The Cheatar

This article is about the short. For the DVD feature showing its construction, see The Cheatar (making of). For other uses of the word "guitar", see Guitar (disambiguation).

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"The Cheat! You turned into, like, a giant guitar!"

The Cheat turns into a guitar! Or maybe not...

Cast (in order of appearance): Strong Bad, The Cheat, Gary Palaroncini (Easter egg)

Date: Monday, May 24, 2004

Running Time: 0:54

Page Title: Witness the Cheatar!

DVD: Everything Else, Volume 1

Transcript

{The scene opens to a wall with a purple door and a giant live action The Cheat guitar. Strong Bad, silhouetted, enters the scene.}

STRONG BAD: The Cheat! I need you to help me open up this can of peas! Wdj-haaaah?! The Cheat! You turned into, like, a giant guitar! You never told me you could do that! Wait a minute... What good is a giant guitar if you're not a giant...guitar...-ist? Why couldn't you transform into, like...a Semi? Or at least a tape player. You know, like: Ke-ka-ko-ko-ko-ko-ko-kokah! I don't think I like you like this. You're way taller than me. And way...guitarer than me.

{The Cheat enters, also silhouetted}

THE CHEAT: {The Cheat noises}

STRONG BAD: What the—The Cheat! You mean you can't turn into a giant guitar after all? Then what good are you?

THE CHEAT: {The Cheat noises. A popping noise is heard.}

STRONG BAD: Hey! You opened my can of peas! Thanks, The Cheat! Now let's go pour these on that ant-hill I found.

THE CHEAT: {Makes stance like guitar, makes The Cheat noises and walks away.}

Easter Eggs

• Move your mouse over the guitar to see a message.

The Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame was

nice enough to ask us to paint a
giant fiberglass guitar for an
exhibition they're doing. 'The
Cheatar' will be on display in
Cleveland for a while, then
auctioned off for charity with the

other giant guitars.

• At the end of the toon, click on the door to see a picture of Gary from Limozeen chillin' with 'The Cheatar'. Keep clicking to see other pictures and finally a clip of Gary playing a few chords on this big guitar and singing a song about running away:

GARY PALARONCINI: {Singing while playing The Cheatar} Can't you run away? But can't you run away? Won't you run away? My dog ran away... Oh-oh, I can't... I told him to stay, but he still run away, rugh! You know I told him...I thought I told him to stay. I say. {Riffs The Cheatar one last time; the Limozeen logo comes up}

Fun Facts

Explanations

• The 10-foot-tall fiberglass Fender Stratocaster from this short was created for a program called GuitarMania. Through this program, hundreds of these guitars are creatively transformed into works of art. The sculptures are then sold at a live auction at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Proceeds benefit The United Way and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's Educational Fund.

Trivia

• The final bid on the Cheatar was $5000.
• Gary's chord progression during the video goes like this: GGDCGDCDG.

Remarks

• The Cheatar doesn't have any strings, a bridge, or any inlays.

Inside References

• This is another mention of peas.

Real-World References

• When Strong Bad mentions the Semi and the tape player, he is referring to Optimus Prime, and possibly Blaster or Soundwave of the Transformers. He also imitates the "transformation" sound.
• The font of the "Comin' up..." loading screen is reminiscent of the logo of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden.

Fast Forward

• The strongbad email.exe Disc Three Sketchbook video reveals drawings of alternate guitar designs, including Trogdor, Homestar Runner, and an armless version of The Cheat.

DVD Version

• The Guitar message Easter egg is visible at the end of the cartoon.
• The pictures of Gary with the Cheatar are visible at the end and are accompanied by a new Limozeen song:

LIMOZEEN: Squeedle, squeedle, giant guitar

How I wonder just how squeedly you are

Up on stage playing notes so high

You make all the young ladies cry {song ends}

{spoken} No, don't eat me, giant guitar!

• The video of Gary playing the Cheatar was released on strongbad email.exe Disc Two as an Easter egg.

External Links

• watch "The Cheatar"
• watch "The Cheatar" on the old Flash site
• view the Flash file for "The Cheatar"
• forum thread re: "The Cheatar"
• view the Flash file for the Limozeen clip
• GuitarMania 2004 official site (archive)
  • The Cheatar page on GuitarMania (archive)