JFK: I'm a Kennedy. I'm not accustomed to tragedy!
Gandhi: If there's one thing Mahatma Gandhi stands for, it's revenge!
Clone High (2002-2003) is an animated show parodying the Teen Drama, especially the Very Special Episode. (The American broadcast added "U.S.A." to the title.)The plot is pretty straightforward, being outlined at the beginning of every episode by the Expository Theme Tune. Way, way back in the 1980s, secret government employees dug up famous guys and ladies and made amusing genetic copies. Now the clones are sexy teens, now. They're gonna make it if they try. Loving, learning, sharing, judging. Time to laugh and shiver and cry. A time to watch Clone High.A Myth Arc is implied, wherein the Secret Board of Shadowy Figures that created the clones check up on the progress toward conditioning them into a super-strong and super-intelligent army. However, little progress is ever made in that, or in Principal Scudworth's plan of creating a clone-based amusement park called "Cloney Island", as the series was canceled in the US after less than a season. The rest of the season aired in Canada (home of the series' lead animation studio), and the out-of-print DVD was only released in the Canadian market. The large list of historical figure clones includes:
Abe Lincoln, the clumsy, lanky, nice-guy protagonist who is smitten with Cleopatra and constantly suffers physical abuse as he tries to live up to the original Abraham Lincoln's legacy.
Joan of Arc, an angstygoth clone of the original Joan of Arc, who is desperately in love with her best friend Abe, and can't seem to ever make him realize said infatuation.
JFK, the cocky Jerk Jock who macks on all the hot clone girls at school, and has a skewed perspective of the original John F. Kennedy as a "macho, womanizing stud who conquered the MOON!" Made even more hilarious by the fact that his foster parents are a male gay couple.
Cleopatra, the sexy, seductive horndog who fulfills the role of Alpha Bitch. Clone of Cleopatra VII (69-30 BC).
Afterschool Charisma is a story with a similar concept, but with less emphasis on comedy and more emphasis on how clonesare viewed by normal people.A lot of the humor comes from off-hand or irreverent historical references (like the scene where the clone of Buddy Holly invites Abe to ride on a broken-down plane along with Richie Valens, The Big Bopper, Jim Croce, and half of Lynyrd Skynyrd... all of whom had their real life counterparts die in plane crashes). ...Wesley.
As a show with a premise based on parody, it mocks quite a few tropes:
Word Of God even says that the janitor from Scrubs actually is named Glenn Matthews, and confirms that he got the name from the character from Clone High.
Animal Athlete Loophole: Lincoln directs a film called It Takes a Hero, based on the fact that "There's no rule that says a giraffe can't play football."
Inverted for the purpose of a You Go Girl moment by Clone High's actual sports team, which explicitly prohibits "girls and animals" from playing on the team (considering it's supposed to be boys' basketball). A lot of those players have fine moustaches...
Attack of the Political Ad: When Abe and JFK are running for student body president, JFK puts out an attack ad against Abe. First the ad claims Abe is a liar because his answer to what his age is was different to what it was a year before and then footage of Abe eating spaghetti is very poorly edited to make it look like he's eating a baby.
Back for the Finale: All the celebrity guests that appeared throughout the series reappear in the finale, its implied that they were somehow involved with the Board Of Shadowy Figures and their ultimate plan for the clones. What that plan was, we will probably never know...
Bittersweet Ending: Abe and Joan confess their love the minute they get frozen along with everyone else. But then Skudsworth does include the board of shadow figures who were going to use them as super soldiers.
Bland Name Product (possibly Mr. Alt Disney): The "Unspecified Rodent-Themed Amusement Park", where Abe goes to visit the animatronic Lincoln in order to gain some advice.
Blind Seer: Parodied with Toots, who thinks he's perceptive and insightful despite his blindness.
Sometimes he shows surprisingly clear insight, but most of the time he stumbles around like Mr Magoo.
Bolivian Army Ending: The (more or less, see Cut Short) resolution of the series Love Triangle, with Abe realizing he has feelings for Joan (and the other way around) only to discover she and JFK in bed together, just as the freezer is turned on.
Body Horror: Some clones such as Marie Curie didnt quite get through the cloning process properly. Also, Ghandis increasingly disturbing appearance during Election Bluu-galoo, from consuming Xtreme Blu, which is really just pancake batter and blue house paint.
Geshi, the GESH High mascot, was genetically engineered with a zipper to resemble a mascot costume more. If someone pulls on the zipper, all his organs fall out.
Cloning Blues: Several of the clones have adopted wildly different personalities than their clone parent because the pressure to live up to them [or more accurately, The Theme Park Version of them] caused minor breakdowns
Clumsy Copyright Censorship: Mr. Butlertron was originally named Mr. Belvetron, but they couldn't secure the rights. He still calls everyone Wesley, though.
