Liz Lemon and Lisa Simpson
On the Simpsons, there has been a number of episodes that showcase the family in the future, whether it’s Bart in high school, as a supreme court justice, or as a guy with a skull tattoo that is manning a wrecking ball. Lisa, in one episode, is depicted as “The First Straight Woman President,” and Bart, as it turns out, fills out the Roger Clinton role as “The President’s Goofy Brother.” There certainly are other ways to think of it, especially when comparing The Simpsons to other television in shows. In many respects, if I were to think of a grown up version of Lisa Simpson, I would immediately think of Tina Fey and her Liz Lemon character on 30 Rock.
The two actually have a lot in common, besides the fact that their names are remarkably similar. They’re smart, and most of all, 
there’s a subtle political underpinning to how the come off on television. Lisa, at one point, played with her Malibu Stacy dolls, envisioning a woman Secretary General of the United Nations. There are plenty of other times where Lisa has displayed a level of consciousness, but there’s a complicating factor. Beneath all of that, Lisa is still a girl that wants a pony. There’s a selfish side to her, one that not always adheres to strong convictions. In a way, it’s a very humanizing aspect to what is a character in an animated satire.
Liz Lemon has similar inclinations. As a head writer at NBC, she quite often yearns to do something meaningful. So much so, when Jenna puts on weight, Liz tries to make a point out of it all, but only to watch as Jenna basks in how a degrading line like “Me want food!” brings her lots of attention. Quite often, Liz has to balance her conscious on one side, and the inane corporate whisperings of Jack, her boss, on the other.
Of course, the two are not exactly alike, but the interesting thing is that both Liz and Lisa are actually complicated figures, sometimes at conflict with the world around them, especially as they try to make sense of that world.
The Simpsons, 30 Rock, Lisa Simpson, Liz Lemon, Tina Fey
December 2nd, 2007 at 11:40 am
[...] two sayings. Lisa really does occupy a unique place within the Springfield universe. To an extent, she really is the only sane person — even Martin, the other nerd, has his own unique delusions. For example, whenever the fire [...]