Talk:Commandos in the Classroom

From Homestar Runner Wiki

Contents 1 Is it just me? 2 Longest Short 3 Pizza In The Background 4 Antioxidants 5 Sound Effect 6 Knowing is Half the Battle 7 Berenstain Bear Reference 8 Easier 9 Peer-2-teen

Is it just me?

Is it just me, or is Homestar hitting some inappropreate stuff here?? - C.Olimar788

I think that's the point. They're teaching how to NOT behave inappropriately. Or trying, anyway. --DorianGray

I think the cap has a point. "Getting teen pregnant" stuck right out to me too. While the site has numerous innuendos (for instance: "cold ones", "dry t-shirt contests", the poopsmith and his mysterious trade) they've gone to pretty great lengths to avoid directly referencing anything offensive or controversial, even poop. Seems like referring to pregnancy directly is overstepping that line. Watch now as someone jumps out to say something extreme about censorship.

Uh, "get teen pregnant" doesn't make much sense on its own. Also, Reyanold is a boy.

Well, on the other hand, I don't see anything wrong with the word "pregnant" in and of itself. I mean, it's not like they described it elaborately or anything. There's really no big deal. --Bluelite

Eh, I was thinking the same thing. *sigh* I hope they don't go downhill like some other flash movies I used to like. It's not that bad, but I'd say still there's rough spots. --MrsCommanderson 23:06, 13 Sep 2005 (UTC)

When did anything happen that was offensive with the poopsmith?---Strongglad

Well maybe Homestar is hitting on some inappropreate stuff, but hey that's the way the world's going nowadays. I mean they're using the word 'sexy' in kid's shows now. The times are a-changing The Pardack

*Has half a mind to try e-Mailing the Brothers Chaps* - C.Olimar788

I personally think the reference in this toon is rather benign, but if you feel strongly about emailing your opinion to the Chaps, then, by all means, do it! They'll never know what their viewers think without any feedback from you. — It's dot com 00:23, 14 Sep 2005 (UTC)

Just a few days ago I was doing my daily web surfing and I came upon Tvtome/Tv and looked up my favirote cartoon One Piece. There was a fourm and I looked at it, it was about what on a cartoon they said on One pice it was a very mild bad word, crap or freaking is worse then the word they used, but then this other guy said they had a very bad cuss word on another show/Shamain King if you've ever heard of it he could've lying then again you never know. I see the future times being bad for the children. Bassium!

I know, man. There's this little 7-or-so year old kid who lives nearby who's seen The Matrix, and has no problem with all the bad words and stuff. Heck, there was a certain children's Bible video that blantantly referenced the Matrix by name! {shakes head} C'mon guys, the Matrix is a good movie and all, but it is rated R for a reason. - Joshua

I think the Matrix is a bad/evil movie anyways, I'm sure its not meant to be evil in someways like most everything in this world something good will eventually have to become bad, I wished my opinion mattered but it doesen't in the real world, I might be stupid but I do have morals. The sad thing is, my cousin couldn't go see Meet the Parents and he was fifth teen but he could go see Chainsaw Masacer, I mean come on! If only the little man did matter. Bassium!

Wait, what? How is it "evil"? How can any movie be evil, is another question...

Passing over the topic of the nasty little things on the website, why hasn't anybody mentioned the bird? —Gafaddict (Talk | Contribs.) 01:34, 14 Sep 2005 (UTC)

I always thought the machine was supposed to be god, am I right? I feel I am in uncharted waters here so this is gonna be my last post about Matrix. Bassium!

Meh, it's supposed to be "some" god, not ours. The MAtrix is a fictitious religion basically, and one that doesn't make very much sense.

Or what about Pom Pom's girls? There in bikinis, that would be considered porn in my mind. Bassium!

APBABABABABABABAUM. I'm thinkin'... no. Consider this: bikinis are acceptable swimwear (you'll see them on the beach). It's just not right if we see somebody in a bikini in a cartoon and go "OMFG PORN!!" They're not, like, taboo or anything. —Gafaddict (Talk | Contribs.) 01:43, 14 Sep 2005 (UTC)

I have always thought that Strongbad's "Oh Holy Crap" song was REALLY offensive. I've been wondering about e-mailing the chaps about that one, even though it's old... - anon

Yes, that was offensive. He flat out called Jesus stupid. And that's what I mean when I say that their old stuff is more "edgy" than their new. (Well, I said that on the forum) - Joshua

The eternal question remains:

Why hasn't anybody complained about this before the whole pregnancy deal? Are we suddenly going to start this crusade against the "nasty" (and I use the term loosely here — Holy Crap means Jesus is stupid? Come on... I believe that they're Catholic?) content on H*R now? —Gafaddict (Talk | Contribs.) 02:18, 14 Sep 2005 (UTC)

It was the "some guy who was born" that was supposed to be really stupid, so yeah it's Jesus. However, as an atheist, this doesn't exactly bother me. You should be able to put the boot into religious figures just as much as anybody else, which incidentally was a key argument against "inciting religious hatred" legislation -- that people wouldn't be able to make Anti-Christian jokes. 83.67.4.159 10:33, 14 Sep 2005 (UTC)

Of course an atheist would say that "you should be able to boot into religious figures just as much as anyone else". It's like saying a GUY dictating what should be offensive for women. Or someone who's never raised kids deciding whether mothers should be allowed to breast-feed in public. Or saying "I hate animals, so I should be able to kill any pet that I want - BUH-BYE FIDO!!!!". You won't miss the pet, but it means alot more to the owner. I didn't understand the Chaps were catholic, but I still find the old toon in question somewhat offensive.

Technically, we don't have any idea who Strong Bad was talking about. I never bothered to change the transcript, because I knew it'd be an unpopular decision and I don't really know for sure, but I always heard Strong Bad saying "and he was probably bored." --Jay (Talk) 16:39, 14 Sep 2005 (UTC)

I don't know why everyone started now, I don't think it's a big deal at all. I mean, I watch Bonus Stage. I think this toon here is fine. - Joshua

Homestar Runner has never been intended for children, and this topic would probably be better off on the forum. Homestar Coder 02:26, 14 Sep 2005 (UTC)

it always was intended for children! it started out as a childrens book man! and does some kinda robot seem like adult content to you?-User:Timmy!

I never really thought that he was talking about Jesus, I always thought he was talking about Homestar. - C.Olimar788

This is the toon in question: A Holiday Greeting

And no one said otherwise; however, the "Jesus" thing doesn't make any sense if you take the word Strong Bad is saying as "bored" (see above.) --Jay (Talk) 17:13, 14 Sep 2005 (UTC)

Oh come on, they're sending up terrible sex education films. The "teen pregnant" comment is just another poke at the highly idealised world the makers of said videos deal in. You've got to assume that if they're sending up sex-ed videos they're not aiming at the under-eights market. 83.67.4.159 10:28, 14 Sep 2005 (UTC)

I completely agree. Anyone with doubts should go here: http://sonicsez.ytmnd.com/. If sonic can talk about "touching", "teen pregnant" seems pretty damn tame to me. These public service announcments are all over cartoons anyway. TBC take a good stance by being a bit risque for kids entertainment, but if a kid were to view their site, they could almost certainly deal with it.--Bobo the King 11:45, 14 Sep 2005 (UTC)

Oooh! Oooh! Now it's time for "my two cents about Reynold!" (sound of muffled trombone). I think TBC were simply trying to come up with an inappropriate behavior for Reynold to be chastised about - the phrase "get teen pregnant" makes as much sense as "peer-2-teen choice behavior." Let us pity poor Reynold, who, in addition to not being allowed on any missions, isn't allowed to watch a PG-13 movie about ponies. This constant sheltering feeds his naive persona - the little dude can't even cuss properly. So, when he attempts to express his frustration about being sent to bed, "get teen pregnant" is the best he can come up with. He's not going to get pregnant, or get someone pregnant - he's using risque language inappropriately. This is similar to how little children, flush with excitement over learning a new curse word, use the word relentlessly without even understanding what it means. In conclusion: this was one of the funniest toons on the site in recent memory. —THE SMOKING MONKEY13:13, 14 Sep 2005 (UTC)

I doubt theres anything to really make a case about. As mentioned before, getting teen pregnant makes no sense - especially as Reynolds says it, and since when is pregnancy innapropriate? I may be over exageratting, but I think everyone here is born thanks to a pregnancy. And I doubt society's reached a point where one is ashamed of being pregnant. The line just shows Reynold's lack of common sense/wit. I mean, if you want to make a fuss... why not make one about Strongbad screaming to kids I'll kill ya or complain about him willingly attempting to murder someone. If people can see those two instances as humor, I dont see why the pregnancy line should raise any discussion at all Ghilz 15:03, 14 Sep 2005 (UTC)

Just remember what the MPAA says: "Horrific, deplorable violence is okay, as long as people don't say any naughty words." That is what this war is all about! — Elcool ^(talk)_(contribs) 15:14, 14 Sep 2005 (UTC)

Well, as a christian it makes me mad to hear people making fun of god! Bassium!

H*R doesn't really make fun of God. Besides the whole Decemberween toon a long while back, there's nothing really offensive in that arena. And quite possibly "What's that jargle? Scripture? You're going scripture?" But that's too funny to be offensive to me. - Joshua 17:42, 14 Sep 2005 (UTC)

"What's that Jargle? Scipture?" - similar jokes have been made by my own pastor, so what the heck. It's funny. May I mention that the "Get Teen pregnant" thing isn't offensive to me? If they had SHOWN something to the effect... that would have been disturbing. But as it was, it was a three word sentence that really didn't do anything...

Pretty soon this thread (which really should be on the forum), is gonna need its own page. Anydangway, previous toons aside, this toon was making fun of the fact that people get offended by crazy stuff and highlighting the fact that TBC don't actually use swears on the site. As the Commandos were talking about cussing, I wondered whether we would hear any real ones, and I thought the way the toon ended up going was hilarous. — It's dot com 18:25, 14 Sep 2005 (UTC)

The only reason that I thought it was offensive originally was because I misheard Reynold. I thought he said "get A teen pregnant," which I wouldn't have liked. However, when I re-heard him, I noticed that it was indeed just "teen pregnant," not "a teen pregnant." So, yeah. -- anonymous

Yeah I agree that H*R isn't for kids. It did start out as a kid's book, but if you notice, the kid's book is pretty much a satire of other kid's books. The whole site is satire and a lot of the jokes are ones that kids wouldn't understand. In fact, I'd go so far as to say most young children who would be reading kids books would not understand a darn thing on the site. It's adult entertainment, for the most part, and I think we should keep that in mind. As for the whole god thing, if you noticed, TBC tries to keep religion out of H*R. There are very few, if any, references to it. The fact that they call it "Decemberween" and do other stuff is their attempt at appealing to the largest audience possible. While they may be Christian, it's clear that they don't make that a factor in their work. I think that we should keep this in mind while watching the clips. Just my two cents. -- Anonymous 64.164.69.218 08:09, 16 Sep 2005 (UTC)

Yeah, because Homestar was never borderline before. It's not like they ever hinted at threesomes, getting to third base or flipping people off... - Camalex

Look, the fact is, this quote is different than the way the brothers usually handle "naughty" subject matter. They usually say something that is some combination of an obvious inuendo (Like "Cold Ones" instead of Beer) and something plainly impossible (like smoking candy). In this case, while what was said was still technically impossible, there was no inuendo at all. That ends up leaving "Teen pregnant" as part of the punchline. Some people are going to be offended at the mere mention of the controversial subject matter, and others will worry that TBC are implying people get too worked up over teen pregnancy. By failing to use a pseudenym or some other tool like they usually do, the brothers left themselves open to this.

If it had taken place later in the toon--once everybody knew what was being made fun of--it wouldn't have offended nearly as many people. But the joke really was structured differently than most of the jokes like this they do, so it's going to offend people who wouldn't normally be offended. That doesn't mean people are being too uptight or, (as has been suggested on the forum) people hate Cheat Commandos. It just means that, while similar to the other jokes, this one really was different, and so people are going to feel differently about it.

One thing that I'd like to point out is that compared to other "bad things" on the site, like Cold Ones, flipping people off, etc, are considered to be good, perfectly fine things. "Teen pregnant" is pointed out to be obviously bad. There's a difference. This kind of thing is nothing new. At least here they make it look bad. - Joshua

Not to mention they mention smoking (teachers can go have a smoke while the film is playing). I think this was simply a toon reflecting some more subversive ideas but doing it in a funny way. There is an undercurrent of laissez-faire attitudes here but nothing to get worked up over. Approved by "some people who know what's best"? This is as close to political commentary they've ever gotten and I think they did it well without ruffling many feathers.

As for "Oh Holy Crap". The character's name is Strong BAD. Not Strong Politically Correct, though I'd love to see him come on as a cousin or something. The summary of the toon on the menu says "Strong Bad offends everybody." Old school Strong Bad was more explicitly a villain and this was part of his character.

Oh my god jeez. Of course it was intended for children didn't you guys read the Legal Stuff or what? Jeez man. -- Strong Lad

However, in one interview (I don't know which one), TBC said that their intended audience was young adults due to all the 80's references. Despite this, I'm not denying that the TBC would know that part of their audience is composed of children.---RatherAnnoying

Longest Short

Is it just me or are the shorts getting longer than the toons? --Danny 22:17, 13 Sep 2005 (UTC)

Recent talk has been that the difference between shorts and toons is not length, but the content and story. See talk here Username-talk 22:24, 13 Sep 2005 (UTC)

So... are we gonna list a fact to this effect on every new Short (like the one on the page as of this writing), or are we gonna change our interpretation of Short to something like on that other talk page there? — It's dot com 06:17, 14 Sep 2005 (UTC)

I'm not sure that one actually works in this case - this one is a Cheat Commandos cartoon (well, edutainment piece) that seems just as much a "story" as Shopping for Danger, at least IMHO. And it's almost as long as Shopping for Danger. --Jay (Talk) 16:50, 14 Sep 2005 (UTC)

Shopping for Danger has a story with a beginning, development, and conclusion. Namely, the Commandos hear a Blue Las-alert, spring into action, fight the bad guys, and finally rush home when Reynold blows up the base. It's thin, but there, and all of the action takes place in the real world (at least as far as the Cheats are concerned). This toon, however, is slice-of-life. The only real scene is there in the headquarters. None of the cutaway segments are actually happening, and TBC take other liberties (such as having Gunhaver appear on screen when he says "freeze" and having Blue Lasers and Commandos in the same classroom). Hence, it is a Short, not a Toon. — It's dot com 17:07, 14 Sep 2005 (UTC)

I suppose it depends on your point of view, I guess. I can see what you're saying, but there's a part of me that thinks that the difference between Shorts and Toons is arbitrary any more, or at the very least, may be based on how long the 'toon was supposed to be. Because between the "story/slice of life" distinction, some really blur the line in my eyes. (For instance, 1936 vs. 20X6, The Reddest Radish, Cool Things, and this one.) --Jay (Talk) 17:12, 14 Sep 2005 (UTC)

I guess the main point I'm trying to make is, yes, the Shorts are long now... do we really have to say so on every page? — It's dot com

I think that, yes, shorts were short and toons were long until the release of "cool things," when TBC decided that it would be a waste making 2 minute shorts, since everything else is about 4 minutes long. So they decided to change the definition. - Joshua

Pizza In The Background

Did anyone catch what the message board in the background of the Blue Laser hideout Easter egg said? It said something about pizza, but I can't read it. Anyone have a suggestion? --Bluelite

I think it was something like 'Operation: Dress as Pizza'. I looked, but it was a bit obscured by the characters. Maybe someone with one of those fancy decompilers can tell us. --DorianGray

Decomplier'd! "OPERATION DRESS UP AS PIZZA!!" - Joshua

Thanks. That would've bothered me a lot. --Bluelite

Antioxidants

The antioxidants explanation is just dumb. We're not advised to eat foods with antioxidants in them for the prevention of acne. Anti-oxidants prevent oxidation; having these chemicals in the body and are thought to prevent cancer and stave of the visible signs of aging. They may be used in over the counter acne medicine, but they aren't doing anthying in them. Anti-acne medicine works through cleansing/astringent properties. Prescription anti-acne medicine is antibiotics. There is absilutely no evidence that topical application of antioxidants has any effect at all. Eplaining antioxidants as acne preventers is really bizzare, and I don't understand why it got changed back. At least the link to antioxidants still goes to wikipedia, not some skin care product propaganda page like it used to. --Sarducci

As I said below, 80's acne medication advertising focused on antioxidants. I'm certainly not trying to promote any propaganda, just the idea that the reference to antioxidants is a reference to that bygone age that connected "antioxidants" and "acne". -- tomstiff 13:50, 14 Sep 2005 (UTC)

• Ah, I was just going to note that. I don't see what acne has to do with it at all, and it's not even mentioned on the Wikipedia article. The cosmetics industry like putting random 'healthy-sounding' chemicals in products without any active effect, such as amino acids in shampoo. Antioxidants are not going to kill bacteria. I don't quite know what to do with the fact though - not sure how to summarise antioxidants without needlessly going into detail. -- Mithent 00:47, 14 Sep 2005 (UTC)

I removed the content in question and changed it to something more straightforward. — It's dot com 01:20, 14 Sep 2005 (UTC)

Guys, c'mon ... The educational film was aimed at teens. Teens get acne. Antioxidants help clear up acne. Commercials for acne medications in the 80's were all about "anitoxidants." You're right about the wikipedia link: it doesn't mention acne. But the wikipedia article is incomplete. That's why the original post contained a link that contained pertinent information. Y'know ... wikipedia is *NOT* always the best source for information! Ima repost it with the original link that decribed the connection between antioxidants and acne.-- tomstiff 13:27, 14 Sep 2005 (UTC)

This google search returned 713,000 hits.

I've removed the offending "propaganda" link and replaced it with the google search above. I'm gonna try to find some old Clearasil ads with refs to antioxidants -- tomstiff 14:01, 14 Sep 2005 (UTC)

The claim that antioxidants help acne is erronious and without evidence. The explanations section should explain what things are. If you want to include a tag on claims of acne prevention, put it in the triva section or somewhere else. And a link to some ridiculous skin car products site is not appropriate for explaining anything. --sarducci

Well ... if you'd read my other posts before getting your panties in a bunch, you'd see that I agree with you. -- tomstiff 13:58, 14 Sep 2005 (UTC)

If you want to tie tie the antioxidant reference to acne commercials, that belongs in the real-world references section. Explanations should shust say what antioxidants are. --sarducci

Now you just deleted the reference? people probably don't know what antioxidants are, which is what I thought the point of the explanations section is. btw, if you just google search antioxidants, you don't get pages referencing acne. --sarducci

OK, cut it out with adding the acne stuff already. As someone pointed out in a wiki edit, most over the counter acne products (oxy clean, clearasil) are benzoyl perodide (an oxdant) and acid exfoliants. I don't understand your obsession with the acne claim. Antioxidants are much better known for claims of anti-cancer and anti-aging activity.--sarducci wed 4:27pm

It's hardly an "obsession"! I'm just trying to explain the appearance of "antioxidants" in the cartoon. Other than the acne connection, why else would it be mentioned in a teen-oriented educational film? For its wrinkle prevention properties? -- tomstiff 20:40, 14 Sep 2005 (UTC)

