A.N.T. Farm is a series airing on the Disney Channel. The series follows three best friends, Chyna, Olive and Fletcher, who are part of the Advanced Natural Talents, or A.N.T., which allows gifted middle schoolers to go to High School immediately.LikemanyDisneyChannelsitcoms, it serves as a vehicle for their new singing star, China Anne McClain.May be a part of the DCLAU due to a recent episode having a Tears of Blood poster in the background. Confirmed by the appearance of Mr. Hashimoto, of the Hashimoto Soda Company in a recent episode.
The show contains examples of:
Abhorrent Admirer: Angus to Olive is one of the rare male cases of this.
Absentee Actor: Carlon Jeffery's absence from "EndurANTs" was probably plot-related, since Lexi and Paisley were on vacation and the ANTs were there for a school-related competition. Cameron had no reason to be there. He also was absent from six episodes from season one.
Stefanie Scott was absent from three consecutive episodes, "ReplicANT", "ClairvoyANT" and "ManagemANT". Possibly due to the filming of Frenemies. It was a fairly noticeable absense since Paisley was in the latter two episodes.
Interesting case with Elise Neal, who plays Roxanne Parks. She was only in about five episodes. Could be a result of conflicting schedule, since she is kinda busy with various parts in various upcoming movies.
And, to a lesser degree, Chyna's song in "managemANT".
Achievements in Ignorance: Paisley, sometimes to Reality Warper levels. She made a helicopter out of ballooons that worked. She did a full body giftwrapping of herself!
Acting For Five: "MutA.N.T. Farm 2" will feature this number of Olive clones.
Adorkable: We have Olive Doyle. Not entirely the stereotypical dork, but she has a large brain capacity, which she fills with very advanced subjects such as physics and calculus, she finds homework and extra credit assignments fun, is the youngest person ever inducted into Mensa and has long blonde hair, and a Stalker with a Crush although its just Angus. YMMV if its Hollywood Nerd or this, or both. This line from "Creative ConsultANT" sums her up pretty well:
Olive: ... no one alive has my brain capacity, or my cheekbones.
All-Cheering All the Time: Chyna does this during a scene in "ParticipANTs", but Lexi told to cheer so much so she could lose her voice and not be able to audition for the school musical. One of the cheers even goes...
"Lexi says to do it right I must cheer both day and night"
Unlike most Libby's, Lexi's personality is typically played for laughs. She either parodies or exaggerates most traits of an Alpha Bitch.
Alternate Reality Episode: As a Halloween Special, the first episode was re-created, but with the A.N.Ts being M.U.T.A.N.Ts, complete with monsters and all. Chyna was a Gorgon, Olive was a Mad Scientist, Fletcher was a Vampire, etc...
A Minor Kidroduction: The episode "Bad RomANTs" featured a flashback of Gibson 25 years in the past with his last girlfriend. The flashback explains his hair and the breakup which caused him to think of his ex everyday of his life through to the present.
Appeal to Obscurity: In the episode "TransplANTed", when Chyna wants to get her lunch from her locker and eat in the cafeteria.
Chyna: I left my lunch in my locker. Olive: Emma left her lunch in her locker Chyna: Who's Emma? Olive: Exactly!
Artistic License - Geography: In one episode, Fletcher played hs long-lost twin brother from Spain, who'd crossed the Spanish-American region. This is not possible, as Spain isn't even close to the Spanish-American region. He finished it by saying, "Taquitos".
Ass Shove: Implied to have happened to Fletcher in the episode "Ballet dANTser".
Assumed Win: Happens to Cameron in "ClairvoyANT", Principal Skidmore even sets it up by saying this person has waited patiently through ceremony while everyone else won trophies. But instead, it's Skidmore herself who wins the award. By the time he finds out, he is standing next to Wacky ready to accept his award.
Happens to Lexi in EndurANTs when she and Paisley pose as music and art ANTs, respectively, in order to win $50,000 during the ANT-Lympics. After a good performance by Lexi followed by a strange awful sounding Native song, the host says "we'll it's clear who should win this..." and Lexi walks on stage only for him to announce that the Australian team won. This causes Lexi to divulge her true identity and age, which causes Webster High to forfeit the 2nd place prize, of $49,000, ouch.
Attention Whore: Lexi would do anything to be in the school paper, even if it means appealing to Olive, despite the fact that she generally dislikes the ANTs.
Even calls a girl, who is constantly in the school paper for doing genuinely good deeds, a publicity hog while fighting with her over a fire extinguisher. The struggle ends when she gets sprayed with said extinguisher. When Olive takes pictures of Lexi, instead of being embarrassed, Lexi begins posing for the camera.
In "PatANT Pending", Paisley's broken arm gets all the attention and Lexi gets ignored and becomes jealous, and decides to pretend to have broken limbs in order to get noticed.
