| Revision as of 00:19, 23 February 2010 editLots42 (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users27,207 edits this kind of info is suitable for a fan page. If it's -here- it needs cites. Did the creators say they intended this?← Previous edit | Revision as of 16:10, 23 February 2010 edit undoMarkAldred45 (talk | contribs)26 edits Honestly, quit being anal.Next edit → | ||
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| * ] and ] have a verbatim conversation from the film ]. ] reprises his own famous conversation from the beginning of the movie when Riley repeatedly says, "What?" in response to Rummy's questions. In Pulp Fiction, nearly the exact same conversation takes place when Jules (Jackson's character) asks a man to describe his boss, another reference is when Rummy comments how he would like a tasty beverege like in the beginning of Pulp Fiction. | * ] and ] have a verbatim conversation from the film ]. ] reprises his own famous conversation from the beginning of the movie when Riley repeatedly says, "What?" in response to Rummy's questions. In Pulp Fiction, nearly the exact same conversation takes place when Jules (Jackson's character) asks a man to describe his boss, another reference is when Rummy comments how he would like a tasty beverege like in the beginning of Pulp Fiction. | ||
| * In the first flashback ] can be seen connected to Tom's ], and an ] toy can be seen in the background | * In the first flashback ] can be seen connected to Tom's ], and an ] toy can be seen in the background | ||
| ==Metaphors for the Iraq War== | |||
| * The expedition to search for the Xbox Killer, who is the real threat to public safety, is likened to the hunt for ]. However, this quest is sidetracked by a completely unrelated detour to the Iraqi store, for no coherent purpose. This is analogous to a viewpoint that the war in Iraq is a diversion from the manhunt for bin Laden. In the car, Huey angrily affirms that they are literally "down the street from the killer," similar to how Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq are geographically close. This is further supported by Huey's admonishment of Rummy during the robbery: "Need I remind you, this has nothing to do with our original plan!" | |||
| ]] | |||
| *The fact that Wuncler and Rummy are "robbing" the store is parallel to the sentiments of many people that the United States is attempting to "rob" Iraq of oil. Additionally, the duo can be seen taking cases of liquor labeled "Black Gold". | |||
| * Huey's retort that he attained information simply by talking to people references the argument from some Iraq War strategy critics that the U.S. was using unnecessary force in dealing with Iraq, thereby causing needless harm and expenditures. Gin Rummy also affirms, "I don't do diplomacy." | |||
| * Initially, the gas station clerk, who bears physical resemblance to Saddam Hussein, refers to Ed Wuncler III (]) and Gin Rummy (]) as "close friends and allies". The United States supported Iraq during the ] (1980-1988). | |||
| * The clerk says to Ed Wuncler III, "Your father helped me build this store." ], ] father, was Vice-President under ] when the United States was supporting Iraq. This is hinted at earlier in the episode when the overhang over the gas pumps bear an insignia with the letter "W", possibly short for "Wuncler." | |||
| * Ed Wuncler III and Gin Rummy claim that the clerk has a weapon when it's obvious he doesn't. The presumption that ] had "]" was the pretext for the ]. No weapons of mass destruction were ever found. | |||
| * The police officer could be considered symbolic of the American people. The police officer doesn't believe the clerk is a threat initially, saying, "I don't see a weapon!" However, Ed Wuncler III angrily questions his loyalty and goes so far as to point a gun at him, shouting, "Whose side you on?" This line perhaps parallels ]'s statement, "Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists." Sure enough, the policeman back pedals, saying, "Whose side you on? Mine?, or this motherfucker whose obviously of terrorist descent?" The officer, Frank, represents the American people, who, though initially skeptical, allowed themselves to be swayed by the claims of the President and worries about security. | |||
| * During the robbery, Gin Rummy tells the police officer that he won't "die in vain." In a 2004 prime time press conference, ] said, "And one of the things that's very important, Judy, as far as I'm concerned, is to never allow our youngsters to die in vain. And I made that pledge to their parents. Withdrawing from the battlefield of Iraq would be just that." | |||
| * At one point, the clerk says, "You're thinking about the Korean shop north of here!" He is referring to ]. Another popular criticism of the ] is that Iraq did not have nuclear capabilities, while ] in ] did. | |||
| * During the robbery, Gin Rummy incredulously says, "I didn't think they'd actually shoot back at us!" In 2003, ] predicted that the Iraqis would welcome the Americans as liberators. | |||
| * Ed Wuncler's quote, "Bring it on, bitch!" is directly paraphrasing a ] quote, made in the summer of 2003 in reference to Iraqi attacks on American soldiers. Bush said, "There are some who feel like that the conditions are such that they can attack us there. My answer is bring them on." | |||
| * Gin Rummy's comment, "The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence," is a direct quote from ], referring to Iraq's purported ]. Rummy's quote, "That was an unknown unknown," is also a reference to a quote from ]: "Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also ] — the ones we don't know we don't know." | |||
| *Gin Rummy remarks that "Robbery etiquette says you can't criticize the robbery during the actually robbery, you have to wait until the robbery is over!", which is a reference to Rumsefeld's assertions that the US would appear weak if the citizens were to criticize the war strategy while still in Iraq. | |||
| {{Episode navigation|parent=]|prev=]|next=]}} | {{Episode navigation|parent=]|prev=]|next=]}} | ||
Revision as of 16:10, 23 February 2010
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Template:Infobox Boondocks Episode
"A Date with the Health Inspector" is the fifth episode of the Adult Swim animated television series The Boondocks. It originally aired on December 5, 2005.
