| Election | |
| |
| Episode Information | |
| Episode #: | 9 |
|---|---|
| Air Date: | April 20, 2001 |
| Writer(s): | Melissa Gould |
| Director: | Brian K. Roberts |
| Prod. #: | 108 |
| Credits | |
| Starring: | ■ Hilary Duff as Lizzie McGuire ■ Lalaine as Miranda Sanchez |
| Recurring: | ■ Ashlie Brillault as Kate Sanders ■ Kyle Downes as Larry Tudgeman |
| Guest(s): | ■ Sara Paxton as Holly ■ Bernard Kira as Thug |
| Episode Guide | |
| Previous: | Misadventures in Babysitting |
| Next: | I Do, I Don't |
| Chronological Order | |
| Previous: | Misadventures in Babysitting |
| Next: | I Do, I Don't |
Election is the ninth episode of the first season of Lizzie McGuire.
Summary
Lizzie runs for school president and becomes very egotistical, shrewd and obsessed with winning. Meanwhile, Matt creates an imaginary friend named Jasper, which worries Sam and Jo.
Plot
Lizzie and friends are frustrated — the only candidates for school president are super-popular cheerleader Claire Miller and oddball Larry Tudgeman, who promises to eat a worm for every vote he gets. Gordo encourages Lizzie to run as a "normal" candidate and Miranda seconds the motion. Lizzie agrees to do it. Gordo is her gung-ho campaign manager as she runs on a "voice of the people" platform.
Lizzie starts to gain confidence, even enough to tell off Claire and Kate. Gordo thinks she should schmooze the "second-tier" popular kids in the drama club, so Lizzie puts on her shades and black leather and tries to get in good with them. Miranda is annoyed that Lizzie is blowing off the less popular kids and groups to hang with the drama club. Lizzie starts to develop a prima donna attitude and now Gordo has to agree that he has helped create a monster in candidate Lizzie. The big surprise on election day is that underdog Larry wins, much to the surprise of Claire and Lizzie. Lizzie must face Miranda and Gordo after the election, but they are forgiving.
Meanwhile, with Matt
Meanwhile, Matt begins talking about Jasper, his imaginary friend. Sam and Jo are concerned that Matt is too old for such a playmate. They give him extra attention — and presents — but Jasper won't go away. Then Jo hears him on the phone telling a friend that his plan is working perfectly. As a result, Matt gets punished and has to wash an invisible donkey.
Trivia
- This episode was filmed from October 23 - 26, 2000.
- Lizzie drinking coffee is a metaphor for smoking. This is confirmed when Miranda says that drinking coffee stains your teeth and makes your breath smell.
- This is the second time we see Lizzie do her rendition of Britney Spears' "Oops! I Did It Again" video (the first time was in Picture Day). She's shown in split-screen alongside a picture of Larry Tudgeman as Marilyn Manson.
- Lizzie paraphrases President John F. Kennedy's famous quote from his 1960 inaugural address, "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country," replacing "country" with "student government."
- Claire is identified as the yearbook editor as well as the cheerleader captain.
- When Lizzie first decides to run for school president, Hail to the Chief is playing in the background.
- When Mr. McGuire tells Lizzie that he was president of his school's audio-visual club, a still photo of Robert Carradine is shown in his character of Lewis from the Revenge of the Nerds movies.
- An outtake from this episode featuring Kate (Ashlie Brillault) and Claire (Davida Williams) was used in a Disney promotional ad for the series. It featured the two girls in unison saying (to Lizzie, presumably) "Loser loser, double loser, as if, whatever, get the picture, duh!", complete with appropriate gestures.
Pop Culture
Jo: I knew that Richard guy on Survivor was going to win.
- Survivor[1] is a CBS-TV reality show where contestants are dropped off in a remote area. The losers of challenges are kicked off the show.
Lizzie: This is so West Wing.
- West Wing[2] is a television drama showing behind-the-scenes actions of a fictional White House staff.
Gordo: Tudgeman is all about shocking people. Think of him as Marilyn Manson to your Britney Spears.
- Marilyn Manson[3] is an American singer known for his controversial stage personality. Britney Spears[4] is an American pop singer.
Lizzie: Let me tell you something, Miss Claire Witch Project.
- The Blair Witch Project[5] is a horror film in the form of a fake documentary.
Animated Lizzie: They like me! They really, really like me!
- This is an homage to an often misremembered Oscar acceptance speech by American actress Sally Field for Places In the Heart.[6]
Miranda: Way to go, Dr. Frankenstein! You've just created a monster.
Animated Lizzie: I'm alive!
- Frankenstein[7] was a 1931 horror movie from Universal Pictures, about a mad scientist who gives life to a being composed of the sewn-together body parts of corpses. The film is based on the 19th century novel by English author Mary Shelley. In the film, Dr. Frankenstein exclaims, "It's alive!"
Larry: One more thing. Jar Jar Binks rules!
- Jar Jar Binks[8] is the almost universally despised CGI character from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.
Animated Lizzie: In the immortal words of Kermit the Frog, "It was not easy being green."
- Kermit the Frog[9] is the Muppet creation of Jim Henson, the American puppeteer, and the song Bein' Green[10] came to be recognized as Kermit's theme song.
Animated Lizzie is confronted with a lion when she lifts the food tray.
- This is an homage to the animated Bullwinkle television show, where Bullwinkle attempts to pull a rabbit out of his hat,[11] only to be confronted with a lion.
Goofs
- Gordo tells Lizzie not to smile since the Drama Club doesn't smile. However, when she walks over to their table, she smiles at them, and the Drama Club members can be seen smiling at other points during the episode.
- At the end, when Larry wins the election he says "...and Jar Jar Binks rules!" After he says that, the "Trekkie" club stands up and gives him a hug. However, a true Trekkie probably wouldn't have done that, since Star Trek and Star Wars have been long time box office rivals.
- Gordo states that Claire did a kick and knocked over Larry's bowl of worms, but Larry was always seen carrying around a bucket.
Quotes
(At the Digital Bean, Lizzie is sitting by herself and eating a gelato sundae when Miranda and Gordo walk up to her)
Miranda: (along with Gordo) Hey.
Lizzie: You guys are talking to me?
Miranda: You don't deserve it, but...
Gordo: Somebody has to.
Gordo: We're the normals. There's more of us than there is of them.
Miranda: Claire is the only girl at school who re-accessorizes between classes.
Lizzie: You call it a lie. I call it politics.
Miranda: What has gotten into her?
Gordo: I don't know, but whatever it is, it's making me all tingly inside.
Matt: On Jasper's planet, baseball is evil.