Lexi and Paisley in "Bad RomANTs" act as if Paisley is choking so Lexi can save her life in front of Olive and get on the frontpage of the school newspaper. Lexi speaks less monotone that Paisley (who shouldn't be able to talk if she was really choking), and is pretty much hamming it up. But definitely qualifies. However, when she accidentially causes Paisley to actually choke, she reacts in a more realistic, yet clueless, fashion to someone choking.
Chyna does this during her fake-boyfriend auditions in "Some EnchANTed Evening" (even though she wrote her lines and probably said them before Jared's audition,) she still has to read them and does so with a very monotone voice.
Bad Cop/Incompetent Cop: Daryl Parks. He isn't necessarily a dirty cop, but he doesn't follow all of the rules and he definitely abuses being an officer of the law. He is more of the imcompetent, played for laughs, Police Are Useless Disney version of this trope.
He takes evidence from the station and gives the items to his kids as gifts, and not good gifts.
To his credit, he does pay for the evidence, Not sure if cops can do that. He otherwise plays this straight for the reasons below, but the "gifts" he gets his kids signs of a completely different trope.
He did his marksmanship training with a fake gun made from his index finger and thumb.
He couldn't find a note that a bank robber gave the teller during a robbery.
Chyna found it in her "gift" he gave her. His response, "That's where that went."
In "The ReplicANT", Cameron asks him to arrest Olive, He says "Why?" Cameron replies "Oh now you need a reason [to arrest someone?]" Leading us to believe that he arrests people for any reason he can think of (or no reason) if it suits him.
The radio dispatcher announces over the radio a 1-3-9. which Daryl says thats code for the local taco joint having burritos for only $1.39, implying that the rest of the department is just as incompetent as he is. Let's hope there isn't a truly corrupt cop in his precinct doing whatever they please and getting away with it due to everyone elses incompetence.
In that same episode, when he finally makes an arrest, his says it which much enthusiasm, implying that he doesn't make many arrests.
But to his credit, in the episode "InformANT", he apparently is a detective. But that may serve the purpose of showing how bad his precinct is if he is a detective, unless he ends up being a Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass.
Even more evidence that the precinct is full of incompetent cops. In the pilot, Darryl says his meeting hosted by the Chief of Police is cancelled because the chief's car was stolen. Which hints to him having a chief similar to Clancy Wiggum.
After quickly coming to the conclusion that Chyna broke Olive's toy in "Body of EvidANTs" which later we find out that he was right, he tells Chyna "... don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
Big Eater: Angus: he once ate everything at a restaurant in less than an afternoon but was still starving so he ordered a pizza. He also bought everything from a bacon truck even though he doesn't like the food that much.
Bilingual Bonus: A minor occurrence in the episode ''ContesANTs''. One of the lyrics in Lexi's song is "Amigos son muy especial," which translates to "friends are very special." It's only worth noting because it's not subtitled, and it's one of the nicer things Lexi has ever said or written on the show. YMMV on it being heart-felt or creative on her part.
Boastful Rap: Although it was written by Chyna, Olive spits one of these. None of the lyrics make any sense, except when she says "...my skills to recount are innately phenomenal" speaking of her talent for remembering everything she sees, hears or reads.
Chyna: Which dance should I dance for my first school dance? The Dougie? [does the Dougie] The Robot? [does the Robot] Dougie the Robot? [does the Dougie in robotic motions] Cameron: You just took two of my favorite things... and made them horrible.
Chyna: Y'all see what I have to deal with? Writers, unbelievable.
Broken Aesop: The theme song says that everyone is exceptional. That's easy for Chyna to say: she's an ANT, who's more talented than most people, and are usually seen as more intelligent than everyone else. Cracked has pointed out that the Aesop is further broken by the Ditzy Genius nature of the characters.
Cameron: But dad, does she have to go to my high school? I mean she's only 11. Daryl: It's not Chyna's fault that she's gifted, anymore than it's your fault that you're...not.
Virtually every character has been a Butt Monkey for at least one episode, and some episodes even feature more than one!
Call Back: "MutANT Farm" is a Halloween-themed reflection of the first episode and as such reuses a lot of dialogue from that episode.*
Slightly altered to fit the Halloween theme.
Also, Chyna sings a song at the school dance after the music is no longer available, just like she did at Lexi's party.
Camp Gay: Mr. Zimbaldi, the drama teacher, and in "You're the One That I wANT" Samuel French.
Chyna sings in various episodes. Sometimes it's an actually performance, but most of the time it's a song written on the spot and plot-related, such as thinking of a song to cheer up Gibson, a student council campaign song, singing words to the Jack-in-the-box theme to explain a Zany Scheme during the Christmas Episode and singing about a soccerball on her webcam. The latter song is later rearranged and she performs the real song for a music executive in the same episode.
Stefanie Scott, who also is a young up-and-coming singer/songwriter, finally got a chance to sing on the show, albeit a ridiculous song about being a donut.
Lexi, being the show's main antagonist, winded up saying "You have got to be kidding me! when she is bested by Chyna, and on occasion Olive, Cameron and even Paisley.
Olive saying "What the heck!" might count since no one else says it (you barely hear it on other Disney shows), she says it a lot, and in Fletcher's Web cartoon, the character based on Olive says a version of it, "What the ant hill?"