Plot
Tom DuBois has a recurring nightmare about being sexually molested in prison.
Huey reveals that Tom had lived his entire life with extreme caution due to his fear of being sent to prison and being anally raped. Flashbacks show Tom refusing to help his friend steal merchandise at a department store, declining to smoke marijuana in high school, deleting illegally downloaded MP3 files from his wife's computer, and driving the speed limit.
Arrested for fitting the description of the "Xbox Killer," Tom uses his prison phone call to get in touch with Huey. Riley answers, however, and bursts into laughter at the thought of the excessively scrupulous Tom DuBois being arrested. He advises him not to drop the soap and hangs up. Fortunately, Tom is able to call back and speak to Huey, explaining his situation and begging him to find the real killer before 9:00 that evening, because at nine, Tom is to be transported from holding to "real jail" for the weekend and the earliest he could be released would be Monday.
Huey decides to enlist the help of Ed Wuncler III, who eagerly agrees to help. They also ally with Ed's friend, Gin Rummy, a fellow Iraq War soldier and psychopath. Huey, Riley, Ed, and Rummy go to the street where the murder occurred. While Ed and Rummy's psychotic behavior gains them nothing, the boys gain MapQuest directions to the murderer's residence and a sketch drawing based on the witness' descriptions.
The four drive away, but Ed and Rummy decide to take a brief detour to a gas station for a drink. Ed and Rummy hand Riley two cases of beer to take out to the car, prompting the Arab clerk (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) behind the counter to gently insist that they pay for it first. At this point, Ed and Rummy draw their guns and claim that the clerk has a weapon. A police officer (voiced by James Arnold Taylor), who had been perusing a magazine, anxiously draws his gun and tries to get a handle on the situation. Ed and Rummy insist to the officer that the clerk has a weapon and the clerk continues to assert that he's not holding one. The cop starts to shake uneasily, unsure of whom to believe. Huey pleads with the officer, firmly contending that the clerk doesn't have a gun, but Rummy shouts him down. Ed then coerces the police officer into aiding him by pointing one of his guns at the officer and asking, "Who's side you on?" Rummy then gives the petrified clerk to the count of three to hand over his weapon, but the chance is blown and Rummy opens fire.
The sound of gunfire gets the attention of the clerk's co-workers, who come out from the back room and start firing their own guns thinking their store is being robbed and their co-worker is in danger of being murdered. Rummy and Ed take cover and Huey reprimands Rummy for deviating from the original plan of finding the Xbox Killer. The cop is wounded by Ed and Rummy's trigger happy gunfire, and the clerk's co-workers toss him a gun to defend himself with. Eventually the smoke clears, and the clerk and his co-workers are taken away in handcuffs while Ed and Rummy are hailed as terrorism-fighting heroes by the gathered crowd.
Meanwhile, time runs out for Tom, who is led outside from his cell only to discover that he is being released. Apparently, the Xbox Killer struck again and was arrested, thereby vindicating Tom. Had Ed and Rummy not detoured from their original course and nearly caused fatal havoc in their attempt to rob the store, they could have stopped the second killing. The next day's newspaper headline read "War Heroes Thwart Terror Cell," referring to Ed and Rummy's robbery of the convenience store. Also reported is the capture of the real Xbox killer and Tom's reunion with his daughter. Tom intends to sue the police for the wrongful arrest.
Cultural references
| This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2008) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
- When Wuncler and Rummy enter the store, he tells him "I gotcha back, you watch my front." This is a line taken from the song "Shook Ones, Pt. 2" by Mobb Deep, in which it is used ad-lib by Prodigy.
- When Wuncler, Riley, and Huey go to Rummy's house to enlist his help, Rummy is cooking breakfast. When Rummy asks the other three whether they want something to eat, Wuncler states "let me get some links with them grits, Shi' I'm 's hungry as a motherfucker!" This is a reference to a conversation between A-Wax (played by MC Eiht) and Chauncy (played by Clifton Powell) in Menace II Society.
