Now 100% more Manly!
A one-off Backdoor Pilot launched in 1995 on The Pink Panther, this 10-minute short was intended to launch a new Spin-Off from the series, focusing on Manly Man (here, as a Satire/Parody/Pastiche of superhero archetypes), although it was a One-Episode Wonder due to internal politics at its creator Mirisch Geoffrey DePatie-Freleng (now part of Disney).Focusing on Touty, the niece of the 7 Manly Men, when she gets a defective spinner from Bongo Cereals, the Manly Men go to deal with the situation, only to take on the Corrupt Corporate Executive.
Tropes present in 7 Manly Men and the Kid:
- Ambiguously Human: Uncle Pecks and Uncle Uranus look human, but Uncle Pecks' abilities suggest he's a Kryptonian (of sorts), and Uncle Uranus never takes off his helmet suggesting he may not be human.
- Big Ball of Violence: The Manly Men get caught in one at the start of the episode when they are all fighting over a box of cereal.
- Captain Ersatz: Uncle Pecks is very clearly Superman in behavior and looks, right down to the eye-beam ability; however, his civilian identity is never shown on-screen.
- Captain Space, Defender of Earth!: Uncle Uranus is always wearing a space suit, flies around on a jetpack, and speaks like William Shatner.
- Chocolate-Frosted Sugar Bombs: In this case, with a Free Prize at the Bottom!
- Contemporary Caveman: Uncle Unk is a caveman who lives with the Manly Men in a house in the modern day.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: The Bongo Cereal Founder plans to hypnotise kids through a golden spinner offered in Bongo Snacks.
- Cowboy: Uncle Duke is modeled after the cowboy archetype, wearing a tradition 10 gallon hat and spurs, and frequently sports a lasso and speaks in a western drawl.
- Eat the Evidence: The CEO swallows the remote to his mind control devices to keep the Manly Men from getting to it. They simply reach in and pull it back out.
- Find Out Next Time: Parodied. As the Manly Men are being lowered into a vat of boiling sugar coating, a voice over can be heard asking if this is the end of our heroes. It is then revealed that the voice over was Uncle Uranus trying to add drama to the moment.
- Free Prize at the Bottom: This, effectively, kickstarts the plot, as the prize is defective.
- Harmless Villain: The Bongo Cereal Founder wanted to Take Over the World, but he's defeated pretty quickly and is a snivelling wreck.
- Here We Go Again!: After defeating the CEO, the Manly Men give Touty his remote control, which instantly breaks. The Manly Men decide to go to where the remote was manufactured to confront them about the manufacturing practices, just like what started the episode to begin with.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: The Bongo Cereal Founder gets put into a box of cereal at the end of the episode, having tried to put the protagonists into a box of cereal.
- May Contain Evil: The toy in the Bongo cereal boxes are actually concealed mind control devices that the CEO plans to use to hypnotize children and take over the world.
- Minimalist Cast: Only nine main characters (The 7 Manly Men, Touty, and the CEO) appear on screen, no extras. Notably, despite many scenes taking place in a factory, not a single employee besides the CEO is seen.
- Minor Crime Reveals Major Plot: The Manly Men go to the Bongo cereal factory to confront the CEO for the cheap toys he puts in the box, only to uncover his much larger Take Over the World scheme involving Mass Hypnosis.
- Nephewism: Touty lives with 7 uncles, and no parents in sight.
- Out of Focus: As was the tradition in 1995 during The Pink Panther, the panther was entirely absent. Justified, as this was a Spin-Off.
- Packed Hero: Packed villain, actually. The CEO is turned into a box of cereal at the end of the episode. He does threaten to do the same to the heroes earlier on, but it doesn't stick.
- Rocky Roll Call: After receiving her toy, Touty thanks her uncles by calling them each by name one after another as the camera pans across them. This is clearly done for the sake of the audience.
- Ruritania: Although only a one-note reference, "Slyvonia" is a reference to Slovenia or Slovakia, and a joke is made about poor quality Eastern European build quality.
- Slipped the Ropes: When the Manly Men are tied up together and lowered into a vat of boiling sugar coating, they struggle to break free. Uncle Unk drops his club and easily slips out to get it, apparently oblivious to the danger he was previously in.
- Song Parody: The Manly Men sing a version of "Macho Man", but as "Manly Men".
- Sonic Stunner: Uncle Iggy can subdue his opponents by playing a loud note on his electric guitar.
- Squashed Flat: Happens twice during the fight between the Manly Men at the start of the episode over the box of cereal. Uncle Spartacus is flattened after getting run over by Uncle Lube's motorcycle. Uncle Unk becomes a pancake after swinging his vine into a wall.
- Stomach of Holding: The CEO swallows his remote to keep it from the Manly Men. They are easily able to reach into him and pull it back out.
- Superman Substitute: Pecks is very definitely based on Superman, and he even has the eye-beam ability and the cape, although he's maroon rather than blue.
- Swiss-Cheese Security: The cereal factory clearly has no security guards, allowing the protagonists to enter at will.
- Take Over the World: The CEO of the Bongo Company's stated goal is to take over the world by putting mind-control devices disguised as toys in his boxes of cereal.
- Testosterone Poisoning: The 7 Manly Men were all pastiches or parodies of stock superhero or male professions, with the dial turned up to 100% overexaggerated, all for comedy.
- Vine Swing: Uncle Unk is repeatedly seen swinging on vines to get around, even in places where there wouldn't reasonably be any vines, such as inside a house or in a cereal factory.
