weird dream

Strong Bad Email #34

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"How's it going, Texas?"

Since the Tandy 400 is incapacitated, Strong Bad uses The Cheat's computer, Tangerine Dreams, to answer an email. Marie asks him about his weirdest dream.

Cast (in order of appearance): The Cheat, Strong Bad

Places: The Cheat's Computer Room

Computer: Tangerine Dreams

Date: Monday, July 1, 2002

Running Time: 1:17

Page Title: Tangerine Dreams!!

DVD: strongbad_email.exe Disc One

SBEmail Menu Description: Briefly, Strong Bad describes a weird dream he had.

Transcript

{The Cheat is typing away at his computer. Strong Bad shoves him away.}

STRONG BAD: Out of the way, The Cheat! I gotta use your computer.

{He sits in front of the computer and types, but nothing appears on the screen.}

STRONG BAD: Time to check the email... Time to check the email... {cut to a view from behind the computer, Strong Bad’s face visible} {banging on the keyboard} TIME... TO... CHECK...THE... EMAIL! Uh, The Cheat, I'm having some problems.

{The Cheat comes and stands beside Strong Bad.}

THE CHEAT: {annoyed The Cheat noises}

STRONG BAD: Your computer has too much computer in it {cut back to in front of the computer, screen visible} and not enough typewriter.

{The Cheat clicks the "SB Email" icon and the email window appears on the screen.}

STRONG BAD: Okay, here we go.

what is the weirdest dream
you've ever had?

-marie

{The Cheat clicks the Compose button in the toolbar.}

STRONG BAD: {typing} Okay, Marie, I'll tell you, but you gotta understand... The day before, all i had to eat was like...13 pudding pops, okay? So the whole dream was just a picture of... Well, lemme show you.

{Strong Bad pulls up on screen a handy picture of a map of the United States in a pair of white briefs.}

THE CHEAT: {surprised The Cheat noise}

STRONG BAD: The United States in tight, White Brand underdrawers. Briefly, let's discuss what this dream means. {chuckling} No, really, you guys can interpret this one how you want. Me, I blame the pudding pops. Okay, so... Maybe I shouldn't have shared that with you guys. Uh... See you next week.

{The Paper comes down.}

STRONG BAD: How's it going, Texas?

Easter Eggs

• At the end (after Strong Bad says "How's it going Texas?"), click on the United States to scroll through individual states in underwear. They are, in order:
  • Minnesota
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • Oklahoma
  • Utah
  • Mississippi
  • Illinois
  • Florida
  • Idaho
  • Georgia
  • California
  • Louisiana

Fun Facts

Trivia

• According to The Brothers Chaps during a 2004 university appearance, the weird dream was one Mike actually had. He drew it up as a visual aid for Matt, and it served as the inspiration for the email.
• The Back button appears in the Mac font "Chicago", which is one of the required system fonts for the Macintosh operating system versions 7 and earlier.
• The YouTube description for this email is "Briefly, Strong Bad describes a weird dream he had."

Remarks

• The usual menu along the top bar when on a Mac desktop would read, "File Edit View Special Help", but on The Cheat's, it reads, "File Edit Help". Furthermore, there is no trash icon on The Cheat's desktop as per normal with Macs.
• The Cheat is typing before Strong Bad pushes him out of the way, but when the computer screen is shown moments later, all that's there is the Mac desktop.
• The Cheat clicks the "Compose" button instead of the "Reply" button.
• The Cheat has Strong Bad's email on his computer.
• The Cheat also has the image of Strong Bad's dream on his computer.

Inside References

• Strong Bad's "briefly" quip is similar to one found in Fortune Cookies, also about discussing underwear.

Real-World References

• The Cheat's screen shows an icon called "So Cool A Flash". This was the subject line for the Klez computer worm. (see also Fast Forward)
  • Also, the window in which the U.S. in underwear appears is called "So Weird a Dream".
• The Cheat's computer closely resembles an Apple iMac. In the top-left corner of The Cheat's computer is the little rainbow star that appears beside the contrast buttons on the Tandy 400, which corresponds to the trademark rainbow apple in the top-left corner of Apple's older computers (the rainbow apple was replaced with an aquatic-blue apple for Mac OS X).
• The phrase "Time to check the email" and the tone in which Strong Bad says it is likely a reference to the old 1980s Dunkin' Donuts commercials where Fred the Baker said "Time to make the donuts" in a very similar sing-song tone.
• Pudding Pops are frozen pudding Popsicle desserts originally produced by Jell-O.

Fast Forward

• A picture of the U.S.A. in briefs was used in the former Homestar Runner Store, under "Store Locator".
• The "girl states" shown in an Easter egg in comic don briefs when re-clicked at the top.
• On The Cheat's computer screen, there is a file called "So Cool A Flash". Strong Bad later says "So cool an email, I thought you would enjoy it!" as his intro in japanese cartoon. (see also Real-World References)

DVD Version

• The Easter egg stops at Florida.

External Links

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