Colon Cancer: Every episode title has a colon, leading up to "Changes: The Big Prom: The Sex Romp: The Season Finale."
Cue O Clock: Cleo's "Sex O'Clock", she reiterates it just to make sure Abe didn't mishear it as "6 O'Clock"
Cut Short: Aside from and due to MTV bailing out mid-season, the finale (of the season and the series), in which the Secret Board, having been officially told of Scudworth's plans, attempt to take back the clones at the Winter Prom, leading to the Locked in a Freezer ending was a Cliff Hanger.
Department of Redundancy Department: Larry Hardcore - "I was into everything: weed, grass, ganja, reefer, marijuana, mary jane, I did it all. I even smoked pot once."
Later in the same episode: Julius Caesar-"Smoking raising is like LSD...On acid!"
Also, the full name of the school is "Clone High High School".
During the PTA scene when Scudworth gets up to talk to the parents, a blink-and-you-miss-it drawing of him surrounded by little hearts flashes onscreen with the words, "Scudworth is your favorite character!"◊
During the hippie song, after JFK sings "Sign my cast for me," the words "I BURIED PONCE" flash onscreen.
At the very end of the episode, the words "FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT RAISINS, VISIT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY" appear.
In the season finale, when Abe enters the freezer to find Joan in bed with JFK. Just before Joan pulls the sheet up over her chest, "Nice try" can be seen written on her breasts, replacing any naughty bits.
Freud Was Right: Parodied in-universe when Sigmund Freud's clone is the only one who picks up on the subtext of Joan's film
Freudian Slip: Subverted with Cleo's "sex o'clock", she points out that it was not a slip of "six o'clock", and that she really did mean to say "sex o'clock".
Gag Penis: Ghengis Khan; when walking in the men's locker room, he is accompanied by a sound resembling a boulder dragging across the floor.
Girl on Girl Is Hot: Cleo's first reaction to finding out John was Joan was to gag at the thought that she was trying to make out with Joan, then she smirked and said "Hot."
Goofy Print Underwear Pink heart boxers are seen off of Gandhi in the pilot and on a cop during the parody of The Benny Hill Show.
Ham-to-Ham Combat: Principal Scudworth and Butlertron when they're having one of their... uh... domestic squabbles. Complete with soap opera-esque piano in the background.
Happily Adopted: All the clones have foster parents, and they're aware of it. Of course, sometimes it's questionable as to how happy they are.
Made funnier by the fact that Abe and his father address each other as "Foster Dad" and "Foster Son".
Have I Mentioned I Am Heterosexual Today?: During JFK's brief sexuality crisis when he finds himself attracted to "John Dark", actually Joan Of Arc in disguise, he goes to ridiculous extents to affirm his hetereosexuality.
What's that on the roof of The Grassy Knoll? Oh look, it's the reconstruction of John F. Kennedy's assassination.
Which seems to be a theme of the restaurant, considering what's inside. When Abe can't figure out what would stop him from wanting to be President, perfectly framed in the shot is a painting depicting a highly exaggerated version of Abraham Lincoln's assassination.
Before dying, Poncey discusses mortality with JFK, remarking that there is no real Fountain of Youth. The real Ponce de Leon was a Spanish explorer. Guess what he was searching for.
Cleopatra's oral fixation in the show mirrors the same some historians claim of her.
When all basketball players with fake mustaches are ordered off the court, one of the players seen leaving is Groucho Marx.
Hidden Depths: The troglodyte clone of Genghis Khan who can barely walk upright turns out to have an amazing singing voice when he sings Ave Maria at Ponceys funeral.
Ink Suit Actor: The guest stars who don't play themselves usually wind up as this (such as Jack Black's character). Joan lampshades this with Mandy Moore's character by constantly asking her if she is really Mandy Moore, although it seems to be purposely inconsistent whether the character is supposed to be Mandy Moore having randomly become a hobo, or a hobo who just is identical to Mandy Moore.
The credits lampshade this, by giving Mandy Moore a special guest credit as "herself?"
Jesus Was Way Cool When Jesus appears in episode 3, they try to not let you know that it's a Jesus. And by "not let you know", I mean "shoot himself in the hand with a nail gun in the carpentry room with a halo over his glowing head"!!
Killer Rabbit: Geshi, the genetically engineered mascot for G.E.S.H high school, looks like an odd but cuddly creature, but is actually a vicious predator when left on its own.
Mr. Butlertron: What would the real Joan of Arc have done?
Joan: She would have listened to her heart. And then she would've gotten burned at the stake. [nervous laugh] But what are the odds of that happening again?
