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[[Image:deadlypallor.png|thumb|Strong Sad: Shock jock?]]
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{{sbenav|120}}
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[[Image:deadlypallor.png|thumb|"Hey, hey, HEY! It's the ''Deathly Pallor''!"]]
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'''Strong Bad Email #120'''
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Strong Bad gives some advice on how to be a radio show host, in various genres.
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'''Cast (In order of appearance):''' [[Strong Bad]], [[Strong Sad]]/[[The Deathly Pallor]], [[Marzipan]], [[Homestar Runner]], [[The Strong Bad]], [[Strong Mad]] (Easter Egg), [[The Sneak]] (Easter Egg)
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'''Cast (in order of appearance):''' {{Film|Strong Bad}}, {{Film|Strong Sad}}/[[The Deathly Pallor]], [[Mrs. Bennedetto]], {{Film|Marzipan}}, {{Film|Homestar Runner}}, {{Film|Old-Timey Strong Bad}}, {{Film|Strong Mad}} (Easter egg), {{Film|The Sneak}} (Easter egg)
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'''Places:''' [[Computer Room]], [[Strong Sad's Room]], [[Marzipan's House]], [[Homestar Runner's House]], [[Basement of the Brothers Strong]] (Easter egg)
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 +
{{Comp|Lappy 486}}
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 +
'''Date:''' Monday, December 13, 2004
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 +
'''Running Time:''' 4:02
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 +
'''Page Title:''' Lappy 486
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 +
{{dvd|strongbad_email.exe Disc Four}}, {{dvd|Sbemails' 50 Greatest Hits DVD|notitle=true}}
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Strong Bad gives some advice on how to be a radio host, in various genres.
 
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== Transcript ==
== Transcript ==
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'''STRONG BAD:''' I got miles and miles of the e-mail style. Miles and miles of the e-mail style.  
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'''STRONG BAD:''' I got miles and miles of the email style. Miles and miles of the email style.        
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''{types in "strongbad_email.exe"}''
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<blockquote class="lappy email"><div>subject: radio</div>
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Dear Strong Bad,<br />
 +
My friends are radio hosts. Any chance you could give<br />
 +
them any pointers on what they can say/do on their show?<br />
 +
bowing to you<br />
 +
Fraser, Scotland</blockquote>
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<pre>subject: radio
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''{Strong Bad reads "say/do" as "say slash do", and pronounces the sender's name as "Frasier" throughout the email.}''
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Dear Strong Bad,
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My friends are radio hosts. Any chance you could give
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them any pointers on what they can say/do on their show?
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bowing to you
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Fraser, Scotland
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</pre>
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'''STRONG BAD:''' ''{typing}'' Oh, no need to bow, Fraser. Get up. ''{reverently}'' Rise, my son. And giveth me instead $7.50 with which to buy some buffalo chicken tenders. ''{clears the screen}'' So, your "friends" are radio show hosts, huh? Well, the first rule of thumb for all radio personalities is to look absolutely nothing like how they sound. Take Ol' Greystoke for instance.  
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'''STRONG BAD:''' ''{typing}'' Oh, no need to bow, Fraser. G-Get up. ''{reverently}'' Rise, my son. And giveth me instead, $7.50 with which to buy some buffalo chicken tenders. ''{He clears the screen.}'' So your "friends" are radio show hosts, huh? Well, the first rule of thumb for all radio personalities is to look absolutely nothing like how they sound. Take Ol' Greystoke for instance.
-
''{Cut to Strong Sad standing in his room}''
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''{Cut to Strong Sad standing in his room.}''
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'''STRONG BAD:''' ''{voice-over}'' Now here's a whiny know-it-all who sounds just like he looks.  
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'''STRONG BAD:''' ''{voice-over}'' Now here's a whiny know-it-all who sounds just like he looks.
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'''STRONG SAD:''' Why thank you, Senator.  
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'''STRONG SAD:''' Why thank you, Senator.
'''STRONG BAD:''' ''{voice-over}'' Quit calling me that. Anyway, if Strong Sad was a radio host, he'd sound like this:
'''STRONG BAD:''' ''{voice-over}'' Quit calling me that. Anyway, if Strong Sad was a radio host, he'd sound like this:
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'''STRONG SAD:''' ''{In radio host voice}'' Hey hey hey, it's the Deathly Pallor, coming at you on the numbitty 902, WA3D FM, "The Sturge." Coming up next, we got some hot new tracks from double-O ballyhoo!  
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'''STRONG SAD:''' ''{In spontaneous, radio host voice}'' Hey hey hey, it's the Deathly Pallor, coming at you on numbitty 902, WA3D FM, "The Sturge." Coming up next, we got some hot new tracks from double-O ballyhoo!  
''{Strong Sad covers his mouth in horror while Strong Bad laughs.}''
''{Strong Sad covers his mouth in horror while Strong Bad laughs.}''
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'''STRONG SAD:''' ''{Normal voice/frightened}'' Don't you ever make me do that again!  
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'''STRONG SAD:''' ''{normal voice; frightened}'' Don't you ever make me do that again!  
''{Cut back to Lappy 486.}''
''{Cut back to Lappy 486.}''
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'''STRONG BAD:''' ''{typing}'' So once they've got the voice/appearance mismatch working, then it all just depends on what kind of radio station they work for. Listen and loin as I run my test sentence through the various genres.
'''STRONG BAD:''' ''{typing}'' So once they've got the voice/appearance mismatch working, then it all just depends on what kind of radio station they work for. Listen and loin as I run my test sentence through the various genres.
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'''Voice-over:''' Strong Bad's test sentence is "The fish was delish and it made quite a dish." ''{The sentence appears on-screen.}''
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'''VOICE-OVER:''' Strong Bad's test sentence is "The fish was delish and it made quite a dish." ''{The sentence appears on-screen.}''
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'''STRONG BAD:''' First up is public radio: smooth n' smarmy.  
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'''STRONG BAD:''' First up is public radio: smooth n' smarmy.
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''{Cut to Marzipan's kitchen. A radio is sitting on the counter.}''
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''{Cut to Marzipan's kitchen. A radio labelled "[[Ray-Jo]]" is sitting on the counter.}''
'''STRONG BAD:''' ''{as Public Radio host}'' Today on Capitol Hill, the fish was delish, and according to U.N. secretary council members, it made quite a dish. You are listening to member-supported public radio.
'''STRONG BAD:''' ''{as Public Radio host}'' Today on Capitol Hill, the fish was delish, and according to U.N. secretary council members, it made quite a dish. You are listening to member-supported public radio.
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''{Public Radio theme song plays. Marzipan walks in.}''
''{Public Radio theme song plays. Marzipan walks in.}''
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'''MARZIPAN:''' Dang old public radio. I never got my totebag.  
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'''MARZIPAN:''' Dang old public radio. I never got my tote bag.
''{Cut back to Lappy 486.}''
''{Cut back to Lappy 486.}''
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'''STRONG BAD:''' ''{typing}'' Next up is the drive time morning show. ''{A morning show poster with two Strong Bad-like hosts appears onscreen.}'' Oooh, these guys are like bad stand up comics that you can't heckle. Or jeckle. Or throw highball glasses at.  
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'''STRONG BAD:''' ''{typing}'' Next up is the drive time morning show.  
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''{Cut to a clock-radio.}''
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''{A poster for "[[The am morning "CRUDE" crew|The am morning 'CRUDE' crew]]" with two Strong Bad-like hosts appears onscreen.}''  
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'''STRONG BAD:''' ''{as morning talk show host, with sound effects in the background}'' Rise and shine, people! The fish was delish. ''{canned laughter}'' Wait for it, wait for it!''{clowny sounds}'' And it made quite a dish.  
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'''STRONG BAD:''' Oooh, these guys are like bad stand up comics that you can't heckle. Or jeckle. Or throw highball glasses at.
 +
 
 +
''{Cut to a [[clock radio]]. The clock radio reads 6:59 AM and it is dark in the room, but when the clock switches to 7:00 the lights and radio turn on.}''
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 +
'''STRONG BAD:''' ''{as morning talk show host, with sound effects in the background}'' Rise and shine, people! The fish was delish. ''{canned laughter}'' Wait for it, wait for it! ''{clowny sounds}'' And it made ''{boing!}'' quite a dish.
   
