Subverted Rhyme Every Occasion / Western Animation

Subverted Rhymes in western animation TV.

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• The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius: In "Return of the Nanobots", Cindy recites her poem to the class, but the last line in her poem doesn't rhyme. However, she still gets applauded for it.
  "And somewhere, men are laughing.
  "And somewhere, children shout."
  "But there is no joy in Retroville."
  "Because Jimmy is an idiot!"
• In The Angry Beavers episode "Yak in the Sac", the Cloud Cuckoo Lander Yak (a parody of Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat) attempts to ensnare the beavers by having them speak in rhymes. Norbert is in his thrall already, but Dagget resists:
  Yak: You sure are a clever guy. Now just follow Nob and I
  Norb: Dag I think you're really neat
  I like to sit and watch you eat
  It's cold in here, turn up the—
  Dag: He—music.
  Yak: LET'S TRY AGAIN! Let's not cast blame, but this time Dag, just say your name!
  Norb: It looks like a good baguette, please give some to brother—
  Dag: Da—your name.
• Animaniacs:
  • From "Dot's Poetry Corner".
    Dot: Beans, beans, the musical fruit.
    The more you eat, the more you get kicked off the air for finishing this poem.
  • Lampshaded in the song Here Comes Attila:
    Chorus: Come on back; farewell, Attila
    Ate three ox, and got his fill-a
    He wore shorts made of chinchilla
    His favorite ice cream was strawberry.
    Yakko: What can I say? It's not a perfect world.
• The "Baxter Day" song from the Arthur Christmas Special Arthur's Perfect Christmas has this— "We could just sleep late if that's what we wanted to do. We could even stay in pajamas all day and maybe eat a snack or... five."
• From the Bagpuss song "The Boney King of Nowhere":
  ...Two mice came up from somewhere behind their Royal chum
  They said, Dear King
  Here is a thing
  To warm the royal...
  And stop you feeling numb
  (For the non-British: the missing word is 'bum', which means 'bottom'.)
• Beached Az has the song sung to the stingray.
  So now you know your problem you can deal with your emotion,
  and have a better life when you return to the...sea
• Beavis and Butt-Head:
  • In one episode the boys visit a cafe with a stage, and Butt-Head steps in and says some rhymes.
    There was once a man from Venus, with a rocket ship for a…uhh...wiener.
  • The episode, "At the Movies", when a cop shoots his foot and Butt-Head picks up the toes:
    This little piggy went to market,
    This little piggy stayed home,
    This little piggy had roast beef,
    And this little piggy shot a big-ass hole through his foot.
• From Bojack Horseman:
  Carolyn's Date: I'm the only albino rhino gyno I know!
  Princess Carolyn: Oh, great, you're also a wine addict!
• This kind of gag turned up in the Bump in the Night episode "Neat and Clean".
  Germ: Yeah, why do we wanna be neat and clean for? We're smart...
  Germ Girl: We got kind hearts.
  Germ: So what if we kinda smell like—
  Squishington: Wait!
• Central Park:
  • In Season 1 "Garbage Ballet", in the song "Manager to Manger". It also inverts the usual gag with this trope as the failed rhyme was even more profane than the expected rhyme.
    Esposito: Look I'd really like to help you
    But this isn't gonna work
    My orders they come straight from the mayor
    And he's being such a... penis-face.
    Birdie: Why didn't you just say jerk? It would've rhymed.
  • In Season 1 "A Fish Called Snakehead", when Owen is singing "Hellfish":
  It breathes air like a toad
  And it lurks in the muck
  If the hellfish is really there
  Then the pond might be... screwed
• At the end of Dan Vs. "Ye Olde Shakespeare Dinner Theatre," Dan gloats over his victory thusly:
  "I've made you cry, your theatre is burnt!
  It lies in ruin, plain for all to see
  And now it seems your lesson has been learnt
  That should teach you not to mess with DAN!"
• The Fairly OddParents!:
  • An episode lampshades this, with Timmy being sent to the planet Yugopotamia, which has been conquered by the Gigglepies, an alien species that wear cuteness and rhyming as a hat. When Timmy inquires to their overlord about what they will do to their planet:
  Overlord: We'll do what we always do, blow the planet up and move on to the next one! ISN'T THAT CUTE?
