Rocko's Modern Life

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Rocko's Modern Life
Image:Rocko group.jpg
Genre Animated series
Running time 22 minutes (11 per episode) (approx.)
Creator(s) Joe Murray
Producer(s) Joe Murray
Executive producer(s) Joe Murray
Starring Carlos Alazraqui
Tom Kenny
Doug Lawrence
Charles Adler
Linda Wallem
Opening theme "Rocko's Modern Life" by Pat Irwin[1]
Country of origin United States
Language(s) English
Original channel Nickelodeon
Original run September 18, 1993November 24, 1996
No. of episodes 52
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Rocko's Modern Life was an American animated television series whose four seasons aired from 1993 to 1996. The show was based around the surreal, parodistic adventures of an anthropomorphic wallaby named Rocko, and his life in the city of O-Town. The series was created by Joe Murray. One of Nickelodeon's Nicktoons, it was the fourth series released in the Nicktoons group, and the first to be introduced since the original three were introduced in August 1991. The program was produced by Joe Murray Animation, and occasionally by Games Productions.

The show was renowned by many as one of Nickelodeon's freshest, most offbeat offerings, as well as being laden with suggestive double entendres, innuendo, and social commentary. For this reason, it has become a prominent cult classic. It is also credited for being the precursor to SpongeBob SquarePants, which was created by director Stephen Hillenburg. The show has been credited as being the second Nicktoon to be popular among adults (the first being Ren & Stimpy).

Contents

[edit] Characters

[edit] Major characters

Rocko James Wallabee with dog, Spunky.
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Rocko James Wallabee with dog, Spunky.

Rocko (voiced by Carlos Alazraqui) is a wallaby who emigrated from Australia to the United States. He is a sensible, moral, and somewhat timid character who enjoys the simple pleasures in life, such as doing his laundry or feeding his dog, Spunky. He is neat, compassionate, and self-conscious.

Rocko usually works at "Kind of a Lot o' Comics" (but once worked at Conglom-O where Ed Bighead attempted to make him quit) and his hobbies include recreational jackhammering and pining for the love of his life, Melba Toast. Due to Rocko's benevolence and non-confrontational personality, he is often taken advantage of by the other characters. Rocko would prefer to live a quiet life, but his reckless friends often throw him into turbulent situations.

His most common catchphrase is "______-Day is a very dangerous day," even once saying "Open Mike night is a very dangerous night." He is often mistaken for a kangaroo, and occasionally a beaver or weasel. In one episode, a French toad, an Australian kangaroo, and even Spunky claim Rocko is a rabbit.

Heffer Wolfe (voiced by Tom Kenny) is Rocko's best friend, a happy-go-lucky and not-too-bright steer whom he met in high school. Heffer loves to eat and party. His favorite food is "Pasture Puffies." Though he is normally portrayed as being jobless, he has worked in a number of professions including a waiter at a coffee shop, a salesman at a tree farm, a greens keeper at a golf course, a mail carrier, a cashier at a Chokey Chicken restaurant, and a security guard at Conglom-O-Corp, which caused him to go insane in a reference to The Shining. Strangely, as his last name suggests, he was raised by a family of wolves who decided not to eat him as a child; his "birthmark" is actually their plotting lines of how to best divide him up into choice dishes. He is often called a "Big fat cow", a term he objects to by saying "steer." (Ironically, steers are castrated when young, but either Heffer or the writers are ignorant of this detail).

His catchphrase, which can be heard in the series' opening credits, is "That was a hoot!"

Filburt (voiced by Doug "Mr." Lawrence) is Rocko's other best friend, a neurotic turtle wearing Woody Allen-style glasses. He started out as a background character and became a main character in the second season.

He lives in a trailer and earns his money by collecting cans "here and there", and has a penchant for "sauce". Filburt has an extremely weak stomach and even the slightest wrong movements can give him nausea. He tried to be a dentist but failed in his last exam when he turned one of Rocko's teeth into a "Giant Mutant Tooth," The Tooth's rampage and defeat all spoofed the 1930's classic King Kong. He turned 21 in the second season. At one point, he also had an Elvis Presley style singing voice that he nearly became a star with.

