monument

Strong Bad Email #97

watch ← lackey stupid stuff →

On a massive scale that would rival the Aztecs.

Strong Bad is asked to create a monument in his own image. He goes on to explain how the arrival of the Thnikkaman distracted him and prevented the completion of the monument.

Cast (in order of appearance): Strong Bad, The Cheat, Bubs/The Thnikkaman, Homestar Runner (Easter egg)

Places: Computer Room, Strong Badia, The Field

Computer: Compy 386

Date: Monday, February 9, 2004

Running Time: 2:08

Page Title: Compy 386!!

DVD: strongbad_email.exe Disc Three

Transcript

STRONG BAD: {singing} Oh, traipsing along, traipsing traipsing along, and a email got stuck in my eye.

{reading}

Hey there Strong Bad!
I was thinking since so many people
and ladies think you're SUPER COOL,
why not build a monument to yourself
for all to enjoy?

Another fan,
Kaitlin G.

{Strong Bad puts an emphasis on "SUPER COOL".}

STRONG BAD: {typing} I'm assuming the G stands for generally overused girl's first name. Well generic name, you're really onto something here. Turns out I AM super cool. {He clears his throat.} As for monuments, I already got one. But it's kinda {He clears the screen and continues typing.} only of my right foot. You might know it better as DUN-DUN-DAAA

{Cut to the Stop Sign, then to a picture of Strong Bad. As he narrates, a diagram of the monument is built.}

STRONG BAD: {voiceover} The Strong Badia Sign! Yeah, there were big plans once. It was to be made of the finest materials. On a massive scale that would rival the Aztecs and their...techno-chocolate land.

{Cut back to the Compy.}

STRONG BAD: {typing} Anyways, we lost our funding or public interest waned or something distracted me. Man, what was it? What could possibly have distracted me from {mumbling} humbera hum...

{Cut to Strong Badia, where Strong Bad and The Cheat are building the monument.}

STRONG BAD: Oh yeah, The Cheat. That totally looks like my right foot. It's got all the rightness of a foot without all the footdom of a right.

UNSEEN CHORUS: {singing} Here comes the Thnikkaman!!!

{These words float across the screen.}

STRONG BAD: No way! Check it out The Cheat. {Strong Bad looks and points off-screen.} It's the Thnikkaman!!

{Strong Bad and The Cheat run to meet the Thnikkaman, who is obviously Bubs wearing sunglasses and a "TH" sign taped to his chest.}

STRONG BAD: Hey, Thnikkaman!

THE THNIKKAMAN: Hey, kid!

STRONG BAD: Can we have some?

THE THNIKKAMAN: Yeah, okay.

STRONG BAD: Thanks, Thnikkaman!
THE CHEAT: {simultaneously, grateful The Cheat noises}

STRONG BAD: {in a low voice, to The Cheat} Thanks, Thnikkaman.

THE THNIKKAMAN: Yeah. {takes off his sunglasses} Shut up, kid! {puts the sunglasses back on}

UNSEEN CHORUS: {singing} There goes the Thnikkaman!!!

{Now these words float across the screen. Strong Bad and The Cheat look at each other, Strong Bad's mouth is agape. Thnikkaman exits. Cut back to the Compy 386.}

STRONG BAD: {typing} So you can see why I got distracted. I'd like to see you stay on task when you're starin' down the barrel of a loaded Thnikkaman. I don't care what you're doin. No one can resist. {not typing} Speakin' of monuments, somebody should make one to the Thnikkaman. Oh the things that man does! Come to think of it, what exactly does that man do? {typing again} Anyways, I'm gonna go try and find some of that Technochocolate. That stuff sounds a-prettypretty good!

{Strong Bad gets up from his seat and leaves. The Paper comes down.}

Easter Eggs

• Click on "Thnikkaman" at the end to see Bubs in his Thnikkaman costume with a flashy background dancing to the Thnikkaman theme song.

UNSEEN CHORUS: {singing} {Bubs walks to the left} Here comes the Thnikka— {Bubs walks to the right.} There goes the Thnikka— {Bubs walks to the left.} Here comes the Thnikka— {Bubs walks to the right.} There goes the Thnikka— {Bubs walks to the left.} Here comes the Thnikkaman!

THNIKKAMAN: {faces camera and removes sunglasses} Yeah, shut up, kid! {puts sunglasses back on}

• Click on "I don't care what you're doin" at the end to see Homestar Runner being distracted by the Thnikkaman.