Christmas Episode: Entitled "SANTa's Little Helpers", which referenced A Christmas Carol and Olive mentions that our economy would be worse off if not for the huge amount of money spent during the Christmas shopping season, and states that that is what Christmas is really about.
Chroma Key: When Olive paints Chyna's bedroom wall green during a slumber party, Chyna uses Stock Footage from a movie for her background while video chatting with Lexi, to prove that her slumber party is cooler than Lexi's. Everyone in the background is at least 10 years older than Chyna and are dressed like they're in a nightclub. However, it works, even when Olive puts on a hoodie the same color as the green wall, which blanks out everything except her head until Chyna covers it up. Lexi doesn't catch on until a ninja drops in and attacks the people in the nightclub.
Cloudcuckoolander: Olive, as seen in "The PhANTom Locker". She blow dries her hair in Chyna's locker. It barely makes sense in context. Gibson is even worse. In fact, it's outright insulting that Olive's mentioned before Gibson.
Cover Version: Chyna has performed two: "Dynamite" by Taio Cruz in "TransplANTed" and "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera in "America Needs TalANT".
Cunning Linguist: Olive is called upon by the principal to translate Japanese to a prospective Japanese Ant.
Olive also says a few phrases in other languages in other episodes such as German and Danish, and speaks English in quite a few different foreign accents.
Cute, but Cacophonic: Olive speaks relatively loudly and with an overdone accent of sorts. But not as loud as their science teacher.
The Danza: Chyna is played by China Anne McClain. One letter off, but still counts.
Vanessa Morgan as Vanessa LaFontaine counts in the episodes in which she appears. Although she is first referred to as Jeanne in "FANTasy Girl" *
Though as "Jeanne" she is a figment of Cameron's imagination
.]]
Laurin and Syerra from "Trifecta" in the same, one letter off but it still sounds the same variety as Chyna, using a "y" in place of an"i" or vice versa.
In an early episode, when Chyna doesn't know much about her, Lexi talks Chyna into trying out for the cheerleading squad. Chyna surprisingly makes the squad. But at practice, Lexi puts Chyna through a torturous first day, which leaves her bruised up, but more importantly, Chyna loses her voice. And Lexi reveals that she did this to stop Chyna from auditioning for the lead role in the school's musical. When Lexi is introduced in the Pilot, she shows that she was the lead nearly every play or musical at the school, clearly making her a front-runner even with Chyna as competition, since someone in Chyna's position might get a few minor roles, or at least one, before she would be considered a viable threat to Lexi.
Lexi barely put any effort into the song for her audition, instead she seemed to try pandering to the casting director, which appeared to work. Time wasted on hindering Chyna's audition could have been spent writing a more legitimate song, or rehearsing something else. Chyna shows up the audition anyway and tells Lexi off with her weakened voice, which gets mistaken for a monologue and she gets the lead role.
And again in "America Needs TalANT", she works hard to find out what Chyna is singing for the finals so she can sing it first and make Chyna look foolish. Instead of working on her own song. Chyna was aware of her attempted sabotage and as well as being misleading to Lexi, she 'carelessly' leaves a fake song for Lexi to steal. Lexi ends up looking foolish after singing a song about being a donut and getting no applause. Chyna even points out that Lexi didn't need to cheat. And while Lexi wasn't necessarily the favorite going into the finals, the judges apparently liked her.
Did Not Do The Bloody Research: In "ReplicANT", Fletcher calls someone a 'plonker'. While it's still not a strong swear in Britain, it still isn't the sort of language Disney would use deliberately.
Genius Ditz: Fletcher's great at art, but thinks snow angels are dead snowmen.
Also Olive might qualify. While very book smart do to having super memory, she has very childish moments, such as believing Cameron's ghost story, having way more fun while the rest of the ANTs are playing musical chairs, and her overall naivete.
Fletcher sometimes doesn't even understand it when he dishes it out.
Fletcher: Thanks a lot Chyna. (walks away [beat]) And to be clear, I wasn't thanking you.
Does This Remind You of Anything?: In "StudANT Council", Olive and Angus talking at the A.N.T. Party the previous night. Olive says that the party was crazy and that she overdid it. While Angus says that "everything is hazy" he even say, "I am never eating candy again." Then eats candy anyway. Almost radar since most kids that age might not understand the joke.
Even more so since Angus was more or less a candy bartender at the party.
Do It Yourself Theme Tune: The show's opening, "Exceptional", performed by China Anne McClain. Justified as Chyna is meant to be a musical prodigy.
Dumb Blonde: Played completely straight with Paisley. Subverted with Olive since she has the greatest mental capacity on the show, she rarely puts it to good use, as a result, she sometimes ends up looking dumb and childish at times. And there's this crowning example from Paisley.
Paisley: Yay! I want to thank all the other cheerleaders for reminding me that there is no "I" in team, because I use to spell it with an "I".