He eventually started a family with Doctor Hutchison, a bubbly cat with a hook for a hand. One of their children turned out to bear a strong resemblance to Heffer, thanks to his having sat on their egg during the incubation period.

Among Filburt's catchphrases are "Oh fish sticks!", "I'm nauseous... I'm nauseous..", and "Turn the page, wash your hands. And then you turn the page, and then you wash your hands."

Spunky (voiced by Carlos Alazraqui) is Rocko's dog, and resembles a jack russell terrier. He willingly eats almost anything he sees (this has repeatedly gotten him and Rocko in trouble).

Ed Bighead (voiced by Charles Adler) is a grumpy old toad who is Rocko's neighbor. He is aggressive towards Rocko and most people. Ed works at the large corporation Conglom-O. His position with the company is usually in middle management, but it can be anything from assembly-line worker to an executive role, depending on the needs of the episode: according to his nameplate at Conglom-O, his job title is "Toad". Ed seems to have very bad luck wherever he goes and thus is very cynical. His catchphrase is "I hate my life."

Bev Bighead (voiced by Charles Adler): Ed's wife, a boisterous redhead who enjoys flirting with other men and speaks with a very gravelly voice similar to Harvey Fierstein. Unlike her husband, she actually enjoys the company of Rocko, Heffer and Filburt. Her favorite bedroom pastime with Ed is to make him crack plates in mid-air with his tongue like clay pigeons. In many ways her character is not unlike Mrs. Roeper of Three's Company. She also sleeps on sharp objects.

Doctor Paula Hutchison (voiced by Linda Wallem): A cat with a hook for a hand. Hutchison has managed an amazing variety of professions (she appears to have a different occupation each episode she's in, with doctor being the most common; other characters point this out every time as a running gag). She eventually married Filburt after a two-part episode, in which we learned that cats and turtles do not normally get along. Her catchphrase is her saying "'kay?" while turning her head at an odd angle. Her mother, the "Widow" Hutchinson, was married to a turtle, Paula's dad. Widow Hutchinson has a love/hate relationship with her husband and likes to believe he's dead, though he is not, by constantly dressing in mourning clothes. She has both hands replaced with hooks while her husband doesn't, which explains why Paula has only one hook.

[edit] Minor characters

The Wolfe Family: Heffer's adopted family, all of whom are blue-furred wolves. George is the temperamental father; Virginia the compassionate mother with a nervous facial tic and crazed driving skills; Hiram is the crochty nearsighted grandfather (on George's side of the family); Heffer's siblings are his laid-back brother Peter, known for his girly habits such as cheerleading and ballet and reactionary sister Cindy. Originally the family intended to fatten Heffer up and eat him, but Virginia's maternal instincts kicked in and she and George raised him as one of their own. Hiram, commonly referred to as simply Grandpa, hates wallabies but thinks Rocko is a beaver.

Gilbert, Shelbert, Norbert, and Missy: The four children of Filburt and Dr. Hutchinson, who all came from the same egg. Gilbert and Shelbert look exactly like Filburt while Missy is a miniature version of Hutchinson. Norbert, on the other hand, has Filburt's eyes but oddly resembles Heffer (most likely because Heffer had sat on the egg for a while before it hatched). He also believes that Rocko is his mother and constantly follows him around. For most of the series, the four are featured only as babies; however, they do appear once as teenagers in the episode "Future Schlock."

Ralph Bighead (voiced by Joe Murray): The son of Ed and Bev Bighead, Ralph fell out of favor with his father when he turned down a position at Conglom-O to pursue a career as a cartoonist. Ralph is the creator of The Fatheads, a cartoon-within-a-cartoon frequently watched by Rocko and friends. Ralph and Ed have since resolved their differences, thanks to Rocko's intervention. Mr. Lawrence and Martin Olson convinced Joe Murray to voice "Ralph Bighead," through which Murray satirized himself. [citation needed]

The FatHeads Two cartoon characters, created by Ralph Bighead, who are loosely based on his parents. They frequently hit them selves in the head with parking meters, and are frequently watched by Rocko, Heffer, and Flilbert.