   
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''{Cut back from the clock-radio to show Homestar in his house with a Public Radio totebag over his head, holding a highball glass containing a brown liquid with ice cubes.}''   
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''{Cut back from the clock radio to show Homestar in his house with a Public Radio tote bag over his head, holding a glass containing a brown liquid with ice cubes.}''   
'''HOMESTAR RUNNER:''' All right, squawk box! Shut it up about the fish already.  
'''HOMESTAR RUNNER:''' All right, squawk box! Shut it up about the fish already.  
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'''STRONG BAD:''' I guess that's the way ''{honk honk}'' the cookie crumbles.   
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'''STRONG BAD:''' I guess that's the way ''{honk honk} {more canned laughter}'' the cookie crumbles.   
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'''HOMESTAR RUNNER:''' Hi-ball! ''{throws highball glass at radio}''
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'''HOMESTAR RUNNER:''' High-ball! ''{He throws the glass at the radio.}''
''{Cut back to Lappy 486.}''
''{Cut back to Lappy 486.}''
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'''STRONG BAD:''' ''{typing}'' Then there's the utter misery that is college radio, where they apparently just let any bewildered freshman wander in to the booth and try to run a radio station.  
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'''STRONG BAD:''' ''{typing}'' Then, there's the utter misery that is college radio. Where they apparently just let any bewildered freshman wander into the booth and try to run a radio station.  
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''{Cut to a boombox containing a blank tape.}''
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''{Cut to the [[booOOMbox]] containing a blank tape.}''
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'''STRONG BAD:''' ''{as college radio host, over a song ending and some feedback}'' Uh, that, that was "The fish was delish" and we heard... track six...''{thumbing through CD jewel cases}'' "it made... quite a dish".  
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'''STRONG BAD:''' ''{as college radio host, over a song ending and some feedback}'' Uh, that, that was "The fish was delish" and we heard... track... ''{thumbing through CD jewel cases}'' six... uh... "It Made Quite a Dish."
''{Cut to Strong Sad's room, where he is sitting next to the boombox writing some calligraphy.}''
''{Cut to Strong Sad's room, where he is sitting next to the boombox writing some calligraphy.}''
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'''STRONG BAD:''' ''{on radio}'' Um... cam... campus outreach is looking for... hang on...
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'''STRONG BAD:''' ''{on radio}'' Um... Cuh...campus outreach is looking for... um... Hang on...
''{Cut back to Lappy 486.}''
''{Cut back to Lappy 486.}''
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'''STRONG BAD:''' ''{typing}'' College radio can pretty much be summed up in five words: <br>
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'''STRONG BAD:''' ''{typing}'' College radio can pretty much be summed up in 5 words: <br>
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Dead air, um, dead air.  
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Dead air, um, dead air.
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''{Cut back to the boombox}''  
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''{Cut back to the boombox}''
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'''STRONG BAD:''' ''{as college radio host}'' Okay, I am out of here for today, but um, but first up is, an, um, okay... an... an hour of chanting.
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'''STRONG BAD:''' ''{as college radio host}'' Okay, I am out of here for today, bu-but, um, but first up is an, um, er...an...an hour of... chanting.
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''{A chant plays on the boombox, and Strong Sad's hand hits the Play and Record buttons.}''
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''{A chant plays on the boombox. Strong Sad hits the Play and Record buttons.}''
''{Cut back to Lappy 486.}''
''{Cut back to Lappy 486.}''
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'''STRONG BAD:''' ''{typing}'' And just in case your friends are um, in the past: here's old-timey radio.
'''STRONG BAD:''' ''{typing}'' And just in case your friends are um, in the past: here's old-timey radio.
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''{Cut to 1936 style and an old-timey radio, with The Strong Bad reading in front of a microphone}''
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''{Cut to an Old-Timey room with an [[Old-Timey Radio]], with Old-Timey Strong Bad reading in front of a microphone.}''
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'''THE STRONG BAD:''' ''{as old-timey radio host}'' This week on The Fish Was Delish progrum, brought to you by Portly Washboy laundry paste, ''{Portly Washboy Fancy Laundry Paste logo appears}'' we join The Fish down at the wharf as he closes in on the Quite a Dish gang's hideout. Stay tuned for partial excitement.
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'''OLD-TIMEY STRONG BAD:''' ''{as old-timey radio host}'' This week on The Fish Was Delish progrum, brought to you by Portly Washboy laundry paste,&mdash;
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''{The [[Portly Washboy Fancy Laundry Paste|Portly Washboy]] logo appears. It is of a boy and a heaping jar of paste with a spoon in it.}''
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''{Portly Washboy Fancy Laundry Paste logo appears}''  
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'''Voice-over:''' ''{singing}'' Portly Washboy. Don't eat it like the cartoon man.   
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'''OLD-TIMEY STRONG BAD:''' &mdash;we join The Fish down at the wharfs as he closes in on the Quite a Dish gang's hideout. Stay tuned for partial excitement.
 +
 
 +
''{The Portly Washboy logo appears again. It depicts a boy and a heaping jar of paste with a spoon in it.}''
 +
 
 +
'''VOICE-OVER:''' ''{singing}'' Portly Washboy: Don't eat it like the cartoon, man.   
''{Cut back to Lappy 486.}''
''{Cut back to Lappy 486.}''
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'''STRONG BAD:''' ''{typing}'' Done and done, Fraser. Your friends should be well on their way to annoying drivers and gas station attendants the world over. Ooh! And see if you can score me some free coozies, frisbees, or bottle openers from their station. Those free giveaways: Highly flammable.  
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'''STRONG BAD:''' ''{typing}'' Done and done, Fraser. Your friends should be well on their way to annoying drivers and gas station attendants the world over. Ooh! And see if you can score me some free coozies, frisbees, or bottle openers from their station. Those free giveaways: highly flammable.
''{[[The Paper]] comes down.}''
''{[[The Paper]] comes down.}''
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<pre>Click here to e-mail Strong Bad
 
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  strongbad@homestarrunner.com</pre>
 
