Mama’s Boy
As life goes on, everyone comes to realize that growing up is something that happens whether they want it or not. Part of growing up is realizing that you can’t have others do everything for you all the time, so it’s necessary to take initiative in getting out and be independent. In this show, out of everyone in the main cast, the character who could benefit the most from these kinds of stories is Heffer. He’s the least intelligent and active of the main characters, not to mention the only one of Rocko’s close friends still living with his parents. That alone shows that he’s in desperate need of learning independence, and that makes for an endearing center for this cartoon.
His social problems are highlighted to unprecedented degrees as his mother
tends to him. In addition to giving into
his gluttony and endlessly pampering him, Heffer’s mom even does the most
menial tasks Heffer could do for himself by getting him the TV remote. This raises concerns for Heffer around the family
as well as mockery from his friends.
Harsh as it is, it clearly isn't right for Heffer to be doted on this
much. Honorably though, Heffer sees the
points in what the world around him is saying and actively decides that it’s
time to move out. He seems to have some
good ideas on what to do at a glance. He
gets a good steady job at Chokey Chewy Chicken to make a good living,
and even gets his own place inside the restaurant’s rotating chicken sign. This shows that his ambitions to be more
independent are taken seriously and that Heffer is putting in the efforts to
get things right.
Still, Heffer is largely unintelligent and isn’t really cut out for this kind of independence. Much of that comes from his natural inability to keep his place clean as shown in a humorous setup where a cockroach shows up as his ‘roommate.” With a defined wisecracking New Yorker personality, this cockroach really lives up to the pesky roommate character type. If you think about it, cockroaches in general are a lot like uninvited guests who do nothing but keep people up. This is further shown with how it keeps Heffer up at night and leaves him too tired to run his Chewy Chicken job. It gets even worse when the cockroach invites friends over for a party, i.e. a roach infestation, keeping Heffer even more restless. Ultimately, his job closes down for health reasons and his pad is uninhabitable, showing that Heffer may strive for independence but isn’t cut out for it.
Then you consider Heffer’s mom constantly calling him to check on him like a good caring mother would do. She does so even as Heffer is forced out of his new home, endures the elements, and even tortures out in the world. All the while, the idea is made impressively clear that he wants to live on his own by telling his mom he’s fine, but just isn’t capable. In the end, he ends up back home with his family and is pampered again while still insisting he can take care of himself. So you have to wonder if anything was accomplished despite Heffer trying to stick to his guns about doing the right thing. It’s somewhat meaningful that the last shot of the cartoon is him putting in the effort to finally pick up that remote. You could say that the cartoon is saying that independence should be achieved in baby steps which I can agree too. That said, scenarios like this can make one wish that this show was more continuity driven so more growth can be expected.
As it is, this is still an interesting way of
presenting a relatable area of life literally everyone has to face at some
point.
A
Feisty Geist
Sometimes, this show has wacky ways of showing relatable challenges of everyday life. Other times it follows concepts that aren’t necessarily relatable, but definitely deliver on the wacky side. The latter is the setup that this particular cartoon follows through the subject of ghost possessions. This is something that certainly doesn't happen in real life nor does it connect to any big themes. All you do is just sit back and enjoy the crazy antics, and with that, the cartoon becomes very enjoyable through how the issue at hand escalates.
It starts with Rocko and Heffer going to get a fortune teller reading presumably for the sport of it. They can only afford a cheap spirit to call upon, that being the unknown son of Genghis Kahn, Mortimer Kahn. If that’s not enough, it seems that Heffer has an ancestry of being born as people who always ruined conquest plans for many historic conquerors. Mortimer is one of those conquerors, and upon witnessing who the steer who ratted out his big invasion has been born as in the present, that’s when the craziness begins. His frustrations over his incompetent henchman is so big, his spirit breaks out of a crystal ball and bounces around like a pinball before seemingly disappearing.
Later though, it’s revealed that Mortimer’s spirit has actually possessed Spunky, making for an interesting visualization where a small innocent dog talks like a major dictator. He even poses as a threat through the harm he causes to the likes of Heffer that seems to work before Rocko intervenes. The cartoon could be spent on them thinking Spunky is suddenly acting up for some reason, but the truth of what’s happening is known quickly. Instead of frustration, the fun of the bizarre story is kept as Rocko and Heffer try to stop Mortimer’s spirit.
Luckily, Filburt arrives, and conveniently has a cream that can get rid of any rogue spirit. The thing is, even when they get it out of Spunky, the spirit still goes around possessing people, which it does to Filburt. You’d think they have to deal with him possessed, but things actually get wackier than that. It’s not just about possessing people; Mortimer is even capable of possessing objects too, and is able to manipulate them to attack Rocko and Heffer. A toilet and toilet paper can turn monstrous and entangle the two. A sweater can wrap around Heffer and shrink in intense heat. All kinds of objects in Rocko’s bedroom are capable of going rogue. There’s just no stopping what Mortimer Kahn can do which fits the energy of the wacky setup.
Finally, Mortimer
ends up in another kind of crystal ball, a snowglobe where he can do no
harm. It’s taken to the fortune teller
where Mortimer’s still trapped inside, and all seems settled, until another
fortunetelling session reveals even more proof of Heffer ruining all
conquests. For a show that’s so
relatable with its subjects despite its over-the-top antics, it’s amazing how rare
the over-the-top antics even get to story concepts. This cartoon is proof that when they do,
there’s a lot of fun to be had when all’s said and done.
A+
The Ranking
1. From Here to Maternity
2. Yarn Benders
3. Feisty Geist
4. Mama’s Boy
5. Teed Off
6. Wimp on the Barby
7. Sailing the 7 Zzzz’s
8. Pranksters
9. Ed Good, Rocko Bad
10. With Friends Like These
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