Drawn Together
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Drawn Together is an American animated television series on Comedy Central created by Dave Jeser and Matt Silverstein, and first aired on October 27, 2004. Comedy Central advertises it as the first animated reality show, though in truth, it is an animated sitcom set on a fictitious TV reality show. The show's eight cartoon characters (mostly recognizable parodies of cartoon archetypes, but which also double as parodies of the general personality types that inhabit TV reality shows) are forced to live in a house together, in a setup similar to that of The Real World or The Surreal Life.
In some episodes, characters participate in challenges that are based on reality TV challenges. The show is made by Rough Draft Studios in Glendale, California, with much of the animation done at the studio's facilities in Korea. Its visual style is that of traditional ink and paint animation, which is actually a departure for Comedy Central, who usually favor more specialized approaches to animation. The style was chosen both for the retro feel it gives the show, and for the versatility it allows the animators, providing an environment in which it is possible to combine many different styles of animation. Another unique aspect of the show is that where most cartoons present their characters, though animated, as real within the show's world, the Drawn Together characters retain their identities as cartoon characters even within their animated world. The show also features many cameo appearances by famous characters (or in some cases, copyright-avoiding clones) from all across the animated spectrum.
Other networks
In Australia, the show airs on the Pay TV network The Comedy Channel; during 2005, it also aired on SBS, in the Monday comedy slot between 8.30pm and 9.30pm, after fellow Comedy Central show South Park. In Brazil, Drawn Together airs on the cable TV channel Multishow every Saturday night, with subtitles. In Canada, it airs on The Comedy Network. In Germany, the show airs on MTV Germany in a German-dubbed version. In Latin America, it's dubbed into Spanish and aired on MTV and VH1. In the United Kingdom, Drawn Together is aired on MTV UK and the Paramount Comedy Channel. In the Philippines, Drawn Together is aired on Jack TV every Saturday from 11.00pm to 11.30pm after two episodes of South Park.Content
The show is adult-oriented, with plot lines revolving around such topics as the fact that Princess Clara's vagina is a multi-tentacled monster (a theme found in a number of hentai films). The humor is largely satirical in nature, its primary focus being the mockery of stereotypes. Some episodes have heavy emphasis on homosexuality and/or bisexuality, with some episodes (such as "Hot Tub" and "Gay Bash") solely devoted to these topics. Kinky sex is a common topic of conversation; several of the characters have extremely perverse sexual tastes, and the show makes frequent reference to masturbation, paraphilia, and BDSM. Death and violence are also constant themes. Nearly all episodes feature at least one death, and several episodes feature characters going on graphic killing sprees or perpetrating gruesome massacres. Even the main cast die with great frequency, though these deaths are never permanent. (see: List of housemate deaths on Drawn Together)
The show's content is somewhat controversial, partially for its explicit dialogue and graphic violence, but primarily for the casual attitude the show takes toward taboo subject matter. A great deal of the show's humor revolves around making light of taboo topics such as abortion, rape, incest, spousal abuse, racism, anti-Semitism, and terrorism (even the 9/11 terrorist attacks have been joked about). The extensive use of stereotypes is another controversial aspect of the show; the intent is actually to make fun of bigotry, but it is often misinterpreted in this regard. According to Jess Harnell, "Most of the racism on the show is coming from people who are so obviously stupid about it, it really isn't that threatening." (Notably, one of the most common minorities mocked are Jewish people, which includes both creators.)
Though the two shows are stylistically dissimilar, the coarseness of the humor in Drawn Together has led to frequent comparison with South Park, the show that immediately precedes it on the network. South Park was thought to be extremely profane upon its premiere seven years earlier; obviously, times had changed. The preceding cartoon dropped its TV-MA warning bumper, and almost immediately following, a TV-MA warning was shown before episodes of Drawn Together.
Much like The Simpsons and Family Guy, Drawn Together is heavy with pop culture references. Animation is a major source of material; as mentioned above, many characters from comics and animated cartoons make cameo appearances, and often are the subjects of parody. However, numerous live action films and TV shows are referenced as well. Reality shows are another prime inspiration, not surprising given that Drawn Together is presented as a reality show that takes place in a cartoon world. However, although many of the first season plots made extensive use of the reality show scenario, this aspect of the show has largely been de-emphasized in later episodes. (See Animation and reality show references below.) The spoofing of film and television clichés is another common theme on the show; many Drawn Together stories are parodies of overused plots from TV and movies.