Lexi isn't exactly a rocket scientist, but much smarter than Paisley.
Dumb Is Good: Played straight and averted. Paisley is dumb as a post, but kind. Chyna, Fletcher and Olive are considered geniuses, but also kind. Lexi is of normal intelligence, but mean and manipulative, though she's gotten somewhat better lately.
Dye Hard: Lexi mentioned in one episode that Paisley is a natural brunette.
Evil Laugh: Subverted with vampire Fletcher in the Halloween episode, whose Evil Laugh is a girlish "Tee-hee-hee" while his normal laugh is easily mistaken for an evil one.
Played Straight by Sequoia on "Creative ConsultANT". She says Chyna is suspended, then laughs. Angus does it too, but only because he doesn't get her so-called joke, but fakes it. While Olive knows something is wrong because of that and Chyna would never miss an opportunity sing live.
Later Olive and Angus find Chyna suspended above a shark tank, and Angus realizes what she meant and does the Evil Laugh again.
Evil Teacher: Sometimes parodied with Skidmore, who provides the page quote.
Expy: Many obvious and subtle ones are present on this show.
Chyna comes off as a very delibrate expy of Raven.
Chyna even has similarities to Carly Shay when you consider she can sing, is Oblivious to Love from Fletcher, and has a less than normal older brother.
Musically talented girl who finds herself in a Fish out of Water situation when she begins attending a new school? Chyna is essentially a younger, African-American version of Tori Vega.
In the episode "The ReplacemANT", Her school teacher look makes her look like a female version of Mr. Denzel Crocker.
She also seems a lot tougher than Chyna, and is sometimes mean to Fletcher, given who Fletcher is an expy of,see below, Olive is a more book-smart version of Sam Puckett without all of the drama and binge eating. She might even live in a dysfunctional household, but not much is stated about Olive's homelife.
Olive even has a similar hairstyle and color to that of Sam.
In "StudANT Council". she shows can even spit some fire into the M-I-C. Even though she didn't write the rap in-universe, she didn't sound corny. And she, much like Sam, has moderate mic skills for a white girl.
Extremely Short Timespan: You'd be surprised at how many episodes noticibly take place over the course of just one day. Notable aversions are "SciANTs Fair", "TheReplacemANT" and "PerformANTs" and few other earlier episodes. While many other episodes take place in a day or two, with most of the episode taking place one day and the final scene being the next day.
Extreme Omnivore: In the first episode, Chyna and Olive hide in what they think is Chyna's locker, and Olive eats what she thinks is a cupcake. Eventually...
Chyna: This is not my locker, and that's not a cupcake. Olive: That would explain the tail. (she holds up a rat's tail, then shrugs and eats it anyway)
Fat Bastard: Angus is starting to become one of these. This status has been cemented in Season 3 as he has gotten his germs all over Fletcher's bed, framed Fletcher for hacking (a serious crime), stole his retainer and used it as his own, and laughed hysterically when Fletcher fell through a chair.
555: In the "Save Gibson" episode, there's the number 555-0192.
Flashback Twist* In "EndurANTs", Chyna was recalling when she first met Fletcher. But everything is a bit off. Olive is dressed as Gibson (which she did but in a different episode) and botched his Welcome Catchphrase, Fletcher is carrying a scarecrow instead of a wax figure of Olive, to which Chyna says "that boy is carrying something" instead "that boy is carrying a dead body." Fletcher says gibberish instead of telling Chyna that she is beautiful, to which she replies "Dynamite" the song she sang in said episode.
Olive says that's not how it went, and asks is that how normal people remember stuff.
Fluffy the Terrible: The German Shepherd that Cameron tries to enter in a dog show is named Snuggles and is police attack dog.
While Lexi's dog isn't shown as being vicious, it's a huge Mastiff named Princess.
Freudian Excuse: "America Needs TalANT" tells us that the reason Lexi makes fun of Chyna is because she's secretly worried that she isn't as good as Chyna.
Gamer Chick: Olive in "ReplicANT". She surpasses Cameron's high score in Donkey King and would have won a Donkey King competition had a blackout not happened. And while her proficiency in that game is attributed to her super memory, she also easily handled having to play a live-action of the game staged by Cameron and Wacky the Wolf, complete with barrels, ladders, hammers and an apple for Bonus Points.
However, it is unknown if Olive is good at video games in which her memory would've be a factor, or whether or not she even plays any other games.
Its also left rather ambigous as to whether Cameron is only upset about having his Hi-Score beaten or upset about losing to Olive because she is a girl.
Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: In the pilot, After their fellow ANT is caught in the wave of passing by high schoolers, Fletcher said that they should save him, only for Olive to say he's gone, complete with a Bright Slap.
Glass Shattering Sound: Chyna does this in twice an episode. While Chyna might actually be able to do that, it's highly unlikely that she really did it in that episode since she shattered someone's eyeglasses.
Gilligan Cut: Subverted in one episode. Chyna refuses to do a music video in a string cheese costume. Cut to her brother on set in the costume. His face was blocked initially to invoke this trope.
