Arthur: The Classics

[sesamemuppetfan]

Ah, the "go out and buy our soundtrack of songs that mostly aren't even in the show" episode. I like it and all, but I really think it's disappointing they had those wonderful animated music videos for Jekyll/Hyde and the Library card one, and the rest were Disney Music Television (or Mighty Mouse The New Adventures "We ran out of budget") clip show AMV things... some clips barely matching up.

I see what you mean. Especially when it came to Jekyll/Hyde, when I was in preschool, I would always start randomly singing 'Jekyll Jekyll Hyde, Jekyll Hyde Hyde Jekyll, Jekyll Jekyll Hyde, Jekyll Hyde!' Of course I would even try dance the same way The Brain, and Jekyll/Hyde danced.

Yes, I so totally agree, that's probably my favorite full/whole episode as well, but I think for me, it's not so much because of Mr. Ratburn (though "The Rat Who Came to Dinner" is a really interesting plot, because I think my parents almost did something similar inviting a teacher of mine to stay at our house, but that never happened), I think it's mostly because the whole episode takes place during winter, and there's lots and lots of snow, and considering snow is something we don't get too often down here, the episode almost has a fanciful wonder to it... I haven't seen an actual full-blown blizzard since 2000, when I was only eleven.

Well, in "The Blizzard", I loved how Mr. Ratburn was upset over thought of the school closing down for a whole month. I especially loved how Mr. Morris was trying to remain calm, even though Mr. Haney was really hungry and wanted to go home. As for the other aspects of the story, I love how the Brain was getting annoyed with Prunella's predictions with the storm, Muffy and her family running around their house screaming, Francine's frustrations and thoughts with her report and how the pioneers lived, the beginning of the episode when Arthur finds out that there will be school ("Why do weathermen never say the right thing??"). There may be more that like from that part, but those are just a few of them.

In "The Rat Who Came to Dinner", I particularly loved DW's role (calling Mr. Ratburn "Ratbite", "Ropeburns", "Rathead", and "Ragburp", trying to get his attention all the time, and thinking he lived at the school only to learn that teachers have homes as well), the beginning of the episode (before the title card), and the end when we learn that Mr. Ratburn will be staying at the other kids' houses (much to their chagrin). Once again these are a few highlights that stick out.

 

[Drtooth]

That soda episode definitely seemed like it was made only to make a point about being healthy. I thought the whole thing seemed just really out of character for Arthur. I could see maybe Prunella fighting a soda...but not so much Arthur

I'm half and half on that episode. I do love the shout outs to Underdog and Jack Kirby (especially since they can't show anything he ever created without having to pay Marvel), and the whole coming up with your own superhero thing is cute and fun... but the whole "cartoon characters are made to sell you junk food and that's evil" soapbox was incredibly forced. Especially since Arthur has no problem buying bed sheets, lamps, curtains, posters, and all that other stuff... but they sell sugary cereals?!? They're worse than HITLER!

Especially since kid's sugary cereals are actually healthier than most adult ones, but that's another rant all together.

But the one thing that got me is they had no trouble condemning Dark Bunny and Pastiche Thor for being made only to sell evil sugary stuff, but they NEVER get into the whole message of creator's rights and how the creators of comics rarely have anything to do with the creation of merchandise based on their characters, and that's all the publishing company's choice.

 

[Hubert]

That soda episode definitely seemed like it was made only to make a point about being healthy. I thought the whole thing seemed just really out of character for Arthur. I could see maybe Prunella fighting a soda...but not so much Arthur

I, on the other hand, think that the healthy point was one that they weren't even trying to make. To me it seems like they said, 'let's do an episode about creativity and have someone create a superhero to demonstrate how kids can make anything.' And then I think they realized that only Arthur and Buster would really be the ones interested enough to create one, so they came up with that plot specifically to lead to the superhero creation.

The other thing about it is this: If the Muppets start sponsoring a soda, are we all going to abandon the fandom for good? It's like, I really didn't like how they just made Arthur abandon a fandom of his for the fact that they were sponsoring unhealthy things.