Characters
- Captain Hero - A chauvinistic, perverted and lecherous parody of Superman (and other superheroes), with a visual style taken from the cartoons of Bruce Timm and Max Fleischer. Among reality TV archetypes, he represents the macho egotist.
- Princess Clara - Pampered, hyper-religious, and racist princess who is a parody of Disney characters like Ariel from The Little Mermaid and Belle from Beauty and the Beast. She represents the naive daddy's girl.
- Ling-Ling - A homicidal spoof of Pikachu from the Pokémon games/anime, who battles using various supernatural powers/abilities and speaks in pseudo-Japanese gibberish (or Japorean, as Ling-Ling's voice Abbey McBride calls it) with English subtitles. He represents the culture shocked foreigner.
- Foxxy Love - A sharp-tongued parody of Valerie Brown from Josie and the Pussycats, she is a promiscuous mystery-solving musician. She represents the sassy black woman.
- Spanky Ham - A sex-obsessed, obnoxious parody of Internet Flash cartoon characters. He represents the crude party animal.
- Xandir P. Wifflebottom - A homosexual parody of video game heroes like Link from the The Legend of Zelda series. He represents the token gay participant.
- Toot Braunstein - An overweight sex symbol from the 1920s who demands to be the center of attention, cuts herself with razor blades when depressed, and often instigates conflict in the house. Based on Betty Boop. She represents the bitch.
- Wooldoor Sockbat - A bizarre children's show character in the mold of Spongebob Squarepants or Stimpy, with many of the typical reality-defying behaviors of Looney Tunes characters. He represents the attention-starved weirdo.
- Recurring and guest characters
Episodes
DVD release
The first season of Drawn Together was released on DVD on October 4, 2005. Its release was timed to coincide with the premiere of Season Two on television. The set includes all seven aired first season episodes. (By the time the release was finalized, it had been determined that the unaired "Terms of Endearment" would air during Season Two, so it was left off the set and will be released on DVD later). The profanity and nudity are intact and uncensored. Some shows also contain additional lines and scenes. Special features include audio commentary on select episodes by creators Dave Jeser and Matt Silverstein along with assorted cast and crew members, in addition to deleted scenes and karaoke/singalong versions of the show's songs.
The set also contains a game called the Censored/Uncensored Game: A line is given, and the viewer must decide if the line aired on television as given (uncensored), or if it had to be altered significantly or deleted (censored). Some of the censored lines appear intact in the extended DVD version of the episode. Getting at least 11 of the 19 questions correct unlocks a hidden feature, a prank phone call by Jeser and Silverstein to their agent regarding the royalties they are to receive for the DVD audio commentaries.
The song "Time of My Life" from "Dirty Pranking No. 2" had to be left off the set due to copyright issues. The show mocked the situation in the lyrics to the replacement music. Some sources imply that all the music was replaced for the DVD set, but in reality, this was the only song that was replaced.
No date has yet been given for the Season Two release; it is speculated that the set will be released in early October to coincide with the third season premiere.
Previously on Drawn Together
An aborted first season feature of the show was the "last week" segments showing possible outcomes of other episodes. This was a parody of serial dramas, which typically begin with a sensationalized recap of previous events. (In the case of Drawn Together, the events depicted did not actually occur on the show.) Four were produced but not used, but were included on the Season One DVD set.I: In a parody of Full Metal Jacket, shown in night vision, the housemates gather around a sleeping Toot, gag her, and then beat her with bars of soap in socks because she keeps leaving empty milk cartons in the fridge.
II: After a nuclear apocalypse, the housemates repopulate the Earth with their kids, amalgams of themselves that include a Captain Hero/Clara going out with a Foxxy/Captain Hero/Wooldoor
III: Xandir tries to have a pillow fight with Spanky and Captain Hero, who are less than pleased. So instead of fighting with their pillows, they smother him.
IV: The housemates run for their lives as they are chased by a giant Wooldoor who proceeds to eat them.
