Costume Commercial

Toon Category: Holiday Toon

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Introducing all new Homerun Hitter Halloween Costumes & Products!

The latest Homestar Runner character costumes are promoted.

Cast (in order of appearance): Homestar Runner, Strong Bad, Marzipan, Strong Sad, The Cheat, Bubs (Easter egg), Coach Z (Easter egg)

Places: The Halloween House, The Field, Bubs' Concession Stand (Easter egg)

Date: Monday, October 20, 2008

Running Time: 2:11

Page Title: Closeout Costumes at Authentic Prices!

Transcript

{Against a gray and white background of ghosts, the words "Homestar Runner Halloween Costumes and Products" on an orange paint-splash effect appear on the screen with a squelch. Bland music plays in the background.}

ANNOUNCER 1: {quietly, monotonously} Introducing all new Homestar Runner Halloween Costumes and Products. Do not ask me to speak up again because this is as loud as I'm gonna get. If you don't like it, you can find someone—

{The screen abruptly changes to an animated orange version of the background, with a yellow star effect in the center. The words "Introducing", "ALL NEW!" and "Homerun Hitter Halloween Costumes & Products" appear in different fonts. The music changes to a happier beat.}

ANNOUNCER 2: {interrupting, enthusiastically} Introducing all new Homerun Hitter Halloween Costumes & Products! Choose from all your favorites!

{Poorly constructed masks of Strong Bad, Homestar Runner and The Cheat appear.}

ANNOUNCER 2: Strong Bad! Homestar Runner! The Cheat!

{A cheap pullover with an image of Homestar's shirt on it appears.}

ANNOUNCER 2: Each comes with its own authentic, cheap, costume-ish pullover!

{The words ""CHEAP"", """COSTUME-ISH""" and """"PULLOVER"""" appear as they are said. Cut to Strong Bad opening his front door. Homestar Runner stands on the porch in a cheap Bubs costume similar to those just displayed. The music has stopped.}

HOMESTAR RUNNER: {holding out a paper bag expectantly} Candy!

STRONG BAD: {cynically} Oh, hello, neighborhood kid. Let's see who you're dressed as this year.

{close up on Homestar's Bubs mask}

STRONG BAD: Hmmm... crappy plastic Bubs mask—

HOMESTAR RUNNER: Yeah...

{Camera pans down to Homestar's shirt.}

STRONG BAD: —and a crappier plastic apron with a picture of Bubs on it {Homestar shakes his body from side-to-side with the sound of jangling change} that says... "Bubs!" on it.

HOMESTAR RUNNER: Mm-hmm! Just like Bubs all the time wears!

{Cut back to the previous wide shot}

HOMESTAR RUNNER: Picture of his self on his self!

STRONG BAD: Yeah, you're not getting any candy from me. {closes door and walks away}

HOMESTAR RUNNER: {shouting, from other side of door} Thanks, Mrs. Jankroe!

{Cut to a pink version of the animated ghost background. The music continues. The word "Ladies" appears, flanked by images of female ghosts.}

ANNOUNCER 2: And for the ladies, don't forget the new, authentic Marzipan costume!

{The words "Authentic "Marzipan" Costume" appear and a Marzipan-themed bikini is shown}

ANNOUNCER 2: Oh, wait. {a novelty devil's tail is added with a pop} Almost.... {novelty cat ears are added with a ding} {satisfied} There we go!

{Cut to Marzipan, looking offended.}

MARZIPAN: This is so offensive... {gleefully} that it's not really offensive anymore! {her eyelashes appear} I'll take twelve!

ANNOUNCER 2: Woo! You dang right!

{Cut to a night scene with a street sign of Strong Sad emptying his bag of candy scrolling past.}

ANNOUNCER 2: And for the trick-or-treating-impaired, check out...

{Cut back to the orange background. Strong Sad's head appears, followed by the words "Strong Sad's SAFE-T LOSE-R ACCESSORIES", which appear as they are said.}

ANNOUNCER 2: ...Strong Sad's line of SAFE-T LOSE-R accessories!

STRONG SAD: {looks at the words above him} Hey, that's not what I named—

{Cut to another night scene with a flier of an angry, overprotective mom with a fussing boy dressed as Twelve-Times-A-Day Man, holding a pumpkin-themed bucket, zooming in.}

ANNOUNCER 2: {interrupting} Mom not overprotective enough?

{Cut to Strong Sad in The Field at night.}

ANNOUNCER 2: Just add this discreet reflector...

{A full-sized street blockade and reflector appears on him, along with the DELETED buzzer}

ANNOUNCER 2: ...to any costume, and never worry about getting accidentally run down by...

{Cut to mug shots of Mancuso's older brother zooming in. The music grows foreboding}

ANNOUNCER 2: ...Mancuso's older brother ever again!

