Stimpy's Big Day/The Big Shot

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The Ren and Stimpy Show episode
“Stimpy's Big Day”
Stimpy wins a trip to Hollywood and a chance at stardom.
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 1a
Writer(s)	John K. and Vincent Waller
Director	John K.
Production no.	RS01a
Original airdate	August 11, 1991
Episode chronology
← Previous	Next →
"Big House Blues"	"Robin Höek/Nurse Stimpy"

"Stimpy's Big Day/The Big Shot" is a double episode of The Ren and Stimpy Show. It originally aired as Episode 1a/1b of Season 1 on August 11, 1991.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Log bumper1 (little boy)

A young boy wants a new toy. Does he want a bike or a video game? NO! He wants... LOG! All kids love Log! The Log song then proceeds to extole the many fun virtues of the greatest toy ever... A plain old hunk of wood.

Notes and Trivia: Here are all 9 facts and uses for log....

it rolls down stairs. ("What rolls down stairs...")
it can do this by itself, or two at a time. ("...alone or in pairs...")
It can be used to roll over the neighbors pooch. ("...rolls over your neighbor's dog?")
It's edible when you're hungry. ("What's great for a snack...")
It's the right size for carrying. ("...and fits on your back? It's LOG LOG LOG!")
it's large ("It's LOG, LOG, it's big...")
It weighs a sizable amount ("...it's heavy...")
It's made from natural timber. ("...it's wood.")
it's better than "bad", it's GOOD! ("It's LOG, LOG, it's better than bad, it's GOOD!")

This commercial is a combined parody of the old 70's Slinky ads, and useless, stupid toys like the pet rock.

[edit] "Stimpy's Big Day"

Stimpy starts out his morning by watching his favorite cartoons in front of the television. Ren, annoyed at his pal's fondness for them, informs Stimpy that he's too old to be watching cartoons and shows him how cartoons have shrunken his brain to pea size. However, as soon as his favorite cartoon, The Muddy Mudskipper Show begins, Stimpy bounces, and rolls around the living room in delight to Muddy's theme song. During the immediate commercial message a contest is announced. Whomever can write best poem about their love of the show's sponsor, Gritty Kitty Litter, wins 47 million dollars, a lifetime suppy of goat cheese, and a trip to Hollywood to meet and be a special guest on Muddy's show. Stimpy promptly explodes like a rocket from sheer excitement, and composes a truly asinine poem. (And adding a sarcastic comment from Ren, as well)

Stimpy mails the letter, despite Ren's insistence that cartoon characters are not real, and only puppets. Stimpy tearfully apologizes to Ren, but Ren has already lost all respect for Stimpy. Ren and Stimpy head to bed, but Ren is still angry at his pal.

The next morning, Ren tries to apologize to Stimpy but is inturrupted by a knock at the door. At the door, is the Gritty Kitty announcer, and a photographer. As soon as Ren finds out that Stimpy's poem has won the contest, Ren manicly attempts to convince them that "I'M THE CAAAT!!"

Stimpy wakes up, and the announcer presents Stimpy with the 47 million dollars, but Ren grabs the money and claims that he wrote the poem, and that Stimpy cheated. He then takes a huge mouthful of Gritty Kitty to show how much he loves the stinky old stuff, but it's too late. Stimpy is already in the limo, surrounded by beautiful babes, and is driven off, waving goodbye to his best friend.

Ren yells at the limo that he dosn't care and for Stimpy to go ahead and leave, but as soon as he's gone, Ren collapses, sobbing.

Stimpy, now in Hollywood, meets his idol Muddy, and goes through wardrobe. As Stimpy is set to deliver a public announcement on which his entire career depends, a microphone is rigged in too close and gets shoved up his nose.

The episode has a noticeably xeroxed look, the episode is very enjoyable. This was the first Ren and Stimpy episode ever aired on network television, and is a very good introduction to the two characters.

[edit] Notes and trivia

Muddy Mudskipper is a parody of old Hanna Barbera cartoon characters.
The head that shows up in Hollywood is a painting of Kirk Douglas. One of John K's favorite actors.
The microphone was shoved in Stimpy's mouth in the storyboards, but Nickelodeon deemed it to be "phallic" and had it changed before the episode was animated.
Muddy's cigar was airbrushed out when the episode debuted years later on MTV. The DVD also has Muddy being "cigar-less". The original footage was probably lost after MTV altered it, and this is apparently the only existing version of the episode, now.