  Timmy: That's horrible! And it didn't rhyme!
  Overlord: [to the Gigglepies] He's on to us! GET HIM.
  • Another example comes from "Merry Wishmas"
    I didn't get what I wanted for Christmas
    Not one thing that was on my list
    Things under our tree
    That we never wanted to see
    And at Santa, we're all really... mad!
  • On one of the Oh Yeah! Cartoons shorts:
    Roses are red
    Violets are blue
    Sugar is sweet
    And you guys have been nominated for outstanding godparenting at this year's Zappy Awards!
• Family Guy:
  • From "Brian Sings and Swings":
    Brian: I love the work of Allen Funt.
    Stewie: Or a nicely shaven leg.
  • And again, in "Road to Europe":
    Brian: 'Cause you get a kick out of carnage and guts.
    Stewie: And you get a kick out of stroking your—
    Brian: Whoa, whoa! You can't say that on TV.
    Stewie: What, "ego"?
    Brian: Never mind.
  • In Stewie and Brian's song at the Emmys:
    Brian: Now, The Sopranos is a show I recommend.
    Stewie: Because you never know just how it's gonna—[cut to black screen]
  • Peter does this in a scene where he is imagining he's in an '80s sitcom.
    Peter: My black son, my black son / Now everyday my heart is getting bigger / Don't even remember sleeping with that lady / But I did...
  • An ad on FX in the UK for the Christmas episode "Road to the North Pole" has this in the last lines of the advert..
    Voice-over: An all-singing, all-dancing Christmas selection / It's so good that you might get an e-xtra mince pie from mum!
• In the Futurama episode "The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings," after the Robot Devil reveals that he tricked Leela into agreeing to marry him:
  Leela: That isn't what I meant!/That isn't what I signed!
  Robot Devil: You should have checked the wording in the fiiine!...priiint!
• Garfield and Friends: 47's told in verse, except the last line which is not. Don't worry, folks, he wouldn't curse, but see the twist this cat hath...made:
  Garfield: And now, this tale I must suspend / For I have come to...the finish.

  "Fit For A King"
• The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy
  • Billy and Irwin sing a song like this in the episode "Go Kart 3000":
    We built this car
    All by ourselves,
    If you don't like it
    You can go to... heck!
  • There's also this classic gem.
    Sassy Cat, Sassy Cat, full of sass, full of sass, if you don't like it you can kiss her BUTT!
• In the "Ghost Bride" episode of Hey Arnold! when Arnold reads the tombstone:
  Epitaph: Here lies Cynthia Snell.
  She lived her life and went straight to—
  Arnold: Huh. I can't read the rest.
• Grojband:
  • The song "Running from the Puppets" from the episode "No Strings Attached" features this gem.
  "Their noses are plastic but I fear they can smell"
  "Their eyes are like windows... STRAIGHT INTO HEEEEEEEE-CK"
  • A similar instance occurs in the song "B.O. Away" from the episode "Bee Bop A Loofah". Sadly, this one was Bowdlerized when the show's songs were released on iTunes, replacing it with "don't forget to—shut the front the door".
  "If it's a smell test that you wanna pass"
  "Scrub your feet, wash your pits, and don't forget your—GLUTEUS MAX!"
• Done in the Johnny Test episode "Johnny Applesauce" during its musical number at one point:
  Dukey: Well she tried a zillion plans
  But none did the trick
  Johnny kept on throwing apples,
  Making her look like a total fool. Heh heh!
• Kaeloo: Parodied in one episode when Mr. Cat is singing a rap song with words ending in "uck".
  Mr. Cat: I really couldn't give a f-
  Kaeloo: MISTER CAT!
  Mr. Cat: I meant truck! Firetruck!
• Littlest Pet Shop (2012): The male pets have a song about how great it is being a guy (as the girls are having a girls' day out). During the song, Sunil has a hard time coming up with a rhyme in time.
