lunch special

Strong Bad Email #102

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"Aren't you a duck anyways?"

Someone Larry Pat says that he'll show Strong Bad a hot girl if he can get Bubs to give out some free lunch specials. Strong Bad switches it up a bit.

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

Places: Computer Room, Bubs' Concession Stand, The Field (Easter egg)

Computer: Compy 386

Date: Monday, April 26, 2004

Running Time: 3:43

Page Title: Compy 386!!

DVD: strongbad_email.exe Disc Four

Transcript

STRONG BAD: {sings} Oh email, I'm gonna let you down easy... when I break up with you.

{reading}

Hey Strong Bad,
Get Bubs to give out free luncch
specials and I'll show you a hot girl.

Sincerly,
Someone

{Strong Bad says "Hmm. Sounds like a solid deal!" after "hot girl." He pronounces "luncch" as "lunkch" and pronounces "sincerly" as written.}

STRONG BAD: Aww, I hate it when they don't put a name. And when they misspell "sincerely." "Luncch" {pronounced as before} doesn't bother me so much.

{Strong Bad backspaces and erases the last two lines, then types out two new ones and reads them.}

Keep on tranglin,
Larry Pat

STRONG BAD: {typing} Well Larry, legend has it that Bubs has to give you a free lunch special if you can get him to say his name backwards - minus the first b. "Sbu." You have to get him to say, "Sbu." How hard could that be, right? I mean, I'm saying "sbu" all the time. This'll be a cakewalk. At least a sbu-walk.

{Cut to Bubs' Concession Stand. A sign that reads "Super Chinese Fish Buffalo Rice—Smoothies Too!" is hanging over the "Bubs' Concession Stand" marquee. Bubs is inside holding a chicken in one arm and wiping it with a cloth. Strong Bad enters.}

BUBS: {sings} Shinin' up a chicken in the mo'nin', mo'nin'...

STRONG BAD: Hey, Bubs... Read this sign for me. {holds up a sign}

BUBS: {He squints at the sign, then reads slowly.} "Duck A L'Orange."

STRONG BAD: What? {He spins the sign around and reads it. Indeed, it says, "Duck A L'Orange." He produces a walkie-talkie.} The Cheat, I thought I told you to make it say "sbu"!

{The screen splits diagonally down the center. On the right is Strong Bad. On the left is The Cheat, who also has a walkie talkie and is sitting next to Strong Bad's computer, which has a recipe for duck a l'orange on the screen. A piece of paper pinned to the back wall says "Home Base" and has a Strong Badified skull and crossbones drawn on it.}

THE CHEAT: {assorted The Cheat sounds}

STRONG BAD: Oh, you really want some duck a l'orange, huh? You know we can't afford to eat like that! {He looks to the side, then puts his hand near his mouth to hide his voice.} Aren't you a duck anyways?

THE CHEAT: {angry The Cheat sounds}

STRONG BAD: I dunno. You kinda remind me of a duck...

{The screen fades to black. Fade back in to the Concession Stand. Strong Bad enters holding a mirror.}

STRONG BAD: Hey, Bubsy! Say your name into this mirror. {He holds up the mirror.}

BUBS: Bubs.

STRONG BAD: Uh, hold on. {He puts the mirror closer to Bubs's face.} Okay, say it again. Say it real clear this time.

BUBS: {slower} Buh-ubs.

STRONG BAD: Oh, this thing is worthless!

{Strong Bad smashes the mirror on the ground and walks away.}

{Fade to black again. Fade back in to the Concession Stand. This time, Coach Z is there ordering something.}

COACH Z: Gimme a basket of double hot wings, pants down, a couple of egg rolls... {He slams his hands to the countertop and speaks forcefully.} ...and a cod plank platter!

BUBS: You got it!

{Strong Bad walks up and throws a hose into the stand.}

STRONG BAD: {shouting off to the side} All right, The Cheat! Crank it! {water starts pouring through the hose}

BUBS: {annoyed} Can I help you?

{simultaneously}
COACH Z: I think he's flooding you out.
STRONG BAD: I'm flooding you out!
{They stop and stare at each other.}

{simultaneously}
COACH Z: I think—
STRONG BAD: I'm floo—
{They stop and stare at each other again, and Strong Bad puts his hand in front of Coach Z.}

STRONG BAD: I'm flooding you out until you say your name backwards minus the first B!

