The sixth episode of the second season of Tiny Toon Adventures, and the seventy-first episode overall.
Orson Whales explains to the viewers how toon physics differ from real world physics.
Short One: "Once Upon a Star"
Elmyra makes a wish on a star that her Barbette doll was real so they could play together. Her wish comes true, but Barbette proves to be a big handful, and her attractive looks make Elmyra envious.
Short Two: A Cub For Grub"
A hungry Furrball tries to catch Sneezer at a boy scout camp, but Sneezer's knowledge on camping, as well as his powerful sneezes, thwart his every attempt to catch him.
Short Three: "The Year Book Star"
Plucky and Babs make a bet to see who can appear in the most photos in the school yearbook, with the loser having to suffer the humiliation of the winner's choice. In response to his self-centered attitude, Babs makes sure Plucky gets humiliating photo shots. At the photo counting session, Babs and Plucky both lose to a boy wearing an orange hat who is really a cleverly disguised Buster.
This episode provides examples of:
Overall:
- Anvil on Head: Plucky suffers getting hit by multiple anvils in the opening wraparound. As Orson points out, Anvils are too heavy to lift in real life, but in a cartoon, Plucky can withstand getting hit by multiple anvils, though Plucky insists otherwise.Orson: Multiple anvils can be dropped on Plucky, causing him no pain whatsoever.
Plucky (wearily): No pain, he says! Sheesh! - Big Eater: Dizzy in the second wraparound. Not only does he eat a bunch of fruit and some hammers, he also swallows Orson whole!
- Carnivore Confusion: In the third wraparound, Plucky and his relatives sit down to enjoy a turkey dinner.
- Credits Gag: Top 5 "Toon Physics" Facts note .
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Orson Whales is a whale caricature of Orson Welles.
- Sapient Cetaceans: Orson Whales.
- Swallowed Whole: Orson suffers this in the second wraparound, courtesy of Dizzy Devil. He somehow escapes to appear in the rest of the episode.
- Three Shorts
- Toon Physics: Both the title and premise of this episode.
Once Upon A Star:
- Be Careful What You Wish For
- Here We Go Again!: The wish Elmyra makes ends up bringing the rest of her dolls to life, who act just as selfish, rude, and arrogant as Barbette.
- It's All About Me: Barbette is extremely selfish, rude, and arrogant towards Elmyra.
- Jackass Genie: Done with a wishing star. Towards the end of the short, Elmyra makes a wish, saying that she wants her Barbette doll to be just like her other dolls. Instead of turning her Barbette doll back to the way she was before, the star brings all her other dolls to life, who act just as selfish, rude, and arrogant as Barbette.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Barbette is rightfully disgusted when Elmyra tries to share her toothbrush with her, and demands her own toothbrush, since sharing a toothbrush can make people sick.
- Make a Wish: Elmyra makes a wish on a star that her Barbette doll was real so they could play together. Orson points out to the viewers that in real life, this would never work, since stars are merely balls of incandescent gas, but in the toon world, stars grant wishes.
- Malicious Misnaming: Throughout the short, Barbette keeps getting Elmyra's name wrong, and interrupting her when she tries to correct her. She calls her "Emily"note , "Elvira", and "Myra".
- Shout-Out: Elmyra's Barbette doll is a parody of the popular Barbie doll. Also, when Barbette complains about having to wear doll clothes and demands designer clothes, she mentions Mattel, the company that makes Barbie dolls, and Fisher-Price, its subsidiary.
- Take That!: A cockroach parody of Jiminy Cricket is shown singing a parody of "When You Wish Upon a Star", until Elmyra squishes him with a fly swatter.
A Cub For Grub:
- Balloon Belly: Happens to Furrball when he inflates himself with a bicycle pump after deflating from removing Sneezer's inflatable tent.
- Camping Episode: Furrball and Sneezer go to a boy scout camp in this short.
- Disney Villain Death: Furrball falls off a cliff and lands in a river when the bandages Sneezer wraps him in come undone. He later goes over a waterfall at the end of the short when he tries to catch up to Sneezer in a canoe when it is time for the boy scouts to go back home.
- Magic Pants: Zig-zagged; Furrball's boy scout disguise gets torn when he accidentally swallows Sneezer's inflatable tent, which inflates inside him. In a later scene, where Furrball inflates himself with a bicycle pump, not only is his disguise unharmed, but it inflates with his body.
- Tree Buchet: Sneezer sets one to trap a wild creature. Furrball gets caught in it when he tries to catch Sneezer, then the branch breaks, and to make matters worse, Furrball lands in a thorn bush.
- Unexplained Recovery: When Furrball starts up the campfire, Sneezer sneezes him into a tree, turning him into ash. As Orson points out, in real life, Furrball's charred remains would need to be buried in a dignified setting, but in the toon world, Furrball will reconstruct himself and appear virtually unharmed (which, of course, he does).
The Year Book Star:
- Anvil on Head: Plucky suffers this when attempting to take a photo at the Philosophy Club.
- Cast as a Mask: Averted; when the Boy in the Orange Hat speaks out, he's voiced by Charlie Adler, and he then reveals himself to be Buster Bunny in disguise.
- Cloud Cuckoolander: By this episode, Whales has essentially done away with the subject of Toon Physics."At this point, I thought we'd all take a moment to consider the meaning of life. I prefer to believe that all living things were descended from the brussels sprout. How about you?"[...]"At this point, I thought I'd interrupt for interruption's sake. I get paid more for every line I say."
- Dark Horse Victory: Throughout the short, Babs and Plucky compete to see who can appear in the most photos in the school yearbook. During the official count-off, they appear to have tied, until it is revealed that a boy wearing an orange hat appeared in the background of each photo either of them was in, causing him to win easily. During his speech, the boy reveals himself to be a disguised Buster Bunny, who entered the competition to teach Babs and Plucky not to compete to win a bet. This prompts Babs and Plucky to beat him up as the cartoon irises out.
- Dunce Cap: Plucky had to wear this in last year's school photo as Babs' humiliation of choice.
- Latex Perfection: The Boy in the Orange Hat is really a disguised Buster Bunny in a latex mask and suit.
- Losing Your Head: Plucky nearly gets his head sliced off at a guillotine at the Magic Club, courtesy of Babs, when Orson interrupts to talk to the viewers about the meaning of life.