Girlish Pigtails; Olive sports long girlish pigtails with bows that match her dress and even has to lollipop for her little girl disguise in "FraudulANT".
Lexi in "EndurANTs", when she poses as an ANT.
Good Cop/Bad Cop: Chyna suggests this to Olive in "FraudlANT" then Olive declines, but still does it after Chyna's attempt at taking the nice route doesn't work. Olive even threatens the criminal with violence.
Got Me Doing It: The "air quotes" from Chyna's favorite show, High Heels High. First Chyna does it, then later her dad gets in on the act:
Zanko: How dare you accuse Zanko of stealing?! Chyna: Because Zanko is guilty of stealing! Chyna was there and Chyna knows the truth! Why is Chyna talking in the third person? Olive: Olive thinks it sounds cool.
Hammerspace Hair: Gibson keeps, among other things, licorice, fresh tissues and corn cobs in his hair.
Happy Birthday To You: Chyna stopped Olive from singing it and tells her that she knows how it goes. Lexi also does this to Paisley later on in the same episode.
In "ClairvoyANT", Chyna received an award from Principal Skidmore for singing it to her, offscreen of course.
High School: The show uses Webster High for the setting of most episodes. Justified as the premise of the show is gifted middle school kids attending high school. It has lockers, one main hallway with a large staircase and at least a couple of minor hallways. It also has a few normal classrooms includingscience lab classroom, Home Ec, the Ant Farm, and what looks to be a makeshift auditorium. Only a few episodes take place entirely outside of school and that was during their summer vacation.
It is unknown whether or not Webster High is named for Webster the 80's sitcom, or for a different Webster.
Honor Before Reason: Chyna trying to correct her A-that-should-have-been-an-F in the episode with the "High Heels High" episode.
Chyna: Would you guys please stop saying stuff that makes us sound like little kids? [beat] Ooh, cookies!
Cameron: Chyna, you always exaggerate. You exaggerate like a million times a day.
Olive: I'm only scared of the really scary stuff. For example, I'm not scared of spiders. Like that one at the back of your neck? No biggie. Cameron: That's not a spider. That's a birthmark. Olive: AAAAAAAAAAAAH! BIRTHMARK!
Cameron: Can we move on to something not dumb & childish?… Ooh, dinosaur balloons!
Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: Every episode title has "ANT" in it somewhere in capital letters. They also do this when the word that "ANT" is a part of isn't pronounced as it normally would be such as "You're the One That I wANT".
While most Idol Singers are marketed for looks over vocal ability, or that they get acting jobs due to being a good singer. But a teacher lampshades this when he says "I knew you could sing but your acting skills, wow!"
And Lexi is known for her acting skills in high school musicals, being cast as the lead in nearly everything, even if she is cast in a role meant for a male actor.
Innocent Prodigy: Despite her intellect, Olive is very much a child. Chyna is able to trick Olive into spending the night in the "haunted locker" (to prove it's not haunted) by leading her to the school blindfolded. Olive believes she's in Chyna's house playing a game of Pin The Tail on the Donkey.
Also when she has to go back to kindergarten for losing her memory, which at the time of her grade demotion, came back, she enjoys being in the same class as 5-year olds in order to "get away from the big kids" as she puts it.
Karma Houdini: Possibly Lexi in the episode when she and Cameron find Principal Skidmore's phone. In the end, Cameron is punished by his father, however Skidmore says she will deal with Lexi later. After Lexi walks away, Skidmore realizes her phone is insured and gets rid of it anyway and walks off. There is a good chance Lexi gets off scott-free, but maybe not considering how cruel Skidmore is.
In "You're the One That I wANT", Lexi says to Fletcher that if she sabotages the play, everyone will suspect her, so she talks Fletcher into doing her dirty work. During the play, its Lexi who sabotages the play while operating the spotlight, in plain sight to everyone. Not only does she get away with it, no one seems to care who the culprit is.
She even says "this is worst news ever" with a smile on her face. Yet no one catches on.
However, she does mention getting rid of Chyna would be blamed on her, but getting rid of Jared would be blamed on Fletcher, even if she does it. But no blame is placed on Fletcher either. So they both are.
In one episode, Cameron dislikes being "locker buddies" with the admittedly irritating Olive, so he fools her into believing the locker is haunted by a ghost because she has a phobia of ghosts. He procceeds to milk this for all it's worth, even laughing about how fun it is. At the end, when he's found out, he pays no consequence whatsoever for basically bullying someone with a phobia.
Leaning on the Fourth Wall: In "CANTonese Style Cuisine", Goo Goo tells Chyna "don't bother with the birthday song, people just like hearing-" and then gets cut off by the theme song.
Chyna: What is Gibson's idea of a perfect date? Gibson: November 3rd! [Laugh Track]
All the main trio have at least one moment of this.
Olive: It's blueberry yogurt. *beat* You said to look natural and the label said all-natural.
Lexi: Chyna, you may be an ant, but you need to sound like a wolf! Chyna: Okay. *makes dog noises*
Fletcher: You told me to paint what's on the inside. Chyna: I didn't mean her skeleton!