== Easter Eggs ==
== Easter Eggs ==
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* Click on Strong Sad's stomach while he does the radio voice to see him wearing a t-shirt from WA3D FM "The Sturge" radio station.
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* Click on Strong Sad's stomach while he does the radio voice (more specifically, when he says "The Sturge") to see him wearing a T-shirt from WA3D FM "[[The Sturge]]."
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*Click on "The Fish Was Delish, and it made quite a dish" when it shows up to show a children's book made in the style of Dr. Seuss, called "The Fish Was Delish, and it Made Quite a Dish". It was written by Crazy Prof. Sportsinterviews (aka [[Leomard Sportsinterviews]]), who writes most of the children's books Strong Bad mangles.
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*Click on "[[The Fish was Delish and it made Quite a Dish|The fish was delish, and it made quite a dish]]" to show a [[Dr. Seuss]]-style children's book of the same name by [[Leomard Sportsinterviews#Crazy Prof. Sportsinterviews|Crazy Prof. Sportsinterviews]].
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* Click on "coozies, frisbees, or bottle openers" after [[The Paper]] comes down to see them.
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**After the test sentence disappears, you can still click where it was to show the children's book.
 +
* Click on "coozies, frisbees, or bottle openers" after The Paper comes down to see them. The coozie is blue and says, "[[Radio Stations and Shows|WSBD]] The Voice of [[Crazy Go Nuts University|CGNU]] 89.3 Several Dozen Listeners." The frisbee is white and says, "The Sturge numbitty 902 WA3D FM." The bottle opener is red and says, "Smooooooth 'n smarmy".
* Click on "annoying" after The Paper comes down to see/hear more of Strong Sad's new persona.
* Click on "annoying" after The Paper comes down to see/hear more of Strong Sad's new persona.
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:'''STRONG SAD:''' ''{normal voice}'' Oh, I disagree! I think it's more than just a matter of simple economics. In fact, I'd say...
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:'''STRONG SAD:''' Oh, I disagree! I think it's more than just a matter of simple economics. In fact, I'd say... ''{radio host voice and mannerisms, with music}'' Oh, yeah! What's the phrase that pays that plays for days? It's numbitty-nine-oh-two, "The Sturge." Don't you touch that ''{quickly}'' ZABITTABLOUGH!
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:'''STRONG MAD:''' ''{confused}'' ZABITTABLOUGH?
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* Click on "me" after The Paper comes down to see more of Old-Timey Strong Bad.
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:'''RADIO:''' ''{Old-Timey Strong Bad}'' Stay tuned for partial excitement!
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:''{Portly Washboy Laundry Paste theme song plays over radio.}''
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:'''OLD-TIMEY STRONG BAD:''' ''{listening}'' Drat and double drat! It's true what they say! The rah-dio really does add four and twenty stone to one's voice!
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:'''STRONG SAD:''' ''{radio host voice and mannerisms, with music}'' Oh, yeah! What's the phrase that pays that plays for days?  It's numbitty-nine-oh-two "The Sturge."  Don't you touch that BLABITTABLOUGH!
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== Fun Facts ==
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[[Image:homestar highball.png|thumb|200px|Low-ball!]]
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===Explanations===
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*"Four-and-twenty stone" is 336 pounds (one stone = 14 pounds), though it is probably a play on the saying that "the camera adds ten pounds." A stone is a common unit of measurement in the United Kingdom.
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*A [[Wikipedia:Highball glass|highball glass]] is a tall, narrow glass typically used to serve certain types of alcoholic beverages. Homestar's glass, therefore, isn't a highball at all; it is a "[[Wikipedia:Old fashioned glass|rocks glass]]" or "double old-fashioned glass" which is generally short and stout.
 +
** Homestar's glass is the same kind as the one The Cheat had on the table in [[montage]] while [[The Cheat's Smoking Challenge|smoking]].
 +
*The Portly Washboy advertisement is a reference to the bad childhood habit of eating adhesive paste from jars.
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*[[Wikipedia:Dead air|Dead air]] is an unintentional silence, often because of an error made by the radio or television station.
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*[[Wikipedia:Pallor|Pallor]] is a word referring to paleness of the skin, caused by a deficit of oxyhemoglobin in the skin or mucous membranes.
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:'''STRONG MAD:''' ''{confused}'' Blabittablough?
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===Trivia===
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* Click on "me" after The Paper comes down to see more of old timey Strong Bad.
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*The [[YouTube]] description for this email is "Strong Bad describes various radio host styles."
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:'''RADIO:''' ''{The Strong Bad}'' Stay tuned for partial excitement!
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''{Portly Washboy Laundry Paste theme song plays over radio}''
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===Remarks===
 +
*Homestar must have his lights set to come on with the radio alarm at 7:00 am; strangely, he is already up and having a drink (though this may just be typical clueless Homestar behavior).
 +
*Judging by the [[Wikipedia:North American call sign|call letters]] of the college radio station, [[Free Country, USA]] must be east of the Mississippi River. Generally, call letters for radio stations in cities east of the Mississippi begin with 'W'. Those to the west begin with 'K'.
 +
*The station "902 WA3D FM" cannot exist under current [[Wikipedia:Federal Communications Commission|FCC]] radio regulations. The call sign WA3D is an [[Wikipedia:amateur radio|amateur radio]] call sign; commercial broadcasters do not use numbers in their call signs. The "902" presumably refers to the 90.2 MHz frequency in the FM broadcast band; however, frequency allocation rules require the last digit to be odd.
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:'''THE STRONG BAD:''' ''{listening}'' Drat and double drat! It's true what they say! The rah-dio really does add four and twenty stone to one's voice!
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===Goofs===
 +
*The left sleeve of Strong Sad's radio T-shirt disappears during parts of that Easter egg. If you click on him again, it reappears. (See the image above.)
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== Fun Facts ==
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===Glitches===
 +
*"The fish was delish and it made quite a dish" can still be clicked even after the words disappear from the screen, although that may be an intentional extension of the Easter Egg's duration so that it could be seen for an adequate amount of time.
-
*After the text of "The Fish Was Delish..." disappears, you can still click where it was and it will come up.
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===Inside References===
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*Strong Sad's left sleeve disappears during parts of that easter egg. If you click on him again, it reappears. (Depicted in article image above.)
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*Strong Mad's reaction to Strong Sad's strange remarks in the Easter egg is extremely similar to his reaction to "parakeet" in [[caffeine]].
-
*For some reason, Homestar must have his lights set to come on with the radio alarm at 7:00am; strangely, he is already up and having a drink.
+
*Strong Sad's calligraphy pen is also featured in his action figure in the Easter egg for [[action figure]], when writing to Strong Bad in [[Strong Bad Is in Jail Cartoon]], and when transcribing ''Paradise Lost'' in [[record book]].
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*The totebag on Homestar's head reads: ''PRS Public Radio Sounds "Smooth 'n Smarmy"''. One can infer that the totebag rightly belongs to Marzipan.
+
*Strong Sad refers to himself as "The Deathly Pallor," harking back to Coach Z's introduction of Strong Sad in the email [[impression]].
-
**The whole totebag thing may be a hint to sbemail #110 where Homsar claimed that he was one himself.
+
*Right at the very end of the chanting, when Strong Sad presses the play and record buttons on the [[booOOMbox]], one can hear the first two notes of the [[Sweet Cuppin' Cakes]] theme song, as seen in [[Decemberween Sweet Cuppin' Cakes]].
-
*"Four-and-twenty stone" is 336 pounds (one stone = 14 pounds).
+
*The [[booOOMbox]] Strong Sad listens to was also seen in [[autobiography]]. However, it had a white record button.
-
**This is a reference to the belief that "television puts ten pounds on you.
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*This is an instance of Strong Bad pronouncing [["Er" pronounced as "Oi"|an "er" sound as an "oi" sound]].
-
*There is a real news radio station transmitting from Cleveland, OH wilh the call letters WSBD.  The Brothers Chaps most likely did not know about this, as SBD can easily stand for '''S'''trong '''B'''a'''d'''.
