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Episode 42
Animator’s
Alley (A)
This may be mainly a comedy show, but given its clear respect
for animation, segments genuinely teaching about its history is a great
idea.
At first, these bumpers seem to go
in that direction as the Warners host a talk show about animation history. Their guest is a really old man who was part
of the first Warner Bros. cartoons, Cappy Cap Barnhouse. However, instead of teaching history, the
whole point of these bumpers turns out to be the Warners being bored by an old
man rambling on. The moment Cappy says
something about the studio making pies before making cartoons is a huge
disappointment since from my research, I can confirm this isn’t true. If he told actual animation history, there’d
be much more weight and appeal.
There
could still be decent comedy from the Warners being bored out of their
minds. We do get one legit animation
factoid when Cappy brings up actual names like Harman, Ising, and Freling as
well as their first characters being Bosko and Honey. However, that’s the only time the history is
genuine. Everything else we’ll get in
these bumpers turns out to be complete nonsense thus justifying the Warners not
paying attention.
By the way, being
animated by the least appealing studio, Freelance, does not work in these
bumpers’ favor at all.
Animator’s
Alley (B)
This featured image is a huge example of how visually
unappealing these bumpers are. To be
fair, while Freelance’s style doesn’t really work for the Warners, it does feel
appropriate for old people like Cappy.
Anyway, they continue right after the theme song and prove these bumpers
as even more of a rip-off. Cappy
recounts the creation of a finicky tapeworm and a bunch of fish cartoons. Not only can you tell this isn’t true by
simply researching, but it’s easy to see that no one would see appeal in such
characters. Well, fish have a lot of
entertainment potential, I’ll give Cappy that.
At least the Warners give the right attitude towards this fake
history. Even through their guest's recounts,
they have what it takes to keep them entertained. They pull out a TV and bring on the first
cartoon…starring the Hip Hippos.
Can’t Buy a
Thrill
I can’t really blame most people for claiming the Hip Hippos,
Flavio and Marita, as their least favorite characters on the show. I don’t hate them, but nothing about them
stands out as truly entertaining characters if I can be honest. They’re a simple happy hippo couple who live
their lives in the city, and that’s just about it. They don’t add any creative edge to what they
do, and their only comedic gimmick is being oblivious to the pain their huge
weight causes others. Right there, you
can see how out of place they are in this series.
This cartoon does attempt to make them more
exciting as they decide to try different dangerous activities. Sadly, even with the promise for fun, the
cartoon barely delivers. No matter what
thrill Flavio and Marita try, no activity leaves any significant impact. Whether they’re bungie-jumping, running with
the bulls, or diving into shark-infested water, all there is to them is a
repeated gag, a flash-and-pan gag, or nothing at all. The hippos just do a bunch of things and go
right back to where they were at the start of the cartoon. Any potential for excitement or comedy falls
flat before it can reach its full potential, making the experience really
dull.
At best, there’s a slight attempt
at comedy from the zoologist studying them, Gina Embryo. Like in an earlier Hip Hippos cartoon, she
follows the hippos around to keep them safe, but constantly gets herself hurt
in the process. There are a few funny
pain gags with her such as an elaborate fall from a building, getting comically
flattened, or trying and failing to ward off bulls. Despite some mild humor, it gets tiresome
that Gina is only here for getting hurt over being over protective. Plus, her role is really disposable. Flavio and Marita are completely oblivious to
her obvious presence, and they’re perfectly fine no matter what they do, so
there’s no reason for her to follow them at all.
As you can tell, this cartoon is both very
problematic and boring, though it’s still harmless and watchable. Along with a few funny gags and lines,
there’s a sense of warmth and endearment from the Hippos themselves, even if
they’re not very interesting. They’re
not bad, but the series proves that they can’t really hold a cartoon on their
own, and are much more enjoyable alongside other characters. Gina simply isn’t one of them though and that
makes the fact that this cartoon is her final appearance all the more
appropriate. Things look up for the Hip
Hippos in their next starring roles though, but they won’t come for a long
time.
D+
Animator’s
Alley (C)
Once again, we have Cappy rambling about animation history
that doesn’t actually exist. Seriously,
how can anyone buy that there were cartoons about a bunion and a sickly
lemur?
Fortunately, it’s made entertaining
by how the Warners’ boredom is depicted as they melt into puddles of ink and
paint. This is the kind of stuff that
benefits from Freelance’s animation style.
They also do the wise thing and run away from the talk show when they
have the chance. I bet you wish you
could easily do that if you had to sit through something so boring and tedious.
Hollywoodchuck
This cartoon stars a character who’s technically a one-off
since this is his only starring role, though he has made sparse appearances
afterwards as the butt of jokes. With
the plot of his introductory role, it’s easy to see why this is the case.
His name is Charlton Woodchuck and all
throughout the cartoon he’s not very friendly or pleasant. He’s going to Hollywood thinking he has a chance
to make it big. It’s a very simple
scenario and it’s made flimsy by Charlton’s attitude. He’s completely full of himself and doesn’t
hesitate to belittle anyone he meets.