Earl: A vicious scientific experimental dog who resembles a bulldog with punk rocker hair, Earl was originally just the local pest until Bev Bighead adopted him. He has since become the Bigheads' pet, much to Ed's horror.

Chuck and Leon aka The Chameleon Brothers (voiced by Tom Kenny and Carlos Alazraqui): Two chameleons who, like their species, adapt very well to many situations — usually to make a quick buck. They run a variety of businesses throughout the show. Both have pseudo-Swedish accents. They have resemblance to Dave and Pingpong from Camp Lazlo. They are perhaps the most frequent characters to take advantage of Rocko. People are mistaken by calling Chuck Chame but if you check the credits you will realize that his name is Chuck.

Really Really Big Man: an insectoid superhero who lives in O-Town. He is very big and depicted as a kind of Editorial cartoon. He is also Rocko's hero. Besides being, well, really, really big, his superpowers include magic chest hairs and nipples that allow people to see their future. His alter-ego is a female office worker named "Lois Lame" (a parody of Lois Lane), and in this guise Really Really Big Man briefly worked at Kind of a Lot 'o Comics.

Mr. Dupette (voiced by Charles Adler): Originally Rocko's employer at "Mega Lot-O Comics," Mr. Dupette is the chairman of Conglom-O. Mr. Dupette is a crocodile who picks his nose and even has a personal assistant to pick his nose for him sometimes. His official job title (on his office door) is "Slimy Boss". Despite his predilection for firing employees on a whim, Dupette is a softy at heart. He is pro-environment (thanks to Rocko) and secretly enjoys performing as a clown at birthday parties.

Mr. Smitty: Rocko's boss at Kind of a Lot o' Comics, a purple toad with obvious hair plugs who is always seen smoking a cigar and seems to either fire Rocko or make his job a living hell in almost every episode in which he appears. His tyrannical nature and short temper are apparently the result of "the green button" on his office chair. He is the only character in the series that Rocko openly dislikes.

Melba Toast: She's the "girl next door", and apparently very, very beautiful, even though the most the audience sees of her is either an arm or her legs. Rocko goes to pieces whenever he sees her. In one episode, she was shown to have a boyfriend, thereby ending any chances of Rocko having a relationship with her.

Bloaty the Tick and Squirmy the Ringworm: Two parasites who live on and in Spunky. Sometimes, entire episodes revolve around their Odd Couple-like relationship. The are also reminiscent of Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton.

Peaches: A pink-skinned entity clad in black robes, the ironically named Peaches is in charge of "Heck," a parody of Hell,(which he claims to appear infernal "for the tourists"). By taking off his hood, he reveals a head disturbingly resembling cow udders. Despite his menacing appearance given his authority, Peaches has an "average joe" tone and likes playing with a paddle ball. He has attempted to lure Heffer into "Heck" several times but has repeatedly failed to do so. Due to his failures, he was punished by being forced to star in his own cartoon show: Peaches' Modern Life. He is a parody of Satan.

The Hopping Hessian and Gordon The Talking Leg: The Hessian is a parody of the Headless Horseman, a one-legged ghost from the Revolutionary War who lurks beyond the old Foto-Hut. Gordon, on the other hand, is a talking leg who sounds like Johnny Carson and has a face on the foot who portrays his lost limb.

Flecko: a fly with a glass eye who lives near Rocko's house.

Gladys Hippo: Also known as "The Hippo Lady", she is a sunglasses-wearing, stretch pants sporting hippopotamus with whom Rocko, Ed, or one of the other main characters would often collide in a compromising situation. She would utter her catchphrase, a Katherine Hepburn-like "How dare you!" at this juncture.

Ferb: Many characters in the show are named Ferb. These include Ferb McGiggins the traffic copter pilot, Ferb at the Roll-a-Dome, and Ferb (who's real name is Frank) the friend of that country guy that never stopped talking.

Tammy the pig: She is just a randomly appearing country pig lady. She is on Mr. Bighead's bowling team.

Bunny: This is the very randomly appearing pink bunny. He's been in episodes such as The Big Answer, Down the Hatch, and Kiss Me, I'm Foreign where he did the "turn the page, wash your hands" thing that Filburt does.