+
-
*Homestar must be a terrific athlete if he can nail a highball glass on a radio with a totebag on his head.
+
 +
===Real-World References===
 +
*"Drat and double drat!" was [[Wikipedia:Dick Dastardly|Dick Dastardly's]] (''[[Wikipedia:Wacky Races|Wacky Races]]'' and ''[[Wikipedia:Dastardly and Muttley in their Flying Machines|Dastardly and Muttley in their Flying Machines]]'') catchphrase, a character similar to Old-Timely Strong Bad.
 +
*Marzipan's book ''Tolstoy Story 2'' is a reference to famous [[Russia]]n author [[Wikipedia:Leo Tolstoy|Leo Tolstoy]] and also to the [[Disney]]/Pixar film ''[[Wikipedia:Toy Story 2|Toy Story 2]]''.
 +
* Strong Bad's test phrase is an old broadcasting cliché. The phrase has been used to test the levels of the '''F''' and '''SH''' sounds in audio signals for recording, public address and broadcast. When those sounds are too "hot," sounding like intense hisses, the mic can be moved or covered to reduce the "swishiness."
 +
*"[[Public Radio Sounds]]" (or "PRS") is a playful combination of [[PBS]], the Public Broadcasting Service, and [http://www.pri.org PRI], Public Radio International.
 +
*Marzipan talking about how she "never got her tote bag" is a reference to how financial donors to PBS usually receive gifts. A tote bag with the PBS logo embroidered on it is probably the most well-known.
 +
*The "UN Secretary Council" represents a mix between the [http://www.un.org/News/ossg/sg/ UN Secretary-General] and the [http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/ UN Security Council].
 +
*The voice-over telling the viewer what the test phrase is is a reference to the game show ''[[Wikipedia:Password (game)|Password]]'' where a voice-over would announce to the viewers (but not the contestants) what the password or answer was.
 +
*Judging by Strong Sad's T-shirt, "The Sturge" is short for [[Wikipedia:Sturgeon|sturgeon]], a large, rare fish and is an obvious spoof of radio stations named after animals. For example, ''[[IMDb:tt0077097|WKRP in Cincinnati]]'' had the mascot "the WKRP Carp."
 +
*"Heckle or jeckle" is a reference to the [[Wikipedia:Terrytoons|Terrytoons]] cartoon [http://www.toonopedia.com/hekljekl.htm Heckle and Jeckle].
 +
*Strong Bad calling Strong Sad "Greystoke" is a reference to [[Wikipedia:Tarzan|Tarzan]].
 +
*The short theme heard while Marzipan listens to public radio is reminiscent of the [http://www.npr.org/programs/asc/features/atc_theme/ theme] to the [http://www.npr.org National Public Radio] program "[[Wikipedia:All Things Considered|All Things Considered]]." Interestingly, on May 8, 2005, The Brothers Chaps [[All Things Considered Interview - 8 May 2005|were interviewed]] about the Homestar Runner website on the show, and a clip from the Public Radio segment of this email was featured.
 +
*Like most US college radio stations, WSBD has a frequency in the lower part of the FM spectrum (between 88 and 92).
 +
*It's interesting (though probably a coincidence) that the sender's name is Fraser, since the title character on the TV show ''[[Wikipedia:Frasier|Frasier]]'' is a radio psychiatrist.
 +
<!-- Please, please, PLEASE do not add that "that's the way the cookie crumbles" is Bruce Almighty's closing catchphrase. It's been declined from STUFF. -->
-
=== References ===
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===Fast Forward===
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==== To other cartoons ====
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* $7.50 is the same amount of money that Strong Bad asks "Simone" for in "[[bottom 10]]."
 +
* Strong Bad pretends to be a "smooth and smarmy" public radio show host again in [[Marzipan's Answering Machine Version 17.2]], with the same public radio theme song.
-
*This is the second time Strong Sad has confused Strong Mad by saying something weird. The first was in [[caffeine]], after he said parakeet.
+
== DVD Version ==
-
*Strong Sad's calligraphy pen is also featured in his action figure in the easter egg for [[action figure]], and from the [[Strong Bad Is in Jail Cartoon]].
+
*If the angle is changed (to view the mid-toon Easter Eggs), Strong Sad's shirt has both sleeves in this version.
-
*The college radio is [[WSBD|89.3 WSBD The Voice of CGNU]], "Several Dozen Listeners". This refers to [[Crazy Go Nuts University]].
+
*The DVD version features hidden creators' commentary. To access it, switch your DVD player's audio language selection while watching.
-
*The [[Trivia Time]] cookie jar appears in Marzipan's kitchen.
+
=== Commentary Transcript ===
-
*Homestar's command of "shut it up" is a reference to The Cheat's [[crazy cartoon]].
+
('''Commentary by:''' [[Mike Chapman]], [[Matt Chapman]], [[Strong Sad]], Mike's Strong Sad)
-
*Homestar's annoyance with his clock radio seems to reference [[sibbie]], where after Strong Bad smashes the boombox, Homestar tells him "I've just about had it with that talking toaster".
+
-
*This is the second time we've seen the interior of Homestar's House. The first was in [[caper]], when Strong Bad and The Cheat tried to steal his Jumbles. Apparently, someone fixed his cow lamp, which is seen at the righthand side of the screen.
+
-
*Strong Sad refers to himself as "[[The Deathly Pallor]]," harking back to Coach Z's introduction of Strong Sad in the email [[impression]].
+
-
*Strong Bad says the words "absolutely nothing" exactly the same way in the email [[website]].
+
-
*"progrum" Is also a referance to "Strong Bad Type Interview Progrum" from [[pizzaz]]
+
-
*Right at the very end of the chanting, one can hear the first two notes of the "Sweet Cuppin' Cakes" theme song, as seen in [[Decemberween Sweet Cuppin' Cakes]].
+
-
*Strong Bad being annoyed with Strong Sad for calling him "Senator" is a refrence to [[car]] where Strong Sad is annoyed with Strong Bad for calling him "Gron Sad".
+
-
*The short theme heard while Marzipan listens to public radio is reminiscent of the Videlectrix theme.
+
-
==== To real things ====
+
'''MIKE:''' This is a... commentary. Look, be&mdash; be a character.
-
* A [[Wikipedia:Highball_glass|highball glass]] is a tall, narrow glass typically used to serve certain types of alcohol and cocktails.
+
'''MATT:''' Okay. Who&mdash; Which character, Mike?
-
** Homestar's "highball," therefore, isn't a highball at all, since it's served in a short, stout glass rather than a tall, thin one.
+
-
** The glass Homestar throws is a "Rocks Glass", which are generally short and stout.
+
-
** Homestar's glass is the same one The Cheat had on the table in [[montage]] while smoking.
+
-
*Marzipan's reference to the totebag has to do with public radio and/or tv often having on-air fundraisers where they offer gifts for different levels of donations.
+
-
*The book "The fish was delish and it made quite a dish" (see Easter Eggs) is an obvious spoof of [[Wikipedia:Dr. Seuss|Dr. Seuss]]'s books, even down to the name of the author, [[Lem Sportsinterviews|Lem 'The Crazy Prof.' Sportsinterviews]].
+
-
*Marzipan's book ''Tolstoy Story 2'' is a reference to [[Wikipedia:Leo Tolstoy|Leo Tolstoy]], a famous Russian author, and also to the Disney/Pixar film ''[[Wikipedia:Toy Story 2|Toy Story 2]]''.
+
-
* Strong Bad's test phrase is an old broadcasting clich. The phrase has been used to test the levels of the '''F''' and '''SH''' sounds in audio signals for recording, public address and broadcast. When those sounds are too "hot", sounding like intense hisses, the mike can be moved or covered to reduce the "swishiness".
+
-
*"PRS" is a playful combination of [http://www.pbs.org PBS], the Public Broadcasting Service, and [http://www.pri.org PRI], Public Radio International.
+
-
*The "UN Secretary Council" represents a mix between the [http://www.un.org/News/ossg/sg/ UN Secretary-General] and the [http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/ UN Security Council], both of which sound similar and frequently make headlines on PBS and PRI.
+
-
*The bit where the voice-over tells the viewer what the test phrase is in whispered tones is a reference to game shows like "Password," where something similar would occur so that the viewers knew what the password was.
+
-
*Judging by Strong Sad's T-shirt, "The Sturge" is short for [[Wikipedia:Sturgeon| sturgeon]], a large, rare fish and is an obvious spoof of radio stations named after animals.  For example, ''[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077097/ WKRP in Cincinnati],'' had the mascot, "the WKRP Carp."
+
-
*"Heckle or jeckle" is a reference to the [[Wikipedia: Terrytoons|Terrytoons]] cartoon [http://www.toonopedia.com/hekljekl.htm Heckle and Jeckle].
+
-
<!-- Please, please, PLEASE do not add that "that's the way the cookie crumbles" is Bruce Almighty's closing catchphrase. It's being voted on - and LOSING - on the STUFF page. -->
+
-
*In the old timey Strong Bad Easter Egg, the way that Strong Bad pronounces radio (rah-dio) is the same as how Nick Niespodziani of [http://www.pleaserock.com Y-O-U] pronounces it in the song [http://www.pleaserock.com/downloads/radio.mp3 Radio].  Y-O-U was the band that worked with [[The Brothers Chaps]] on the [[Strong Bad Sings CD]].
+
-
*When the morning announcer says "That's the way the cookie crumbles", it was a reference to the movie Bruce Almighty.
+
-
==== Possible references ====
+
'''MIKE:''' Be Strong Sad. Strong Sad's never joined me for commentary before.
-
<!-- *Strong Bad calling Strong Sad "Greystoke" is a possible reference to the fictional character [[Wikipedia:Tarzan|Tarzan]], who was the orphaned son of Lord Greystoke. (probably not - it's most likely because he's grey) -->
+
 
