Review: The Simpsons “Parahormonal Activity”
Overview (Spoilers Below):
Set in the near future, Marge is completely coping with the hormonal onslaught hitting her now teenage kids when she’s suddenly struck by a big life change of her own, leaving Homer as the last sane person in the house…or is he?
Our Take:
Despite the title, this week’s episode doesn’t have the Simpsons parodying “Paranormal Activity”, as we’re already past the show’s Treehouse of Horror stage this year. However, it does feature something far more frightening than a demonic Katie Featherston: hormonal teenagers. Following the show’s recent tradition of future-themed episodes, “Parahormonal Activity” features Bart and Lisa in their teenage years as they face numerous problems involving, you guessed it, their hormones. Lisa is dealing with the stress of her upcoming womanhood, while Bart possesses an addiction to adult content. Unsurprisingly, this puts a lot of pressure on Marge, who struggles to deal with these changes her kids are going through due to her “menopause”.
Of course, it’s not just the plot’s real-life problems that grabbed our attention, but also the guest stars that appeared in this hormonal-themed adventure. Jon Lovitz makes his return as the show’s recurring character Artie Ziff, an Internet entrepreneur with an unhealthy obsession with Marge until this episode. However, the guest who surprised me the most was Lindsay Lohan, who became the second guest star this season to voice Maggie Simpson, after Viola Davis in the recent “Treehouse of Horror” special. While Davis was a surprising yet welcome choice to voice the plastic version of the Simpson infant, Lohan possesses the proper talent to convey Maggie as a grown child. Given Lohan’s experience with playing kid and teenage characters in the 2000s, I wasn’t surprised they’d choose someone like her to give Maggie another voice.
Essentially, this is another episode that highlights the everyday problems we ourselves went through as teens and even parents, but through the family’s satirical sitcom-esque perspective. We may think we can handle the stress that comes with life’s most significant changes, but that’s just wishful thinking. Even when someone like Homer is the only sane person in the family, life finds a way to bring everything down, even if it means making Homer lose his erection. I suppose you can say that “Parahormonal Activity” is like life itself. It’s full of embarrassing yet amusing moments that make us want to hide in shame. However, they’re blended seamlessly with the endearment of how these changes can both divide and bring people closer together. As a result, this is another season highlight that balances the series’s signature humor with heartfelt messages.
