 Reviewers of the episode have also praised it for its character development . Todd Gilchrist of IGN said he thinks the key to The Simpsons ' longevity is its " sentimental but not gooey " approach to storytelling and character development . He took " Lisa the Vegetarian " as an example and said : " Lisa sabotages Homer 's barbecue , which results in an unceremonious death for his prize pig . But rather than simply punctuating the episode with an iconic image of the porker soaring through the air , the writers actually develop a story into which the joke fits . The comedic effect is actually intensified because we care about the characters , are invested in the story , and primed for a great gag . " The Niagara Gazette 's Phil Dzikiy said that " the character development and storytelling is perfect " , noting that the episode was " equally hilarious , touching and satirical " . 