-
*Sir Strong Bad saying "Drat and double drat!" is also said by Dick Dastardly from the '60s cartoon "The Wacky Races". Sir Strong Bad may be partially based on Dick Dastardly, as they share many characteristics.
+
'''MATT:''' Okay, we'll see how that works out.
-
<!-- Please, please, PLEASE do not add that "that's the way the cookie crumbles" is Bruce Almighty's closing catchphrase. It's being voted on - and LOSING - on the STUFF page. -->
+
 
-
*The college radio station is "89.3 WSBD The Voice of CGNU". 89.3 is a real radio station in Atlanta, which, like college radio, has very bad hosts.
+
'''MIKE:''' All right. Oh, Strong Sad's in this one, I didn't even think about it.
-
**(There are actually lots of 89.3 radio stations around the country, and many of them are bound to be college stations. The low end of the FM radio spectrum (from 88.1-91.9) is reserved for non-commercial stations, such as college radio, public radio, or Christian stations.)
+
 
-
*When Strong bad says 'The fish was delish, and it made quite a dish' might be a reference to the short-lived Teenage mutant ninja turtles live action series called [http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-7740/ Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation]
+
'''STRONG SAD:''' I ''am'' in the one, Mike.
-
**The quote can be seen [http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Underworld/6703/page70.html here].
+
 
-
*'Four and twenty stones' may be a reference to the nursery rhyme 'Sing a song of sixpence' with the line 'Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie'.
+
'''MIKE:''' This is&mdash; You're pretty good in this. Did you actually do the voice?
 +
 
 +
'''STRONG SAD:''' I don't want to talk about what happened while we were doing that.
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE:''' Did they give you things?
 +
 
 +
'''STRONG SAD:''' I was given some things...
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE:''' ''{laughs}''
 +
 
 +
'''STRONG SAD:''' For&mdash;
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE:''' Did they drug you? Or, just&mdash;
 +
 
 +
'''STRONG SAD:''' I don't know, Mike!
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE:''' You don't remember?
 +
 
 +
'''STRONG SAD:''' I just know that?
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE:''' Is it all a blur?
 +
 
 +
'''STRONG SAD:''' All this&mdash; I would kind of black out, and all of a sudden there was this horrible voice coming forward from my mouth.
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE:''' I kind of like it better than your regular voice.
 +
 
 +
'''STRONG SAD:''' Oh.
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE:''' I can kind of do your&mdash; good impression of you, Strong Sad.
 +
 
 +
'''STRONG SAD:''' See, look, there's&mdash; that's me.
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE'S STRONG SAD:''' Yeah, this could be you, too.
 +
 
 +
'''STRONG SAD:''' Ah, that's terrible.
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE'S STRONG SAD:''' No, it sounds pretty good.
 +
 
 +
'''STRONG SAD:''' No, it sounds awful.
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE'S STRONG SAD:''' No, I don't&mdash; It sounds just like you, Strong Sad.
 +
 
 +
'''STRONG SAD:''' I don't think so, Mike.
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE'S STRONG SAD:''' But do ''that'' voice.
 +
 
 +
'''STRONG SAD:''' Do&mdash;
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE'S STRONG SAD:''' Do the radio personality voice, Strong Sad.
 +
 
 +
'''STRONG SAD:''' ''{in radio host voice}'' Okay! Maybe I will! For a little while! But it hurts! So I'm gonna stop!
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE'S STRONG SAD:''' ''{sarcastically}'' Oh, that's so great! That was great!
 +
 
 +
'''MATT:''' Yeah, how you doing, Strong Sad?
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE'S STRONG SAD:''' Well, I'm doing pretty good, I guess.
 +
 
 +
'''MATT:''' This is pretty talented. Matt is talking to Strong Sad at the same time.
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE'S STRONG SAD:''' This&mdash; This is the magic of computer technology.
 +
 
 +
'''MATT:''' So, Strong Sad, that phrase, "the fish was delish and it made quite a dish"&mdash;
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE'S STRONG SAD:''' Yeah?
 +
 
 +
'''MATT:''' Uh, there was this place in Brooklyn I used to eat called&mdash;
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE'S STRONG SAD:''' That&mdash;
 +
 
 +
'''MATT:''' &mdash;called Giando On The Water, and it was a great little restaurant on the Brooklyn side, right under the&mdash; the Williamsburg bridge.
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE'S STRONG SAD:''' Oh.
 +
 
 +
'''MATT:''' So I wrote an online review of it on, uh, zagat.com or something&mdash;
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE'S STRONG SAD:''' Oh, yeah?
 +
 
 +
'''MATT:''' &mdash;and under "user comments" I said that the fish was delish and it made quite a dish.
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE'S STRONG SAD:''' That's pretty good.
 +
 
 +
'''MATT:''' You can't find that online, anymore, I looked, actually.
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE'S STRONG SAD:''' That's pretty good. I wonder what ''{sounding more and more like Mike}'' Stoops and Gusso have been up to lately. I&mdash; I&mdash; I usually am not awake at that time, so I&mdash; I don't get to hear their hilarious an&mdash;
 +
 
 +
'''MATT:''' You're turning less and less into Strong Sad the longer you do it.
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE'S STRONG SAD:''' Aww.
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE:''' Oh, no! It's going away!
 +
 