Olive also did this when Chyna didn't study for her science test and Chyna says that since Olive memorized the entire book, and asks her to tell her everything in the book. Olive proceeds to recite the inner cover including the special thanks and copywrite info.
Paisley is this most of, if not all of the time, but a striking example was in the Christmas Episode when she and Lexi were hired to be gift-wrappers, and she showed up to work dressed as a Rapper, then says "lemme get a beet!"
Little Boy Seeks Big Girl: Fletcher occasionally tends to forget about Chyna when he's around Paisley, especially whenever Paisley hugs Fletcher. One such example (from the pilot no less) happens to be the pictured example on the Tropes page.
Love at First Sight: Fletcher had been this for Chyna when she came to the A.N.T. program in the 1st episode to the point that he even said "You're beautiful."
Lyrical Dissonance: Chyna wrote a few songs like this. First, when she and Fletcher are trying to get Gibson to stop from hanging out with them so much.The tempo and melody are upbeat and happy, however the lyrics are quite dark. She says things like, "...feed him fatty foods till his heart explodes" and "dehydrating his skin and make Gibson-jerky"
And again when she form a phony children's band in which the band is dress in stuffed animal costumes. Although someof the songs are safe but just plain odd such as "You Gotta Wear Pants in Public" and "Don't Go Potty in the Tub". However, there is a song with an up-tempo Punk Rock melody that even has a Gothic teen saying "Wow, they're dark."
"When you're doing crafts with art supplies, Don't run with scissors, its not too wise You can stab your chest, your arms, your thighs, You could lose one or even both your eyes."
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: After the A.N.T. are seen complaining about the faulty climate control of the school, Chyna asks Principal Skidmore to cut something unnecessary from the school budget. She, in-turn, fires Gibson and they spend the rest of the episode trying to raise the money to re-hire him.
In "ConfinemANT", Olive sees the school's budget sheets, and notices that Principal Skidmore is cutting the art and music programs to use the money for renovations for her office. However, Olive tells the schoolboard this, only for Skidmore to tell her that the money for her office would be used to fund art and music, not the other way around. If it the ANTs didn't try to save the day, they wouldn't have lost the programs.
Also, from the same episode, Chyna does this when she sings a song to save the day. When she's done singing, the Chairman of the Board, says "Wow, you are incredibly good as music. Clearly there is nothing we can teach you."
Pauly D and Jersey Shore as a whole in the "America Needs TalANT" episode with Nicky G. and "Yo, I'm from Jersey".
Can't really call Corey Delaney a celeb, but they did parody him "EndurANTs". For those of you who don't know him, he is famous for hosting a 500 person house party while his parents were away. It was global news mainly because of how he was highly unapologetic for any chaos that ensued and the subsequent damage. It cost his parents over $20,000, and that was just for the police. He was shown with Neville near the beginning of the episode with Corey's exact look, including his hairstyle and color, hat, shades, and jacket with no shirt on underneath.
When Lexi tried to trap Olive in a room with a bear, Principal Skidmore shows ups and subdues the bear while only suffering a few minor scratches.
When Chyna falls in to a shark tank, Olive saves her, from two sharks offscreen, and even manages to do so without getting Chyna's hair wet.
Chyna mentions that Olive and Fletcher once put together a "...scheme to take down Vegas". Probably would've made for an entertaining episode to say the least, but there is no way Disney would write an episode about breaking the law and seemingly getting away with it. Makes you wonder what they did and how they failed.
Our Vampires Are Different: In "MutANT Farm", Cameron attempts to kill Vampire Fletcher with garlic, then with a stake, then with holy water: In order, Fletcher points out that vampires love garlic, effortlessly takes the stake from Cameron's hand and shrugs off the holy water.
Padding: In-universe, Olive's autobiography is bigger than her, but apparently contains very minor details.
Pet the Dog: Frequent designated antagonist figures on the show, Lexi and Cameron, have some from time to time.
Subverted once, however. When Cameron and Lexi found Principal Skidmore's cell phone, Lexi's initial reaction was that they should return it, which is probably the one nice thing she's ever even considered doing. However, Cameron talked her out of it.
Police Brutality: In "The InformANT", a midget police officer called 3-9 is seen beating a thuggish looking man. As the man runs away, the officer goes on to say "That'll teach you to double park!" He is later seen beating another person up, probably for another minor "crime".
As a 60's backup singer (along with Violet), dressed in attire similar to that of The Supremes.
Dressed as Marie Antoinette, the tragically famous former Queen of France.
Angus wanting to marry Olive.
Sand In My Eyes: Subverted by Daryl. He tears up about Chyna being old enough to go out with a boy, unsupervised. He says that their is tear-gas in the riot uniform Chyna is wearing. But then he wipes his eyes with her sleeve only to realize it does have tear-gas on it. Happens later while watching a Chick Flick on the couch.
