"Lisa Goes Gaga" | |
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The Simpsons episode | |
Episode no. | Season 23 Episode 22 |
Directed by | Matthew Schofield |
Written by | Tim Long |
Production code | PABF14 |
Original air date | May 20, 2012 |
Guest appearances | |
Lady Gaga as herself Kevin Michael Richardson as Lady Gaga Express Conductor | |
Episode features | |
Couch gag | The family plays a Nintendo Wii game in which they sit on the couch, but Homer keeps failing. Homer angrily throws his Wii Remote down and tries to sit on the real couch, but fails just like in the game. |
"Lisa Goes Gaga" is the twenty-second and final episode of the twenty-third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 20, 2012. In the episode, American singer-songwriter Lady Gaga makes a visit to Springfield, where all of its residents are in a state of depression. Lisa Simpson is arguably the most depressed person in the city, prompting Gaga to go out of her way to teach Lisa the meaning of happiness.
The episode was written by Tim Long and directed by Matthew Schofield. Gaga guest-starred in the episode, portraying an animated version of herself. A fan of the show, she was brought on by showrunner Al Jean, who wrote a script after James L. Brooks saw an interview of her on 60 Minutes. The design team conceived eighteen outfits to complement Gaga's eccentric persona, satirizing several of her outfits including her meat dress. Recording sessions for "Lisa Goes Gaga" took place in Los Angeles, California over four days in August 2011.
Critical responses to the episode were mixed to negative; critics looked down upon the episode's concept and general execution. According to the Nielsen ratings, the installment attained 4.79 million American viewers upon its original airing, making it notable as the lowest rated episode of The Simpsons up to that point.