Stimpy's Breakfast Tips (bumper)

Stimpy teaches all the young kids out there how to get that prize in the bottom of cereal boxes without anyone knowing (or would they?). Ren makes a hilarious cameo by coming out of a sugar bowl to yell at Stimpy for rummaging his filthy hands in the cereal box without finishing the old box.

Notes and Trivia:

Something went horribly wrong with the overseas animation company that the storyboards and layouts were sent to, and it came back with Stimpy's eyes being round, black circles at one point. According to John, it looked so funny, they kept it in the finished short.

[edit] "The Big Shot"

The Ren and Stimpy Show episode
“The Big Shot”
Stimpy films a Gritty Kitty cat litter commercial with Mr. Horse.
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 1b
Writer(s)	John K. and Vincent Waller
Director	John K.
Production no.	RS01b
Original airdate	August 11, 1991
Episode chronology
← Previous	Next →
"Big House Blues"	"Robin Höek/Nurse Stimpy"

Stimpy has won 47 million dollars and has gone off to Hollywood to meet Muddy Mudskipper, and Ren is at home, by himself. Ren hasn't bathed in three weeks, and seems to be glad that he has to answer to no one. On the way to the fridge, Ren finds Stimpy's hairball and his Catnip Mouse. Still missing his pal, he begins to wonder how Stimpy is doing. Stimpy, at that moment is filming a commercial at Huge Market for Gritty Kitty Litter. He finds Mr. Horse and gives him the Gritty Kitty test to compare it with a nameless popular name-brand litter. Since Mr. Horse is not a professional actor and is a real horse, he passes the test with flying colors.

Back at home, Ren finds himself unable to sleep. Most likely because of the lighted photograph of Stimpy on his nightstand and the Stimpy-shaped indentation on the nearby pillow. Ren takes his pillow and goes to sleep on the couch, but his pillow oddly takes on the bloated appearance of Stimpy. Ren promptly freaks out.

While Stimpy is spending his days swimming in a gigantic litter box and attracting the attention of nearby girls, Ren spends his nights trying to watch TV to relax. However, he finds only his old feline friend on every channel. After the latest taping of the Stimpy and Muddy Show, Stimpy is depressed and sad. Muddy asks him what the matter is, and Stimpy tearfully breaks down and shouts "I WANT REN!!!!"

Stimpy returns home, dressed like a vagabond bum and the two are overjoyed to see each other again. That is until Stimpy tells Ren he gave away the 47 million dollars. Ren, enraged over his bosom buddy's filthy ignorance, slaps him silly. Stimpy brings the episode to a close with a wink to the veiwers and a smile on his face.

Notes and Trivia:

The Kitty Litter box marked "B" is labeled as "A" as Mr. Horse holds it for the first few seconds. This is an obvious animation mistake.
John K and Vincent Waller came up with the idea of stretching their premiere episode "Stimpy's Big Day" into 2 different parts to make it a double episode. This was done to allow more jokes and ideas to be added to the episode.
Ask Dr. Stupid is a parody of Watch Mr. Wizard. Stimpy The Jungle Boy is possibly a reference to George of the Jungle. I Love Stimpy is a parody of I Love Lucy, and Sergant Stimpy of the Klondike is possibly a reference to Klondike Kat (A sub-cartoon on the old Underdog cartoon show produced from 1964 to 1973).
The "lines" Stimpy says in the Muddy Cartoon are references to the cartoon characters George Jetson, Elmer Fudd, Popeye, and Mr. Jinx.
The reason Stimpy loves when Ren smacks him is explained by Kricfalusi: "Stimpy is so stupid he only has one nerve ending. And to make him feel it, you have to hit him really hard. And when he does feel it, he likes it."

What Will We Do Till Then? Kitty Litter (Goodbye I)

The show is over, but Stimpy hates to say goodbye. What will he do until next week?! Ren offers various ideas that Stimpy dosn't exactly cotton to, until Ren suggests that he entertain himself with a bag of Gritty Kitty.

Notes and Trivia: