Belch's Brief Reviews--May 19, 2001

[DR. BELCH]

Today's rerunfest was called "Block Party Saturday". An ironic name, raaaaaaaahlly it is...because up my way the weather is grey, cold, and wet...Not a day for block parties or any other kind of party. It's more like Nap All Day, Then Wake Up Around Ten and Watch A Couple of Skin Flicks Before Going to Bed Saturday.

POK JJ #357: "The Fortune Hunters"
This episode was a riot because it proves perfectly the old saying about too much knowledge being a dangerous thing in the wrong hands.
It seems there's a new book out that has become the Harry Potter of the Pokemon world....a book that uses one's birthday to figure out your Pokemon type and personality. Although Ash doesn't believe in that fortune mumbo-jumbo, he is a bit disappointed to learn that he's a Bellsprout type--green, gullible, and having no opinions of his own. (Politics is full of Bellsprouts.) Brock learns he's an Onyx type and immediately starts scheming to use that as a chick-gettting angle. Misty is furious to learn that she's a Gyrados type--loud, rude, and hotheaded...and, ironically, begins behaving more like the great sea serpent every minute!
The books are being sold by an old couple at the local Pokemon center who, if not for the man's distinctive Weezy Jefferson voice, I'd never have recognized as a couple of old "friends". More on them later.
When Team Twerp falls for a Team Rocket pit trap, Misty drops her book, which Meowth picks up. Snazzy spacesuits or no, Team Rocket can't withstand Starmie's water gun attack, and blast off again. After splashdown, they get to reading the book. Jessy learns she's an Eevie type ("More like evil", muse James and Meowth)...and Jimmy-boy is a Moultres type. Now here's where it gets fun. Moultres types are supposed to be firm, decisive leaders and great people of power who are lucky with money and finding lost things. At first James pooh-poohs the idea, but a few coincidences soon change his mind...and before long he's climbed a lamp pole and all but done the Leonardo DeCaprio "king of the world" line from Titanic. Suddenly the poor little rich boy grows a set of cojones the size of a Tauros', and Team Rocket's answer to Ted Kennedy is transformed to Louis XIV, or Charlemagne, or whichever great monarch you like.
King James thinks it would be great to rob the Pokemon center, and immediately conducts a firm and decisive frontal attack, reasoning that only weaklings and losers sneak in through the back door. Normally James is not averse to back-door shenanigans, but today he fancies himself above that.
Meanwhile, Brock is trying to pick up Nurse Joy by telling her that his friend is a Gyrados type, and Misty lets him have it real good on the ear--after all, he should know you never discuss a lady's age or Pokemon type in public; it's not proper ettiquette.
Once inside Jessy and James learn who the old folks really are--Cassidy and Butch (though people keep calling him "Botch"; then again, they could've called him worse). It's all part of a scheme to nab the Pokemon that people trade in thinking that they can get a better one that matches thier type according to the book...a rather Brainish scheme, and ingenious in how it uses people's greed and stupidity agianst them.
Now here comes the best part. As Butch and Cassidy chat with Giovanni (who here looks very Dr. Claw-ish, hidden half in shadows and petting his cat ), in flies James the Moultres...looking like a gay, undernourished San Diego Chicken.
Meowth and Jessy are operating the crane that helps him fly, and here comes one of the dodgiest exchanges I've heard in Pokemon to date. Meowth inquies as to where James got that chicken suit. Jessy says "It probably came directly out of his closet."
Sometimes the jokes just write themselves.
Imagine James' chagrin to learn that the books are as phony as his falsies from "Holiday at Acapulco"...and he goes from firm and decisive to limp and confused in under five seconds. Team Rocket, having lost their rock, blasts off again...but fortunately Team Twerp, who has been hiding in the shadows eavesdropping, steps in to mop things up.
Jessy and James cannot be scoring points with the boss for stirring dissention in the ranks--it seems when they're not bungling their own operations they're trying to throw a monkey wrench into Cassidy and Butch's schemes, which actually seem to be paying off dividends. So the query is, are the Rocketeers frustrated heroes, or are they just jealous and pitching childish hissies that they can't be the boss' pets for once?
After the Pokemon nabbers are taken into custody, Jenny reveals that the Rocket press was just plagiarizing an existing book of Pokemon fortunes...but here is where the ending got weird, because Misty seemed delighted over what her fortune read and James looked like his doctor just told him he had leprosy of the hemhorroids...but they never tell us what the book said! Was it too off-color to be dubbed, or is that the joke, that the writers want us to figure it out for ourselves? I can't speak for Misty......but as far as Jimmy-boy goes, I wonder: what's the Pokemon version of a braying jackass?

[Inque]

Originally posted by DR. BELCH
Today's rerunfest was called "Block Party Saturday". An ironic name, raaaaaaaahlly it is...because up my way the weather is grey, cold, and wet...Not a day for block parties or any other kind of party.

for us, today was a bright and hot day. our high school held a picnic for the incoming freshman. and since i'm in the string orchestra and jazz band, i was stuck sitting out in the direct sunlight and playing music for 2 hours. the sunblock gave out after 30 an hour and now i'm burnt like crazy and have a cello and electric bass tan.

[Sharklady]

> i'm burnt like crazy and have a cello and electric bass tan. <

I didn't know string instruments could tan.

[Anthonynotes]

Originally posted by Sharklady
> i'm burnt like crazy and have a cello and electric bass tan. <

I didn't know string instruments could tan.

Neither do animals (pigs being an exception, from what I've heard), though that doesn't seem to stop a gazillion jokes in cartoons where, say, Babs or Pinky or someone wanting sunscreen/suntan lotion (in Brain's case, that bit about Pinky drinking sunscreen in the PatB episode "The Mummy")--as if somehow, fur could tan/burn. Just one of my cartoon pet peeves ;-)

-B.
BRAIN: (Annoyed) Lousy writers...."fur tanning", *indeed*....whoever heard of such a thing?!

