David Van Driessen
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David Van Driessen (b. 1961[citation needed]) is a hippie character in the TV series Beavis and Butt-Head. He is the boys' teacher and is characterized as an extremely liberal hippie. Specifically, he is a pacifist, concerned about environmental protection, believes in aid for foreign countries, and womens rights. His voice is provided by Mike Judge.
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[edit] Mannerisms
He has a goatee beard, long hair, and wears a peace sign t-shirt and flip-flops. He generally speaks in a soft, gentle voice, encourages his students to get in touch with their feelings, and often plays the guitar. He has a habit of ending nearly every sentence with "M'Kay?", the M'Kay predicate would later be used in South Park, made by Viacom/CBS's other subsidiary Comedy Central. Van Driessen has had many near-death experiences during the course of the show (often, as a direct result of Beavis and Butt-Head's actions.) Most of the teachers at Highland High School despise Beavis and Butt-Head, but Van Driessen sympathizes with them and believes them to be somehow capable of salvation. His attempts to appeal to their better sides, however, invariably fail.
[edit] Relationship with the duo
In one episode, Van Driessen tries to show Beavis and Butt-Head the concept of the work ethic by paying them to clean his house. The pair do a terrible job, attempting to clean Van Driessen's priceless collection of 8-track recordings by throwing the cartridges into a sink of soapy water, then putting them in a toaster to dry them. The end of this episode marks one of the few times we hear Van Driessen get fed up with Beavis and Butt-Head, or even frustrated by things in general, saying "I'm going to kill those little jerks!". In another episode, after driving Mr. McVicker insane, Van Driessen takes them to the mental hospital to see what their actions have done to McVicker, only to be driven mad by their constant laughing himself. However, he gets into a fistfight with an unctuous visiting lecturer named Mr. Manners (voiced by David Spade) when Beavis & Butt-head's behavior inspired Mr. Manners to threaten Beavis.
Another time, in "Graduation Day," when he stays true to his effort to reach out to everyone and holds a "self esteem graduation" to reward the students for being special in their own way and being the best they could, he senses he succeeded because there were "a lot less negative vibes" in the classroom — but it may only have been because Beavis and Butt-head, who are generally negative, thought it was their real graduation and left the class — which then left Mr. Van Driessen worried. Mr. Van Driessen also showed his true feelings towards them during the "graduation ceremony": he haltingtly told Butt-head that "you have many qualities" and then said "and here's your diploma Beavis" in a rushed, disgusted voice.
[edit] Movie
In Beavis and Butt-Head Do America, Van Driessen attempts to convince Beavis and Butt-Head to abandon stealing a TV from the school, since they should realize the other opportunities which can "entertain us". Beavis and Butt-Head merely ridicule him, with Butt-Head saying, "He said anus", as in "entert-anus", he is later brutally arrested by the FBI after being suspected of working with Beavis and Butt-head on the micro virus.
In the series finale Beavis & Butt-Head Are Dead, where the boys are mistakenly assumed to be deceased, Van Driessen is the only teacher who expresses sadness, going as far as to cry and express disbelief when the announcement is made. All his colleagues celebrate with a party.
[edit] Injuries
Being squished by the monster truck (on the pilot episode Peace, Love and Understanding)
Being attacked by a bear during a camping trip.
Getting thrown out of the school bus window and falling off a bunch of cliffs. He got help from a rescue helicopter, but the carrier smacked into the cliffs several times on the way up and it hit the windshield of the waiting ambulance, breaking it.
Falling off his desk while standing on it, when he was trying to teach something.
A chalkboard landing on him.
Getting flattened by a giant moving tire with Beavis inside.
Getting hit in the back by a bunch of cops from a door in Beavis and Butt Head Do America.
Getting hit in the stomach by a cop in Beavis and Butt-Head Do America.
Getting brutally assaulted while being arrested, while the School Principal denounces him as a "Commie bastard". Cops think he is resisting arrest in the movie Beavis and Butthead Do America.
Getting trampled by students when hearing about a bomb threat.
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