The acne prevention commercials I remember from my 80's childhood were for the aforementioned products with benzoyl peroxide, not antioxidants. You are confused, and there is nothing in the cartoon to support an acne connection. Modern unsupported claims on this subject have no relevance. GO read the web MD article; no mention of acne. You are apparently the only person who beleives this (or thinks it relevant), so stop putting it in the wiki. As for why its in the cartoon? perhaps it is there to evoke the oxy clean/clearasil commercials, but those were for Oxidizers, not antioxidants. Maybe they just put it in to be random. TBC do that. Again, put it in the references section if you think thats what it's referencing. --sarducci

Sound Effect

The sound effect used for inappropriate behaviors emanating from the evil side of the brain is the same one used for Secret Eating in a Marshie commercial. -J. Random Passerby

I think at some point we've gotta draw the line and admit that they reuse sound effects all the time. How tedious it would be if they had to come up with a new sound for every little thing. I personally don't even consider the noise Homsar makes when he walks to be his sound anymore. On the other hand, however, this wiki loves to make lists. If we could gather all the reused effects and give them each a generic name and make a big nice table with sound clips and list what toons they're used in... Well, that would be great. Anybody up for that? I'll even give you a link to get started: Sound Effects. There should be some kind of minimum occurances before a sound is eligible, or something... It's late. — It's dot com 06:14, 14 Sep 2005 (UTC)

I'd love to take this task on. I've already begun making a file in Notepad for it. Collecting data and making lists is almost a hobby of mine. --DorianGray

Knowing is Half the Battle

I personally think this episode is a stab at the 'And Now You Know' segments at the end of the old G.I. Joe show. Which makes sense since Cheat Commandos itself is a paraody of G.I. Joe. Anyone agree with this? The Pardack

I was thinking the same thing; though I do think its pointing fun to all such segments, who were quite abundant in the 80s and 90s. Ghilz

Berenstain Bear Reference

On the title slide for Pro-Positive Life Tool #3, the character shown is quite hairy, and looks like the silhouette of a Berenstain Bear, from the books. This is a reference to the Berenstain Bears. The books teach morals, in a fun way for kids. They also teach about health, and the picture shown is very similar to some medical slides of bears from the book The Berenstain Bears go to the Doctor.

Comparison:

Screenshot from Commandos...:Here

Example of Berenstain Bear(notice the silhouette):Here Stew

I think the vicious teeth alone contradict this comparison. --sarducci

And the ears are all wrong. — It's dot com 17:37, 16 Sep 2005 (UTC)

Easier

Wouldn't it be easier just to stick screenshots in there rather than create complicated and still inaccurate blockquotes? - Joshua 01:41, 17 Sep 2005 (UTC)

I don't think so. —BazookaJoe 03:21, 17 Sep 2005 (UTC)

I think that it would be a little bit more accurate. Rogue Leader / (my talk) 03:28, 17 Sep 2005 (UTC)

Nevermind accuracy; what we should be doing in the transcript is reproduce it in text. Look at all the email blockquotes. Not a good idea to take a screenshot of each email insted. —BazookaJoe 03:32, 17 Sep 2005 (UTC)

There are many reasons not to go overboard with screenshots, including things like the fact that some people browse without images (for various things like preference, having a browser that doesn't support images, or being blind), but the most important reason is that a transcript is made of words. And words can be searched for, copied, pasted, and otherwise manipulated in ways that images cannot. Screenshots can supplement the transcriptions, but they should never be the primary content. For that, you should go to the official site. — It's dot com 06:28, 17 Sep 2005 (UTC)

And let's not forget that there are people browsing this site with slow dial-up. --AwesomeSauce 00:45, 18 Sep 2005 (UTC)

Peer-2-teen

Anybody else think that peer-2-teen is supposed to be a reference to "peer-to-peer?" It struck me up front, especially since the numeral 2 is used in the common abbreviation P2P. --153.42.207.89 06:22, 17 Sep 2005 (UTC)

It's mixing up peer to peer and teen to teen. It's just a joke.--Strongglad