{The screen darkens, and the following disclamer appears at the top of the screen as it is read out.}

ANNOUNCER 2: Side effects may include getting intentionally run down by Mancuso's older brother.

{The eyes in the mugshots glow red. Cut back to a street sign of Strong Sad getting egged, zooming in. Music returns to normal.}

ANNOUNCER 2: Plagued by Halloween eggings?

{Cut to Strong Sad, again in The Field at night.}

ANNOUNCER 2: Fool 'em every time with this... {an egg-covered poncho appears on Strong Sad with a splat} deluxe decoy poncho!

{Cut to Strong Bad, wearing his black burgler's hat, and The Cheat in the bushes.}

STRONG BAD: Light him up, The Cheat!

THE CHEAT: {affirmative The Cheat noises} {holds up egg carton}

STRONG BAD: {disappointed} Aw, never mind. {points to Strong Sad} Looks like {cuts to Strong Sad} somebody already got him... with a... {zoom in} bunch of fried eggs.

{Cut back to street signs scrolling past, one of Strong Sad with a long shadow and one with the words "STAYING AT HOME TO "HELP" MOM & DAD GIVE OUT TREATS".}

ANNOUNCER 2: And last, for the kid with no friends who's staying at home to "help" {clears throat nine times, adding several quotation marks around "help" until the quotation marks break through the edge of the street sign} Mom and Dad give out treats, here's a...

{Cut to the orange background. A pair of gray sweatpants appears with a squelch.}

ANNOUNCER 2: —pair of sweatpants. It's really... all we can do. Sorry.

{Cut back to orange display; which now reads "Homestars Running Halloween Customes & Broducts!"}

ANNOUNCER 2: All New Homestars Running Halloween Customes & Broducts! Only from {begins choking, causing the logo to shake}

{A record scratches as we cut to the gray background and orange logo from the beginning of the commercial, along with the Strong Bad, Homestar Runner and The Cheat masks, authentic "Marzipan" costume, and street blockade and reflector.}

ANNOUNCER 1: All New Homestar Runner Halloween Costumes and Products. Only from Cheap as Free. {the Cheap as Free logo appears with a ding} {pause} {music stops} I told him not to mess with me.

Easter Eggs

• At the end, click on the word "costumes" to see Bubs and Coach Z showing off their costumes.

  {Bubs is at the Concession Stand, wearing the Bubs costume. Coach Z can be seen just out of frame}

  BUBS: Man, this costume makes me look so much like myself, I'm surprised you recognize me!

  COACH Z: Boy, I'll say!

  {camera zooms out, revealing Coach Z to be wearing the Marzipan costume}

  COACH Z: This Coach Z costume is spot on!

Fun Facts

Explanations

• "Trick-or-treating at the mall" refers to a real practice where parents can take their children to the mall, and storefronts presumably hand out candy.
• The "discreet reflector" is a play on retroreflective vests, which reflect light coming from, for example, a car's headlights, so that a driver is aware of the person(s) ahead.

Trivia

• The flier reads:

TRICK OR TREAT
AT THE MALL!

-Totally SAFE!
-Totally UNFUN!

Starts at Noon
Ends at 12:15

• Mancuso's older brother's mugshots read:

MANCUSO, OLDER BRO
MALE DOB 5/28/76

• The YouTube description for this toon is "Check out the latest Homestar Runner Halloween costumes and products!"

Remarks

• The color of the steps is the same gray as the outlines on Homestar's feet, so his feet and soles do not appear to fit well.

Goofs

• While quotation marks are being added to the word "help", that text moves slightly.

Fixed Goofs

• The link to this short was on the What's New button hours before the cartoon was available. Clicking the link did nothing.

Inside References

• The Easter egg holds another instance of identity confusion and cross-dressing.
• The second announcer referring to Homestar Runner as "Homerun Hitter" is a reference to the title page of his character video, which in turn is a reference to the origin of his name.
• Marzipan offers to take twelve Marzipan costumes.
• The child on the flier for overprotective moms is dressed as Twelve-Times-A-Day Man, from fan club.
• The reflector is supposed to protect the wearer from getting run over.
• "Mancuso" was first referenced in Biz Cas Fri 3, and later in Where's an Egg?.
• Cheap As Free is mentioned.
• A pair of sweat pants are advertised.
  • These sweat pants are also seen in the chair.
  • Also, Homestar is wearing pants as part of his Bubs costume.

Fast Forward

• One of the submissions in Fan Costumes 2016 features someone wearing a replica of the Bubs costume.
• Homestar addresses someone with the surname "Jankroe" in too cool.

External Links

• watch "Costume Commercial"
• watch "Costume Commercial" on YouTube
• watch "Costume Commercial" on the old Flash site
• view the Flash file for "Costume Commercial"
• forum thread re: "Costume Commercial"