rated

Strong Bad Email #193

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"Aww, I've been waitin' three days to do that."

Strong Bad explains his favorite movie genres.

Cast (in order of appearance): Strong Bad, Strong Sad, Senor Cardgage, Bubs, Coach Z, Homsar (Easter egg), The King of Town (Easter egg)

Places: Computer Room, The Movie Theater, The Brick Wall, Basement of the Brothers Strong, The King of Town's Castle (Easter egg)

Computer: Lappy 486

Date: Monday, April 7, 2008

Running Time: 3:25

Page Title: Lappy 486

DVD: strongbad_email.exe Disc Six

Transcript

STRONG BAD: {singing} My email is a cell phone. No, it's not! My email is a CAR phone! That's right. {brings up the email, which is aligned to the right side of the screen}

subject: Fav Movie?

Dear Strong Bad,
What is your favorite movie, and why? And where, if applicable.
Sincerely
L. Eftformat

STRONG BAD: {typing erratically over the page} Oh, think you're preTTy clever, eh? -e.email cummings {clears page, types normally} I don't have a favorite movie, but I do have a favorite genre of movies. R-rated movies! A-can I get a {high-pitched} 'restricted'?

STRONG SAD: {offscreen for a moment} A-restricte—!

{As the camera cuts back, Strong Sad is seen wearing a white shirt with "Restricted!" on it and with a tent behind him, also holding a sign reading "Restricted!".}

STRONG BAD: {interrupting} Not from you!

STRONG SAD: Aww, I've been waitin' three days to do that.

{Strong Bad turns back to the computer where he continues typing}

STRONG BAD: The only thing better than R-rated movies are double and triple R-rated movies! Let me break down the subtle differences for you. In an R-rated movie, the good guy only blows people up in self-defense. But double R {types RR} -rated movies are allowed to blur the line! {cuts to the back view of the computer} Man, I saw this one double R-rated movie, where the good guy stepped on this rabbit, and he didn't kill it, but then later on in the movie, he wished he did! The GOOD GUY! That's messed up, man! You can't let kids watch that kind of thing! {turns back to the computer} Then in triple R {types RRR} -rated movies, you can show bullets go all the way through people!

{cuts to a street-crossing sign of a guy with a bowler hat.}

STRONG BAD: {voiceover} In the front, through their guts and organs and breakfast and RIGHT OUT the BACK! That is nasty, man!

{as he says this, a bullet shoots through the man, making a rip in his back, spilling two organs, possibly a stomach and a heart; some breakfast of eggs, bacon and a glass of orange juice come out the back, and the bullet appears and flies out. The scene fades to a green rating card.}

THE FOLLOWING FILM HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR
CERTAIN AUDIENCES
BY SOME PEOPLE WHO KNOW WHAT'S BEST

IT BE RATED

RRR	FOR EXPLICIT BREAKFAST-PIERCING BULLETS

STRONG BAD: {voiceover} There's some triple R-rated stuff out there that even I can't stomach. {Cut back to the Lappy. Typing} Only three have ever been made: {As he lists them, posters for each movie appear.} 'Women's Penitentiary Bakesale Nightmare,' 'The Fists of Knuckles' series, and 'Axe-Gun: Legends of the Brain-Outener.' They even banned those movies in Transylvania, where you're required by law to eat puppies for breakfast. And even if a theater were showing it, which ours conveniently is, you gotta be like sixty-something years old just to buy tickets.

{Cut to movie theater. Strong Bad, wearing a felt hat and carrying a briefcase, walks up to usher Senor Cardgage.}

STRONG BAD: {drops suitcase and rubs back} Ow, my pension. Oh, hello, my good man. Just taking my two sons, here, who are home from college, to see their first triple R-rated movie.

{Cut to Coach Z and Bubs, standing behind. Coach Z is wearing a white baseball cap and a backpack, and sporting a goatee. Bubs is wearing a Disco Tech hooded sweatshirt.}

COACH Z: Hey, Pop, can I borrow the Vorlvo?

BUBS: Dad, Trina and I are moving in together.

{Cut back to Strong Bad and Senor Cardgage}

STRONG BAD: {To Coach Z and Bubs, offscreen behind him} I'll deal with you two later! {Turns to Senor Cardgage, smiling and laughing nervously} Heh heh. Kids that are old enough for me to be in my sixties. What're you gonna do?

{Close up of Senor Cardgage}

SENOR CARDGAGE: I'm sorry, Bridget, but can I steep some identificaption?

{Cut back to include Strong Bad, who pats his pants and rubs his head vigorously}

STRONG BAD: Uh, I seem to have left my identificaption in my other, older, and more professional briefcase...uh...