Sarcastic Confession: Not completely a confession, but in this exchange with Lexi's Pageant Judge in which his trying to convince her that he is an eldery man that Lexi takes care of. He gives a bit of evidence that reveals his isn't an old man.
Cameron: I lived here before they finished building the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937. I can still hear the sound of all 1.2 million rivets being put in. Mrs. Busby: Wow, You can remember that? Cameron: Like I read it in a book this afternoon.
When you realize that an elderly man reading about something that was alive for is pretty unlikely, but a sophomore in high school is very likely to have read that as part of his classwork, more than likely, that very same afternoon, and that Cameron isn't smart enough to remember something like that longer than a few hours, it just adds to the hilarity and confirms it's a confession.
In Modeling AssignmANT, Angus helps Cameron look muscular by pumping up a bouncing house under his clothes. When Vanessa finally sees Cameron and comments on how well-built he is, Cameron says, you don't get muscles like these but inflating some balloon suit under your clothes.
Screw Yourself: Lexi, at the end of "idANTity crisis". G-rated version.
Separate Scene Storytelling: Chyna and Angus do this in "Body of EvidANTs" while retelling what happened to Olive's toy.
Serious Business: Donkey King is serious business to Cameron and Olive, Cameron says "for years you've been going to Chyna's concerts, recitals, award presentations; finally I do something that eclipses all of that, and you not even gonna come."
He also setup a real-life Donkey King simulation to keep her from competing in the tournament.
Olive memorized over 10,000 game patterns and subsequently gets the high score. Although that was easy for her to do. She still took the live game and arcade game seriously and was furious about being setup and her score getting wiped out because of a blackout.
Ship Tease: Fletcher/Chyna, Paisley/Fletcher, and even Cameron/Lexi.
Fletcher/Chyna even moreso now, starting in "EndurANTs".
The tune Fletcher hums while making a puppet of Chyna play the trumpet sounds alot like the original Super Mario theme.
On "America Needs TalANT", Lexi, upon hearing Paisley tell her she is going to be on a Game Show, tells Paisley that she is not smarter than a 5th Grader. A show that the actress playing Paisley's teammate for the show, Sierra McCormick was previously on said show.
"The InformANT" has a midget police officer disguise as a new student. When they ask of his name, he says it's Charlie. When they asked for his last name, he says it's Brown.
Cameron names the cat he disguises as a dog to enter and win a dog show, Snoop Dogg.
Olive goes Mr. Crocker (complete with looking like a female Mr. Crocker) on her classmates by the 2nd half of the episode "The ReplacemANT" as the substitute teacher, complete with this quote:
Olive: You know what funny starts with? F!
As of "Some EnchANTed Evening", Chyna and Fletcher's friendship/relationship is now similar to Lizzie and Gordo's from Lizzie McGuire.
While the entire A plot of "EndurANTs" is a Shout Out to Crocodile Dundee and the Crocodile Hunter, when Australian Gibson disapears mere seconds after he is off-camera and Chyna says's "I hate when he does that" is a direct Shout Out to Mick, who does that often enough for a fellow bushman to say that line in the third movie.
"ANTswers" features many parodies of viral internet videos, such as Charlie Bit My Finger, Keyboard Cat, Trolololo, and Dramatic Chipmunk. YMMV on whether they are affectionate parodies or take thats.
"ContestANTs" has a twofer when Olive suggest they decide who gets her as a teammate by playing France France Revolution, Lexi thinks she's referring to the actual game, Dance Dance Revolution, but Olive means The French Revolution and even dresses as Marie Antoinette and throws cake at Lexi's and Chyna's face, (but, of course, doesn't hit Chyna) while they are in stocks.
The asteroid from ClairvoyANTS is supposed to be the same one from Wizardsvs.Asteroid; both episodes had the same original air date.
The episode InfluANTes is full of shout outs. For one the obvious rare yet nicely done shout out to Black History Month and Chyna imagining herself as Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, and Janet Jackson then later paying homage to each of them while singing Exceptional.
Other shout outs include Finesse Mitchell playing Michael Jackson, Angus as John Landis, and Chyna says 5,4,3,2,1 which is a direct shout to Rhythm Nation, And YMMV on Carlon Jeffrey being Tito Jackson.
Angus's presentation is on Mark Dean.
Shouldn't We Be In School Right Now?: Averted mostly. Nearly every episode takes place at school, with a few episodes taking place over summer vacation in Season 2. However, there are times when they're at school when the question might be "Shouldn't we be learning right now?" Especially when they sometimes leave the school during what sometimes appears to be school time and come back to the school.
Principal Skidmore doesn't help it by forcing some of them to do non-school related activities, such as Fletcher paint her in PhANTom Locker and stomping grapes to make grape juice in IgnorANTs is Bliss.
Sleep Walking: Olive does this during a slumber party. While sleepwalking she makes rooster noises, plays golf and sleep-knits, and isn't aware that she sleepwalks.
Special Edition Title: MutANT Farm which re-did the opening with organ music and Halloween style graphics.
