"Lisa the Beauty Queen" is the fourth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 15, 1992. In the episode, Homer enters Lisa into a beauty pageant to boost her confidence. Lisa is runner-up, but gains the title of Little Miss Springfield after the original winner is injured. Little Miss Springfield's duties include being a spokesperson for Laramie Cigarettes, which causes Lisa to speak out against smoking. As a result of her anti-smoking protests, her title is taken away on a technicality. The episode and its accompanying songs and music was written by Jeff Martin and directed by Mark Kirkland where Bob Hope made a guest appearance. The episode references various films, music, and historical events and was well received by critics. Plot Springfield Elementary School holds a school fair, where Lisa purchases a caricature of herself drawn at a carnival booth. She is horrified at the unflattering drawing and the reaction of the surrounding crowd, and feels she is unattractive. Homer wins the fair's raffle, with the grand prize being a ride in the Duff Blimp. He later sees on TV that Laramie Cigarettes is sponsoring this year's "Little Miss Springfield" pageant, and decides to enter Lisa to boost her self-esteem. The entry fee for the pageant is $250, so he sells his Duff Blimp ticket to Barney to raise the funds needed. Homer excitedly tells Lisa about the pageant, but she is reluctant until Marge tells her that Homer sold his Duff Blimp ticket to pay the entry fee. Realizing her father's sacrifice, she enters the pageant. At the pageant's registration, Lisa meets a formidable competitor named Amber Dempsey, a blonde girl who uses eyelash implants from Paraguay to make herself look cuter. In preparation for the pageant, Lisa receives makeovers at the beauty parlor and encouragement from her family. The day of the pageant arrives, and onstage Lisa explains her aim to make Springfield a better place, and her talent is a jazzy medley of "America the Beautiful" and "Proud Mary", while Amber wins the crowd's adoration by batting her large eyelashes. After Krusty the Clown's interview segment, Amber is announced as the winner with Lisa the runner-up. At Amber's first official appearance, a thunderstorm creates a lightning bolt which strikes her metal scepter. She is hospitalized for her