  Sunil: If you're a guy,
  You can spend all your time
  In a coat and a tie
  Singing lyrics that...sound very good with the other lyrics...
  Oh, what can I say, musical theater was never my strong suit.
• Looney Tunes Cartoons: In "Drum Schtick", the jazz song that Daffy tricked Elmer Fudd into singing ends like this.
  Elmer Fudd: Tried to reason with the loon, but he just won't stop!
  He's polluting mother nature with that old bebop!
  So lay off the skins, stop pounding your kit!
  Cause this syncopated rhythm is making me lose my...
  (Angrish) MIIIND!
• The Looney Tunes Show: The "Parade Float" Merrie Melodies music video (part of "Gribbler's Quest") gives us these lyrics:
  "Parade Float
  It hits curbs a bunch,
  Parade Float,
  It eats hybrids for lunch,
  Parade Float,
  Just don't try to pass,
  Parade Float,
  Or he'll flatten your car!"
• The Loud House:
  • In "A Tale of Two Tables", Lana sings, "Beans, beans, the musical fruit. The more you eat, the more you..." and then makes armpit fart sounds.
  • In "11 Louds a' Leapin", Luna sings something about a Christmas list, and is about to rhyme it with "If I don't get my prezzies, I'm gonna get—" but then Mr. Grouse interrupts.
• The Maxx does this after becoming trapped in a cartoon. He speaks in rhyme throughout the entire sequence, until:
  To be first in the soil which erupts in a coil
  Of trees, vines, and grasses all brought to a boil
  Wait, it's different somehow 'cause this land isn't mine
  And my brain has been freed, I'm not thinking in...poetry stuff.
• Merrie Melodies: During the title song of "She Was An Acrobat's Daughter", in place of the expected line that would rhyme with "Her muscles would swell up like yeast", the public service announcement "Please do not spit on the floor" is shown, and the audience sings along with it.
• From Milo Murphy's Law, jwhen the school's cheerleaders visit Milo in the hospital:
  Cheerleaders: Milo, Milo, get well soon/Your presence today was very supportive!
  Cheerleader 1: ...Yeah, we wrote that one in the hall.
• The theme song of Muppet Babies (2018) uses this.
  Singer: Kermit loves adventure, Miss Piggy is a star. Summer loves to paint and Fozzie's jokes are—
  Fozzie: Wocka Wocka!
  Kermit: Hey, that doesn't even rhyme!
  Singer: Animal's on drums, Gonzo's off in a flash. Everybody duck, 'cause I think he's gonna—
  Miss Nanny: Is everything alright out here?
  Muppet Babies: Yes, Ms. Nanny.
• My Gym Partner's a Monkey:
  • The second verse of the theme song:
    Adam: Bull shark! Porcupine! I don't know what!
    Going to this school's a pain in the—
    Jake: Adam!
    Adam: What? I was gonna say "neck."
    Jake: Oh. That's okay, then.
  • This trope becomes a plot point in "Animal School Musical." After Jake wishes that the entire school would be transformed into a permanent musical world, he gets a solo: "I Got No Rhyme." The song is about his complete lack of rhyming ability or rhythm, so naturally, every verse ends with the wrong word ("I'm out of step and I don't belong / 'Cause when I try to stick my head in / I just ruin every...wallet"). Unfortunately, the only way to break the spell is Jake learning how to rhyme...
• My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic:
  • In "Simple Ways", where Rarity falls for travel pony Trenderhoof, but Trenderhoof has a fascination with Applejack. Rarity tries to act like Applejack to win him over. We hear this gem from Trenderhoof:
    Without farm life, there'd be much disparity
    These thoughts I think with great clarity
    Apples high to the sky,
    She's the one of my eye!
    That fruit-hauling pony named... Applejack!
  • In one episode Rarity says "Without this key hidden stitch, (the headdress) is just a..." but then says "I'm trying to think of a nicer way to say 'big bummer'."
  • In "A Health of Information", Zecora gets a disease called "swamp fever". She wishes Fluttershy and Twilight good luck on their quest, then says, "I'll try not to be... worried."
• Thirteen from Numberblocks once said “I jump through a hoop, and step in the… puddle.”
• Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero: Sashi's segment of the "North Pole Down" song.
  Yes, we're breaking out of here for Christmas!
  I won't be trapped by cages, bars, or walls!
  When I get out, I'll make the bad guys pay!
  I'll fight and punch and kick them in the... knees.
• Briefly discussed in the Phineas and Ferb episode "Moon Farm". At some point offscreen, the kids visited the Dead Sea and discovered a long-lost verse from the "Hey Diddle Diddle" Nursery Rhyme:
  Phineas: Hey Diddle Diddle / The cat and the fiddle / The cow jumped over the moon / Due to the moon's low gravity / The moon-jumping cow's milk produced the best-tasting ice cream ever! That last verse didn't rhyme, so they left it out in most versions. Ferb and I are going to the moon to see if it's true!
• Pinky and the Brain:
  • An episode set in medieval times with Pinky as a minstrel constantly missing obvious rhymes. In the climax, Brain must choose between providing the right rhyme or completing the spell that will allow him to take over the world. Guess what he does.
  • Another episode has Brain trying to write a musical. He gets stuck trying to rhyme the word "June" despite obvious inspiration all around him. He decides to change the word to "April". Later in the episode, we hear the song he was writing, and discover that somehow he had failed to notice that he already had several dozen rhymes for "June" all sung in a row leading up to "April". And then he doesn't even bother to rhyme "April"!
• Pinky, Elymra and the Brain contains a song with these lyrics:
  Romance,
  A chance
  To jump in someone else's arms!
• The Musical Recap of ReBoot's 3rd season features these lyrics:
  Actor Dot: But Megabyte betrayed Bob and
  He threw him deep inside the pit
  The pit was closed
  and Bob was hosed
  and all that he could say was
  Actor Bob: Noooo!
• Happens in Rocko's Modern Life as Rocko, Heffer, and Filburt are in a mishmash of fairy tales.
  Filburt: (as a giant) Fee fi fo fum... something stinks!
• This pops in an episode of Ruby Gloom.
  Poe: The bats will not harm you, I told them, "Let pass!" The ghouls are a problem, best watch your... ...Em... bottom...
• The Sheep in the Big City episode "Wish You Were Shear" featured a sketch where Private Public and General Specific attempt to do a rap, but General Specific keeps getting the last word wrong.
  Private Public: If you want seconds, just say please! We'll fill your plate with macaroni and—
  General Specific: Sauce!
• The Simpsons:
  • "30 Minutes over Tokyo":
    Homer Simpson: I once knew a man from Nantucket...
    Bart: And?
    Homer: Let's just say the stories about him are greatly exaggerated.
  • There once was a rapping tomato. That's right, I said rapping tomato. He rapped all day, from April to May...and also, guess what, it was me.
  • Also from "Fat Man and Little Boy" with its own version of 'Miss Susie' with Homer eavesdropping:
    Lisa and Jamie: [singing and rhyming] Miss Lucy had a steamboat, the steamboat had a bell. Miss Lucy went to Heaven and the steamboat went to—
    Homer: [Gasps]
    Lisa and Jamie: Hello operator, get me number 9, and if you disconnect me, I'll chop off your be—
    Homer: [more gasps]
    Lisa and Jamie: —hind the refrigerator, there was a piece of glass, Miss Lucy sat upon it and cut her big, fat-
    Homer: [gasps, then passes out]
    Lisa and Jamie: Ask me no more questions, I'll tell you no more—
    [Lisa gets hit by a spitball]
    Lisa: Ow! Spitballs!
  • And from "Bart Sells His Soul":
    Sherri and Terri: Bart sold his soul, and that's just swell,
    Now he's going straight to...
    Hello, operator, give me number nine.
  • In "Homer Loves Flanders", there's a football player named Stan "The Boy" Taylor.
    Crowd: STAN! STAN! HE'S OUR BOY! IF HE CAN'T DO IT, NO ONE...[Beat] WILL!
  • In an early episode, Krusty's child literacy campaign is entitled "Give a hoot, Read a book!" That one takes a while to spot.
  • Have no fear, SpringShield's present!