PINKY: But I thought it tanned when we got singed by that lightning bolt that one time, Brain...

BRAIN: Being electrocuted does *not* equal "fur tanning". Besides, wouldn't those writers realize sunscreen would make our fur rather sticky?

PINKY: Ooooh, really? I think I'd like that....

BRAIN: You *would*.

[Nftnat]

Originally posted by Brainatra


Neither do animals (pigs being an exception, from what I've heard), though that doesn't seem to stop a gazillion jokes in cartoons where, say, Babs or Pinky or someone wanting sunscreen/suntan lotion (in Brain's case, that bit about Pinky drinking sunscreen in the PatB episode "The Mummy")--as if somehow, fur could tan/burn. Just one of my cartoon pet peeves ;-)

-B.
BRAIN: (Annoyed) Lousy writers...."fur tanning", *indeed*....whoever heard of such a thing?!

PINKY: But I thought it tanned when we got singed by that lightning bolt that one time, Brain...

BRAIN: Being electrocuted does *not* equal "fur tanning". Besides, wouldn't those writers realize sunscreen would make our fur rather sticky?

PINKY: Ooooh, really? I think I'd like that....

BRAIN: You *would*.

It's probably out of social consciousness. Kids are watching & need to learn they need to wear sun-whatever, so the big stars, human & otherwise, wear it.

[DR. BELCH]

Dogs perspire through their tongues. They have an utterly miserable time applying deodorant.

[RockItShipper]

Originally posted by DR. BELCH
Once inside Jessy and James learn who the old folks really are--Cassidy and Butch (though people keep calling him "Botch"; then again, they could've called him worse).

Good thing neither of us dub the show. Anyway, in the original of this ep, Kosaburo was mistakenly addressed as 'Kosanji'.... Which I believe is a real name- just not his. Possibly an in-joke around the TV Tokyo studios, where his name is perhaps messed up by a number of staffers??????? But why is it that "Ash" and "James" are the only ones to be shown making that mistake? And why does that rile ol' "Butch" so much? Could there be any basis for ff.net's "Butch's Wish"? http://www.fanfiction.net/index.fic?...&storyid=97502

in flies James the Moultres...looking like a gay, undernourished San Diego Chicken.
Meowth and Jessy are operating the crane that help him fly, and here comes one of the dodgiest exchanges I've heard in Pokemon to date. Meowth inquies as to where James got that chicken suit. Jessy says "It probably came directly out of his closet."
Sometimes the jokes just write themselves.

Not only that, but I do recall a certain green-haired young Pokemon Watcher who will remain anoymous that talked in his sleep about encountering legendary birds and begging them to pose for his sketchbook... And who overheard that conversation? So is really that hard to believe that "James" has such a costume handy given all that? So "Ash" has the apple costume and "Jessie" the "Snorlax" one for their honeymoon... And now there's "Fruity Moltres James" for "Tracey's" wedding night! Wooooooohooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

because Misty seemed delighted over what her fortune read and James looked like his doctor just told him he had leprosy of the hemhorroids...but they never tell us what the book said! Was it too off-color to be dubbed, or is that the joke, that the writers want us to figure it out for ourselves? I can't speak for Misty......but as far as Jimmy-boy goes, I wonder: what's the Pokemon version of a braying jackass?

It wasn't said in the original either. I'm guessing "Misty" got "Tentacool" and "James" got "Magikarp"... Explains their reactions perfectly.

[Roman Legion]

Originally posted by Brainatra


Neither do animals (pigs being an exception, from what I've heard), though that doesn't seem to stop a gazillion jokes in cartoons where, say, Babs or Pinky or someone wanting sunscreen/suntan lotion (in Brain's case, that bit about Pinky drinking sunscreen in the PatB episode "The Mummy")--as if somehow, fur could tan/burn. Just one of my cartoon pet peeves ;-)

Actually, I do believe most mammals are, in fact, capable of tanning. It's just that fur normally gets in the way. I know that dogs can certainly tan, and quite enjoy sunning themselves whenever they get the chance. My family's miniature dachshund's tanning habits have provided me with evidence. ;-)

Romey
--And yes, on really bright days, she needs sunblock.

[Inque]

on sunny days, my beagle will go outside onto the deck, and lie there for a long time on his back. he likes the sunbathing for some weird reason.

[DR. BELCH]

ROMEY:

...I do believe most mammals are...capable of tanning. It's just that fur normally gets in the way. I know that dogs can certainly tan, and quite enjoy sunning themselves whenever they get the chance.

Well, sparsely-haired mammals like elephants and rhinos might be able to tan...or burn, as the case may be. Or is their skin too thick to be penetrated by UV rays? Nature played some animals a cruel trick, IMO--as I said, the dogs' cooling system is located in the mouth, and elephants sweat through their toenails. I've seen footage of the great beasts taking dust baths (which for them is a good way to keep cool, but wouldn't work for people; we'd just end up sticky, dirty, itchy and miserable).

INQUE:
on sunny days, my beagle will go outside onto the deck, and lie there for a long time on his back. he likes the sunbathing for some weird reason.

My mom's poodle accompanies me when I sunbathe...not the brightest idea, because he's long curly black hair from head to toe. Beagles are short-haired and their bellies are bald...so naturally one would like the feel of the sun on its stomach and cojones. (Who wouldn't?) I had a beagle for a number of years who kept himself cool on hot days either by hiding in the shade under the tool shed or by rolling on his back in the dirt (again with the dust baths; maybe there is something to that after all).