Homer hires a private detective to learn more about Lisa. But when Homer refuses to pay the detective's expenses, he frames Lisa for a crime she didn't commit, forcing her and Homer to go on the run.
WAR
28
Wins Above Replacement
“The Dad Who Knew Too Little” ranks #497 of 552 The Simpsons episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 71.8 — Solid. The episode packs 71 scored jokes at 3.2 per minute, averaging 6.6 on craft and 6.2 on impact, with Homer landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Barney: He found out who was cobbling shoes for me at night. Turns out I have severe schizophrenia.
Barney Dark/Subversive Absurdist ★ Rewatch Homer: Oh, Lisa has excellent hearing. Once when she was three, I was quietly sobbing in the closet, and she found me.
Homer Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Rod Flanders · Ned Flanders: My hobbies include- [Ned's Voice] Being quiet during trips, clapping with songs, and diabetes.
Detective · Nelson: You know, she's just an actress. Shut up! Some of us prefer illusion to despair.
Detective: Early on, I was working under the theory that your daughter was a werewolf. Didn't pan out.
Detective Absurdist Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 71 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Krusty: It should be in a museum. But museums don't want it.
Krusty Setup/Punchline Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Krusty: I don't swim, so that's where I throw my shrimp shells.
Krusty Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Elliott Gould: Your monkey bit my kid again!
Krusty: Say hello to Bob- [Grunts] and Carol and Ted and Alice- [Grunting]
Krusty Visual Gag Physical/Slapstick ★ Rewatch Kenny: That's me! You would like me. Loser!
Kenny Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Turbo Diary: [Book: Male Voice] Unauthorized user! Access denied! [Electricity Crackling] [Shrieking]
Girl in commercial: Turbo Diary, I love that I bought you.
Announcer: Girltech is a division of Boytech.
Homer: Lisa, nobody likes a shill.
Homer Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Homer: [Chuckling] I love that little shill.
Homer Callback Character Comedy Callback Marge: A girl should have her own private diary. I had to share mine with my uncle.
Marge Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Bart: Dad, you can't eat all those free samples. We've gotta get Lisa's present.
Bart Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Bart: Dad, you ate all the free samples. Now you're eating men's slacks.
Bart Escalation Absurdist ★ Rewatch Homer: Heh. It's still better than Indian food.
Homer Character Comedy Observational Comic Book Guy: Trying to keep those crushes secret, eh, Romeo?
Homer: It's not for me. I'm not a girl like you.
Homer Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Mr. Burns: Finally, Smithers, a device worthy of storing my top secret enemies list.
Smithers: I'm ready, sir. Number one, the Kingston Trio.
Smithers Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Burns: [Shudders] Number two-
Burns Reaction Beat Character Comedy Turbo Diary · Burns: [Book: Male Voice] Unauthorized user! Access denied! [Electricity Crackling] [Shrieking]
Comic Book Guy: Sir, I can offer you this Tickle Me Krusty, the most popular toy of 1999.
Ned Flanders: Shop o' the mornin', Homer. Just call me 'Mall' Flanders.
Homer: What are you buying? Jerk stuff?
Homer Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Ned Flanders: Oh, you betcha. This kiosk sells personalized movies.
Rod Flanders · Ned Flanders: My hobbies include- [Ned's Voice] Being quiet during trips, clapping with songs, and diabetes.
Homer: Hey, your kid is in the movie! And the movie knows his name!
Homer Character Comedy Observational Homer: Maybe Lisa will like this better than the diary. Stupid Flanders, you're a genius.
Homer Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Bart: It's really cool. You can point a red dot at people's crotches from really far away.
Bart Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Ned Flanders: Hmm. There appears to be a red dot on my trouser front. I'd better lower them. [Sighs] The dot also appears to be on my underpants. Well, down they go.
Police officer: Hey, buddy. You better get that red dot checked out. My uncle died of crotch dot.
Marge: You were supposed to get her that stupid diary!
Marge Character Comedy Escalation Lisa · Homer: I don't like McNuggets. I'm a vegetarian. Still?
Homer: Then you're not gonna like your other present.
Homer Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Lisa Simpson (in movie) · Homer: My favorite book is- [Homer's Voice] Magazines.
