"De-Zanitized" is the first segment of Animaniacs episode 1.
Plot[]
Dr. Scratchansniff explains how he first attempted to make the Warners sane after they escaped from the water tower, and how he lost his hair in the process. After his first encounter with the kids, the good doc is ordered by the CEO, Thaddeus Plotz, to keep the zany kids under control. After one unsuccessful try with the siblings together, he decides to talk with them separately, with no success either.
Characters[]
- Dr. Scratchansniff (debut)
- Yakko Warner
- Wakko Warner
- Dot Warner
- Thaddeus Plotz
- Hello Nurse
- Ralph T. Guard
- Porky Pig
- Bugs Bunny (background picture)
- Daffy Duck (background picture)
Trivia[]
- The "biggest star in the world" is once again Humphrey Bogart, accompanied by a Richard Stone twist on "As Time Goes By," the love theme from Casablanca. (Ralph's presence in the Bogie era again implies that either the studio employed a Ralph lookalike years earlier or that Ralph is ageless).
- In a reference to Ronald Reagan's former occupation as an actor, Dr. Scratchansniff decides "Mr. Reagan"'s delusions of grandeur are incurable upon hearing Reagan's dreams of being president.
- Photos on Dr. Scratchansniff's wall show: Edward G. Robinson, Rex Harrison (as Caesar in 1963's Cleopatra), Bette Davis, a cowboy, Peter Lorre (again with the Maltese Falcon), the Invisible Man (presumably Claude Rains from the 1933 Warner Bros. version), Clint Eastwood (also mentioned as a current patient of Scratchansniff's), Jack Nicholson (with Scratschansniff handing him a piece of toast, referencing the scene in 1970's Five Easy Pieces in which Nicholson fights with a waitress who won't give him a side of toast because the restaurant does not do substitutions), (an inexplicably blond) Cher, and Michael Keaton as Batman (from Tim Burton's 1989 and 1992 films).
- The boardroom scene with Dr. Scratchansniff is a parody of the 1974 film Network (one of writer Paul Rugg's favorite films[1]).
- Bugs and Daffy briefly cameo as portraits in Plotz's office.
- Plotz is never referred to by name in this episode. Scratchansniff and his office door merely call him the "Chairman of the Board," while the end credits list him as "C.E.O."
- Plotz says that the studio has not endured so much chaos since they made Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead. This Christina Applegate-starrer was notorious for being a box office flop.
- The clip of Yakko guessing who Dr. Scratchansniff is as well as Scratchy saying, "No, you stupid kid, you don't understand!" from this cartoon is used in the opening of Rob Paulsen's podcast "Talking Toons".
- Despite that the Warners siblings are Cartoonus characterus, do have some dog-like characters, like when Hello Nurse enters Dr. Scratchansniff's office, the WB Boys Wakko and Yakko pant like a dog and briefly take on a wolf-like appearance.
- Wakko "farts" for the first time as he's pretending to be a balloon.
- Row Row Row Your Boat is the background music for one of the thoughts of Hello Nurse and Scratchy.
Quotes[]
- Dot: Did ya miss us? Dr. Scratchansniff: I hardly even know you. Yakko and Wakko: We're the Warner Brothers! Dot: And the Warner Sister!
- Dr. Scratchansniff: Nurse! Nurse! Hello Nurse: Yes, Dr. Scratchansniff? Dr. Scratchansniff: Get these kids out of here! Yakko and Wakko: HELLOOOOOOOO, NURSE!
- Dr. Scratchansniff: What do you want? Yakko: We asked you first! Dr. Scratchansniff: Well, I want—hey, no, you didn't! Dot: Well, we meant to.
- Dr. Scratchansniff: Do you know who I am? Yakko: Dr. Otto Scratchansniff, world famous psychoanalyst to the stars? Dr. Scratchansniff: Correct! Yakko: I won! I won! What did I win? Dr. Scratchansniff: Nothing. Yakko: Say, what kinda game show is this? Dr. Scratchansniff: This isn't a game show. Yakko: Well, I'll say it isn't. Nobody wins anything. You'll be lucky to be on the air for one week.
- Dr. Scratchansniff: Ah... I know vhat you kids vant, ja! You want to talk to Mr. Puppethead! "Hello kids, I'm Mr. Puppethead! Tell me why you always make the jokes. [The Warners just look at the puppet awkwardly] Why aren't you talking with Mr. Puppethead? No no, it iz very easy; watch me, watch me. Hello, Mr. Puppethead, how are you? "I am fine, Dr. Scratchansniff. How are you?" I am fine, Mr. Puppethead. Did you have a yummy breakfast? "Oh yes, yes! Very yummy, thank you. How was your breakfast?" My breakfast was yummy as vell. Now you see? Isn't that easy? Yakko: Uhmm... are you sure you don't want to see a p-sychiatrist? Dr. Scratchansniff: I am a p-sychi-- I mean psychiatrist! [tearing at his hair with the puppet] I AM! I AM! I AM! I AM! Yakko: Mr. Puppethead's hungry.
- Dr. Scratchansniff: Dot... may I call you "Dot"? Dot: Yeah. But call me "Dottie" and ya die. Dr. Scratchansniff: "Dot" is it. I'm going to show you some pictures and I want you to tell me what they look like. [shows Dot an inkblot] What do you say to this? Dot: I'd say you're not a very good artist. Dr. Scratchansniff: I didn't draw that. Dot: Well, whoever did needs to go back to school. Dr. Scratchansniff: No, it's an inkblot. Dot: I'll say. Dr. Scratchansniff: No, no, no. It's not supposed to look like anything! Dot: Then you did a very good job. Dr. Scratchansniff: [annoyed] I didn't draw it! [calms down] Doesn't it looks like a little kitty cat or a butterfly or something? Dot: No. [takes off the inkblot and changes it into a butterfly] That's a butterfly.
- Dr. Scratchansniff: Now then, Wakko, let's you and I talk, hmm? Wakko: Okay. Dr. Scratchansniff: Good. What's on your mind? Wakko: My hat. Dr. Scratchansniff: No, no, no. Your hat is on your head. What is on your mind? Wakko: My... skin? Dr. Scratchansniff: No, that's on your head. What's on your mind? Wakko: Oh, I got it! My hair! Dr. Scratchansniff: Your hair is on your head! [tears off some of his hair] This is hair! This is hair! It is not on my mind! It is on my head! Wakko: No, it's in your hand.
- Dr. Scratchansniff: Now then, Yakko, let us do a little word association, hmm? I'll say a word, and you say any word that you think of; any word that comes to mind. Yakko: Brain. Dr. Scratchansniff: No, no. We haven't started. Yakko: Begun. Dr. Scratchansniff: No, wait. Yakko: Yield. Dr. Scratchansniff: No, stop! Yakko: Cease. Dr. Scratchansniff: SILENCE! Yakko: Quiet. Dr. Scratchansniff: ENOUGH!! Yakko: Plenty. Dr. Scratchansniff: Would - You - Please - Listen? Yakko: Hear. Dr. Scratchansniff: NO, YOU STUPID KID! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! Yakko: Comprehend. Dr. Scratchansniff: [screams in frustration and carries Yakko to the door] Get out, get out, get OUT! Yakko: Leave, leave, leave. Dr. Scratchansniff: [kicks him out and slams the door, huffing and puffing] THOSE KIDS IS DRIVING ME CRAZY!!! Yakko: [pops his head through the door] Insane. Unhinged. Demented.
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