Sad Songs Are Nature's Onions
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| Mr. Show episode | |
| "Sad Songs Are Nature's Onions" | |
| Episode no. | 29 |
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| Prod. code | 409 |
| Orig. Airdate | December 21, 1998 |
| Writers | Bob Odenkirk, David Cross, Scott Aukerman, Eric Hoffman, Jay Johnston, Bill Odenkirk, B.J. Porter, Dino Stamatopoulos |
| Directors | John Moffitt (live segments), Peyton Reed (location segments) |
| Season 4 October 26, 1998 – December 28, 1998 |
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| List of all Mr. Show episodes... | |
"Sad Songs Are Nature's Onions" was the twenty-ninth episode of the HBO series Mr. Show to air. It originally aired on December 21, 1998.
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
[edit] Ratings Child Open
Three content warnings appear on the screen, they say "BL" for "Blue Language", "AP" for "Adult Positions", and "MD" for "Mature Delicacies", parodying the United States television rating system. David is sitting on stag with his possessions packed up, ready to run away from the show. He is writing a letter, and it begins: "Dear Mr. Show with Bob" (he pauses) "and Danny." Bob interrupts him to ask why he is running away from the show. David explains that it is the television ratings that are causing him to run away. Bob and David are interrupted by Lucien, the Ratings Child. Lucien is a bald baby with a strange effeminate voice. He explains that he is in charge of the TV ratings. Lucien teleports Bob and David to his space pod. He serves them "Angel's Cloud", which causes them to shrink. Lucien's parents enter, and his father begins spanking him for watching adult television. He worries what will happen to television without him rating it.
Cast: David Cross - himself, Bob Odenkirk - himself, Jake Sakson - Lucien, Bill Odenkirk - Lucien's voice, John Ennis - Lucien's father, Brett Paesel - Lucien's mother
[edit] Debate
A TV set is playing a children's show in which a topless woman is reading stories to children. The show is being shown to an audience at a debate between Senatorial candidates. They are discussing television content. Senator Hensley is addressing the audience on the topic, and he acknowledges two people from his home district who are working towards censoring television content and are in the audience. The next candidate, Whiteside, gives his speech and acknowledges two people from his district who are blind. The next candidate, Fitzpatrick, mentions that he was unaware that he could bring guests. He quickly singles out a fat guy from the audience and begins insulting him. The debate transcends into each of the candidates telling cheap jokes at the expense of the fat guy. Fitzpatrick seems to win the debate;and later, the election. At his victory speech, he thanks his family and the fat guy. Victory music begins to play.
Cast: Lana Kinnear - topless woman, Jerry Minor - Senator Hensley, Paul F. Tompkins - Whiteside, Bob Odenkirk - Fitzpatrick, John Ennis - moderator, David Cross - fat guy, Bill Odenkirk - Fitzpatrick supporter
[edit] Music Offer
The victory music from the previous sketch becomes a commmercial for a music offer. The song playing is "John Baptiste Philouza's March No. 34". The host of the commercial, Jerry, mentions that the songs that he is listing are not available through any television offer. He wants the audience to provide him with these songs in one collection.
Cast: Bob Odenkirk - Jerry, Eban Schletter - pianist
[edit] Inside the Actor
The commercial is followed by a program called Inside the Actor, a parody of Inside the Actor's Studio. The show's host is Cyrus Castilla Tetley, the author of Actors, Acting, Actists. Cyrus's guest is actor Ryan Dorn. Dorn started his career, doing commercial's for zit creme. Cyrus begins washing Ryan's feet and lets him answer questions from the audience. Next, Cyrus picks two students to be shrunk with him and inserted into Dorn's bloodstream.
Cast: Bob Odenkirk - voice over, David Cross - Cyrus Castilla Tetley, Jay Johnston - Ryan Dorn, BJ Porter - student, Becky Thyre - student
[edit] Lost Inside the Actor
Cyrus and his two students are in a raft, going through Ryan Dorn's bloodstream while a cheesy theme song plays. This is a parody of Land of the Lost, a 1970s Saturday morning television series. They are lost inside of Dorn, trying to start a fire so that he will sneeze and they will be able to leave his body. Accompanying them, inside of Dorn's body are stuntman Evil Knievel and Blinky the robot. Blinky brings them materials to start a fire; and the two students are sneezed out of Dorn's body, leaving everyone else behind.
Cast: David Cross - Cyrus Castilla Tetley, BJ Porter - student, Becky Thyre - student, Jay Johnston - Ryan Dorn
[edit] Earth Shoes
Reporter Brink Flanks grabs the soil around the two students and lifts it up, not realizing that they are in his hand. Flanks is doing a special report on the Earth. Dr. Todd Bruman explains to Flanks his theory. His theory is that when people walk, it compacts the Earth and can be very harmful to the planet. He explains that he has developed a new method of walking, and angrily tries to show Flanks how to walk this way. Next, Flanks talks to another doctor, Dr. Austin Parlmer, who is convinced that Bruman is a moron. Flanks concludes that Bruman is mean because he was so rude when trying to teach Flanks how to walk properly.