Animation and reality show references
Drawn Together contains references to nearly every genre of entertainment, but given the show's premise of a reality show with cartoon characters, unsurprisingly those two genres receive an especially significant number of references. The following is a list of animated works and reality TV series that have either been parodied or alluded to on Drawn Together.
Animation references
- Aladdin
- Beauty and the Beast
- Droopy Dog
- Dungeons and Dragons
- Family Guy
- Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids
- The Flintstones
- The Jetsons
- Josie and the Pussycats
- The Lion King
- The Little Mermaid
- Looney Tunes
- Mickey Mouse
- Muppet Babies
- My Neighbor Totoro
- Peanuts
- ''Pokémon
- Popeye
- The Powerpuff Girls
- The Ren and Stimpy Show
- Richie Rich
- The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show
- Sailor Moon
- Schoolhouse Rock
- Scooby-Doo
- Sesame Street
- The Simpsons
- The Smurfs
- Snagglepuss
- South Park
- Strawberry Shortcake
- The Transformers
- VeggieTales
Reality show references
- The Apprentice
- Average Joe
- The Bachelorette
- Big Brother
- Extreme Makeover
- For Love or Money
- Joe Millionaire
- The Joe Schmo Show
- Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
- The Real World
- Supernanny
- The Surreal Life
- Survivor
- Trading Spaces
Trivia
- James Arnold Taylor (Wooldoor), Cree Summer (Foxxy) and Tara Strong (Clara & Toot) all performed in the Square Co./Square Enix-developed video games Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2 as Tidus/Shuyin (Taylor), Lady Belgemine/Young Tidus/Lenne -speaking voice-/Calli (Summer) and Rikku (Strong).
- *On a similar note, Taylor, Strong, and Jess Harnell all performed in the video game Kingdom Hearts II (also developed by Square Enix) as Captain Jack Sparrow/Timon (Taylor), Rikku (Strong), and Doctor Finklestein/Lock (Harnell).
- *Strong and Summer have also worked together on several other projects, most notably Rugrats, All Grown Up, Danny Phantom, , and The Buzz on Maggie (which also features Harnell). According to the DVD commentary for the episode "Hot Tub", the two have known each other since childhood (both grew up in Toronto, Ontario).
- Three of the show's voice actors had previously worked with creators Dave Jeser and Matt Silverstein on other projects: Adam Carolla and Abbey McBride on The Man Show, and Jack Plotnick on Action. "The Other Cousin" guest star Sarah Silverman worked with Jeser and Silverstein on Greg the Bunny, as did writers Bill Freiberger and Erik Sommers.
- Originally, Xandir was to have been played by Nat Faxon, but the network forced the creators to fire him following the first table read, feeling his portrayal of the character was "too gay". They would end up replacing him with Jack Plotnick.
- In addition to their regular roles, the show's cast also provide many of the guest voices on the series, Summer, Strong, and Taylor in particular. In the DVD commentary for "Hot Tub", Tara Strong jokes that this is because the show doesn't have a lot of money to pay guest stars. Chris Edgerly also appears in the majority of episodes despite not having a regular role on the series.
- Comedy Central's tagline for the show is "Find out what happens when cartoon characters stop being polite- and start making out in hot tubs", referring to Clara and Foxxy's kiss in the pilot episode. The line is a parody of The Real World
' s tagline, "Find out what happens when people stop being polite- and start getting real." The aforementioned hot tub kiss is considered one of the show's defining images; Comedy Central based nearly all of its first season promotional material for Drawn Together on it.
- The film clip accompanying the Double Hemm Productions logo is a windstorm on the original Tacoma Narrows Bridge (also known as Galloping Gertie), capturing the bridge about to collapse.
- One first-season episode, "Terms of Endearment", in which Captain Hero loses his powers and becomes paralyzed from the neck down, was withheld from broadcast because Superman actor Christopher Reeve (on whose tragedy the episode was based) died two months before the episode was to be aired (about 12/8/04). After keeping it on ice for over a year, Comedy Central finally aired the episode on Wednesday, January 25, 2006, as part of the show's second season. In order to air the show, the producers were forced to remove a scene of Hero falling from a horse (which was how Reeve became paralyzed).
