Airdate: Monday, October 15, 2007
Sender: ROXY~VA
Roxy from Virginia wants to know if Strong Bad has ever made a "sbmail" about a business trip, or something serious like that.
As it so happens, Strong Bad and The Cheat are getting ready to go on a business trip... or rather, Strong Bad and Homestar are getting ready to go on a business trip.
Homestar: Nah, not anymore. The Cheat got promoted to Junior Executive of Not Having to Go On Pointless Business Trips.
Strong Bad: What?! I've been trying to get that job for years.
Homestar is also under the impression that they're going on a camping trip, and not a business trip, what with looking forward to roasting marshmallows and bringing along several cans of pork and beans (even smuggling a pair past airport security).
Strong Bad and Homestar hit all the clichés about going on a business trip, including cracking bad jokes about the hotel food ("Continental breakfast? More like in-continental blech-fest!"), leaving early at the keynote speech (by Strong Sad, about how "Reducing Your Business's Carbon Footprint is Not a Matter of Buying Everyone Smaller Shoes"), collecting lanyards, and drinking fancy beer on the company's expense account (they're even called "ice-cold Expen$e Account Ones"). Though Strong Bad puts off "talk about how our dogs are killing us" until later, and is only able to "mostly-check" meeting hot female executives for drinks. He and Homestar also need to "seal the deal" with the head of a foreign conglomerate, played by the King of Town:
Strong Bad: Uh, King, you wrote a piece of lasagna on this piece of paper.
King of Town: And I ain't budging! Now where are those units?
Much to Strong Bad's surprise ("What the sense-make?"), the "units" the King of Town suddenly demands are the cans of pork and beans Homestar had been lugging around all day. As the King of Town orders the Poopsmith to "prepare the bath-tub", Strong Bad reluctantly admits Homestar was a big help.
Homestar: (kicks his feet up) My dogs are killing me!
Back at the Lappy, Strong Bad concludes by explaining the real reason for going on business trips: "to buy last-minute peanut brittle and crappy souvenirs from airport gift shops for your kids!" He even demonstrates this by picking up a wind-up "I ♥ St. Louis" airplane for The Cheat.
The Cheat: (annoyed The Cheat noises, walks off)
Strong Bad: Fine, then. Strong Mad will appreciate it!
Strong Mad: (off-screen) NO I WON'T!
(The airplane sinks to the bottom of its fishbowl, New Paper comes down.)
Tropes:
- Brick Joke: While going over his itinerary, Strong Bad decides to put off "talk about how our dogs are killing us" until later. After Homestar helps "seal the deal" with the King of Town, Strong Bad decides to let him be the one to kick back and say "My dogs are killing me!"
- Comically Missing the Point: Homestar seems to be under the impression that the business trip he and Strong Bad are going on is a camping trip.
- Continuity Nod: Homestar's remark about how he's not The Cheat "anymore" may refer to "do over", where he impersonated The Cheat.
- The Cuckoolander Was Right: Homestar's insistence on bringing along cans of pork and beans helps him and Strong Bad "seal the deal" with the King of Town.
- Lucky Charms Title: In-universe, the Expen$e Account Ones.
- Obsessed Are the Listmakers: Strong Bad has an itinerary which includes minutiae such as "take off wedding rings" and "talk about how our dogs are killing us".
- Painting the Fourth Wall: Strong Bad reads the tilde in Roxy's signature as the sound of a warped cassette playing.
- Parody Commercial: An Easter egg features a commercial for "Expen$e Account Ones".
- Reading the Stage Directions Out Loud: Homestar says "Roll my eyes," while rolling his eyes.
- Running Gag: The soapbox seen in previous e-mails returns, now reading "FIFTEEN TYPES".
- Security Cling: Homestar jumps into Strong Bad's arms when he claims to hear "a bear rustlin' in the woods".
- Silent Offer: Parodied, the King of Town writes his offer on a piece of paper he shoves towards Strong Bad, but there's nothing there but a slice of lasagna.
- Wedding Ring Removal: Parodied; "Take off wedding rings" is one of the items on Strong Bad's itinerary, even though neither he nor Homestar are married or even have fingers on which to wear wedding rings.
Announcer: Cool, refreshing Expen$e Account Ones make everything go down smooth. Including that moron from delivereceivables they sent you on the road with. Yes, that's right, he just made a "You Go Girl" joke.
