Original air date: 06/11/2009
It's summertime, and the ice cream man is in town, whose name is Hal. Bessie reports that when he runs a stop sign, he is later chewed out by his boss and holds a continuous grudge against her and the children.
Tropes in Ben Screams for Ice Cream
- An Aesop
- Nobody likes a tattle tale. Though this is to a
very small extent knowing who our ice cream man is. - Don't hold grudges at people. Even if they've wronged you, don't stop doing your job or let it change you.
- When someone apologizes to you, understand they made a mistake and quit being mad at them.
- Making things yourself and getting creative is great and gives you credibility.
- Nobody likes a tattle tale. Though this is to a
- Asshole Victim: Hal the Ice Cream Man. He refuses to serve Bessie after she turns him in over running a stop sign, leaves town, takes away all the kid's ice cream, insults them loudly, and refuses to accept Bessie's apology for turning him in.
- Bad Boss: Hal's boss chews him out for running the stop sign.
- Break the Haughty: Hal is an ice cream man who caters to children (as you expected) and is initially friendly. But he does not take it well when things don't go his way, especially when he learns Bessie reported him even though he doesn't know her. He turns into a grumpy mess, deliberately spoils his ice cream so she can't have any when ordered, and even at one point, refuses to accept Bessie's apology, takes away all the kid's ice cream they bought themselves, leaves town, and insults the all kids loudly before his departure.
- Bookends: This episode both begins and ends with Bessie trying to tell a joke and failing.
- Break the Cutie: Ben refuses to leave his room because Bessie ruined his summer, and Hal left San Francisco.
- Broken Aesop: Even though this episode is to give the message you shouldn't snitch on people, Hal is not a nice guy either.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Hal refuses service to Bessie for turning him into his boss for running a stop sign. Hal goes way too far! He turns on the kids, takes away their rightfully paid products, and refuses to accept Bessie's apology for her mistake of turning him in over the stop sign.
- Didn't Think This Through: Hal didn't realize Bessie was going to "save summer" by giving banana pops instead of ice cream to everyone in San Francisco when he left and that her mistake would be made up to him.
- Due to the Dead: Shortly after Hal leaves, the kids treat his absence as if he died and wear black clothes and t-shirts that say "Never forget" and mourn at a "tombstone" they made of him.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: Bessie "restores summer" to San Fransisco, bringing Hal back due to the popularity of her peanut-coated, chocolate banana pops.
- Everybody Cries: After Hal closes his truck for good, the children start crying. They even paid respects to them.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: Hal cannot cope with minor mishaps or things not going his way and becomes an entirely different person.
- Hats Off to the Dead: Some kids take their hats off when grieving over the loss of Hal and at his "tombstone".
- Jerkass Ball: Hal and his boss. One rant unnecessarily at his workers over a small mistake, and the other hates children.
- Karma Houdini: Hal gets no punishments for what he did to the children and returns like there's no problem and scot-free. The episode even tries to make you feel sorry for him, making it look like what he did was okay and acceptable.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Bessie realizes what she did to Hal and tries apologizing, but he does not accept it in return. She later discovers her mistake when she sees everyone, including her brother Ben grieving due to the loss of Hal.
- Rejected Apology: Hal refuses to accept Bessie's apology for turning him in over the stop sign.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Hal gives up and leaves San Francisco altogether, leaving the kids with no way of getting ice cream.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Ben gives one to Bessie because she drove Hal away, and ice cream was essential to his summer.
- Truth in Television: Chocolate-covered bananas on a stick. Even ones covered in peanuts. Of course!
- Ungrateful Bastard: Hal refuses the accept Bessie's apology for turning him in and instead says the kids will "have to suck on ice cubes for the rest of the summer."
