Throughout more than 30 seasons and a movie (and an upcoming sequel), The Simpsons presented some constants. Homer (And Castellaneta) will somehow manage to keep his position as nuclear safety inspector, whatever misfortune happens to him. His wife Marge (Julie Kavner) stands by his side through thick and thin. Bart (Nancy Cartwright) is a fountain of chaos. Even if the casting of The Simpsons may not age, they have undergone many changes and one of the most important is thanks to Richard Geréwho was a guest star in season 13’s “She of Little Faith.”
“She of Little Faith” sees Lisa Simpson convert to Buddhism, thanks to Richard Gere
“She of Little Faith” begins with Homer accidentally destroying Springfield’s church during a rocket launch. After seeking funds, the church council turns to the wealthy but extremely wicked Mr. Burns (Harry Shearer). Burns rebuilds the church, but covers it with electronic advertisements, which provokes Lisa (Yeardley Smith) renounce Christianity. While searching for a new religion, she enters a Buddhist temple where Gere meditates and begins to discover the fundamental concepts of Buddhism.
While “She of Little Faith” is way beyond what The Simpsons fans consider the series to be the “golden era” it still contains a lot of humor and heart that fuels the series. On the hilarious side, you have some wacky commercials in Burns’ church, including the “Godcam” that acts as a “Kiss Cam” in a baseball stadium. Emotionally, Lisa faces a crisis of faith, while Marge tries to win her back to Christianity. The best parts are the ones that feature Gere, who helped shape the direction of the episode.
Richard Gere had three requests before appearing on ‘The Simpsons’
In the official DVD commentary for “She of Little Faith”, showrunner Al-Jean revealed that Richard Gere had three requests before becoming a guest star on The Simpsons. The first was that Buddhism be represented with respect. The second was that Lisa’s conversion to Buddhism had to be permanent. The third was Lisa shouting “Free Tibet!” ” in reference to the fact that Gere was part of the movement to liberate Tibet from Chinese rule. Only the first two demands were met, with Gere being the one to say “Free Tibet!” » ; Lisa would actually say the phrase in the season 14 episode “I Spell as Fast as I Can”.
“She of little faith” depicts Buddhism in a respectful lightas Lisa (and by extension, viewers) discovers her teachings under Gere’s guidance. A major moment involves Lisa having a panic attack when her family tries to trick her into returning to Christianity, with Gere telling her that a big part of Buddhism is love and compassion for all people, even if you don’t agree with them.
Another Simpsons Guest Star Was Responsible for a Major Change for Lisa
While Richard Gere was responsible for Lisa’s permanent conversion to Buddhism, another The Simpsons the guest star would contribute to his own lasting change. Season 7’s “Lisa The Vegetarian” shows Lisa deciding to become a vegetarian after an encounter with a stuffed lamb. This puts her in conflict with Homer and Bart, who tease her for being a vegetarian.. Lisa meets soon Paul McCartney and his wife Linda, both true vegetarians.
McCartney, like Gere, agreed to guest star on the condition that Lisa’s vegetarianism remained a permanent part of The Simpsons. The show honored her wish, as Lisa remained both a steadfast vegetarian and Buddhist. Lisa’s episodes often tend to be the most groundbreaking The Simpsons canon, and fans can thank Richard Gere for one of the biggest changes to his character.
The Simpsons is available for streaming on Disney+.
- Release date
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December 17, 1989
- Network
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FOX
- Directors
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Steven Dean Moore, Mark Kirkland, Rob Oliver, Michael Polcino, Mike B. Anderson, Chris Clements, Wes Archer, Timothy Bailey, Lance Kramer, Nancy Kruse, Matthew Faughnan, Chuck Sheetz, Rich Moore, Jeffrey Lynch, Pete Michels, Susie Dietter, Raymond S. Persi, Carlos Baeza, Dominic Polcino, Lauren MacMullan, Michael Marcantel, Neil Affleck, Swinton O. Scott III, Jennifer Moeller
- Writers
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J. Stewart Burns, Michael Price, Brian Kelley, Bill Odenkirk, Dan Vebber, Kevin Curran, Stephanie Gillis, Dan Castellaneta, Deb Lacusta, Billy Kimball, Jessica Conrad, Cesar Mazariegos, Daniel Chun, Jennifer Crittenden, Conan O’Brien, Valentina Garza, Elisabeth Kiernan Averick, Christine Nangle, Broti Gupta, Loni Steele Sosthand, Megan Amram, Bob Kushell, David Isaacs, David Mandel
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Homer Simpson / Abe Simpson / Barney Gumble / Krusty (voice)
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Julie Kavner
Marge Simpson / Patty Bouvier / Selma Bouvier (voice)
