shapeshifter
From Homestar Runner Wiki
| Strong Bad Email #192 |
|
Strong Bad explains why shapeshifting isn't as attractive as it sounds.
Cast (in order of appearance): Strong Bad, The Cheat, Marzipan, Bubs, Coach Z, Homestar Runner
Places: Computer Room, The Field, Bubs' Concession Stand
Computer: Lappy 486
Date: Monday, March 31, 2008
Running Time: 4:04 official, 4:07 actual
Page Title: Lappy 486
DVD: strongbad_email.exe Disc Six
Contents |
Transcript
STRONG BAD: Back again. Checking email from my friends. I mean, the stupid people that write me.
subject: emailDear Strongbad, if you could shapeshift, waht would you
turn into?
From Paxton Westergard Anacortes, Washington
{Strong Bad reads "waht" as "waaaaaat," with high inflection. He also reads "Paxton Westergard Anacortes, Washington" as the sender's full name.}
STRONG BAD: Ugh. You'll never be a weatherman with a name like that. How about just... Paxto West? {typing} Now you might think I'd be all over this shapeshifting business Paxto, but if comic books, cartoons, and Sci-Fi Original Movies have taught me anything, it's that shapeshifting comes with a bunch of boring rules and restrictions that limit its potential Turn-Into-A-Bulldozer-Whenever-I-Wantity. {clears screen, speaks in mocking voice} You can turn into a machine gun but not bullets, contemporary jazz turns you back to normal, you can only turn into presents your grandma's knitted for you. {speaks normally} Crap like that. For example, let's say I could turn into any species... OF BALLOON ANIMAL!!??
{Cut to the Field. Strong Bad, Marzipan and The Cheat are there. The Cheat's fur is messed up and he's foaming at the mouth}
STRONG BAD: Look out! A rabid The Cheat! I'll handle this!
{The scene pauses like a video tape}
STRONG BAD: {voiceover} Oh yeah. Another thing about shapeshifting is that you have to have a cool trademark sound effect that happens every time you change forms.
{The scene unpauses}
STRONG BAD: Shapeshift unto... A Sumatran tiger! DWAYNE!
{The word "DWAYNE!!" appears above Strong Bad and fades, as it continues to do every time he shapeshifts. Strong Bad turns into a pink, four-legged balloon animal}
STRONG BAD: I said a tiger, not a poodle! {with an annoyed tone} DWAYNE. {Turns into a blue balloon animal of the same shape, but with a different tail and droopy nose.} A tiger, not a donkey. Dwayne. {The sound effect appears in lowercase and has an even more annoyed tone to it, and Strong Bad turns into an orange balloon animal, still of the same shape, but with shorter ears and muzzle.} That's better. Now stand back! {The wind starts to blow Strong Bad away.} Um...
{The Cheat jumps at Marzipan and she gasps. Then the scene is paused again.}
STRONG BAD: {voiceover} Ooh, but what if I could turn into legal tender? {Cut to Strong Bad approaching Bubs' Concession Stand} One of the only good legal things in existence.
STRONG BAD: Say, Bubs. How much for that Lamborghini hot tub you got back there?
BUBS: The what? {Looks down} Oh! That Lamborghini hot tub. It sure is back here! That'll run you one hundred... {Bubs and Strong Bad jerk their heads back twice} dollars.
STRONG BAD: Swedish deals! Shapeshift unto... A hundred dollar bill! DWAYNE!
{Strong Bad turns into a hundred dollar bill, which floats down onto the counter, then is blown away by the wind.}
STRONG BAD: {voiceover} So... Apparently wind is a pretty big problem for most shapeshifters.
{Cut to Coach Z walking along. Strong Bad floats nearby.}
COACH Z: Hey, check it out! A Benjamin! {Snatches Strong Bad out of the air and puts him in a pocket, causing drops of liquid to go flying} I'll just tuck you into the loose band of my sweaty-sweat-sweats! {Hits his waist for emphasis. More liquid goes flying}
{Cut to Strong Bad lying on the floor next to his computer chair}
STRONG BAD: {distressed} Blaaaaaaaggghhhh! Hang on. Lemme try again. What if I could turn into... almost anyone in the world? Is that too much to ask?
{Cut to Strong Bad and The Cheat in the Field. They are standing next to a large structure made from round objects}
STRONG BAD: Don't worry! I know just how to get us through this ten-foot thick wall of pecan cheese balls! Shapeshift unto... The King of Town! DWAYNE! {Turns into the King of Town. His voice stays the same, however} Norwegian deals! It worked! This should only take a few seconds! {He leans forward and makes chomping noises. The wall of pecan cheese balls is unaffected} R— why isn't this working? {Turns side on. Half of him is missing. Strong Bad speaks bitterly} Oh, I get it. {The Cheat screams and runs away} I can turn into almost anyone. Well, two can play at this game, dumb rules of shapeshifting!
{Cut to Strong Bad, back in his normal form, at Bubs' Concession Stand. Bubs isn't there}
STRONG BAD: Say Bubs, I'd like one Lamborghini hot tub for free, please. Shapeshift unto Bubs! DWAYNE! {Strong Bad turns into Bubs's legs} Oh man! I turned into the wrong "almost". This plan was supposed to be foolproof. All anybody ever sees is Bubs' ample top portions!
COACH Z: {Offscreen} Oh Bubs! Oh Bubs! I'm coming to your concession stand to talk to you!
STRONG BAD: Wait. Maybe I can still make this work! {He jumps onto the counter, turning himself upside-down in the process}
{Coach Z comes onscreen}
COACH Z: Hey, nice headstand, Bubs. I'd like one Lamborghini hot tub, please. {pulls out some money from his pocket} Allow me to use this moistened hundred dollar bill I found earlier today.
STRONG BAD: Wait, what?
{Strong Bad the balloon animal floats past}
COACH Z: Oh look! A giraffe!
{Cut back to Strong Bad sitting at his computer}
STRONG BAD: {typing} Uh, that was confusing. See what I mean? Shapeshifting is laden with confusing troubles and a severe lack of hot tubs.
HOMESTAR RUNNER: {offscreen} Oh Strong Bad! Oh Strong Bad, I'm coming to your computer desk to talk to you!
STRONG BAD: {quietly} Oh crap! DWAYNE!
{Strong Bad turns into a colorful scarf, with a tag on it reading "From: Grandma". Homestar walks in holding a chessboard with a glob of vanilla ice cream with chocolate sprinkles and a cherry on top and assorted chess pieces.}
HOMESTAR RUNNER: {angrily} Oh. It's you again, scarf from Grandma! Never mind.
{He turns and walks away}
STRONG BAD: Phew. Maybe it's not all bad. Thanks, G-mom's.
{New Paper comes down}
Easter Eggs
- Click on the words "Paxton Westergard" after Strong Bad says "Paxto West" to see a picture of the Tire as a weather forecaster.
- At the end click on Strong Bad to make him shape shift from the scarf to the balloon donkey, a $100 bill, Bubs's legs, Strong Bad, and back to the scarf, along with "Dwayne!" shape shifting sound effect.
- Clicking on the diskette box at the end yields this secret code: 3uSyK2RdlUY, which is the YouTube video ID for Strong Bad Gameways.
Fun Facts
Explanations
- Benjamin is urban slang for a 100 dollar bill. It is so named because Benjamin Franklin is on the face.
Trivia
- The label on the Floppy Disk Container reads relentless.
- Initially, this toon was released without the Easter egg leading to Strong Bad Gameways. It was added over a day later.
- If the mound of pecan cheese-balls really is ten feet thick at its center, then Strong Bad is slightly more than four feet, six inches tall.
- The summary of the Podstar Runner RSS feed reads, "Strong Bad explains why shapeshifting is overrated".
Remarks
- In the Easter egg at the end, Strong Bad appears in front of New Paper rather than behind it, as he normally does.
- When the video pauses when The Cheat pounces on Marzipan, the hills in the background shake and distort from the video, but The Cheat's hair (which is in front of the hills) is not affected.
- When you click on Strong Bad at the end when he's a hundred dollar bill, the bill dilates before turning into Bubs' feet. Strangely, that's the only time that happens throughout the toon.
Inside References
- The Tire was previously seen in the role of a weatherman in local news.
- The rabid The Cheat was previously seen in Strong Bad is in Jail Cartoon.
- The scarf is from Grandma.
- A drawing of half of the King of Town was previously seen in the sketchbook.
- Strong Bad's simultaneous appearance as Bubs's legs, a $100 bill, and a balloon tiger, which Strong Bad identifies as "confusing", is an incidence of duplicate characters.
- The "Paused" frame during the rabid The Cheat scene is in the same style as the VHS portraits in the character videos.
Real-World References
- "Sci-Fi Original Movies" refers to the Sci Fi Channel, a TV network that specializes in science fiction and speculative fiction programming.
- Lamborghini is an Italian automobile manufacturer known for its high-performance vehicles.
- The reference to turning into machine guns but not the bullets refers to a scene in the movie Terminator 2 in which Arnold Schwarzenegger explains the extent of the T-1000's shapeshifting ability: to change into any solid metal shape, but not guns and explosives that have chemicals or moving parts.
- The way Strong Bad says "shapeshift unto" whatever is in a similar style to The Wonder Twins.
- The "Trademark sound effect that happens every time you change form" is a reference to the classic sound effect from every form of Transformers.
DVD Version
- The DVD version features hidden creators' commentary. To access it, switch the DVD player's audio language selection while watching.
This section of the page is incomplete. You can help the Homestar Runner Wiki by expanding it.
External Links
- watch "shapeshifter"
- watch "shapeshifter" on the old Flash site
- view the Flash file for "shapeshifter"
- forum thread re: "shapeshifter"