 +
'''MATT:''' And now there's Mike!
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE:''' Augh.
 +
 
 +
'''MATT:''' Mike&mdash; And I love that part in the background. Mike is just being the other dudes hanging out in the studio, and just going, "Yeah! You got it! Yeah!" Good job. So, what&mdash; that's, uh&mdash; there's "highball", "hiyah"&mdash;
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE:''' And&mdash;
 +
 
 +
'''MATT:''' &mdash;and "ah-choo"?
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE:''' "Ah-choo." Is that what it is?
 +
 
 +
'''MATT:''' And then there's something else?
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE:''' Yeah.
 +
 
 +
'''MATT:''' I dunno.
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE:''' Homestar says two s&mdash; Oh, that's our friend Rusty's song.
 +
 
 +
'''MATT:''' It is.
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE:''' The very end of it.
 +
 
 +
''{pause}''
 +
 
 +
'''MATT:''' Oh, why do they do that at college radio stations? They put that little sticker on the CD and, like, make the D.J. have to read that thing. So they're always like&mdash;
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE:''' Yeah.
 +
 
 +
'''MATT:''' Track&mdash; I mean, the track number&mdash; who care&mdash; you don't have&mdash; like on any other radio, no other radio would say&mdash;
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE:''' I&mdash; I like&mdash; I think track number three is a good track.
 +
 
 +
'''MATT:''' ''{laughs}''
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE:''' Seriously. I think that if you listened&mdash; go listen to 10 albums and I think that track number three's&mdash;
 +
 
 +
'''MATT:''' It's like problems&mdash;
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE:''' &mdash;probably going to be a hit.
 +
 
 +
'''MATT:''' It's like putting C for an answer on a Scantron test.
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE:''' I used to&mdash; I used to count the C's. If C didn't win, I'd go back and change some.
 +
 
 +
'''MATT:''' ''{laughs}''
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE:''' C or D.
 +
 
 +
'''MATT:''' Nice. Uh, originally we were going to use, uh, our friend Ariana chanting there, who actually knows some Sanskrit prayers, and so, we had her, but then we felt that she might take offense.
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE:''' Hey, that's sacrilegious.
 +
 
 +
'''MATT:''' Yeah. We don't want to offend&mdash;
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE:''' If they were real prayers.
 +
 
 +
'''MATT:''' Hey, the Portly Washboy looks kind of like the kid from the Boy&mdash; old Boychicks Deli sign over in Orchar&mdash; or, Georgetown.
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE:''' ''{laughs}'' Georgetown!
 +
 
 +
'''MATT:''' Remember him?
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE:''' Yeah.
 +
 
 +
'''MATT:''' He's about to inhale this entire sub.
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE:''' ''{laughs}'' I got celery&mdash; ce&mdash; celery-flavored soda from Boychicks Deli.
 +
 
 +
'''STRONG SAD:''' That stuff is good!
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE'S STRONG SAD:''' Oh, yeah! You're back! We're both back!
 +
 
 +
'''STRONG SAD:''' I'm out of here&mdash;
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE'S STRONG SAD:''' ''{simultaneously}'' This is so cool!
 +
 
 +
'''STRONG SAD:''' I'm out of here now.
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE'S STRONG SAD:''' No, stay! Hang around! This is&mdash;
 +
 
 +
'''STRONG SAD:''' I don't like you!
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE'S STRONG SAD:''' Oh, man!
 +
 
 +
'''MATT:''' Um...
 +
 
 +
'''MIKE'S STRONG SAD:''' That was great.
 +
 
 +
'''MATT:''' Poster just fell.
 +
 
 +
===Fun Facts===
 +
*"Hiyah" was Homestar's similarly-pronounced exclamation from [[montage]]. "Ah-choo" was probably supposed to be "Ahct-poo" from [[Homestar Presents: Presents]].
== External Links ==
== External Links ==
-
*[http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail120.html view "radio"]<br>
+
{{sbemailextlinks|120|1501|youtube=qto3SOsl2F0}}
-
*[http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail120.swf view the flash file for "radio"]
+
{{Strong Bad Email}}
{{Strong Bad Email}}
-
[[Category:Strong Bad Email]][[Category:Strong Bad Filmography]][[Category:Strong Sad Filmography]][[Category:Marzipan Filmography]][[Category:Homestar Runner Filmography]][[Category:The Strong Bad Filmography]][[Category:The Sneak Filmography]][[Category:Strong Mad Filmography]]
+
 
 +
[[Category:Old-Timey]][[Category: Emails With DVD Commentary]][[Category:Advertisements]][[Category:Podstar Runner]]

Revision as of 03:12, 3 May 2019

Strong Bad Email #120
watch animal part-time job
"Hey, hey, HEY! It's the Deathly Pallor!"

Strong Bad gives some advice on how to be a radio show host, in various genres.

Cast (in order of appearance): Strong Bad, Strong Sad/The Deathly Pallor, Mrs. Bennedetto, Marzipan, Homestar Runner, Old-Timey Strong Bad, Strong Mad (Easter egg), The Sneak (Easter egg)

Places: Computer Room, Strong Sad's Room, Marzipan's House, Homestar Runner's House, Basement of the Brothers Strong (Easter egg)

Computer: Lappy 486

Date: Monday, December 13, 2004

Running Time: 4:02

Page Title: Lappy 486

DVD: strongbad_email.exe Disc Four, Sbemails' 50 Greatest Hits DVD

Contents

Transcript

STRONG BAD: I got miles and miles of the email style. Miles and miles of the email style.

{Strong Bad reads "say/do" as "say slash do", and pronounces the sender's name as "Frasier" throughout the email.}

STRONG BAD: {typing} Oh, no need to bow, Fraser. G-Get up. {reverently} Rise, my son. And giveth me instead, $7.50 with which to buy some buffalo chicken tenders. {He clears the screen.} So your "friends" are radio show hosts, huh? Well, the first rule of thumb for all radio personalities is to look absolutely nothing like how they sound. Take Ol' Greystoke for instance.

{Cut to Strong Sad standing in his room.}

STRONG BAD: {voice-over} Now here's a whiny know-it-all who sounds just like he looks.

STRONG SAD: Why thank you, Senator.

STRONG BAD: {voice-over} Quit calling me that. Anyway, if Strong Sad was a radio host, he'd sound like this:

STRONG SAD: {In spontaneous, radio host voice} Hey hey hey, it's the Deathly Pallor, coming at you on numbitty 902, WA3D FM, "The Sturge." Coming up next, we got some hot new tracks from double-O ballyhoo!

{Strong Sad covers his mouth in horror while Strong Bad laughs.}

STRONG SAD: {normal voice; frightened} Don't you ever make me do that again!

{Cut back to Lappy 486.}

STRONG BAD: {typing} So once they've got the voice/appearance mismatch working, then it all just depends on what kind of radio station they work for. Listen and loin as I run my test sentence through the various genres.

VOICE-OVER: Strong Bad's test sentence is "The fish was delish and it made quite a dish." {The sentence appears on-screen.}

STRONG BAD: First up is public radio: smooth n' smarmy.

{Cut to Marzipan's kitchen. A radio labelled "Ray-Jo" is sitting on the counter.}

STRONG BAD: {as Public Radio host} Today on Capitol Hill, the fish was delish, and according to U.N. secretary council members, it made quite a dish. You are listening to member-supported public radio.

{Public Radio theme song plays. Marzipan walks in.}

MARZIPAN: Dang old public radio. I never got my tote bag.

{Cut back to Lappy 486.}

STRONG BAD: {typing} Next up is the drive time morning show.

