EW.com
Maggie speaks! Until now, Marge and Homer Simpson's youngest kidhasn't hogged many big plot lines. She isn't moody like her bigsister, Lisa. She isn't mercurial like her even bigger brother, Bart.She doesn't get around much-two or three shocked steps in hersignature Sweet Pea sleeper and she's splat on the floor again. Butthat doesn't mean she's not a fully formed, complexly individual,admirably resilient infant woman-with a fan following of her own.Matt Groening's animated baby has all the wisdom of a person withoutteeth and all the blessed good luck of a cartoon invention who isalways safe from harm. (In an early episode when she crawled awayduring a family camp-out, bears adopted her as their own.) Shedeserves some developmental attention. And this season is her moment: In December, Maggie Simpson willunplug her philosopher's pacifier and utter her first words, with apublicity buildup worthy of the late Greta Garbo herself. ''It's amajor surprise guest voice, but we'll plant some clues leading up tothe event,'' teases Groening, who does assure that the guest inquestion (Elizabeth Taylor? Madonna?) will be ID'd: ''No moreuncredited voices. If you're there, you're going to have to admitit.'' Groening is one pleased dad about his littlest Simpson, who ismodeled after the early years of his own younger sister, Maggie,right down to her pacifier and sleep suit (''Those things are designedto make babies fall down,'' he reports). ''The rest of the family-evenLisa-say things that incriminate themselves. But Maggie just looks onin silent vigilance,'' he says. Then he drops a satisfying little bombshell: Among this year'santics, Homer will meet God. We can't wait for Maggie to suck on thatone.
Home