Wild Pig: Randomly appearing wild boar-looking pig that appears early on in the show whenever someone speaks about something or someone's behavior resembling that of a "wild pig". "I'M A WILD PIG!"

[edit] Episodes

[edit] Places and Locations

Many of the locations in Rocko's modern life have the letter "O" for example O-Town and Conglom-O. When asked about the use of "O" in his show Murray said "I always got a big kick out of the businesses that were 'House-O-Paint', or 'Ton-O-Noodles', because their names seemed to homogenize what they sold, and strip the products of true individuality and stress volume ... and we all know, the American dream is volume!! So what better company to create volume than 'Conglom-O', and since a majority of the town worked at Conglom-O, it should be called 'O' Town. I also wanted the town to be 'anytown' USA, and I used to love sports players with a big ZERO on their back. It was funny to me."[2]

The following is a list of places in Rocko's Modern Life:

This film, television, or video-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
  • O-Town is the town in which Rocko lives.
  • Conglom-O Corporation is a the biggest company in town, it even runs City Hall. It is run by Mr. Dupette, who has very peculiar ways to see if the employees are fit to work there. It doesn't really have a specific purpose, it's just a giant company that does everything. Conglom-O's slogan is always shown beneath it's name. The slogan is "We own you," revealing in a later musical episode that they own everything in O-Town. Once the slogan inconspicuously and inexplicably said "We will own you."
  • Chokey Chicken/ Chewy Chicken
  • Holl-o-Wood is a town that resembles Hollywood.
  • SuperLot-O-Comics is a large comic book store.
  • Scratch & Sniff Cafe
  • Flambe le Flab is a health spa.
  • Chameleon Bros. Video is an artsy video shop run by the Chameleon Brothers.
  • Buff-Pooch is a heath spa and weight loss clinic for dogs.
  • The Lazy I Ranch is Uncle Gib Hootsen's ranch.
  • Heck is where "bad people" go when they die. Run by Peaches, it is where Heffer is doomed to eternal suffering. The TVs in Heck don't have remotes.

[edit] Innuendos and controversy

The program is well known for its frequent pop culture references and its subtle and sometimes controversial references to adult subject matter. As a result many episodes as they are reaired are cut down, and censored.