BUBS: Why are you trying to get me to say "sbu"?

STRONG BAD: THERE! You said it! Now you gotta give me a free lunch special!

BUBS: {shakes his head} No, no, no. Getting me to say my name backwards minus the B just makes me lose my super power!

STRONG BAD: What super power?

BUBS: Being able to fly.

STRONG BAD: You can fly?!

BUBS: Well... {He hangs his head down.} Not anymore I can't.

STRONG BAD: Oh. Right.

BUBS: Eh, I never really used it all that much. Since I gained all this weight, I could really only hover a couple two or three inches above the ground anyways.

{Coach Z slams his hands to the countertop and looks around and speaks frantically.}

COACH Z: Either of you ladies gonna get me my cod plank platter?!?

{Back to the computer.}

STRONG BAD: {typing} I'm pretty sure Bubs is a big liar, but I did get him to say his name backwards minus the first B. So now you gotta show me a hot girl, Larry Pat. Or, buy me lunch. Or... whatever the deal was. I'll just go ahead and sit here and wait for the hot girl to appear on my screen, I guess. {stops typing, speaks quietly} Not like I got a whole lot else going on...mmm.

{The Paper comes down. Seven seconds later, the computer beeps and a new email scrolls up.}

STRONG BAD: Ooh, an email!

{Strong Bad reads the email, talking slowly and pronouncing each word just as it is written.}

Deur Strond bad,
I hava a emau] n ow. Cheet helps.

Stlong Mad

attachment

STRONG BAD: Well, looks like ol' Strong Mad has finally hit the Information Superhighway like a flaming sack o' crap. Oh, and there's an attachment! Maybe he sent me a picture of a hot girl.

A fairly hot Brontosaurus.

{Strong Bad double-clicks on the word "attachment" underneath the email. A very poorly drawn picture of a dinosaur standing by a plate of bacon and eggs and a glass of orange juice, all in front of a volcano, pops up.}

STRONG BAD: {monotone} An MS Paint drawing of a Brontosaurus having breakfast. {ends monotone} Well... It's a fairly hot Brontosaurus anyhow! {talking softly} Well hey, what's happenin' Brontosaurus baby... What are you doing—Okay I gotta get out of the house!

{Strong Bad gets up and runs away.}

Easter Eggs

"...do dooo dooo dooooo..."

• Click on the words "Larry, legend" to see a screenshot of the game Jordan vs. Bird: One-on-One for the NES.
• After the Paper comes down, but before Strong Mad's email comes up, click on the word "Bubs" to see The Cheat lounging in the flooded concession stand as The Brothers Chaps sing to the tune of "Aloha 'Oe".
• Also after the Paper comes down, but before Strong Mad's email comes up, click on the word liar to see Bubs hovering above the ground:

HOMESTAR RUNNER: {offscreen} Oh man, that is so fake. Seriously. You can totally see the strings!

Fun Facts

Explanations

• The Information Superhighway was a term used to refer to the Internet up until the early 1990s.

Trivia

• When The Cheat is next to the Compy 386, it reads:

Kickin' Recipes For
Duck A L'Orange

- 1 orange duck
- 2 oranges
- 3 frenchies
- 4 ovens
- 5 heats
- 6 coupons

Go to Captain D's
Order the Snow C
Tell your friends
really Duck A L'
It'll work!

• The Cheat's sixth design is used in the Concession Stand Easter egg. He is also in this design whenever he is in his Crisper Drawer.
• The YouTube description for this email is "Strong Bad tries to trick Bubs into giving him a free lunch special. And we find out that Bubs can fly. Canon!"

Remarks

• This is another case of the Compy 386 acquiring a mouse cursor, despite the fact that it does not have a mouse and no cursor is normally seen.
• Strong Mad's email contains a use of The Cheat's name without the integral article.
• The dinosaur Strong Bad described as a Brontosaurus was renamed Apatosaurus as of the email's release date. However, the name Brontosaurus was eventually given to a different sauropod dinosaur closely related to Apatosaurus since then.