{A poster for "The am morning 'CRUDE' crew" with two Strong Bad-like hosts appears onscreen.}

STRONG BAD: Oooh, these guys are like bad stand up comics that you can't heckle. Or jeckle. Or throw highball glasses at.

{Cut to a clock radio. The clock radio reads 6:59 AM and it is dark in the room, but when the clock switches to 7:00 the lights and radio turn on.}

STRONG BAD: {as morning talk show host, with sound effects in the background} Rise and shine, people! The fish was delish. {canned laughter} Wait for it, wait for it! {clowny sounds} And it made {boing!} quite a dish.

{Cut back from the clock radio to show Homestar in his house with a Public Radio tote bag over his head, holding a glass containing a brown liquid with ice cubes.}

HOMESTAR RUNNER: All right, squawk box! Shut it up about the fish already.

STRONG BAD: I guess that's the way {honk honk} {more canned laughter} the cookie crumbles.

HOMESTAR RUNNER: High-ball! {He throws the glass at the radio.}

{Cut back to Lappy 486.}

STRONG BAD: {typing} Then, there's the utter misery that is college radio. Where they apparently just let any bewildered freshman wander into the booth and try to run a radio station.

{Cut to the booOOMbox containing a blank tape.}

STRONG BAD: {as college radio host, over a song ending and some feedback} Uh, that, that was "The fish was delish" and we heard... track... {thumbing through CD jewel cases} six... uh... "It Made Quite a Dish."

{Cut to Strong Sad's room, where he is sitting next to the boombox writing some calligraphy.}

STRONG BAD: {on radio} Um... Cuh...campus outreach is looking for... um... Hang on...

{Cut back to Lappy 486.}

STRONG BAD: {typing} College radio can pretty much be summed up in 5 words:
Dead air, um, dead air.

{Cut back to the boombox}

STRONG BAD: {as college radio host} Okay, I am out of here for today, bu-but, um, but first up is an, um, er...an...an hour of... chanting.

{A chant plays on the boombox. Strong Sad hits the Play and Record buttons.}

{Cut back to Lappy 486.}

STRONG BAD: {typing} And just in case your friends are um, in the past: here's old-timey radio.

{Cut to an Old-Timey room with an Old-Timey Radio, with Old-Timey Strong Bad reading in front of a microphone.}

OLD-TIMEY STRONG BAD: {as old-timey radio host} This week on The Fish Was Delish progrum, brought to you by Portly Washboy laundry paste,—

{Portly Washboy Fancy Laundry Paste logo appears}

OLD-TIMEY STRONG BAD: —we join The Fish down at the wharfs as he closes in on the Quite a Dish gang's hideout. Stay tuned for partial excitement.

{The Portly Washboy logo appears again. It depicts a boy and a heaping jar of paste with a spoon in it.}

VOICE-OVER: {singing} Portly Washboy: Don't eat it like the cartoon, man.

{Cut back to Lappy 486.}

STRONG BAD: {typing} Done and done, Fraser. Your friends should be well on their way to annoying drivers and gas station attendants the world over. Ooh! And see if you can score me some free coozies, frisbees, or bottle openers from their station. Those free giveaways: highly flammable.

{The Paper comes down.}

Easter Eggs

  • Click on Strong Sad's stomach while he does the radio voice (more specifically, when he says "The Sturge") to see him wearing a T-shirt from WA3D FM "The Sturge."
  • Click on "The fish was delish, and it made quite a dish" to show a Dr. Seuss-style children's book of the same name by Crazy Prof. Sportsinterviews.
    • After the test sentence disappears, you can still click where it was to show the children's book.
  • Click on "coozies, frisbees, or bottle openers" after The Paper comes down to see them. The coozie is blue and says, "WSBD The Voice of CGNU 89.3 Several Dozen Listeners." The frisbee is white and says, "The Sturge numbitty 902 WA3D FM." The bottle opener is red and says, "Smooooooth 'n smarmy".
  • Click on "annoying" after The Paper comes down to see/hear more of Strong Sad's new persona.
STRONG SAD: Oh, I disagree! I think it's more than just a matter of simple economics. In fact, I'd say... {radio host voice and mannerisms, with music} Oh, yeah! What's the phrase that pays that plays for days? It's numbitty-nine-oh-two, "The Sturge." Don't you touch that {quickly} ZABITTABLOUGH!
STRONG MAD: {confused} ZABITTABLOUGH?
  • Click on "me" after The Paper comes down to see more of Old-Timey Strong Bad.
RADIO: {Old-Timey Strong Bad} Stay tuned for partial excitement!
{Portly Washboy Laundry Paste theme song plays over radio.}
OLD-TIMEY STRONG BAD: {listening} Drat and double drat! It's true what they say! The rah-dio really does add four and twenty stone to one's voice!

Fun Facts

Low-ball!

Explanations

  • "Four-and-twenty stone" is 336 pounds (one stone = 14 pounds), though it is probably a play on the saying that "the camera adds ten pounds." A stone is a common unit of measurement in the United Kingdom.
  • A highball glass is a tall, narrow glass typically used to serve certain types of alcoholic beverages. Homestar's glass, therefore, isn't a highball at all; it is a "rocks glass" or "double old-fashioned glass" which is generally short and stout.
    • Homestar's glass is the same kind as the one The Cheat had on the table in montage while smoking.
  • The Portly Washboy advertisement is a reference to the bad childhood habit of eating adhesive paste from jars.
  • Dead air is an unintentional silence, often because of an error made by the radio or television station.
  • Pallor is a word referring to paleness of the skin, caused by a deficit of oxyhemoglobin in the skin or mucous membranes.

Trivia

  • The YouTube description for this email is "Strong Bad describes various radio host styles."

Remarks

  • Homestar must have his lights set to come on with the radio alarm at 7:00 am; strangely, he is already up and having a drink (though this may just be typical clueless Homestar behavior).
  • Judging by the call letters of the college radio station, Free Country, USA must be east of the Mississippi River. Generally, call letters for radio stations in cities east of the Mississippi begin with 'W'. Those to the west begin with 'K'.
  • The station "902 WA3D FM" cannot exist under current FCC radio regulations. The call sign WA3D is an amateur radio call sign; commercial broadcasters do not use numbers in their call signs. The "902" presumably refers to the 90.2 MHz frequency in the FM broadcast band; however, frequency allocation rules require the last digit to be odd.

Goofs

  • The left sleeve of Strong Sad's radio T-shirt disappears during parts of that Easter egg. If you click on him again, it reappears. (See the image above.)

Glitches

  • "The fish was delish and it made quite a dish" can still be clicked even after the words disappear from the screen, although that may be an intentional extension of the Easter Egg's duration so that it could be seen for an adequate amount of time.

