A Really Ripping Lentil Soup
S7 E5: Lisa the Vegetarian
The Simpsons, 1989.
Let us gather here in this digital parlour to reflect upon “Lisa the Vegetarian,” that peerless episode of The Simpsons which aired during that fabled seventh season, now reverently cataloged in the annals of television history.
In this half-hour triumph, Lisa Simpson—once a mere observer in a family known for its culinary devotion to things that oink, cluck, or moo—makes the radical and life-altering choice to become a vegetarian.
Behind the scenes, “Lisa the Vegetarian” found its literary champion in David S. Cohen—later known to the faithful as David X. Cohen—whose script deftly combined sizzling wit with a penchant for heartwarming sincerity. One might say he stuffed it all into a comedic sausage casing—but that would be an unholy metaphor for an episode that vigorously rejects the concept of sausage. Under the able direction of Mark Kirkland, the production perched precariously between sitcom irreverence and moral parable, with cameo appearances by Paul and Linda McCartney helping to tip the balance gracefully into pop-culture immortality. In a now-legendary piece of trivia, Paul McCartney agreed to lend his voice only if Lisa’s vegetarianism would be a permanent choice, thus ensuring that future episodes did not depict her relapsing into the glorious arms of non-synthetic bacon.
The cameo was more than mere novelty. The final moments played host to a specially tailored version of “Maybe I’m Amazed,” rumored to contain a backward message from the ever-mischievous Paul detailing a lentil soup recipe—only confirming what fans already suspected: that The Simpsons had by then become a place where rock ‘n’ roll and cartoon hijinks nestled side by side, like legumes and grains in a complete-protein entrée. To this day, whenever Lisa eyes a hamburger in The Simpsons’ world, that hidden Macca message whispers softly, reminding her (and us) that she is still a friend of the farmyard. And so it is that this 22-minute slice of television continues to stand as a clarion call against the tyranny of ground chuck—a pop-culture milestone that lovingly depicts Lisa embracing the greener side of the dinner plate, fulfilling Paul McCartney’s wish and setting an example for anyone inclined to see life from the vantage point of a small, innocent lamb.