"Stupid Sidekick Union" is the second episode of Season 5 of The Ren & Stimpy Show, which aired on March 18, 1995.
Characters[]
- Ren Höek
- Stimpy
- Tex
- Baboon
- Polly the Polyp
- Barney Rubble Expy
- Hillbilly
- Wiener
- Victor (wears a rabbit, cameo)
- Myron (cameo)
- Shakespearean Actor
- Whale (wears a blue nose)
Summary[]
The sidekick union is going on a massive strike, since Stimpy can't stand the abusive slaps Ren does to him anymore unless if he paid him extra for it. So Ren is forced to audition new sidekicks, but no one seems to be able to pull out the same pranks as Stimpy.
Trivia[]
- Despite being a Season 5 episode, "Ol' Blue Nose" and this episode aired two weeks before the last two Season 4 episodes did ("Superstitious Stimpy" and "Travelogue").
- Because of this, in Paramount and other streaming websites for the show, this episode and "Ol' Blue Nose" are listed as a part of Season 4 even though they are actually apart of Season 5.
- The idea of premiering a season before the previous season finished was later used heavily in shows like SpongeBob Squarepants for example.
- Although Tom McGrath is credited as the director, the book Sick Little Monkeys: The Unauthorized Ren & Stimpy Story reveals that Ron Hughart directed the episode. McGrath only received the credit as a reward for the importance in his storyboards for the episode.[1]
- This is one of the rare episodes where Stimpy takes a dislike to his best friend, Ren. Also, this is the only episode where Stimpy takes a dislike to Ren for something he did.
- This episode shows a more intelligent, serious, rebellious and independent side of Stimpy who demanded Ren give him some respect and pay him more.
- It is revealed that Stimpy is a member of an union organization for actors who worked as sidekicks or minions in a TV show demanding their bosses should respect and pay them more.
- It revealed that Stimpy had quit the show before.
- This episode signals the fact that Ren & Stimpy is a cartoon as this is an episode focusing and parodying on the duo's own show, created by John Kricfalusi.
- The Stupid Sidekick Union are references to many unions in the industry (SAG, WGA, DGA, Animators Guild) and their frequent strikes for better working conditions, while the Scab Sidekick Union references non-union (or scab) talent, whom are subjective acquired mostly when said strikes affect different studios in the industry.
- The running gag of scab actors getting pelted with bricks is also a nod on how some union members have disdain towards scab workers.
- When Ren asks where Stimpy will go work when he goes on strike, he mockingly asks if Stimpy will go to "Handle-Barbarian." This is a reference to the animation studio Hanna-Barbera Productions, known for hiring animators from closing or struggling theatrical cartoon studios in the 1960s and 1970s. Series creator John Kricfalusi worked at Hanna-Barbera for a while in the mid-1980s (including most notably on The Jetsons revival episodes in 1985.)
- Two of the scab actors sent by Scab Sidekick Union for Ren to pick after firing Stimpy's first replacement, Tex resemble Hanna-Barbera characters, Boo Boo Bear (Yogi Bear's sidekick) and Barney Rubble (Fred Flintstone's sidekick).
References[]
- ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=YRqKDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT276&lpg=PT276&dq=ren+and+stimpy+stupid+sidekick+union+tom+mcgrath&source=bl&ots=sF_oFofh3A&sig=ACfU3U13S0L78Kaq8WR-_iF80NrQPI4eVg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj-6tbUocjwAhXnlOAKHcFnBkYQ6AEwEXoECBEQAw#v=onepage&q=ren%20and%20stimpy%20stupid%20sidekick%20union%20tom%20mcgrath&f=false