Not to mention, he frequently has people write down their names so that
he’ll know not to like them when he’s famous.
The thing is, it isn’t convincing at all that Charlton is actor material
at all. He’s small, scrappy, and has a
very shrill voice. He also has an
immense lack of hard work behind him, thinking he can get into Hollywood by
reciting the old “how much wood could a woodchuck chuck” tongue twister. I’m no expert on show business, but I’d
imagine you have to do a lot better than that to get into Hollywood. In fact, the only reason Charlton gets the
acting job at all is because the director wants a more realistic chipmunk. All the other applicants have far more
apparent acting experience than Charlton who can barely recite the tongue
twister. Basically, we’re following an
unlikable protagonist in this cartoon.
Charlton is especially bad for being a character who acts like the best
yet has no talent to show for himself.
Those are some of the most annoying characters to put up with.
For that reason, the ensuing pain gags feel
kind of appropriate. In the role of a
common chipmunk, Charlton is assigned to not talk, but do whatever the narrator
says. What follows is nothing but
Charlton getting maimed by every animal in a forest. In addition to constantly getting flung into
a bear who only exists to hurt him, he’s also pecked by a woodpecker, swallowed
by a snake, and stung by bees. The wholesome
background narration as Charlton gets hurt is the bulk of the comedy. It presents the story as something sweet and
innocent for children everywhere while what’s seen is very sadistic and
painful. Dictating Charlton’s thoughts
and reasons for the animals to hurt him adds to the humor.
However, the narration is really where any
bit of humor lies. On its own, there
isn’t anything funny about Charlton getting hurt from the images or his
reactions especially as they continue when he asks to stop. Also, even if he does deserve to be brought
down a peg, what he endures does go on too long and isn’t proportionate to his bad
attitude.
As for how it ends, it
honestly doesn’t really do that. It kind
of stops when Charlton says he quits and suddenly he’s back home. His ego is still as big as ever with one last
funny bit of holding a stack of names of people he doesn’t like. He didn’t learn a thing, but that’s what
justifies what his following appearances put him through, even if they also
won’t come for a while.
The pain gags go
on a bit too long, but what makes them justifiable is the unlikable
protagonist. It’s not the best or
funniest work from the show, but it has merit, particularly in showing that
those with bad attitudes usually don’t prosper.
C
Animator’s
Alley (D)
Closing off the bumpers is one last bit of senility where
Cappy, who barely stays awake, brings up the bogus factoid about Warner Bros.
making pies before falling asleep again.
However, his audience is already gone and he’s talking to no one. This adds to the disappointment that you
don’t get any real animation history like the title promises, but it’s a pretty
funny scene to go out on.
If you’re looking for humor from how the Warners approach a
boring talk, these bumpers are decent for that, albeit not that hilarious. However, even if it was the point, they don’t
live up to the potential of a talk show with an old animator with the history
explained being nonexistent. It could
still be insightful while still being funny with the Warners being bored, but
Cappy’s talk instead goes for jokes about what old people stereotypically think
of. What Cappy brings up is kind of
funny, but when the title suggests animation history, it’s hard not to feel ripped
off when you don’t get any. The material
is fine as it is, but it could’ve been better.
C+
Cartoon Ranking
- Chairman of the Bored
- Hot Bothered and Bedeviled
- Bubba Bo Bob Brain
- Baghdad Café
- In the Garden of Mindy
- Critical Condition
- O Silly Mio
- Phranken-Runt
- Puppet Rulers
- The Three Muska-Warners
- Clown and Out
- Jockey For Position
- Sir Yaksalot
- Potty Emergency
- General Boo-Regard
- Puttin’ on the Blitz
- Raging Bird
- Dough Dough Boys
- The Big Kiss
- Draculee Draculaa
- Babblin’ Bijou
- Fair Game
- No Place Like Homeless
- I Got Yer Can
- Spell-bound
- Smitten With Kittens
- Astro-Buttons
- Boot Camping
- Moby or Not Moby
- Noah’s Lark
- Skullhead Boneyhands
- The Good, the Boo, and the Ugly
- Hiccup
- Moon Over Minerva
- Broadcast Nuisance
- White Gloves
- Katie Ka-Boo
- Mesozoic Mindy
- Hollywoodchuck
- Can’t Buy a Thrill
Miscellaneous Ranking
- Animaniacs Stew
- Testimonials
- Buttermilk It Makes a Body Bitter
- Alas Poor Skullhead
- Cartoons in Wakko’s Body
- You Risk Your Life
- Casablanca Opening
- The Slapper
- The Great Wakkorotti: The Summer Concert
- Animator’s Alley
Song Ranking
- The Planets
The next Animaniacs review has Rita and Runt take a wrong turn and end up on a bunny farm, Mindy chases after her old doll thrown away even after getting a new clean one, and the Warners meet ladies who keep asking them if they want to take a survey.
Next time on MC Toon Reviews, from OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes it's "OK Dendy! Let's be K.O."
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