Talk:Marzipan's Answering Machine Version 14.2

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Current revision as of 22:49, 19 March 2011

Marzipan's Answering Machine Version 14.2 is a featured article, which means it showcases an important part of the Homestar Runner body of work and/or highlights the fine work of this wiki. We also might just think it's cool. If you see a way this page can be updated or improved without compromising previous work, feel free to contribute.

[edit] Transcript

Okay guys, I've done the transcript! Please bear with it, it's the first I've ever done. You can tweak it if you want, because some of the words I had trouble understanding (particularly some of the things Marzipan and Homestar said). w00t! I've made my first major contribution! EYanyo 07:47, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Yay for you! I've been here for a really long time and still haven't gotten the chance to do a transcript, so you were lucky! I think it looks fine, by the way. -Brightstar Shiner 14:02, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Image

That's a pretty spoileriffic image you got there. Why not replace the Easter egg screencap with that of Pistols for Pandas? --Ppk01 10:14, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

We tried that one first. It wasn't as interesting. --DorianGray 10:26, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Yeah. Here's the other one if people agree the current one's too much of a spoiler. Trey56 10:29, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

I'm unhappy that the spoileriffic image ruined the joke for me :-( That uncalled for. I replaced it with Trey's suggestion. Loafing 10:36, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

That last message reminded me of how I may never forgive the wiki for ruining Missing Lappy for me until I revised the transcript. Seriously, why did you guys think I already watched it? And why didn't anyone notice earlier that it had to match Pumpkin Carve-nival? Bad Bad Guy 00:51, 10 March 2007 (UTC) revised by Bad Bad Guy 06:27, 11 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Kipedia link...

Dernit! I can't make no underover rumble-dumble Kipedia linkses? Dernit! Someburdy help me!

What you're after is [[Wikipedia:page name|]]. The w: shortcut doesn't work here, since we're not part of the Wikimedia Foundation. --phlip ^T_C 11:28, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

It seems to me that the wikipedia template could use some tweaking. The above does work to create a link to wikipedia, but it shows up like Wikipedia:Lanai, whereas I think we really want it to be Lanai.—BryanCTC 15:42, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Works fine to me. You just forgot the little | symbol. - Joshua 16:00, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

If you put a | at the end of the link, but leave the bit after it blank, then it'll automatically strip interwiki prefixes, namespaces, and things in parentheses – so [[Wikipedia:Homestar Runner (character)|]] becomes Homestar Runner. --phlip ^T_C 00:21, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] NOT Redskins

Under real-world references it states the skins are a reference to the redskins, but the actual joke is supposed to be that when male sports teams scrimmage against themselves they divide the team in half and one half takes of their shirts and are the "skins" and the other half is the "shirts".--75.5.227.239 11:46, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Charlton Heston

So, this fact was removed.

Crack Stuntman, the celebrity spokesman for Pistols for Pandas, is most likely a reference to Charlton Heston, spokesman for the National Rifle Association.

I think the similarities are strong: Charlton Heston was the long-time and very prolific president of and spokesman for the NRA, and they're quite unique in that there are no other gun associations or corresponding celebrity spokespeople that come near to the fame of the two. In addition, Heston and the NRA faced well-known opposition, for example from Michael Moore in Bowling for Columbine. I think it would extremely difficult for TBC to create a celebrity spokesman for a gun organization and have Marzipan be protesting it without thinking of Heston and the NRA. Should this fact be STUFFed? Trey56 15:33, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

If it was STUFF'd, I'd vote for it. -Brightstar Shiner 15:37, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

I was going to suggest the same similarity. You might not like poking fun at Heston, but this definately was. — 129.65.58.117 (Talk | contribs) 16:55, 5 March 2007 (UTC) (left unsigned)

(Anonny: what does liking it have to do with anything.) Trey: I don't see nearly as many similarities. For one, Crack Stuntman is a spokesman for a charitable wildlife organization, not a gun association. The gun element is just the joke. I don't think the message is a specific reference to anything. — It's dot com 19:19, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

I don't think it has anything to do with liking Heston or not, it's just not specific enough to be listed as a reference. Some kind of scientist 18:51, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Interesting take — I hadn't considered that angle. Still, it looks to me like "charitable wildlife organization" is a euphemism for what the group really is—a guns rights organization intent on defending the right to arm bears (*steals joke from BucketHand*). However, I'm not sure my opinion is objective on this... Trey56 19:48, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Um, I think this should be STUFF'd, at least. I thought that Crack Stuntm'n bore a strong resemblance to the role of Heston, i.e. he's a famour (I'm assuming) actor who is very outspoken about gun rights. Albeit they're gun rights for pandas, but I still see a similarity. EYanyo 20:51, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Alright, it looks like there's adequate interest in this fact — to the STUFFatorium! Trey56 20:58, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