{Close up of Senor Cardgage}

SENOR CARDGAGE: Soggy, Junior. Come back when you're all grold up.

{Cut to silhouette of Strong Bad, Coach Z and Bubs standing behind a brick wall}

BUBS: Man, I told you that lame-brained plan wouldn't work. {Close up of Strong Bad leaning on the wall, with Bubs and Coach Z behind him. Bubs and Coach Z are still wearing their college outfits, and Strong Bad's hat is next to him.} We shoulda been your parents.

STRONG BAD: What? I'm way too good looking for anyone to believe that I'm you guys' kid. And Coach Z only kinda looks like my mom.

COACH Z: Hey, thanks! You want I should shave my legs?

STRONG BAD: Ignoring that. Well, it looks like there's only one thing left to do.

{Cut to Strong Bad's basement. Strong Bad and Coach Z are sitting on the couch, Bubs is standing behind it. Two bags of chips and Strong Bad's hat and briefcase are on and around the couch.}

STRONG BAD: Ah, nothing like watching lowercase r-rated movies on scrambled cable.

{Close up of television. The only thing that can be seen on the screen is blurry, colored swirls of static, scrolling up across the screen}

MAN'S VOICE: Stop eating glass!

COACH Z: {offscreen} I think I just saw a puppy get eaten!

GIRL'S VOICE: Creepy blood.

BUBS: {offscreen} That is one lurid bake sale.

MAN'S VOICE: Real gross wound.

STRONG BAD: {offscreen} Ewww. Look at all that breakfast.

MAN'S VOICE: Broken skull puncture!

{New Paper comes down}

GIRL'S VOICE: Two underwears.

Easter Eggs

Part of a legally-obligated breakfast!

• Click on "breakfast" when Strong Bad types it to see a box of "Crispy Puppies Crunch" cereal.
• At the end, click on the TV screen to see a short scene with the King of Town.

{The King of Town is sitting in his castle, watching TV.}

STRONG BAD: {on the television} They even banned those movies in Transylvania, where you're required by law to eat puppies for breakfast!

{The King's crown pops up from his surprise}

THE KING OF TOWN: Poopsmith, {turns his head left} pack-a my bags! And don't forget my plastic fangs!

• Also at the end, click on the half-hidden electrical outlet to the right of the TV to see a short scene with Homsar and Strong Sad.

{Homsar and Strong Sad are in the computer room, wearing yellow shirts and holding signs, both reading "Holy Crap!"}

STRONG SAD: Just a couple more days, I swear! He's waaaaaay overdue!

Fun Facts

Explanations

• The films Strong Bad lists are parodies of exploitation films, especially those made in the 1960s and 1970s. The films were often done cheaply, with one person serving as writer, producer and director.
• The minimum age for a viewer to purchase tickets to watch an R-rated film unaccompanied by an adult is 17, and as stated in the e-mail, the minimum age for RRR-rated movies is at least 60; hence the reason Strong Bad can't purchase tickets for a triple-R rated film because he is underage.

Trivia

• Strong Bad's erratic typing:

] Oh, think you're

preTTy
clever

eh?

-e.email cummings

• The label on the Floppy Disk Container reads "mutant league football".
• The rating screen used is modeled after that of the Motion Picture Association of America; however the colorized cards are used for trailers, as opposed to films themselves.
  • Also, the rating of 'certain audiences' would suggest a restricted rating, which are colored in either yellow or red, as opposed to the unrestricted green used here.
• The last time Strong Bad actually spoke the phrase "holy crap" on the site was in Strong Bad is in Jail Cartoon, released over four years before this toon on March 22, 2004. Strong Bad's "holy crap" had been heard in other contexts in the interim, however:
  • Strongbad_email.exe Disc 5 exclusive email Accent featured a "holy crap" from Strong Bad. The DVD was released June 5, 2007.
  • A recording of Strong Bad saying "holy crap" was played in the email pop-up, published February 20, 2006.
  • An early version of Strong Bad said the phrase in the email lady...ing published August 8, 2005.
• The credits for Women's Penitentiary Bakesale Nightmare movie poster read:

Starring Trina LaBoo Saucy Jackson and Introducing Muffins O.
Casting Art Direction Executive Producer Best Boy Key Grip
Written and Directed by Lem Sportsinterviews

• The credits for Fists of Knuckles I-XXIV movie poster read:

"Fists of Knuckles" An A. Chimendez film
Starring Crack Stuntman Dirk Hosenmower
Casting Art Direction Executive Producer Best Boy
Written and Directed by A. Chimendez.