Locked in a Freezer: With literally everyone who had appeared beforehand (except Scudworth and Butlertron) in the Season Finale. Although it's not quite an example of this trope...
Logic Bomb: Parodied and averted in one fell swoop by Mr. Butlertron on Scangrade
Butlertron: Before you kill me, I have one request: can you answer a multiple choice question?
Scangrade: I'm Scangrade. I grade tests for a living. Ask me your question!
Butlertron: Are you a) handsome, b) smart, c) scrap metal, or d) all of the above?
Scangrade: That's easy. I'm a) and b), but not c), so I can't be all of the above. Wait...you can't fill in two ovals! NOOOOO! (explodes)
Loophole Abuse: Subverted with the rule that "no girls or animals can play on the boys teams".
Love Triangle: Joan/Abe/Cleo and Abe/Cleo/JFK. The end of the show showed some beginnings to a Abe/Joan/JFK triangle but of course it was canceled before we could find out.
My Eyes Are Leaking: Parodied. When JFK (seeking guidance) cries in front of Principal Scudworth, Scudworth shrieks and exclaims "Is that water leaking out of your face!?" Could be considered an inversion as well, since Scudworth is the only (naturally born) human among the main characters.
Also, if you look closely, you can see that Hitler's clone has a peace sign on his armband.
Hitler's armband could also parody the fact that the Nazi swastika is a left facing version of the swastika commonly used to symbolize sacredness and peace which is commonly connected to Buddhism. Judging from how much they use historical jokes and references, it's a good possibility.
Refuge in Audacity: The segments of Plane Crazy with Principal Scudworth and Skunky-Poo, whose interactions are almost as violent as Itchy and Scratchy, and a fair bit more profane (Skunky-Poo's catchphrase is "try and catch me, bitch!").
What about Geshy?
Reasonable Authority Figure: Vice Principal Mr Butlertron, who is much beloved by the students and often listens to their problems and offers advice. Compare to the deranged, childish Scudworth and the cold, manipulative Board of Shadowy Figures.
The segment with Scudworth and Skunky-Poo is a homage to the classic Looney Tunes cartoons.
The backstory Joan gives her male alter ego "John Dark" is the plot from the original Planet Ofthe Apes.
Six Student Clique: Minus the sixth student but they fulfill these roles as well as the the Five-Man Band. Both Cleo and Joan could count as the Wild One.
The Head: Abe
The Muscle: JFK
The Quirk: Gandhi
The Pretty One: Cleo
The Smart One: Joan
Special Guest: Ranging from Tom Green to Marilyn Manson to, of course, STAMOS himself.
Marylin Manson even gets his own song.. about eating healthy!
Talking to Themself: JFK, after making fun of Gandhi, starts arguing with his own reflection (and losing badly) and ends up betting to his reflection that he can turn Gandhi into a ladies man of his own caliber.
Tempting Fate: Many times. Conversed and Inverted in episode 2. Also subverted once: "Don't worry about the storm. I built this house like Noah built his ark. Yep, this house is flood-proof!" Cue lightning strike, setting house on fire
The Power of Love: Used in the musical episode to try and break down the giant fence their parents are building. Though Cleo points out "Love is just an abstract concept, it can't break down stuff!"
There Is a God: Joan Of Arc had been trying to stop her film (which contained a declaration of her love for Abe) from being played at the school film festival. When the projection booth catches fire and Edison announces all the films got destroyed, she proclaims there is a God. She then takes it back when Edison announces that Joan's film had not only survived, but had been expanded somehow and was now in widescreen. Fortunately, her work was so abstract that no one suspected it was Joan's love letter to Abe...save for Sigmund Freud.
Thing-O-Meter: The official voting system for Clone High's student counsil elections is an applause-o-meter. This is how a dog became student council president.
Tonight Someone Dies: Mocked extensively with Ponce de Leon, so much, in fact, that this doesn't even need to have a spoiler tag
Julius Caesar: "Oh Ponce, you're such a regular character."
"Tonight, on a very special Clone High, one of the clones you've grown to love will be horribly killed! This is not some cheap-ass stunt where we lamely introduce a new character just to kill him off! A Clone dies tonight!" As the Narrator talks, the camera cuts to each cast member, but Ponce is cut to more and more often as the speech goes on.
Extra points for bending over backwards to be the most Very Special Episode on a show parodying those.
Totally Radical: The entire marketing and basic concept behind Xtreme Blu from Episode 2.
What Could Have Been: Oddly enough there was a second season planned, but despite the good ratings that it had gotten... MTV cancels it.
Xtreme Kool Letterz/Totally Radical: X-Stream Blu, an EXTREME new food product which is made of pancake batter and blue paint. Gandhi nearly kills himself with it.
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