Crabby
Author
This is a cartoon with an unusual premise that shows Arnold’s
strengths of reading into anyone, even the most difficult people, as well as
another instance of the idea that people who make great art are not always good
people. As a result, we get a great show
of character amidst a harsh yet honest look at the real world.
When the class is assigned to do a report on
their favorite author, Arnold sets his sights on the author of some of the most
popular children’s stories, Agatha Caulfield.
Unfortunately, there are no recorded references on her background, which
is strange for such an apparently profound writer. Even if this seems like a lost cause, Arnold
simply won’t give up on doing his report on who truly is his favorite author
which is actually inspirational to people to make the best work they can.
He goes for the
next best thing, which is also a very unique approach, by tracking the author
down and interviewing her personally. Through
doing so, he’s met with a shock. Agatha
Caulfield’s work being all about happiness and cute fantasy creatures suggests
that she’s a gentile loving woman who cares about children. The truth is, she’s the complete
opposite. She lives in a secluded house
on Elk Island and whenever anyone comes by, she yells at them and is completely
unfriendly. It’s certainly not a pretty
sight, but it’s a believable scenario.
It
also enhances the plot by putting Arnold’s talents of seeing the good in people
and helping them overcome their problems to the test. He persists in getting Agatha to talk by
going to her house everyday and waiting for her to give in. It’s clear to see the difficulty in just
standing out in the cold waiting for her, but it’s remarkable to see Arnold be
patient enough to go this far to write a good report. Sure enough, Agatha does get tired of Arnold
always standing there and finally answers his questions. Sadly, the answers Arnold gets are mostly disturbing
ones, especially for how she wrote what she did because she felt like lying to
kids about how miracles can happen when life is really miserable. This seems to seal the deal that Agatha
Caulfield really is no good, but for all her unruliness, she’s shown to have a
bit of decency inside when Arnold claims to still believe in her stories’
positive messages, and that she may too because of their quality, and as he
leaves, she’s left with something to ponder.
Also, the fact that Arnold still calls Agatha her favorite writer leaves
another impactful message on the importance of focusing on the art and not the
artist.
The message is further shown in
the ending montage of everyone reading Agatha’s first book in many years
inspired by her experience. This implies
that she has softened up on life a bit, but we still see that she’s still
pretty crabby which to me makes more sense than her completely changing on a
whim. So, while she’s
still typically unfriendly, but it’s nice that no one is too dense to enjoy a good
story when they see one.
That leaves us
with a great cartoon shining with great character moments and timeless,
believable themes. 10/10
Rich Kid
A common thing most cartoons try to teach is the importance
of fulfilling responsibilities and being productive in life. However, there doesn’t seem to be much
material out there that stresses the importance of leisure and leaving time to
chill and unwind given how stressful doing work all the time can be. At least, that’s how I view leisure and fun
time from personal experience. This
cartoon is one of the few to teach how fun is just as important as productivity.
It introduces a rich kid named Lorenzo, who
may look impressive with his luxurious limo and being able to afford expensive
accessories, but there’s something holding him back from getting anywhere
sociable with other kids. He has an
incredibly tight schedule of intellectual activities pertaining to business and
high-arts, and is constantly talking to his mom and other higher-ups on his electronic devices, even in class.
He may be productive and, but he doesn’t allow himself for any downtime,
and it shows when he looks clearly overworked from everything he does and is
unable to get close with the other kids.
Now when the kids take notice of Lorenzo’s mannerisms, they show pity
for him and strive to show him what it’s like to have fun and just be a
kid. However, there’s a bit of a
conflict with their actions. I stand by
my belief in the need for leisure and Lorenzo does look like he could use it
from his stressed attitude leading him to think about what the other kids said about him
being too big of a workaholic on his own at night, but it can feel like they’re
trying to conform him into being like them instead of being true to
himself. It would be a lot better if
they let Lorenzo try to get a grasp on having fun in his own way. There’s a few unfortunate implications in
them actively trying to make Lorenzo like the type of kids they are instead of
considering individuality and that not everyone thinks the same way as they
do.
There’s not enough harm to the cartoon though
since there is still a lot of good from their attempts to get Lorenzo
to lighten up a little on work matters, which is still beneficial for everyone to do
for a healthy balanced life. Also, as
they introduce Lorenzo to many things to do for fun, it’s entertaining
to see an intellectual kid struggle to get a grasp on common kid
activities. He ducks out of catching a
fly ball, names clouds by their scientific name instead
of using his imagination to say what they look like, and reads the ingredients
of ice cream and commenting on how unhealthy they are instead of enjoying
it.
Going back to my comment on how the
other kids don’t seem to consider Lorenzo’s individuality, in the end, he kind
of does express that when discovering his own way of having fun. He ends up sliding down a rapid of mud, the
fast pace and background music enhancing the excitement of the scene, and when
it’s over, he actually enjoys himself.
This finally gives him a strong sense of leisure to break from his huge
workload, and while he does go back to it in the end, there’s some promise to
building on the newfound sense of fun for the future. However, aside from one other role this
season, as well as a non-speaking appearance in the following season, Lorenzo
does not become a prominent member of the cast.
At least he’s more social with others in his few other appearances, but
that’s for future reviews.
For now,
while not a perfect way of showing it, this is a strong cartoon advocating for
the rare message on the importance of goofing off a bit. 9/10
The Ranking
- Crabby Author
- Curly Snaps
- The Aptitude Test
- Pre-Teen Scream
- Olga Gets Engaged
- Oskar Gets a Job
- Rich Kid
- Stinky Goes Hollywood
The next Hey Arnold review covers two particularly great cartoons. One features Helga go to insane lengths to snag a tape of her love confession to Arnold she recorded under the influence of laughing gas. The other is about Harold discovering a possible path in life while facing punishment for shoplifting a ham.
Next time on MC Toon Reviews is a Steven Universe review on "Reformed."
If you want to stay updated for more reviews, become a follower of this blog, click here to like the official Facebook page, and click here to follow me on Twitter.
If you would like to check out other Hey Arnold reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.