  • Homer's exclamation "D'oh!" famously appears in the scripts as "(annoyed grunt)." This has lead to a Running Gag of episode titles with obvious puns including "D'oh" having the stage direction in them instead, i.e. "E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)."
• South Park:
  • Wendy Testaburger does a version of the "Miss Susie" song in "Something You Can Do With Your Finger".
    Mrs. Landers was a health nut. She cooked food in a wok.
    Mr. Harris was her boyfriend, and he had a great big
    Cock-a-doodle-doodle, the rooster just won't quit
    And I don't want my breakfast, because it tastes like
    Shih Tzus make good house pets. They're cuddly and sweet.
    Monkeys aren't good to have, because they like to beat their
    Meeting in the office or meeting in the hall,
    The boss, he wants to see you so you can suck his
    Balzac was a writer, he lived with Allen Funt
    Mrs. Roberts didn't like him, but that's 'cause she's a
    Contaminated water can really make you sick.
    Your bladder gets infected, and blood comes out your
    Dictate what I'm saying, 'cause it will bring you luck
    And if you all don't like it, I don't give a flying fuck.
  • From "Royal Pudding"
    "The Giant" a.k.a. Scott the Giant Dick: [deep voice] FEE! FI! FO! FUM! I SMELL KRAFT DINNER!
  • South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut contains the Big Gay Al song "I'm Super", which refrains from using the word "gay" until the Truck Driver's Gear Change final chorus.
  • Also from The Movie:
    When Brian Boitano traveled through time
    To the year three-thousand-ten,
    He fought the evil robot king
    And saved us all again
    When Brian Boitano built the pyramids
    He beat up Kubla Khan,
    'Cause Brian Boitano doesn't take shit from an - y bo - dy...
• Steven Universe:
  • The show's Theme Tune can feel like a subverted rhyme, depending on where you mentally put the line breaks. If you break after "people of this world," the last line is "believe in Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl," and the "and Steven!" is Steven tacking himself on where he doesn't belong. But if you break after "believe in," then "Steven" rhymes perfectly. The rhythm of the song allows for either, while the title sequence visuals imply the first interpretation before the opening changes, and the second after.
  • From the episode "Coach Steven", during Pearl's song:
    And can't you see that she's out of control and over-zealous?
    I'm telling you for your own good, and not because I'm—
    (Pearl blushes, then moves on to the next line of the song)
  • In "Mr. Greg", the eponymous song abruptly ends when Pearl refuses to dance with Greg:
    Greg: You're having fun!
    Pearl: More or less.
    Greg: (takes her) So dance with me, just say-
    Pearl: (pulls away) No!
• The Super Why! songs about Woofster has a chorus with verses that end with "strong" and "word". They don't even remotely rhyme.
• In the Thomas & Friends song "Sir Topham Hatt":
  His name is Sir Topham Hatt,
  Some people say he's *ahem* stout.
• This one in Tiny Toon Adventures, in a parody of "Casey at the Bat":
  Sylvester: Oh, somewhere in this favored land,
  the sun is shining bright.
  The band is playing somewhere,
  and, somewhere, hearts are light.
  And, somewhere, men are laughing,
  and somewhere, children shout,
  but there's no joy in Acme Acres.
  Mighty Buster has ... hit a home run!
  • Lampshaded by both Sylvester and Buster.
  Sylvester: Say! That's not the way the poem goes!
  Buster: You're expecting me to strike out? I'm the star of this show!
• In the Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015) episode "Mighty Big Trouble", Sideswipe attempts to apologize by reciting a poem.
  Sideswipe: Autobots are good
  Decepticons are bad
  I'm so very sorry
  That I made you...angry.
  Other Autobots: (silently stare at Sideswipe)
  Sideswipe: I couldn't think of anything that rhymes with "bad". What?
• In the 'Dad's A Spaz' episode of Waynehead when Damey accidentally bumped the Candy Machine and Toof eats a chocolate:
  Toof: I went somewhere down the hall
  I got Chocolate on the wall
  I wipe up, To make a mess
  If it's a job, We do... Uh, we do all the time?

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