Lisa: Dad, that information is all wrong! Maggie's a baby, not my best friend. [Crying] You don't know anything about me.
Lisa Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Homer: Maggie, you're her best friend. Go talk to her.
Homer Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Homer: Good morning, honey. Did you cry out all your 'angries'?
Homer Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Bart · Homer: I'm still mad at you for chopping up my skateboard with an ax. I did it for the insurance money.
Bart Homer Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Homer: What's your favorite cigar size? Is it robusto? Is it?
Homer Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Homer: But I'm full of questions. What's your favorite cigar size? Is it robusto? Is it?
Homer Absurdist Character Comedy Barney: Yeah. At least you ain't aging six years for every one 'cause of your cow heart.
Barney Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Barney: Ah. Well, whenever I gotta know something about a broad, I use this guy.
Barney Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Barney: He found out who was cobbling shoes for me at night. Turns out I have severe schizophrenia.
Barney Dark/Subversive Absurdist ★ Rewatch Barney: Maybe someday I'll turn into a swan. [Sighs] Oh, God.
Barney Absurdist Character Comedy Homer · Detective: 'Drunk Cop'- Is that you? No. Look lower.
Detective: It's always a dame. Usually with gams that don't quit... till they get to the shoes. And then they're only napping.
Detective Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Homer: Chunky lover 53. It's one word. One word. Chunkylover53. At AOL. Dot com.
Homer Character Comedy Observational Detective: You know, you are the spitting image of the Aberdeen Strangler.
Detective · School official: These are some nice looking papers on your desk. It would be a shame if somebody shuffled them. You wouldn't dare. Oh, wouldn't I? [Scoffs] I could easily put them back in their original order. Oh, really? No! [Echoing]
Detective · Nelson: You know, she's just an actress. Shut up! Some of us prefer illusion to despair.
Nelson · Detective: Lisa Simpson is a girl at my school. I once picked my nose till it bled. [Sighs] About Lisa! Lisa Simpson is a girl at my school.
Homer: Lisa's pet peeve is phonies? I thought she loved them.
Homer Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Protesters: What do we want? The gradual phaseout of animal testing over the next three years! When do we want it? Over the next three years!
Homer: So sad. Yet so sexy. Yet so delicious. [Slavers]
Homer Character Comedy Escalation Homer: 'Report' is a daddy word that means 'loves his daughter.'
Homer Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Detective: Early on, I was working under the theory that your daughter was a werewolf. Didn't pan out.
Detective Absurdist Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Homer: I can't believe a man who agreed to follow my daughter around, for money, would turn out to be a dirtbag!
Homer Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Homer: You'll regret the day you went to the expensive coffee place!
Homer Character Comedy Escalation Chief Wiggum · Lou: Cut it out, Lou. Uh, he's making funny faces. Sorry, Chief. One of these monkeys has the same name as my ex-wife.
Chief Wiggum: Well, apparently there's a secret garden in all of us. And that Lisa Simpson is guilty!
Chief Wiggum: Would an innocent person flee? No, really. Tell me. I honestly don't know.
Hotel clerk · Lisa · Homer: Names, please? Lady Penelope Ariel Ponyweather. Uh, Rock Strongo. Your real name. Uh, Lance Uppercut.
Homer: If the election were held today, would you vote for 'A,' the cops are there, or 'B,' you're free to talk?
Homer Character Comedy Absurdist Homer: It's full of cigarette butts. So is this one. They must've come from over there.
Homer Observational Setup/Punchline Detective: You're not telling nobody nothing. Make one move and you'll get a belly full of the Flying Giuseppe.
Homer: Oh, Lisa has excellent hearing. Once when she was three, I was quietly sobbing in the closet, and she found me.
Homer Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Lisa: Oh, Dad, you do remember something about me.
Lisa Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Lisa: How ironic. Now he's blind, after a life of enjoying being able to see.
Lisa Deadpan/Understatement Meta/Self-Referential ★ Rewatch Cletus's wife: Cletus, if I find pig lipstick on your collar again, I'm not gonna let you sleep in the sty no more.
Turbo Diary · Homer: [Book: Male Voice] Unauthorized user! Access denied! [Electricity Crackling] [Homer Shouting]
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