Goofs

• The MS Paint drawing of a Brontosaurus eating breakfast is not affected by the contrast buttons. However, the screen behind it is.
• When Strong Bad angrily throws the mirror at the ground, Bubs's reflection can still be seen in the mirror, but with no body.
• The hose's shadow in the "floating" Easter egg does not expand when the hose expands.
• When Bubs is holding the notepad (taking Coach Z's order), the paper folded to the back is from behind the rest of pages instead of in front of them.
• When Strong Bad is holding the mirror, it shows the sky behind Bubs in the reflection, yet the background really should be bricks.
• When Coach Z yells about his cod plank platter, part of the outline of his arm overlaps the brim of his hat for a frame.

Inside References

• The author of the email seems to be referring to the lunch specials at the end of no loafing.
• The Cold One that The Cheat is lounging with in the Easter egg is a Coldson Lite, first seen in labor day.
• This email marks the second time The Cheat has been mistaken for a bird of some kind, the other being in helium, in which Homestar identified the floating, helium-filled The Cheat as "an ugly bird."
• In big white face, the runcode for the pixelated Bubs image Strong Bad brings up is "Bu-Hubs", which is how Bubs "clearly pronounces" his name in this email.
• This is another appearance of flying.
• Coach Z orders his double hot wings pants down.
• The "fairly hot brontosaurus'" breakfast consists of bacon and eggs.

Real-World References

• The "Larry, legend" Easter egg refers to Larry Bird, a former player for the Boston Celtics. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest NBA players ever and is often referred to as "Larry Legend" by his fans.
• Getting Bubs to say his name backwards (minus the first 'B') sounds like a spoof of Mr. Mxyzptlk, a mischief-making villain from the Superman comics. In order to get the reality-warping imp to go back to his home dimension, Superman had to trick Mxyzptlk into saying his name backwards.
• The walkie-talkies used by Strong Bad and The Cheat are World War II portable radios.
• Captain D's is a chain of fast-food stores that sells seafood.
• MS Paint is a small utility that ships with Microsoft Windows.
• The song Bubs sings is sung roughly to the tune of "Shortnin' Bread".

Fast Forward

• The word "sbu" shows up in Strong Bad's list of 3-letter words in boring (really).
• In the facts, Strong Mad shows his love for dinosaurs again through Doug the Dino.
• In Strongest Man in the World, the picture Strong Bad gives Homestar is signed at first as "Strond Ba...", almost the same as Strong Mad's email.
• In Summer Short Shorts, a Powered By The Cheat scene is shown resembling the prehistoric background in Strong Mad's MS paint drawing.
• Strong Bad would later fly with the aid of strings in dreamail.

DVD Version

• The flying Bubs Easter egg can be found by pressing the hidden Strong Bad icon at the bottom left corner of the Compy screen, after the video is over.
• The Cheat Easter egg can be found by pressing the hidden Strong Bad icon at the bottom right corner of the Compy screen.
• The DVD version features hidden creators' commentary. To access it, switch the DVD player's audio language selection while watching.

Commentary Transcript

(Commentary by: Matt Chapman, Mike Chapman, Ryan Sterritt)

MATT: All right, we're going "all in" on this one guys.

RYAN: All in.

MATT: All in.

RYAN: Gotta groove.

MATT: Sound, sound off.

RYAN: Sound one.

MATT: Sound two.

MIKE: Sound three!

{Mike starts to say "Sound four" and laughs}

MATT: All right, guys.

RYAN: I think we're ready.

MATT: um, what do you guys think of this proposition—

MIKE: Matt and I made this email, guys. Matt and I made this cartoon. What do you think?

RYAN: I think you guys are...you got something.

{Mike laughs}

RYAN: I'm not afraid to say that you guys are very good.

{Mike laughs again}

RYAN: Keep on Keaton on. Keep on.

MIKE: Keaton on? Keep on.

RYAN: That was a Family Ties slogan.

MIKE: Really?

RYAN: They had like—

MIKE: Really? Nice.

RYAN: Nick at Nite showed a bunch in a row.

MIKE: Oh.

RYAN: And all the commercials are "keep on Keaton on".

{Mike and Matt laugh}

MATT: That's a good one.