There's a bit of ambiguity in the toon... it's unclear (at least to me) whether Marzipan is protesting against the PFP, and Crack Stuntman wants her to stop, or whether she protests for the PFP, and Crack Stuntman feels they don't need or want her support... the words "stop protesting in our rallies" suggests the latter to me, but the former makes more sense... I'd totally vote for that fact in STUFF if it were the former, but the latter... I dunno... --phlip ^T_C 00:21, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

I see your point — to me, it seems clear that Marzipan was protesting against the PFP. Crack's arguments indicate that Marzipan disagrees with PFP's platform, and he's trying to convince her why she shouldn't protest:

Pistols for Pandas is a just cause! These are stupid, fat, slow creatures we're talking about. They need all the firepower they can get. Last year alone, the PFP put handguns in the paws of no fewer than 300 underprivileged and unarmed pandas. And what do you care? People like you don't even eat panda!

Trey56 00:29, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

I know I'm a little late in saying this but... STUFF'D! --Collin Diver 12:51, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Butt Congressman

Jimbo said the same thing about Homer in The Simpsons' episode "King-Size Homer." --Jnelson09 15:57, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Are you suggesting this as another fun fact? I don't think it counts, "Your butt is so big it has its own congressman" is a generic joke, I've seen it many places before.Some kind of scientist 18:50, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

For the record, the relevant dialogue from that episode is as follows mild language:

Homer uses a broom to hit at the keyboard in the general vicinity of the "Y" key. Several kids gather outside to watch him through the window. Milhouse: Uh... what's your dad's job again? Bart: He's a nuclear safety technician. Nelson: What's he doing with that broom? Bart: [sheepish] Uh... what isn't he doing? Jimbo: I heard that guy's ass has its own congressman. [laughs, gives Nelson a high five]

It's dot com 21:29, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

According to the DVD commentary during King-Size Homer, this "Your butt is so big it has its own congressman" joke was indeed invented by the Simpsons writers. The "generic" joke that existed before was "Your butt is so big it has its own zip code". If you search for "ass" + "own congressman" (or "butt" + "own congressman") on the Google groups archive, you'll find that the first occurrence of this joke on newsgroups is 3 days after this Simpsons episode aired (it aired November 5th 1995). If you search for the zip code version of the joke, you'll find much earlier mentions dating back to 1992. While TBC might not have referred to The Simpsons intentionally, all signs point to The Simpsons as being the origin of this joke.VL-Tone 07:51, 13 March 2007 (UTC)

Hmmm...I was not aware of that. Well, if there's decent evidence to show that this specific version of the joke originated on The Simpsons, then maybe it's worth a reference listing. It would get my vote. Some kind of scientist 18:18, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

I suppose if they just wanted a generic Big Butt joke, they would've gone with the zip code variation. --Jnelson09 19:03, 21 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Pistols for Pandas flier

Did anyone see the toon without the Pistols for Pandas flier appearing? I don't recall it upon first watching the toon. — It's dot com 19:28, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

No — I watched it within a minute or two of its posting, and the logo was there. Trey56 19:48, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Yep, it was definitely there first time around... maybe you missed it, it's not on the screen for long... I know I've missed sight gags in MAM before. --phlip ^T_C 00:21, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Lanai

Why are we mentioning the island at all? It has no bearing in the context in which it is said. DeFender1031 19:57, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Yeah, I agree with you. Trey56 20:02, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Panda Sticker

That sticker looks like one for a real life charitable organization. Which one is it? I can't remember, but I know I saw a panda sticker in real life for a real organization. 24.21.41.90 00:07, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

There's a panda in the World Wildlife Fund logo, but it doesn't look that similar... is that what you're thinking of? --phlip ^T_C 00:21, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Yep. Now that I see them together, they don't look that similar. Still, do you think that's where they got the idea? Lifing for love, drinking for free. 04:10, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Does Marzipan even HAVE shins?

It doesn't appear from her shape that she even has shins. How can she participate in a shin contest?