• The credits for Axe-Gun: Legends of the Brain-Outener movie poster read:

Starring The Deke Trina LaBoo and Mary Palaroncini
Casting Art Direction Executive Producer Best Boy
Written and Directed by Cherry Greg

• The summary of the Podstar Runner RSS feed reads, "Strong Bad breaks down the subtle differences between R-rated, double R-rated, and triple R-rated movies."

Remarks

• Strong Sad's knees have swirls on them in this email.
• According to Strong Mad in the facts, Strong Bad's favorite movie is "Garbledina" (although, given the context, the authenticity of the statement and/or the movie itself are debatable).
• The email is signed L. Eftformat, but the email is in right format.
• There are no such ratings in the MPAA guidelines as RR or RRR. Strong Bad may be confusing them with the popularly used, but unofficial, XX- and XXX-ratings.
• Although both are commonly regarded as elders in the Free Country, USA community, Bubs and Coach Z are seemingly not old enough to get into a RRR-rated movie, which, in Strong Bad's terminology, are restricted to viewers around 60 years old.
  • That said, the King of Town could possibly be allowed in, as in space program he claimed to be "in [his] sixties".
• The King of Town is watching this email on his television (as opposed to a computer), implying that Strong Bad actually has an "email TV show" in Free Country, USA.

Goofs

• Before Strong Sad's "restricted" scene, the second text line on the Lappy's screen (the one starting with "genre of movies") is aligned a little too far to the left and the interline spacing is slightly smaller than usual. After Strong Sad's scene, the alignment is corrected.
• When Strong Bad is listing RRR-rated movies and the Axe-Gun: Legends of the Brain-Outener poster appears, the sound of Strong Bad typing suddenly stops, but when it disappears off-screen, the words Strong Bad was saying are on the Lappy's screen.
• Strong Sad's tent doesn't have anything holding up the top support beam.
• In the Easter egg, Strong Sad's right arm is darker than usual.

Inside References

Broken skull puncture!

The shear curve probably used to originally distort the image.

• Previously, Strong Bad said he was banned from the movies for using his bazooka during the movie.
• Strong Bad says Coach Z only looks kind of like his mom, which is a reference to gender confusion.
• This email shows guns, a brain, eggs, cereal and bacon.
• In Bubs's original characters page, it was listed that he took night classes at Disco Tech, which is written on his sweatshirt in this toon.
• The Carphone was previously seen in dangeresque 3.
• Having to eat puppies for breakfast is an instance of killing dogs.
• At least one of the distorted pictures at the end appears to be a scene from Peasant's Quest Movie Trailer with the colors inverted. The characters pictured are Kerrek and Rather Dashing.
• The Crispy Puppies Crunch box features the sad dog from space program and Why Come Only One Girl?.
• After "threatening" Bubs and Coach Z, Strong Bad nervously smiles.

Real-World References

• Twentieth century poet E. E. Cummings was well known for his free verse poems, with little to no concern for standard meter or proper punctuation. He was also known for grouping the letters of his poems in graphic patterns as Strong Bad does in the email.
• The keyhole in the poster for Women's Penitentiary Bakesale Nightmare is shaped like the mudflap girl, an iconic female silhouette usually associated with American trucking culture.
• Transylvania is a region of Eastern Europe, located in Romania. It is associated with vampire legends due to the influence of Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula.
• Volvo is a Swedish car brand.

Fast Forward

• Strong Bad mentions 'Fists of Knuckles' and supposed sequels 'Beneath Fists of Knuckles' and 'Fists of Knuckles Babies' in Poker Night at the Inventory.

DVD Version

• The DVD version features hidden creators' commentary. To access it, switch the DVD player's audio language selection while watching.

Commentary Transcript

(Commentary by: Mike Chapman, Matt Chapman)

MIKE: What was the first rated R movie you saw in the theater, Matt?

MATT: In the theater?

MIKE: Yeah. Mine was really late.

MATT: Yeah, mine may have been, like—

MIKE: I may have been 17.

MATT: No, I, uh, somehow... {laughing} me and this kid Jason convinced his mom to take us to see Basic Instinct in the theater.

MIKE: Oh, that's ri— {laughs}

MATT: We went to Gulf Shores, Alabama, I think? And, uh, I don't think she knew, and I don't think we knew— we knew it was, like, y'know, we knew it was not for kids, for sure, I mean, we were in, whatever, seventh grade, maybe. And, uh— Aww, look, Strong Sad camped out.

MIKE: Mine was Lethal Weapon 2, I think.

MATT: Ah.

MIKE: {quietly} So I was, maybe like, 15 or something, but... {trailing off}

MATT: I think, uh, I saw, uh, I think Beverly Hills Cop may have been the first rated R movie I ever saw.

MIKE: Yeah, we had that on—

MATT: Yeah.

MIKE: {pause} ...VHS.

MATT: Oh, yeah.