Cast: David Cross - Brink Flanks, Bob Odenkirk - Dr. Todd Bruman, John Ennis - Dr. Austin Parlmer
[edit] Dying Planet Link
"Earth Shoes" is part three of a five-part series called Our Dying Planet. It is being sponsored by the Riffingtons, a group of energy and oil companies sponsoring Earth's final days. The hit Three Times One Minus One video, "Goodbye 2 Every 1 Ever" plays, and it is an homage to everyone that has ever died.
Cast: Tom Kenny - voice over, David Cross - Pootie T., Bob Odenkirk - Wolfgang Amadeus Thelonius Van Funkenmeister The 19th and 3 Quarters
[edit] Teardrop Awards
The music video is being shown at the "24th Annual Song Awards." Ryan Dorn and a female actor are MCs at the event. They introduce other nominees for the Teardrop Awards for the saddest song. The other nominees are Willips Brighton (a parody of Beach Boys singer Brian Wilson) for his song "Mouthful of Sores" and Horace Loeb (a parody of Eric Clapton) for his song "Heaven Better Save Some Tears". Horace Loeb wins and in his excited acceptance speech, he accidentally sends his award into the chest of Willips Brighton's son. Willips Brighton writes a song called "Ain't No Fun", which is nominated for a Teardrop Award at the "25th Annual Song Awards." The next nominee is Horace Loeb's "There's No More Room in Heaven", also about the death of Willips Brighton's son. The result is a tie, and both Brighton and Loeb win the award. During their acceptance speech, Brighton stabs Loeb to death with his Teardrop Award. A reporter covering Loeb's death introduces a video that Loeb had made to be played in the case of his death. The song is a tribute to his memory, like his previous two songs.
Cast: Jay Johnston - Ryan Dorn, Jill Talley - Female MC #1, David Cross - Pootie T., Bob Odenkirk - Wolfgang Amadeus Thelonius Van Funkenmeister The 19th and 3 Quarters, Bob Odenkirk - Willips Brighton, Jerry Messing - Willips Brighton's son, David Cross - Horace Loeb, John Ennis - Lewis Dunwitz, Jay Johnston - paramedic, Bill Odenkirk - paramedic, Scott Aukerman - Male MC, Becky Thyre - Female MC #2
[edit] Shrunken Mr. Show Close
Bob and David thank the audience for watching, they are still shrunken from the opening; and they are inside of a shoebox that Lucien, the Ratings Child has brought for Show-and-Tell. The teacher congratulates him on a job well done, and the other students in the class all comment on the situation (with adults overdubbing their voices).
Cast: Bob Odenkirk - himself, David Cross - himself, Karen Kilgariff - teacher, Jake Sakson, Lucien, Lauren Schaffel - alien student, Logan O'Brien - alien student
[edit] Trivia
- Title: The line "Sad songs are nature's onions" was spoken by Jill Talley's character, the female MC at the "24th Annual Song Awards."
- Fake Special Thanks: The Gravel Pit
- DVD Commentary: Bob Odenkirk, David Cross (as himself and as Livingston Taylor Wainwright the 13th 30th, an effeminate folk singer who brings his guitar and plays songs and whom Bob insists is gay), John Ennis, Bill Odenkirk, Scott Aukerman, Jay Johnston, Brian Posehn, Paul F. Tompkins, B.J. Porter, Jerry Minor
[edit] Credits
[edit] Cast
Here is a list of the credited cast for the episode:
- Cast: David Cross, John Ennis, Bob Odenkirk, Jill Talley
- Featuring: Jake Sakson, Cullen Arroyo, Scott Aukerman, Justin Lee Cooper, Isaiah Griffin, Ashley Hughes, Jay Johnston, Karen Kilgariff, Lana Kinnear, Jerry Messing, Jerry Minor, Logan O'Brien, Brett Paesel, BJ Porter, Lauren Schaffel, Eban Schletter, Becky Thyre, Paul F. Tompkins (as Paul F. Thompkins), Brandon Wengler, Jewelia Zaferes
- Uncredited cast: Tom Kenny
[edit] Crew
- Executive producers: Brad Grey, Bernie Brillstein, Bob Odenkirk, David Cross, Troy Miller
- Co-executive producers: Tim Sarkes, Dino Stamatopoulos
- Producers: Jay Johnston, Bill Odenkirk
- Produced by: Tom Sherren
- Coordinating producers: John Saade, Peter Giambalvo