A.N.T. Farm also has some similarities to Smart Guy (also produced by Disney, but aired on Disney Channel only in reruns after its WB run ended): both series focus on a tween who skips from elementary/middle school to high school, with the lead attending the same school as their Book Dumb older brother, employ the Three Amigos format (compare T.J., Marcus and Mo, with Chyna, Olive and Fletcher) and include a Cloudcuckoolander best friend character (compare Mo, with Paisley and to some extent, Olive).
Stalker with a Crush: Fletcher and Angus both exhibit this with Chyna and Olive respectively. Although Angus doesn't seem that bad, yet. However he is a tech-savvy hacker, so who knows.
Stop Helping Me!: Chyna pretty much tells this to Angus in "Modeling AssignmANT during Cameron and Vanessa's date in a fake hot-air balloon.
Fletcher: It's not like I stayed up all night making wax sculptures of you.
(in a later episode) Olive: Where's Chyna? She's supposed to be helping me with this. Fletcher: How would I know? It's not like I sewed a GPS transmitter to the lining of her backpack so I could track her every move.
Sustained Misunderstanding: Lexi is unaware of a fellow cheerleader's birthday since she never received her invitation. When she stopped trying to find out why, her Dumb Blonde friend Paisley says she has to deliver an invitation to someone named "IX 37" and assume its a robot. When Lexi sees the name, she realizes that Paisley had the envelope, which says LEXI, turned upside-down. When she tells Paisley, Paisley replies, "I didn't know my best friend was a robot!"
Swapped Roles: The point of the "MutANT Farm" Halloween Special, except instead of two people swapping roles, the entire social order of the school is changed, with the ANTs (cast as traditional Halloween monsters) being the most popular kids in the school and the regular kids like Lexi, Paisley and Cameron, being the outcasts. The main plot of the episode even mirrors the situation presented in "StudANT Council", with all of the monster kids throwing a school dance and excluding the regular kids.
"Wow, that was so sweet, I'm worried about my blood sugar!"
Teens Are Short: Played straight with the ANTs, being that their preteens(being played by actors that are 13-15 years old) going to a high school, and not only are they shorter than every adult, but also most if not all regular high school students. Paisley and Lexi are taller than the ANTs but narrowly avert this compared to Principal Skidmore who is about their height. While all extras who are high school students are, for the most part, taller than the ANTs. Except for Cameron.
Also played straight with Cameron, whose actor is 19 years old, yet about the same height as his sister, who has to be at least three years younger, while their father is over 6 feet tall, and the mother is also taller than both kids, but not exactly tall. Gibson is around the same height as Chyna's father.
The Cameo: R2-D2 and C3PO show up in in one episode. Likely to get a test run for Disney's new acquisition of the license.
Unlimited Wardrobe: MadamGoo Goo. Lampshaded, of course. She pairs it with the ability to change her outfit in the two seconds it takes her to walk through a door.
The Voiceless: Wacky the Wolf never speaks and when Lexi impersonates Wacky, talking nearly blows her cover.
You Look Familiar: Madam Goo Goo and Winter Maddox are the played by the same actress. Zibby Allen.
Zany Scheme: Not relied upon, but they do make use of them.
Lexi's attempts to find out why she was not invited to a popular friend's Birthday Party.
When they try to retrieve Fletcher's painting from Zanko.
Lexi and Cameron's scheme to help Lexi keep her most recent pageant crown. While not that zany, it is definitely noteworthy for being an unusual plan. It gets Zany when the real Cameron is required to make an appearance for the pageant rep so she can talk to him and his disguised persona at the same time.
Pretty much the entire plot of "PerformANTs" complete with crazy costumes, convenient disguises, a song that is thought up at a moment's notice to keep their story straight that also contains a freestyle rap, and a singing perfomance meant to fool her mother that has some choreography.
Cameron's B-Plot even could be considered zany. He needs to get Lexi a backstage pass. But backstage passes are for employees only. What does Cam do? He grabs a help wanted sign and poses as a tattoo artist.
Subverted in "Creative Consultant" when Olive and Angus show up to save Chyna, who is suspended above a shark tank, Olive mentions how dolphins have been known to save humans from shark attacks, and while Chyna's rope is snapping away little by little, says "...so all we need is a dolphin, and Angus proceeds to order one, online. Time quickly runs out before he can make the purchase, and Olive saves Chyna with an Offscreen Moment of Awesome.
Lampshaded in "Early RetiremANT" when she gets Skidmore back as the Principal so her Grandmother won't be principal anymore.
Grammy: If that's how you felt, why didn't you just tell me? Chyna:I didn't want to hurt your feelings? Grammy: So instead you make up and elaborate scheme to get rid of me? Chyna: I make up elaborate schemes when I'm stressed.
Zettai Ryouiki: Chyna sometimes wears grade B. That's pretty impressive for a middle schooler...
Especially considering Lexi and Paisley rarely sports this trope and when they do its Grade C or D.
Principal Skidmore wears grade C while dressed as a Catholic schoolgirl. Just add Brain Bleach.
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