_queen
Sometimes I support this point of view :/ She has a potential deep inside, but something in her own personality always preventing her from self-actualization. So she terribly needs this family and Homer especially. Maybe not because she "can shine next to him", just because when she has her family, she has a burden, and when she cares about them, she can feel herself important, because other people could think about her life as a self-sacrificing.

She as good as Lisa, but she just hadn't normal support when she was a girl.

Speaking of Marge.... Does anyone have a picture of her portrait from the S' version of The Raven? I find it so hilarious; I don’t know if anyone remembers... because her hair couldn’t fit into one single painting, there was another smaller one right above it, with the rest of her hair.... I so want to find an image of that! 

Hey, I  never realised that she had a lot of bowties as Lenore I mean her portrait should be tragic - she died so young, but i can stop myself from smiling, when I see this

Back on topic - it'll be very interesting for me to see future relationship between Lisa and Ling Bouvier, who was adopted by Lisa's advice. Marge tries to keep her relations with sisters rather strong, so I suppose, she would help Selma with girl's raising and Simpson kids also would spend time with Ling. Of course, Maggie could be a better friend for her, they are in the same age and in one episode they played together and slept near each other. But in general it'll be great to see, how all Springfildians and especially Lisa would treat an adopted girl, when she'll grow up a little.

lizard_queen
brakusaetsya
SimpReal
This is... plain weird. I also remember that episode very well, but I can't believe there were so many bowties in the version I've seen. Is it possible they altered the episode before releasing the DVD versions? I wouldn't blame others here, but I remember that episode pretty well, there were two portraits on the wall - Lenore herself and the "corner" of her long hair, her peaceful smiling face... and no bowties.

GeorgeHarrison
Yep It was so weird to hear Ling's laughter, just like Selma's, when they were coming back from China, and day after day she will take more from her new mother. But, when she was shown later, 2 or 3 times, she looked rather smart for such a young girl and, inlike Maggie, she looks very calm and patient, more similar mentally to little Lisa. But who knows, how Selma can change her.
I can't remember, if there are any people who were adopted kids in Springfield, that's why it's so interesting. We saw orphanarium and also Frank Grimes was an orphan, but no kids were adopted. Some people in Springfield can be very cruel to persons, who are different from others or have some problems. Especially kids: remember, how Nelson in one THOH teased Bart: "Your father is dead, and mine is just sitting in jail". Ewww.... Maybe Lisa as a grownup could protect Ling and convince her, that she is a happy kid, even if she don't know her biological parents, if little girl would be sad about it.

As for bowties - they're definitely fit simpsonic mood, nice touch, I can't say nothing agaist this, well-done for Treehouse of Horror - even lonely Homer looks so nice and making funny faces in that "sad" poem. But somehow I didn't remember those bowties till I saw that screenshot Marco posted I doubt that scene was redone, maybe these details just too small to remember... :\

Andreas
Yeah, I also very doubt that they have added it afterwards. Just my bad memory, then.

About the subject: I don't believe Selma (or Patty) is able to raise a good child. Rememeber how they treated Marge in their childhood - like a slave, she was doing all nasty work while her older sisters were resting. That's another shocking thing I believe in: bad childhood often causes good parentage (Marge) and vice versa (Homer, or Selma). There are exceptions of course, it's not a strict rule... but Selma should give her adopted child to Marge as soon as possible.

One of Simpsons family members, which always surprised me - is Grampa Simpson. And most of all - Simpsons girls relations with him. Marge and Lisa are so kind and caring, and Marge treat her sisters nicely, no matter how awful they are, but when Abe comes - often even Marge and Lisa don't pay attention to him and even refusing to accept him on holidays
Yes, sometimes he is so annoying, but girls are always so responsible, couldn't they treat him more nicely if not during whole year, but at least on all holidays and family celebrations and convince Homer to be more friendly too?

I think there are several scenes when Lisa shows more love for Grandpa Simpson than anyone else does. Remember in Million Dollar Abie she and grandpa were put in a similar situation to Homer and her at the bbq incident, when she became a vegetarian. There was not as much focus on the relationship between Lisa and grandpa though, but the affection (both from Lisa and Abe) is apparent when Lisa tries to explain to him that bullfighting is wrong:

Lisa: Why would you want to use it to hurt poor, helpless animals?
Abe: Listen, I'm 83 years old, and for the first time in my life people are cheering for me.
Lisa: I was always cheering for you, grandpa… till now.
Abe: How does she always know how to get to me?

Also, remember when Bart had to work at the retirement home. I don’t recall now how he got there, but when he saw Lisa there he asked something like: They made you work here too? Lisa answers that she has been working there voluntarily for some time. So there’s definitely more chance for Lisa and Abe to develop a close granddaughter/grandpa relationship and this also shows Lisa’s compassion and patience with old people including Abe. I wish the Million Dollar Abie episode focused more on their relationship, because I can see great potential in this subject. 

brakusaetsya
It's true, a lot of the time things change on the show, depending on what the writers do to make the episode fit. Certain things that seem one way in an episode will be different in another. Take Principal Skinner, for example. In the 7th season episode "Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grand--" ya-da-ya-da-ya-da, who cares what the episode is called. When Grampa tells the story of being in the Flying Hellfish, he mentions one of his companions is "Sheldon Skinner". Sheldon looks and sounds exactly like Principal Skinner. However, we find out who the real Seymour Skinner is in the ninth season episode "The Principal and the Pauper". But that can't be right then; Sheldon Skinner wouldn't have looked or sounded anything like Arman Tamzarian, he would've looked or sounded (remotely, anyway) like the real Seymour Skinner.

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make here is that sometimes the writers goof, or contradict themselves in writing episodes. Sometimes they'll make Lisa do one thing in an episode because it fits (i.e. having her laugh at the fact that Grampa gave all his money to buy Homer a house), and then in other episodes, have her be her normal idealistic self. In moments like the former, all we can do is roll our eyes and let it slide, imo. We all know what Lisa's convictions are, and we know that she wouldn't treat people the way that Homer and Bart do.

brakusaetsya
She wasn't the only one who was laughing that moment - the whole family was. And if Lisa shows indifference to her Grampa sometimes, it's more an exception than a rule. Usually, Lisa is very friendly with people who doesn't hurt her or her beliefs, and Abe never did anything bad to Lisa. I think Lisa just accepts the fact that Abe lives in the retirement castle as some kind of axiom, that's why she's not against that. When Abe and Lisa meet in the show, they act like good friends, like people who understand each other, despite the huge age gap. I can't help myself but link the same screenshot once again - link