{Cut to the field. Homestar Runner is holding a pair of trousers.}

HOMESTAR RUNNER: Well, I'll just, uh, put these pants on—

UNSEEN CHORUS: {singing} Here comes the Thnikkaman!

HOMESTAR RUNNER: Oh, Thnikkaman. It's the Thnikkaman.

{He drops the trousers and runs off to the left.}

HOMESTAR RUNNER: {He pokes his head back onscreen, singing.} Here comes the Thnikkaman!

• Click on "technochocolate" at the end to hear Strong Bad sing a "Technochocolate" song with a beat. The Cheat throws a lightswitch rave to go with the song.

Fun Facts

Trivia

• At the time of the email's release, the domain name http://www.thnikkaman.com redirected to this email, before eventually being discontinued by its original owner.
  • Michael Hunter of the Come On, Fhqwhpods! podcast announced on the March 15, 2022 entry, "Episode 161: sbemail: monument" around the 31 minute mark, that he had purchased the domain name and restored the redirect to this email. He added, "The Thnikkaman made me do it".
• The YouTube description for this email is "While building an impressive monument to himself, Strong Bad is distracted by Bubs with a piece of paper taped to his chest, I mean the Thnikkaman."

Remarks

• During the "technochocolate" Easter egg, the tiny sign above the lower light switch that The Cheat uses says: "The Cheat," as his switch in techno does.
  • During the same Easter egg, the beat Strong Bad is making overlaps with him saying "Technochocolate".
• When Homestar is about to put his pants on, the words "here comes the Thnikkaman" don't fly across the screen.

Goofs

• Strong Bad forgets the period after "distracted" near the end when he says, "So you can see why I got distracted".
• The Enter-sound when Strong Bad cuts the email away to answer it does not play completely. It has a dead end.
• Strongs Bad's voice in the "technochocolate" Easter egg is not on beat, although it is unknown if it was deliberate or not.
• Homestar Runner's legs don't line up with his body in the "Thnikkaman" Easter egg.

Inside References

• Some of the things composing Strong Bad's monument are from other toons: the Kiddie Pool labeled "Pie Factory" is from stunt double, the palm tree is from island, and the toilet paper and the fake afro (from Homestar's John McEnroe costume) are from 3 Times Halloween Funjob.
• The fact that Homestar is attempting to put on pants and then, after being distracted, doesn't put them on, is in reference to the ongoing joke about Homestar not wearing any pants (which is discussed in long pants).
• The Cheat threw a "Light Switch Rave" to Strong Bad's "The System is Down" song in the email techno; in interview, the viewer can flick the lightswitch himself to turn on the spinning lights.
• The Cheat has a glowstick.

Real-World References

• The beginning tune Strong Bad sings is probably a reference to the song "Orange Colored Sky" by Nat "King" Cole, which contains the lyrics "I was walking along, minding my business when love came and hit me in the eye."
• Techno-chocolate-land is an attempt to pronounce Tenochtitlan, the capital city and religious center of the ancient Aztecs (actually pronounced teh-NOHTCH-teet-lahn), built where Mexico City is today. The inclusion of "chocolate" in the mispronunciation may be due to the fact that the Aztecs are often credited for the discovery of chocolate.
• Big Green Egg is a combination ceramic barbecue/meat smoker.
• Blow Pops are lollipops with a center of bubblegum, made by the Charms candy company (now owned by Tootsie Roll Industries).

Fast Forward

• Technochocolate reappears in later emails as a club.
• Even though Strong Bad apparently does not recognize Bubs when the Thnikkaman removes his shades, Coach Z believes that removing the Thnikkaman's glasses will reveal his secret "sorcret" identity in the Strong Bad Email cliffhangers.
• Strong Bad explains what the Thnikkaman does in Happy Dethemberween.

DVD Version

• The Thnikkaman song Easter egg can be viewed by selecting the hidden Strong Bad logo at the bottom left of the Compy screen at the end of the video.
• The Easter egg of Homestar putting on pants can be viewed by selecting the hidden Strong Bad logo at the bottom center of the Compy screen at the end of the video.
• The Techno-chocolate-land song Easter egg can be viewed by selecting the hidden Strong Bad logo at the bottom right of the Compy screen at the end of the video.

External Links

• watch "monument"
• watch "monument" on YouTube
• watch "monument" on the old Flash site
• view the Flash file for "monument"