It/Dot - The Macadamia Nut/Bully for Skippy is the 2nd episode of the 5th season of the original Animaniacs and the 92nd episode overall. This episode originally aired on September 13, 1997. Every cartoon in this episode is animated by StarToons.
It
Plot
Wakko stars in a parody of the Stephen King novel It, where he is seen running away from Dot in a game of tag.
Crew
- Written by Lenord Robinson and Lennie K. Graves
- Directed by Jon McClenahan
Trivia
- A more elaborate It parody titled "Fear and Laughter in Burbank" was later included in episode 11 of the Animaniacs reboot.
Gallery
Theme Song
Variable verse
Yakko: Uh...
Dot - The Macadamia Nut
Plot
Dot Warner leads the entire cast of Animaniacs in this parody of the "Macarena" music video.
Crew
- Parody lyrics by Tom Ruegger
- Directed by Jon McClenahan
Songs
Trivia
- Unlike most song parodies on the show, this one uses the actual music as opposed to a soundalike. This is due to Warner Bros. Records buying the publishing rights to "Macarena" at the height of its popularity.
- The original broadcast version of this episode had coloring errors in several frames, which were corrected for some future releases such as iTunes, DVD and HBO Max Latin America. The original version is still occasionally circulated in syndication on some channels like Nicktoons (which can be seen in the video below). Currently, Amazon Prime Video has the original television version with errors. Additionally, Netflix and Hulu also had the original version when they had the rights to stream the series.
- Hulu took it a step further and had an even blurrier version of the original error-filled broadcast master.
- Many members primary cast of Animaniacs appears in this segment, as well as several secondary characters like Pip and the elderly villains from Slappy Squirrel cartoons.
- This is the first appearance of the Godpigeon since Season 2; ad well as the first appearances of Rita and Sid the Squid since Season 3.
Animaniacs - Dot, The Macadamia Nut (With lyrics)-1
Rerun of this cartoon with coloring errors captured from Nicktoons
Bully for Skippy
Plot
Slappy becomes discouraged when she finds out at a congressional hearing that the Federal Television Agency has removed all violence from children's programming for more educational message. Matters become worse when Skippy crosses paths with a bully and his guidance counselor suggests non-violent ways of dealing with him. None of the ways work.
Crew
- Story by Nick DuBois and Tom Ruegger
- Written by Nick DuBois
- Directed by Jon McClenahan
Trivia
- In an interview, Tom Ruegger called this short the most political thing he ever wrote. He wrote it as a protest of the FCC's 1996 regulations ordering each broadcast station in the United States to air three hours of educational/instructional programming. He interpreted the regulations as cracking down on violent programming, [1] although no content restrictions were introduced for non-educational children's programs that stations additionally aired.
- Nevertheless, "Bully for Skippy" was at least something for anti-censorship against rising political interference on censorship on "non-conventional" (ie. non-live action and "adult" reality setting based "realistic" narratives) entertainment by "morality in media" and conservative and corporate interest groups, and criticism against passive "bully befriending" tactics that were notoriously ineffective in the 1990s.
- The name of the chairman of the FTA, Reef Blunt, is comprised of two terms related to marijuana. "Reefer" is an archaic nickname for the plant, and a "blunt" is a rolled marijuana "cigarette."
- Reef is also a parody of former FCC chairman Reed Hundt.
- In addition, the Federal Television Agency is a parody of the FCC.
- The topic of censorship, especially on animation in the United States, in the "sake of moral fiber" was also explored in the Tiny Toon Adventures episode "Washingtoon".
- Slappy's line "More of your tax dollars at work!" was suggested by episode director Jon McClenahan.[2]
- Slappy refers to "pod people," the antagonists in the classic science-fiction film Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
- Skippy's dazed dialogue makes references to Winston Churchill and Rocky.
- Nathan Ruegger's voice for Skippy is not electronically pitched higher in this episode (or in "Macadamia Nut"). Skippy's voice is noticeably deeper as a result.
- When Reef Blunt exited the machine and sees the light, he stamps the place with approved and breaks the fourth wall by stamping the screen with approved.
- Slappy says "You look like you just went a round with Evander Holyfield." When she sees Skippy beat up for the first time. Evander Holyfield is a professional boxer.
- Skippy says "If it doesn't get all over the place, it doesn't belong in your face" when he was pummeled again by Duke. "If it doesn't get all over the place, it doesn't belong in your face" is a slogan from Carl's Jr.
- After Skippy tells Slappy that he's going to use modern psychology on Duke, he quotes Bill Clinton by saying, "It's time to build that bridge to the 21st century."
- The machine-building instruction page under Slappy's magnifier contains miscellaneous diagrams including one that appears to be a highway. There are some names of international airlines in the bottom left corner. The main text seems to be English substituted into Greek alphabet. The visible portion contains references to the Warner Bros and Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky, and is transcribed here:
| ont of the hting
ars: section 3
is not the one you w with. All mimsy were es and slie slithey lling. My vorpal snak. |
? girl around
we Cannot finish Our lunches.
|
|---|
Gallery
Reef Bunt With Rules Book
Duke The Squirrel Bully
Production Notes
- Barring Randy Beaman cartoons burned-off in season 3, this is the first episode to feature full animation by StarToons since season 1. Due to financial struggles, they were unable to animate for a while so they would help out with storyboarding duties with some episodes in seasons 3 and 4.
- This is the first episode to feature a mini-advertisement of Kids' WB!'s website in the middle of the credits. Several other original Kids' WB series that were on at the time also had the same mini-ad, with some also featuring an AOL keyword to the latter network's portal. Various later original shows would eventually direct the viewer to wbanimation.com (Superman: The Animated Series being one of them).
- This episode aired on September 13, 1997, the fourth anniversary of the airing of the series' first episode.
- On Hulu, much of the screen size for this episode is slightly stretched and zoomed-in but still maintains a 4:3 aspect ratio (a similar issue affects some other season 5 episodes on the channel as well). The picture quality is also slightly blurrier than other season 5 episodes.
Cast
| Voice Actors: | Character(s): |
| Rob Paulsen | Yakko Warner, Pinky, Reef Blunt |
| Jess Harnell | Wakko Warner |
| Tress MacNeille | Dot Warner, Hello Nurse, Ms. Butley, Reporter |
| Frank Welker | Ralph T. Guard, Chicken Boo |
| Maurice LaMarche | The Brain, Squit, Wakko's Burps |
| Sherri Stoner | Slappy Squirrel |
| Nathan Ruegger | Skippy Squirrel |
| Julie Brown | Minerva Mink |
| Corey Burton | Duke |
| Arte Johnson | Delivery Guy, Newt, German Dog |
Soundtrack
- Humouresque
- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
- The Star Spangled Banner
- The Stars and Stripes Forever
See Also
- The section for "Dot - The Macadamia Nut" on the "List of Deleted Scenes" article
References