- *The episode was almost banned once again when his widow Dana Reeve announced her terminal illness early in 2006; had she died six weeks earlier than she did, the broadcast would have been postponed again. Strangely, Comedy Central had no problem rerunning the episode one week after her death.[link]
- Although critical reaction to Drawn Together's premiere was generally positive (USA Today and TV Guide both praised the series), the most famous review of the show was an extremely negative one from Entertainment Weekly, who called the show, "so bad, it's bad for you," and gave it a letter grade of "F". The creators read this review on the DVD commentary for the episode "The One Wherein There Is a Big Twist" and laughed about it. The review would eventually become the basis of the second season episode "Xandir and Tim, Sitting in a Tree", in which the cast read the very same review and react harshly to it. (Entertainment Weekly would later respond by giving this episode an "F" as well.)
- Cartoon Network's Adult Swim bashed the series in one of their between-show bumps. One reader sent AS a letter asking, "Does American animation always have to be funny?", referring to how adult-oriented animation produced in America is almost exclusively comedic in nature, as opposed to the serious tone found in much foreign-produced animation (such as anime). Adult Swim, using its own brand of cynical and sarcastic humor, replied, "Of course it doesn't. Just look at Drawn Together". Though Drawn Together is frequently accused of relying on shock humor rather than intelligent writing (a fact of which Adult Swim is aware), given Cartoon Network's status as a rival network, the comment could be taken more as negative advertising than constructive criticism.
- In keeping with the various animation styles that form the premises for the various characters, Wooldoor and Toot have four fingers on each hand (including thumbs), whereas Clara, Foxxy, Hero, and Xandir have five. In promotional artwork for the show, Toot and Wooldoor are drawn with the standard five fingers, but in the show itself they have four.
Guests in the Confessional
Characters who have appeared in the confessional other than the eight housemates.
- Hot Tub
- * Blue Ball; confessed that he would have attempted to brainwash Clara into shooting the President if Spanky had not been present.
- Clara's Dirty Little Secret
- * Clara's Evil Stepmother; since she was not physically present, Foxxy had to hold her in the magic mirror to explain how to get rid of Clara's curse.
- * Bob the suitor from the Bachelorette scene, explaining he was the "funny one".
- * Prince Charming
- * Clara's Octopussoir, the enchanted genitalia.
- Gay Bash
- * God, who after objecting to Clara's homophobic comments, fondles a penis through a glory hole the same way Wooldoor did earlier.
- *Evil Lord Slashstab flies through the confessional after stealing the genie in the lamp "for no particular reason".
- Requiem for a Reality Show
- * Clara's woodland friends accompany her while she sings the "Bully Song"
- The Other Cousin
- * Ling-Ling's father, wondering how he got in the confessional instantly. To date, he is the only character not to understand the purpose of the confessional.
- Dirty Pranking No. 2
- * Clara's father, the King; he is only shown in the confessional on videotape after Clara proves Spanky's innocence.
- * Alien Insectobot with Hat who explained that all life on Earth was eliminated, and that the aliens incorporated the humans' form of humor into their own. It is unclear if this is the Drawn Together house confessional booth or one in the aliens' home world.
- Foxxy vs. the Board of Education
- * Timmy, the cutout paper baby that Xandir and Spanky "adopted" from a Third World country, explaining that he was going to grow up to be an origami swan.
- Little Orphan Hero
- * The Sex Robot that Captain Hero raped.
- Clum Babies
- * Bob the Cucumber; he enters the confessional chasing after Wooldoor, and while there, he shoots and kills a confessing Toot.
- Alzheimer's That Ends Well
- *Clara's Vajoana, who, to Clara's great consternation, won't stop talking.
External links
| Drawn Together |
|---|
| Characters |
| Captain Hero > Foxxy Love | Ling-Ling | Princess Clara | Spanky Ham | Toot Braunstein | Wooldoor Sockbat | Xandir | Recurring and guest characters |
| Other |
| List of Drawn Together episodes > List of housemate deaths on Drawn Together | Running gags on Drawn Together |
| Cast and creators |
| Dave Jeser > Matt Silverstein | Adam Carolla | Jess Harnell | Abbey McBride | Jack Plotnick | Tara Strong | Cree Summer | James Arnold Taylor |
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