Rocko as a model in "Seat to Stardom." Rocko is wearing briefs in front of an audience.
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Rocko as a model in "Seat to Stardom." Rocko is wearing briefs in front of an audience.
  • Innuendo to sexual activity is prevalent in the episode "Clean Lovin'," in which Spunky falls in love with a mop. Most notable is when Rocko opens the garage door after hearing escalating squeaky sounds to see Spunky lying next to the mop in a post-coital pose, an unidentified liquid underneath the mop. Also, when spunky first sees the mop, various images are displayed (for example, fireworks going off), but the last two are a train plunging into a tunnel (implying intercourse) and a slice of bread being shot with a glob of mayonnaise (implying ejaculation).
  • In Leap Frogs, Bev Bighead tries to seduce Rocko. She is seen sneaking Spanish fly (a popular aphrodisiac) into his lemonade. He is then seen giving a stained shirt to Mrs. Bighead (presumably vomit). Mrs. Bighead then gives him a wad of cash, and just as he is about to leave with no shirt on and a hand full of money, Mr. Bighead comes in. Rocko then exclaims that it's "not what it looks like." This episode was removed from the replay schedule entirely, replaced with "Wallaby on Wheels" [1]It is, however, sometimes shown on Nicktoons TV.
  • In "Heff in a Hand basket", Heffer appears on the game show "Triple 6", attempting to win 666 points. The episode, ostensibly pulled due to its Satanic overtones, has been seen on Nicktoons TV reruns, and was shown on June 6, 2006 (6-6-06).
  • In "Canned", Rocko is fired from his job and has several temporary jobs that don't work well for him. In one of these jobs, ('Specialty Phone Operator') Rocko is seen talking on a phone, dryly saying, "Oh baby, oh baby, oh," until he realizes he is talking to Mrs. Bighead and they both hang up. Also, in the background there is a sign on the wall that says 'REMEMBER: Be Hot, Be Naughty, Be Courteous.'
  • In an early episode, Rocko goes on a dating spree. In one case he has a very aggressive blind date. She tries to pin him down and scream "Let's trade math equations, baby!"
  • The restaurant Chokey Chicken (which has a giant choking chicken as a mascot) is a reference to the term "choking the chicken," a slang term for masturbation (apparently the censors caught onto this eventually, as in later seasons it was renamed "Chewy Chicken").
  • In "Gutter Balls", Rocko and friends are playing a board game with paddles and a monkey with a bare backside in the middle, possibly referring to the euphemism for masturbation, "Spank the Monkey."
  • The Good, The Bad, and The Wallaby originally featured a scene in which Heffer is hooked up to automatic milking machine. It is implied that he orgasms. Later in the episode Heffer can be seen "breaking up" with the milking machine. Both scenes were cut in reruns.
  • In Skid Marks, an eye doctor cups Rocko's eyeballs and asks, "cough, please." In another episode, a mental patient posing as a doctor grabs Rocko rear and crotch and has him cough.
  • In the same episode where the "doctor" grabs Rocko's crotch and has him cough a voice can be heard over the PA system in the hospital saying "Doctor Leroy to Gynecology please."
  • In the same episode, the mental patient puts on a large yellow rubber glove, and the scene cuts to Rocko wobbling out of the examination room, leaving implications of digital-anal penetration. The door of the room says "Dr. Bendova," which could be a reference to anal sex.
  • In the episode, "Carnival Knowledge", a ride operator is reading a magazine called "Playslug", showing a big-breasted slug on the cover.
  • In an episode in which Rocko is looking for a means to make money, Heffer suggests that they start a club "like that Diarrhetics guy" alluding to L. Ron Hubbard's Dianetics.
  • In "Carnival Knowledge" the word "Hell" can be clearly seen on a sign that says "Elevator to Hell" even though in the later episodes like "Heff in a Hand basket," it would be referred to as "heck" and "you know what".
  • In the episode Pranksters, when the rocket that Heffer launched on himself goes inside the Earth, you can see a depiction of Hell.
  • In one episode, Rocko and Spunky go to a pet store in which there are "Doggy style" rides.
  • The name of the second segment of the first episode, "Who Give$ a Buck," is a euphemism for a common phrase which is often considered profane.
  • In one episode where Rocko's car is impounded, it is implied that he is sodomized by a large Mack truck. When he is released from the impound lot, the cop on duty says to Rocko that "the other cars call him 'Fancy Fenders'", as a term of endearment, a further reference to prison homosexuality.
  • In one episode, Rocko gets on a virtual canoing machine that automatically selects a difficulty setting called "Deliverance." As Rocko goes through the river, he passes under a bridge with a person playing a banjo saying, "We're gonna make you squeal, piggy!" before then pulling out a pig and tickling it with a feather, making it squeal. This is reference to the infamous rape scene from the 1972 film Deliverance.
  • A fairy tale episode of the series called "Yarn Benders" featured Rocko and Heffer being changed magically into different fairy tale characters, switching genders on several occasions. The episode ends with Rocko and Heffer (originally brother and sister) getting married, similar to the ending of a Ren and Stimpy short that was censored. The scene in Rocko's modern life was never censored, however.
  • In an episode where Rocko, Heffer, and Filburt believe they are lost in the woods, Rocko goes to pick some berries. Upon grabbing two right next to each other, a monkey shriek can be heard as Rocko looks blankly at the screen, obviously alluding to that he grabbed a pair of testes. This scene was later removed.
  • In the episode where Rocko and Heffer are going on a cross country motorcycle trip, they take a shortcut through Hell, and "Peaches" is seen hitchhiking with a sign that says "Purgatory or Bust".
  • In the first episode, Rocko's vacuum, the Suck-o-matic is shown with a button depicting an image of a dog beside a minus sign and two baseballs while Rocko says "Maybe we should try the neutering device later."
  • Later in that same episode, the Sucko is seen plowing through a peaceful meadow containing small female fairies. After the meadow is plowed, you can see that there was a weasel in the weeds in his underwear looking at them with binoculars.
  • In several episodes, Rocko somehow manages to get stuck in a large female hippo's bosoms. Usually accompanied by a loud yelling "HOW DAAAARE YOOOU!!!!"
  • The character Really Really Big Man's powers include his "manly chest hair of the past" and his "nipples of the future".
  • It is commonly hinted at that Rocko is gay. In one episode Rocko and Filburt are married. In another, Rocko says in front of Filburt, Heffer, Dr. Hutchison, and their kids that he's "always like rainbows". Sounds of monkeys shrieking, screams, and fog horns accompany all the other characters first looking shocked and then looking at Rocko angrily. "Rocko!" Heffer scolds, followed by Mr. Bighead saying "That's disgusting!" Rocko fails to remedy the situation by saying "Did I say rainbows? I meant dolls! No! Not dolls!"
  • In one episode, Filburt photographs "fashion models" in his trailer. The models are only shown below their knees, implying they were naked. As they leave, a rabbit can be seen leaving with them, a reference to Playboy Bunnies. Rocko comes in as they leave, and Heffer comes in a few seconds later with a blushed face and wide eyes saying that he "spilled his puffies".
  • In another episode, as Heffer walks away, Rocko asks "Is that a sausage in your pocket?", and you can clearly see a sausage hanging out of his back pocket, a reference to an erection.
  • In an episode at a diner, Heffer is seen sucking on two cylindrical ketchup bottles making a slurping sound, referring to oral sex and double oral sex.
  • An episode shows a soap opera on Rocko's television depicting a man and a woman kissing. You can clearly see their tongues pushing against one another's cheeks and moving around extremely quickly.
  • In the episode where Filburt and Dr. Paula become parents, after all of the kids coming out of Dr. Paula look like Filburt and Paula, the final one comes out looking like Heffer as Rocko looks at Heffer angrily with Heffer blushing implying that Heffer had sex with Dr. Paula. It should be noted, however, that the childern were hatched from an egg, and that in part of the episode Heffer had to sit on the egg to keep it warm, this is "supposedly" why one of them looks like Heffer.
  • Heffer's grandfather often confused Rocko (a wallaby) with being a beaver. During dinner, he would sometimes yell "Lets eat the beaver!" This is an obvious reference to performing oral sex on a woman.
  • In one episode, a man is seen trying to lift weights. His arms rip off and fall on the ground. Blood oozes out of them.
  • In one episode, Rocko is about to say the phrase "What the hell is going on?" Instead it comes out as "What the hello!"

[edit] In other media

[edit] Cast and crew

  • Crew
  • Cast
  • Carlos Alazraqui as Rocko/Spunky/Leon/Granny Rocko
  • Tom Kenny as Heffer Wolfe/Chuck/Mr. Smitty/Really Really Big Man/Peaches/Various males
  • Mr. Lawrence as Filburt/Peter Wolf
  • Linda Wallem as Dr. Hutchison/Mrs. Virginia Wolf/Grandma Wolf/Cindy Wolf/Tammy the Pig/Various females
  • Charlie Adler as Ed Bighead/Gladys/Mr. George Wolf/Grandpa Wolf/Bev Bighead/Mr. Dupette/Mr. and Mrs. Fathead/Various males
  • Joe Murray as Ralph Bighead
  • Kevin Meaney as Mother Hutchison (appeared in two episodes)
  • Nancy Cartwright as Filburt's mother


[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ "Pat Irwin" (English). Retrieved on 2006-10-02. “I love cartoons and have composed and performed the music for 'Rocko's Modern Life'”
  2. ^ http://www.title14.com/rocko/contributors/murray.html

[edit] External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
  Rocko's Modern Life
view  talk  edit
Major Characters: Rocko | Heffer Wolfe | Filburt | Spunky | Ed Bighead | Bev Bighead | Doctor Paula Hutchison
Minor Characters: The Wolfe Family | Ralph Bighead | Earl | Chuck and Leon | Really Really Big Man | Mr. Dupette | Mr. Smitty | Flecko
Locations: O-Town | Conglom-O Corporation
Media: List of Rocko's Modern Life episodes | Rocko's Modern Life: Spunky's Dangerous Day
Cast and Crew: Joe Murray | Carlos Alazraqui | Tom Kenny | Doug Lawrence | Charles Adler | Linda Wallem


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