MIKE: Purchased— a purchased copy of VHS, no less.

MATT: {pause} Oh, man.

MIKE: So, uh, yeah, that's— it was a funny thing, growing up, y'know, like... just, the ratings just automatically make kids wanna see those things, y'know? Like, the more you tell them that "this is not for kids" the more we wanted to see them.

MATT: Regardless of what the movie was about.

MIKE: Yeah, it didn't matter.

MATT: {putting on a "cool kid" voice} Man, I got a hold of this rated R movie, it's called A Fish Called Wanda {mispronounces "Wanda" with a long "A"}.

MIKE: {laughs}

MATT: You guys are gonna love it. {pause} This one c— oh man, there's this one called The Big Chill...{Mike continues laughing} My parents have it on VHS, you should come over. Once they go to sleep, we'll watch it.

MIKE: Yeah?

MATT: The Big Chill, it's gotta be awesome.

MIKE: Oh, let's look at these posters, there's some good ones.

MATT: "The Brain-Outener".

MIKE: Oh, is—

MATT: It's got a good theme song.

MIKE: {laughs} Who was in there? Was some, uh, was there a Palaroncini in one of those?

MATT: No, really? Maybe.

MIKE: An uncle, maybe?

MATT: No, I think one of them had— it said "Larry".

MIKE: {talking over Matt} Oh, an actual Palaroncini?

MATT: Maybe not.

MATT: We should probably watch these before we do commentary.

MIKE: Naw, man.

{both laugh at Strong Bad}

MATT: He definitely looks pretty old, y'know? A fedora?

MIKE: Yeah, an attaché?

MATT: {simultaneously} Yeah. {pause} Nice goatee, Coach Z!

MIKE: Looks like a piece of brown tape.

MATT: {laughs} It might— it probably is. I like to make electrical tape goatees...

MIKE: Yeah?

MATT: ...a lot.

MIKE: Stro— uh, I've been doing some Cardgage animation recently, and his combover is going the opposite way in this scene than it usually does.

MATT: Yeah, it's flipped. I think it's got the... Blue Laser Commander eyepatch syndrome, it just flips sides sometimes. {pause} Oh, look, it's the background from the end of the, uh, retirement episode. {pause} It looks like Bubs has no midriff.

MIKE: Oh, his looks like grass col— It looks like Coach Z is invisible. {pause} Um, what all has happened at this brick wall?

MATT: Not a whole lot.

MIKE: Is this where they also put a spoonful of hoisin sauce on Strong Sad's head?

MATT: Yep. Yep.

{pause}

MATT: Chippies!

MIKE: Lookit those— that bag of green chips, that's a good lookin' bag.

MATT: Yeah. Remember how someone on the Wiki, like, un-warped that image and it's an old picture of, uh, you attacking Rather Dashing, and you were dressed as the Kerrek, I think.

MIKE: But it's not old, though, we took that picture for this.

MATT: Oh that's right, we just made— wanted it to seem old.

MIKE: {simultaneously} It wasn't old, we did this like a month ago, or whatever.

MATT: That's right.

Fun Facts

• All five movies the Brothers Chaps mentioned are indeed rated R.
  • Basic Instinct is a neo-noir erotic thriller, about a police detective (Michael Douglas) investigating a murder who becomes involved in a relationship with the prime suspect (Sharon Stone). Rated R for "strong violence and sensuality, and for drug use and language", the movie is famous and controversial for its overt sexuality and violence.
  • Lethal Weapon 2 is a buddy-cop action movie, the sequel to Lethal Weapon, starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as LAPD detectives taking on a gang of drug dealers.
  • Beverly Hills Cop is an action-comedy film starring Eddie Murphy as a wisecracking street-smart Detroit cop who travels to Beverly Hills to solve the death of his best friend.
  • A Fish Called Wanda is a British comedy film, starring John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline and Michael Palin, about a double-crossing gang of diamond thieves.
  • The Big Chill is a comedy-drama about a group of baby-boomer college friends who reunite 15 years later after a friend's suicide. An adult drama, it likely would not appeal to a teen looking for a thrill (as Matt implies).
• Axe-Gun: Legends of the Brain-Outener does star "an actual Palaroncini", Mary (not Larry as Matt guesses).
• Cardgage's combover going the opposite way is an example of flipped images.
• The pink sky does resemble the one at the end of retirement, but it is not the same graphic.
• At this point, the brick wall had only appeared briefly in four toons, hence Matt saying "not a whole lot" had happened there.
  • The spoonful of hoisin sauce was placed on Strong Sad's head in keep cool.

External Links

• watch "rated"
• watch "rated" on the old Flash site
• view the Flash file for "rated"
• forum thread re: "rated"