Inside References

Real-World References

  • "Drat and double drat!" was Dick Dastardly's (Wacky Races and Dastardly and Muttley in their Flying Machines) catchphrase, a character similar to Old-Timely Strong Bad.
  • Marzipan's book Tolstoy Story 2 is a reference to famous Russian author Leo Tolstoy and also to the Disney/Pixar film Toy Story 2.
  • Strong Bad's test phrase is an old broadcasting cliché. The phrase has been used to test the levels of the F and SH sounds in audio signals for recording, public address and broadcast. When those sounds are too "hot," sounding like intense hisses, the mic can be moved or covered to reduce the "swishiness."
  • "Public Radio Sounds" (or "PRS") is a playful combination of PBS, the Public Broadcasting Service, and PRI, Public Radio International.
  • Marzipan talking about how she "never got her tote bag" is a reference to how financial donors to PBS usually receive gifts. A tote bag with the PBS logo embroidered on it is probably the most well-known.
  • The "UN Secretary Council" represents a mix between the UN Secretary-General and the UN Security Council.
  • The voice-over telling the viewer what the test phrase is is a reference to the game show Password where a voice-over would announce to the viewers (but not the contestants) what the password or answer was.
  • Judging by Strong Sad's T-shirt, "The Sturge" is short for sturgeon, a large, rare fish and is an obvious spoof of radio stations named after animals. For example, WKRP in Cincinnati had the mascot "the WKRP Carp."
  • "Heckle or jeckle" is a reference to the Terrytoons cartoon Heckle and Jeckle.
  • Strong Bad calling Strong Sad "Greystoke" is a reference to Tarzan.
  • The short theme heard while Marzipan listens to public radio is reminiscent of the theme to the National Public Radio program "All Things Considered." Interestingly, on May 8, 2005, The Brothers Chaps were interviewed about the Homestar Runner website on the show, and a clip from the Public Radio segment of this email was featured.
  • Like most US college radio stations, WSBD has a frequency in the lower part of the FM spectrum (between 88 and 92).
  • It's interesting (though probably a coincidence) that the sender's name is Fraser, since the title character on the TV show Frasier is a radio psychiatrist.

Fast Forward

DVD Version

  • If the angle is changed (to view the mid-toon Easter Eggs), Strong Sad's shirt has both sleeves in this version.
  • The DVD version features hidden creators' commentary. To access it, switch your DVD player's audio language selection while watching.

Commentary Transcript

(Commentary by: Mike Chapman, Matt Chapman, Strong Sad, Mike's Strong Sad)

MIKE: This is a... commentary. Look, be— be a character.

MATT: Okay. Who— Which character, Mike?

MIKE: Be Strong Sad. Strong Sad's never joined me for commentary before.

MATT: Okay, we'll see how that works out.

MIKE: All right. Oh, Strong Sad's in this one, I didn't even think about it.

STRONG SAD: I am in the one, Mike.

MIKE: This is— You're pretty good in this. Did you actually do the voice?

STRONG SAD: I don't want to talk about what happened while we were doing that.

MIKE: Did they give you things?

STRONG SAD: I was given some things...

MIKE: {laughs}

STRONG SAD: For—

MIKE: Did they drug you? Or, just—

STRONG SAD: I don't know, Mike!

MIKE: You don't remember?

STRONG SAD: I just know that?

MIKE: Is it all a blur?

STRONG SAD: All this— I would kind of black out, and all of a sudden there was this horrible voice coming forward from my mouth.

MIKE: I kind of like it better than your regular voice.

STRONG SAD: Oh.

MIKE: I can kind of do your— good impression of you, Strong Sad.

STRONG SAD: See, look, there's— that's me.

MIKE'S STRONG SAD: Yeah, this could be you, too.

STRONG SAD: Ah, that's terrible.

MIKE'S STRONG SAD: No, it sounds pretty good.

STRONG SAD: No, it sounds awful.

MIKE'S STRONG SAD: No, I don't— It sounds just like you, Strong Sad.

STRONG SAD: I don't think so, Mike.

MIKE'S STRONG SAD: But do that voice.

STRONG SAD: Do—

MIKE'S STRONG SAD: Do the radio personality voice, Strong Sad.

STRONG SAD: {in radio host voice} Okay! Maybe I will! For a little while! But it hurts! So I'm gonna stop!

MIKE'S STRONG SAD: {sarcastically} Oh, that's so great! That was great!

MATT: Yeah, how you doing, Strong Sad?

MIKE'S STRONG SAD: Well, I'm doing pretty good, I guess.

MATT: This is pretty talented. Matt is talking to Strong Sad at the same time.

MIKE'S STRONG SAD: This— This is the magic of computer technology.

MATT: So, Strong Sad, that phrase, "the fish was delish and it made quite a dish"—

MIKE'S STRONG SAD: Yeah?

MATT: Uh, there was this place in Brooklyn I used to eat called—

MIKE'S STRONG SAD: That—

MATT: —called Giando On The Water, and it was a great little restaurant on the Brooklyn side, right under the— the Williamsburg bridge.

MIKE'S STRONG SAD: Oh.

MATT: So I wrote an online review of it on, uh, zagat.com or something—

MIKE'S STRONG SAD: Oh, yeah?

MATT: —and under "user comments" I said that the fish was delish and it made quite a dish.

MIKE'S STRONG SAD: That's pretty good.

MATT: You can't find that online, anymore, I looked, actually.

MIKE'S STRONG SAD: That's pretty good. I wonder what {sounding more and more like Mike} Stoops and Gusso have been up to lately. I— I— I usually am not awake at that time, so I— I don't get to hear their hilarious an—

MATT: You're turning less and less into Strong Sad the longer you do it.

MIKE'S STRONG SAD: Aww.

MIKE: Oh, no! It's going away!

MATT: And now there's Mike!

MIKE: Augh.

MATT: Mike— And I love that part in the background. Mike is just being the other dudes hanging out in the studio, and just going, "Yeah! You got it! Yeah!" Good job. So, what— that's, uh— there's "highball", "hiyah"—

MIKE: And—

MATT: —and "ah-choo"?

MIKE: "Ah-choo." Is that what it is?

MATT: And then there's something else?

MIKE: Yeah.

MATT: I dunno.

MIKE: Homestar says two s— Oh, that's our friend Rusty's song.

MATT: It is.

MIKE: The very end of it.

{pause}

MATT: Oh, why do they do that at college radio stations? They put that little sticker on the CD and, like, make the D.J. have to read that thing. So they're always like—

MIKE: Yeah.

MATT: Track— I mean, the track number— who care— you don't have— like on any other radio, no other radio would say—

MIKE: I— I like— I think track number three is a good track.

MATT: {laughs}

MIKE: Seriously. I think that if you listened— go listen to 10 albums and I think that track number three's—

MATT: It's like problems—

MIKE: —probably going to be a hit.

MATT: It's like putting C for an answer on a Scantron test.

MIKE: I used to— I used to count the C's. If C didn't win, I'd go back and change some.

MATT: {laughs}

MIKE: C or D.

MATT: Nice. Uh, originally we were going to use, uh, our friend Ariana chanting there, who actually knows some Sanskrit prayers, and so, we had her, but then we felt that she might take offense.

MIKE: Hey, that's sacrilegious.

MATT: Yeah. We don't want to offend—

MIKE: If they were real prayers.

MATT: Hey, the Portly Washboy looks kind of like the kid from the Boy— old Boychicks Deli sign over in Orchar— or, Georgetown.

MIKE: {laughs} Georgetown!

MATT: Remember him?

MIKE: Yeah.

MATT: He's about to inhale this entire sub.

MIKE: {laughs} I got celery— ce— celery-flavored soda from Boychicks Deli.

STRONG SAD: That stuff is good!

MIKE'S STRONG SAD: Oh, yeah! You're back! We're both back!

STRONG SAD: I'm out of here—

MIKE'S STRONG SAD: {simultaneously} This is so cool!

STRONG SAD: I'm out of here now.

MIKE'S STRONG SAD: No, stay! Hang around! This is—

STRONG SAD: I don't like you!

MIKE'S STRONG SAD: Oh, man!

MATT: Um...

MIKE'S STRONG SAD: That was great.

MATT: Poster just fell.

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