MIKE: I was gonna be impressed if they had done that back in 1987 or something.

MATT: Yeah.

MATT: Oh it was on retro stuff or retrothon like that.

RYAN: Yeah.

MATT: Oh so super Chinese—

MIKE: Super Chinese fish buffalo rice is pretty much...There was a place by the Braves Stadium that we were driving by one time. And there are several restaurants around Atlanta that are—

MATT: It's a trend, I think, in all metro areas.

MIKE: —like buffalo wings. Chinese food and—

MATT: there's one that was called "Philly", "Philly...", "Philly...wing", "Philly wing rice". "Philly wing fish" I think, and underneath it said it says "Chinese food".

{Mike laughs}

MATT: So, yeah, we were missing "Philly cheese steaks" because that seems to be...that seems to be a part. It's just wings, Chinese food, Philly cheese steaks, fish, fried fish, rice.

MIKE: Sign me up—

RYAN: Fried chicken.

MATT: Yeah.

MIKE: Sign me up.

MATT: I'm in.

RYAN: What's not to trust about it?

MATT: Exactly.

RYAN: I bet there's a gravy that you can get to put over all of it.

MIKE: MMMmmm.

MATT: That sounds good. Gravy?

RYAN: Cod plank platter—

MATT: Let's go for lunch today, guys. We haven't had lunch today yet. Let's go get a cod plank platter

RYAN: What is a cod plank platter? I had to ask—

MATT: {different voice} Back to Red Lobster, boys.

{Everyone laughs}

MATT: Red Lobster Friday!

RYAN: Uh—

MATT: Uh, so were you gonna comment on how great that uh, hose thing towards the camera was, Mike?

MIKE: Yes.

RYAN: I like it.

MIKE: I was gonna wonder about how long you spent—

MATT: Probably two to three hours while you finished the rest of the email—

RYAN: Yeah, this is the point of contention that whenever Matt leaves the room, Mike always complains about how, how detailed the animations are.

MIKE: It's good—

MATT: We're trying to finish. It's three in the morning. Isn't that good?

MIKE: It is good.

RYAN: Quality artwork.

MIKE: It's good now.

RYAN: yeah. It's not good—

MIKE: At four in the morning on Sunday. I'd rather you make a really crappy—looking hose. {laughs}. Oh, by the way, this one— it's not gonna be on the commentary, but the Easter egg on this one where it shows The Cheat floating inside—

MATT: Uh huh.

MIKE: right, Bubs' Concession Stand on the inner tube. That is, by far, my favorite Easter egg or just scene that still just looks like— nice ripples.

MATT: It's your fine—

MIKE: It's so relaxing.

MATT: It's your finest moment. It's almost as relaxing as, yeah, as—

MATT AND MIKE: Taking a break.

MIKE: Awww, that makes me depressed for Strong Bad.

MIKE: {quickly} and me.

{pause}

RYAN: And me?

MIKE: {laughs} We still going here? {cough}

RYAN: This might be a delayed—

MATT AND MIKE: oh, look at that!

MATT: This is that one where we've got this whole part where it's Stlong Mad—

MIKE: The Uh...

RYAN: Great MS Paint drawing.

MIKE: —Dinosaur. I wanted to keep doing this, like have, you know, weekly or semi—weekly feature of Strong Mad's bad MS Paint drawings.

RYAN: You got a lot of images we could put on there. Isn't that on the DVD, where there was extra emails? This is from that.

MATT: Yeah, here it is. Here's 102B. {laugh} Look at that thing! That thing's amazing.

RYAN: People have their own versions of that drawing.

MATT AND MIKE: Really?

RYAN: Uh huh.

MIKE: People still use MS Paint.

RYAN: A lot.

MATT: and see this is even more depressing. Strong Bad starts hitting on that MS Paint Brontosaurus.

MIKE: Good lookin'.

MATT: A low point for Strong Bad—

RYAN: —Is that OJ?

MATT: So he runs off.

RYAN: Yeah.

Fun Facts

• Family Ties was a 1980s sitcom focusing on a family called the Keatons, thus the slogan.
• The Braves are a Major League Baseball team based in Atlanta, Georgia.
• Red Lobster, much like Captain D's, is a seafood restaurant chain.

External Links

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