- Ed Wuncler III says, "Freddy ain't dead", which references the Curtis Mayfield song "Freddie's Dead". This song is heard in a previous Boondocks episode, "Guess Hoe's Coming to Dinner" at the appearance of "A Pimp Named Slickback."
- Gin Rummy and Riley have a verbatim conversation from the film Pulp Fiction. Samuel L. Jackson reprises his own famous conversation from the beginning of the movie when Riley repeatedly says, "What?" in response to Rummy's questions. In Pulp Fiction, nearly the exact same conversation takes place when Jules (Jackson's character) asks a man to describe his boss, another reference is when Rummy comments how he would like a tasty beverege like in the beginning of Pulp Fiction.
- In the first flashback ColecoVision can be seen connected to Tom's television, and an Optimus Prime toy can be seen in the background
Metaphors for the Iraq War
- The expedition to search for the Xbox Killer, who is the real threat to public safety, is likened to the hunt for Osama bin Laden. However, this quest is sidetracked by a completely unrelated detour to the Iraqi store, for no coherent purpose. This is analogous to a viewpoint that the war in Iraq is a diversion from the manhunt for bin Laden. In the car, Huey angrily affirms that they are literally "down the street from the killer," similar to how Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq are geographically close. This is further supported by Huey's admonishment of Rummy during the robbery: "Need I remind you, this has nothing to do with our original plan!"
- The fact that Wuncler and Rummy are "robbing" the store is parallel to the sentiments of many people that the United States is attempting to "rob" Iraq of oil. Additionally, the duo can be seen taking cases of liquor labeled "Black Gold".
- Huey's retort that he attained information simply by talking to people references the argument from some Iraq War strategy critics that the U.S. was using unnecessary force in dealing with Iraq, thereby causing needless harm and expenditures. Gin Rummy also affirms, "I don't do diplomacy."
- Initially, the gas station clerk, who bears physical resemblance to Saddam Hussein, refers to Ed Wuncler III (George W. Bush) and Gin Rummy (Donald Rumsfeld) as "close friends and allies". The United States supported Iraq during the Iran–Iraq War (1980-1988).
- The clerk says to Ed Wuncler III, "Your father helped me build this store." George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush's father, was Vice-President under Ronald Reagan when the United States was supporting Iraq. This is hinted at earlier in the episode when the overhang over the gas pumps bear an insignia with the letter "W", possibly short for "Wuncler."
- Ed Wuncler III and Gin Rummy claim that the clerk has a weapon when it's obvious he doesn't. The presumption that Saddam Hussein had "weapons of mass destruction" was the pretext for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. No weapons of mass destruction were ever found.
- The police officer could be considered symbolic of the American people. The police officer doesn't believe the clerk is a threat initially, saying, "I don't see a weapon!" However, Ed Wuncler III angrily questions his loyalty and goes so far as to point a gun at him, shouting, "Whose side you on?" This line perhaps parallels George W. Bush's statement, "Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists." Sure enough, the policeman back pedals, saying, "Whose side you on? Mine?, or this motherfucker whose obviously of terrorist descent?" The officer, Frank, represents the American people, who, though initially skeptical, allowed themselves to be swayed by the claims of the President and worries about security.
- During the robbery, Gin Rummy tells the police officer that he won't "die in vain." In a 2004 prime time press conference, George W. Bush said, "And one of the things that's very important, Judy, as far as I'm concerned, is to never allow our youngsters to die in vain. And I made that pledge to their parents. Withdrawing from the battlefield of Iraq would be just that."
- At one point, the clerk says, "You're thinking about the Korean shop north of here!" He is referring to North Korea. Another popular criticism of the Iraq War is that Iraq did not have nuclear capabilities, while Kim Jong Il in North Korea did.
- During the robbery, Gin Rummy incredulously says, "I didn't think they'd actually shoot back at us!" In 2003, Donald Rumsfeld predicted that the Iraqis would welcome the Americans as liberators.
- Ed Wuncler's quote, "Bring it on, bitch!" is directly paraphrasing a George W. Bush quote, made in the summer of 2003 in reference to Iraqi attacks on American soldiers. Bush said, "There are some who feel like that the conditions are such that they can attack us there. My answer is bring them on."
- Gin Rummy's comment, "The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence," is a direct quote from Donald Rumsfeld, referring to Iraq's purported weapons of mass destruction. Rummy's quote, "That was an unknown unknown," is also a reference to a quote from Donald Rumsfeld: "Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns — the ones we don't know we don't know."
- Gin Rummy remarks that "Robbery etiquette says you can't criticize the robbery during the actually robbery, you have to wait until the robbery is over!", which is a reference to Rumsefeld's assertions that the US would appear weak if the citizens were to criticize the war strategy while still in Iraq.