From: rjung@aludra.usc.edu (Robert A. Jung)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.tiny-toon
Subject: Re: ""Henny Youngman Day""
Date: 6 Apr 1992 19:13:08 -0700
Organization: Southern California Lynx Enthusiasts
NNTP-Posting-Host: aludra.usc.edu

In article <6APR92.18051610@vax.clarku.edu> wcox@vax.clarku.edu writes:
>In a previous article, vgriscep@wam.umd.edu (VGR (Craig Pell)) wrote:
>>I'll just blurt it out:  why does everyone hate this one?

  I dunno about "everyone"; when HYD first aired, there was IMO a very sharp
division of "likes" and "hates". Very few people were indifferent to it. I am
one of the "dislikers", for the reasons stated below...

>>Okay, the "Lame Joke" short was poor.  'Cept that it did a tiny bit of 
>>character-building for Buster;  not flattering character-building, I admit.
>>So Buster is a "host" for the show, and not a comedian the way Babs is.
>>So Buster needs a situation in order to be funny.

  I think Buster can be incredibly funny, given the correct situations. Look
at the one-liners he throws out in various episodes (Babs: "We have to find
Plucky before he's turned into some kind of weirdo!" Buster: "It's _years_
too late for that." [smirk]). He is funniest when acting in a role, but IMO
he can be almost-as-good-as-Babs-though-not-as-frentic much of the time.

  "Lame Joke" was just a forced situation. None of the TTA characters could
have pulled that script off.

>>But the other two?  Well, I don't understand.  Most people seemed to like
>>the first one in which Babs tries a hand (paw? Nah) at stand-up.

  I like the concept (it's inevitable, I guess); I didn't like the actual
implementation. Having Robin Killems come out before she does seemed
artificial, and having Babs freeze up as a result is stretching plausibility
a little. The ending/resolution, though, was INCREDIBLY cliched and bothered
me immensely.

  Besides, I didn't find Robin's act to be that funny.  B-)

>>Personally
>>I've always thought Startoons does an *excellent* job drawing Babs --- and
>>for that matter, everyone;  just watch those parts of "Acme Bowl."  And don't
>>forget, Startoons does most of the non-bunny tag sequences.

  WHAT? Not to be rude, but

  (a) THE ACME BOWL was animated by Kennedy studios (may they rot in Hades).
        Actually, the first two acts were rather well-done (a rarity for KS),
        but Startoons was nowhere in there.

  (b) Most of the non-bunny end tags are clearly identifiable (to me, anyway)
        as animated by Tokyo Movie Shinsa or Wang Film.

  Unless something was happening "behind the scenes" that I didn't know about,
Startoons only TTA work was HENNY YOUNGMAN DAY. I don't recall the animation
quality offhand -- I want to see it again this Friday -- but I do have a vague
memory that I wasn't much impressed.
 
>>The baby Plucky one?  I don't see why people dislike it.  I mean, it's weird,
>>it's different, but it's ... accurate.  I felt like baby Plucky was a real
>>(albeit non-human ;-)  )  person.
>
>I think the baby Plucky one is one of the best TTA shows I have ever seen.  
>It's so CUTE!  It appeals to both young and old viewers of TTA!  Why DOES 
>everyone hate it?

  When I first heard of the idea behind "The Potty Years" (Paul Dini, San
Diego, July 1991), I thought it was a disgusting idea that would have been
impossible to pull off. As it aired, it wasn't that bad -- Baby Plucky's
dialogue was interesting. My biggest problem, though, is that the "wanna flush
it again" joke wore thin soon, and in the end I was fairly indifferent to the
short. It was "an ugly idea that was salvaged to a mediocre level". Also,
since Tome Ruegger's son provided the voice for Baby Plucky, I can't help but
have a nagging sense that some nepotism was involved here...

  Seems like (from what I recall) the people who really enjoyed "The Potty
Years" were the folks who have potty trained children of their own.

                                                --R.J.
                                                B-)

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