 

[Drtooth]

The other thing about it is this: If the Muppets start sponsoring a soda, are we all going to abandon the fandom for good? It's like, I really didn't like how they just made Arthur abandon a fandom of his for the fact that they were sponsoring unhealthy things.

I found that to be a very forced aspect of the episode. It really seemed like a soapbox for Commercial Free Childhood. They could have done the exact same episode without that needless soap box bit, and still kept the creativity in check. The whole "created so they can sell you stuff" thing (while apt in the 1980's) was bunk in this case. That's like saying when Bob Kane took credit for creating Batman all the way back when, he did it solely to have an ice cream bar shaped like his head 60 years later.

I guess the message that "companies take whatever you create and do things with them you might not want" was a bad message for kids.

 

[D'Snowth]

Finally... FINALLY, after nearly or almost two months, we're FINALLY getting HALF of a good episode today... I say "half", because one of the segments in today's episode is one of those godawful Pal and Kate episodes that nobody likes.

Speaking of which, was anyone else besides me a little bothered by Mr. Toad and Toadie's little "moment" towards the end "The Great Sock Mystery"? It's almost kind of like from Hamtaro (one of the very few "animes" I had some mild interest in), when Boss of the Hamsquad (that's what it was called, wasn't it?) had a slightly secret crush on I think her name was Bijou, and she was like the "baby" of the gang... I seem to even recall an episode where Bijou was supposedly leaving (like her owners were moving or something), and Boss fell into a deep depression and stayed in bed over it.

 

[Mo Frackle]

It also sort of reminds me of "Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (one of their weaker movies, IMO). In this version, Jekyll is the legal guardian of a young lady named Vicky (the film's ingénue). Jekyll becomes jealous when Vicky begins to spend time with a young man named Bruce. Later on in the film, when Bruce and Vicky are engaged, Jekyll confesses to Vicky something along the lines of "waiting since she was a child" to marry her. Rather creepy, if you ask me.

 

[D'Snowth]

Y'know, there's one thing that always bothers me about "Pick a Car, Any Car"...

When the Reads go to Crosswire Motors to find a new car, Mr. Read says that they all have to agree they won't buy a car unless they all like it... then Arthur intentionally dislikes every single car they look at... you'd think his parents would be like, "Seriously Arthur, you have to like SOMETHING, you're just being difficult!" And he was, he was just being difficult throughout the entire ordeal: I know people get attached to cars they have, but Muffy had a point later on, cars die and cars get replaced.

It's a realistic episode for the most part, but I think Arthur's should have been more firm with him while they were looking... that was a little too broad.

 

[Hubert]

Y'know, there's one thing that always bothers me about "Pick a Car, Any Car"...

When the Reads go to Crosswire Motors to find a new car, Mr. Read says that they all have to agree they won't buy a car unless they all like it... then Arthur intentionally dislikes every single car they look at... you'd think his parents would be like, "Seriously Arthur, you have to like SOMETHING, you're just being difficult!" And he was, he was just being difficult throughout the entire ordeal: I know people get attached to cars they have, but Muffy had a point later on, cars die and cars get replaced.

It's a realistic episode for the most part, but I think Arthur's should have been more firm with him while they were looking... that was a little too broad.

I disagree a bit. His parents realized that he had to like a car that they bought, because otherwise it would turn out bad for the whole family later on. I think they had the confidence that eventually a car would turn up that he liked enough to quit thinking about the old one, and they knew that was the only way that he would ever be happy...

 

[AlittleMayhem]

Does anyone know the name of the episode where this picture set is from?
http://iamallybee.tumblr.com/post/30994693156/boringrocks-so-meta
I remember seeing it went I was younger on CBBC and I've tried looking everywhere for it but I can't seem to find it!

 

[Mo Frackle]

It's from the episode where the gang try to write plots for a TV show. It included parodies of South Park, Beavis and Butthead, and others.