Heh — yeah, I was wondering the same thing. After thinking about it, I decided that that's probably the intended joke :D Trey56 02:06, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

• Same way Homestar gets a tattoo on his forearm. Danny Lilithborne 02:09, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

As if she can even wear a "anything"-kini. It's a joke. Lighten up. - Qermaq - (^T/C)  02:15, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Okay. Someone has to look up Marzipan's skirt and resolve this. Any volunteers? --BigScaryMike 18:45, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

*ahem*Forum*ahem* Loafing 18:46, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Who cares whether Marzipan has shins or not, it never even occurred to me to wonder. What I've been trying to figure out is what the *#@* shin-ball is.

Probably a kneecap. Also, sign your posts. And does it matter if she has shins? I mean, unless this shin contest becomes some mojor joke in the HR universe, it was just a joke. --Jangles5150 20:51, 23 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] "Eats, Shoots, and Leaves"

Might the Pistols for Pandas organization be a reference to the "Eats, Shoots, and Leaves" joke or book by Lynne Truss?

That's a bit of a stretch. --DorianGray 19:33, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Afraid so. Good book, but not likely a reference. P.S.: Correct title of the book is Eats, Shoots and Leaves with no Oxford comma. Heimstern Läufer 20:16, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

I've heard of the joke long before the book came out, for what it's worth, and the punctuation isn't consistent between retellings; sometimes there's no comma at all. --Jay (Talk) 21:12, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

I highly doubt it. The book is about grammar and its misuse, and the PfP organization is about giving firearms to pandas. There's next to no connection, other than the fact that the book's title refers to pandas. EYanyo 04:51, 8 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Automated Menu Burger or Automatedmenuberger

Apparently some annonies disagree with my reasoning that Strong Bad is an Automated Menu Burger named Nadine. They think he's calling as "Nadine Automatedmenuberger" (one even resorted to a soft personal attack ([1])), note the typo that nobody seems to notice. What do you guys think? I say NADINE AUTOMATED MENU BURGER. --TotalSpaceshipGirl3 12:08, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

Due to a lack of opposition, it seems that "Automated Menu Burger". --TotalSpaceshipGirl3 19:13, 16 April 2007 (UTC)

- I think the use of "Ms Charbroiledburger" in the Strong Bad Email "diorama" clears this up. Since this is a similar (but admittedly not identical) joke, I suggest the solution is to go back to one long word, but to keep the spelling at -burger. Thus, Automatedmenuburger. --207.237.177.87 15:42, 3 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Closed STUFF

[edit] Simpsons

Strong Bad's remark about the butt that's so big it has its own Congressman is a reference to a quote from the Simpsons episode King-Size Homer. 67.180.247.166 22:52, 23 April 2007 (UTC)

See above for a discussion about this... Trey56 22:52, 23 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Copyright Issues

If this came to DVD, would they have to replace Homestar's "Somewheres, out theres" like they did for Kick the Can and Marshmallow's Last Stand, or can it stay because it is not the exact lyrics? Bad Bad Guy 04:20, 13 May 2007 (UTC)

I'm sure it'll be a complete non-issue. It's not even the music. --DorianGray 04:30, 13 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] No Foolin'

As I've attempted to STUFF but have been shot down, Strong Sad talks about April Fools pranks, but not even The Brothers Chaps pulled any. Was this why? That was my STUFF, but it was removed, saying to use the talk page first. So, here I am. --Jnelson09 19:34, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Here's the fact as it was in STUFF:

Strong Sad discusses April Fools Day pranks on his message. No April Fools Day prank was released on the website in 2007, the year this was released.

Seems like a reasonable remark to me — no speculation about the connection, it's just making a comment that people should find interesting.

By the way, I agree that it doesn't need to be STUFFed straightaways — we can probably deal with it much more quickly with a discussion here. If that fails, then it may need to be STUFFed...

Hope that helps, Trey56 20:11, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Well, I think STUFFing it gets more attention. --Jnelson09 15:58, 21 October 2007 (UTC)

True, but it doesn't need to get to that level if simple discussion is all it needs. — Defender1031*Talk 16:02, 21 October 2007 (UTC)

Okay, so where do you stand? --Jnelson09 19:37, 22 October 2007 (UTC)

Do i think that the april fools day talk is a reference to something that they at that point had yet to not do? no, i think it's merely a reference to the fact that it was released in march. 19:39, 22 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Automatic Menu

Hmmm, does anyone think Strong Bad's prank call sounds vaguely familiar to fake automatic menu jokes that people can call? There's many of them like How to keep an idiot entertained or funny psychiatric hotline.
Anyone else on the subject? Pgj1997 22:49, 19 March 2011 (UTC)