Lisa's First Word performance as Maggie was praised by critics. She was named the 13th greatest guest spot in the history of the show by IGN. Taylor also appeared on AOL's list of their favorite 25 "Simpsons" guest stars. Todd Everett at "Variety" called the last scene in the episode, where Maggie speaks her first word, "quite a heart-melter". He added that "it is probably no surprise that the casting of Elizabeth Taylor as the voice for baby Maggie Simpson's first word was a publicity stunt [...] No mind, the episode in question delivered well-rounded view of series' multiple attractions." "Total Film"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Nathan
Lisa's First Word collection: "The Simpsons: Greatest Hits", and released again on the 2003 DVD edition of the same collection. The episode features cultural references to two chains of fast food restaurants, Wendy's and McDonald's, as well as a reference to the 1981 arcade video game "Ms. Pac-Man". "Lisa's First Word" received positive reception from television critics, and acquired a Nielsen rating of 16.6. The Simpson family are trying unsuccessfully to get Maggie to speak, inspiring Marge to share the story of Lisa's first word. The story flashes back to March 1983 where Homer, Marge and Bart originally lived in an apartment on