Culture Shock

"**Culture Shock**" is a *Maggie Muffin* episode from season 1. In this episode, Helen organizes and hosts a talent show at the Lightbulb Office, but refuses to let Maggie be part of it.

## Characters

* Maggie Muffin
* Helen Luggins
* Florence Owl
* Sanjay Owl
* Eddie Babyman
* Johnny Uzumaki

## Synopsis

The episode opens on another day at the Lightbulb Office, with Ms. Owl manning a free salad bar, Maggie preoccupied with cleaning rogue dust particles off a table, and Helen daydreaming about dancing. Ms. Owl is getting irritated at the lack of customers when one decides to come in. Ecstatic at finally getting a customer, Ms. Owl orders Maggie to cater to the fish's every whim. Unfortunately for them, the fish was only looking to get change for a dollar and is driven away by Maggie's excessive enthusiasm, though not before leaving a penny behind for Maggie. However, Ms. Owl notices the penny and literally gets the drop on it first.

As Ms. Owl stores the penny away in his vault, he gives his two employees the bad news: Profits are way down this month, and they need a gimmick to bring in customers. His request for ideas yields a response of apathy from Helen and increasingly absurd ideas from Maggie. After Ms. Owl points out that he was thinking along the lines of "live entertainment," Helen hits a brainstorm: the first Lightbulb Office talent show, which he would host.

He nearly blurts out his intent to make himself into a star, but quickly corrects his faux-pas by claiming it would "bring culture to this cultural wasteland we call Bikini Bottom," and that it would bring in much-needed revenue. Helen draws in Ms. Owl further by claiming that Sanjay could become a star through this. Maggie is excited at the chance to show off his talents and runs off to call his parents, while Ms. Owl gives Helen approval to organize the show. As preparations are undertaken at the Lightbulb Office for the upcoming show, Maggie asks Helen when he is going to go on the show, even demonstrating his act, which consists of blowing a hippopotamus-shaped bubble, then tap dancing along with it. Unfortunately, the talent does not impress Helen, who claims it is not "cultured" enough. Maggie runs off, vowing to come up with the most "cultural" performance ever.

Later that evening, the Lightbulb Office is packed; among the audience are Helen and Maggie's parents, the latter of whom Ms. Owl personally introduces himself and nonchalantly admits his miserhood. Backstage, Helen makes it very clear to everyone else that this is *his* own chance to reach stardom, but is interrupted by Maggie's newest act: inflating himself with water and showing off his spongy characteristics. Helen once again shoots him down, not wanting Maggie to ruin his chances at stardom. Maggie tearfully begs Helen to let him on the show, claiming he will do anything, with the cephalopod assigning him to clean up after the show is done. Maggie, not realizing that Helen has assigned him custodial duties, endeavors on his new "act" with great enthusiasm.

Helen goes on stage to introduce the audience to the first Lightbulb Office Talent Show, in the process making a joke about how no one else would give the Krabby Patty a home. This greatly amuses Helen to the point where he randomly interrupts the next parts of Helen's speech with loud guffawing. Not able to get in a word edgewise, Helen eventually just introduces Sanjay by her name alone and leaves the stage. Sanjay is unveiled with a set of cheerleader pom-poms, and Ms. Owl is ecstatic to see his daughter in the spotlight. Her act is a cheerleading routine about the Lightbulb Office, but her size and weight launch the entire audience up into the air with each jump, resulting in everyone eventually lying about in various states of pain. As she leaves the stage, Maggie drops into badger Helen about his next "act," asking which direction he should mop the floor, with the latter trying to ignore him.

The next act is poetry by Maggie's pet snail, Gary. While the pet "speaks" in meows, at least Johnny Uzumaki can understand how good his poetry is. Helen is increasingly anxious at this point, both from how much time Gary is taking with his act and from Maggie bothering him again. The third act is by Ms. Owl' business rival Plankton as "The Amazing Plankton," with him intending to make a Krabby Patty "disappear" before the audience's eyes. However, it is just another ploy to steal the Krabby Patty formula, one that Ms. Owl puts a stop to. Plankton, vowing revenge, attempts to vanish into thin air with a magic spell, but only blows himself up and leaves the restaurant in shame as the crowd boos him.

The crowd by this point is getting fed up with the terrible acts, and Ms. Owl storms backstage, angry at the lack of good responses. Helen temporarily placates him by claiming he "saved the best for last." After some buildup with spotlights, Helen appears with his dancing gear, wearing a blue swimsuit, to looks of confusion from the audience.

Helen starts out dancing to orchestral music before the music suddenly changes into a trance-like techno beat; Helen's dancing also becomes incredibly bizarre. Unfortunately for him, his time in the spotlight comes to an abrupt end as the audience members, completely disgusted by his talent, or lack thereof, pelt him with tomatoes from the free salad bar. Ms. Owl, hoping to cash in on the audience's rage, quickly slaps a one-dollar price tag on the front of the free salad bar, which one audience member admits is "worth every penny" because they all hate Helen's act more than all of the other acts put together. Helen berates the audience for having no appreciation for his talent, only to be coldly rebuffed as the crowd says "No Talent." Furious, he storms backstage, where a waiting Maggie asks whether he can go on now. Helen permits him to do so, as the show is over, much to the sponge's confusion.

Maggie gets to work cleaning the stage, only to receive an unexpected surprise: the audience not only interprets the cleaning as an act but appreciates it. Helen thinks the audience has changed their mind about him and charges in as Maggie leaves, only to be met with silence. He storms off again, and Maggie continues cleaning to great applause. Helen charges in and is once again met by silence. However, he begins to realize that Maggie seems to be tied to the audience's sudden change in behavior, and tries several times to get the audience to cheer for him by doing Maggie's act, only to be rejected and have another tomato thrown at him. Helen is forced to conclude that it is Maggie the audience is cheering for and watches from the sidelines. Helen gets praised by Ms. Owl for organizing the event, and Maggie's parents for making their son a star. Ms. Owl, lying in a wheelbarrow full of money, says he will need another one for next week's show; Helen can only sigh and watch with sad envy as Maggie gets a standing ovation for his cleaning, ending the episode.