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* NoMoreLies: In the episode '''"The Big Scoop,"''' Arnold and Helga argue about how to run the school newspaper. Helga wants to tabloidize it and run big juicy stories that run deeper than the truth, while Arnold wants to stick to the facts and tell the truth. Helga eventually left with her best friend Phoebe to make her own newspaper. Helga finds success in her newspaper by posting fake stories and half-truth stories, while Arnold struggles to compete with her by just posting the truth. Helga is shown to be willing to steal Arnold's stories and add lies to them. Eventually, Arnold and his best friend Gerald heard that Helga planned to post a story that said the school would be torn down and an amusement park would be built in the school place. Arnold and Gerald investigated and asked Principal Warts, who revealed that while the school was going to be torn down because walls were going down, no amusement park was going to be built in its place. Walls would be torn down because they would add to the school, building more classrooms. After getting a quote that confirms Principal Wart's story, Arnold and Gerald posted the story, and when Helga tried to post her version of the story, their classmates angrily said that's not with Arnold's stories said, and with Principal Wart's confirmation no one believed Helga story. And when Arnold tells Helga that no one believes anything in her paper, she tries to save face by telling more gossip and reducing her paper's price, only for her classmates to say no more lies. When Helga asks why everyone is so upset, she wants to tell good juicy stories that delve deeper than the truth; Arnold answers that she pushed the truth too far. Helga closes down her paper and rejoins Arnold's paper, reporting the weather.
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* NeverHadToys: "Back to School", Grandpa Phil tells Arnold that during his youth in the 1920s, he dreamed of getting his grade school diploma until TheGreatDepression came and that no one could afford toys for Christmas during that time, so he and the other kids had to make their own toys out of dirt. This is accompanied by a young Phil being shown playing baseball with a bat that disintegrates as soon as it hits the ball.

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Poisonous Friend is no longer a trope


* PoisonousFriend:
** Helga, at times. Though she often means well in situations where she is made to help others, her idea of the right way to do something is a little... skewed. In episodes where she gives advice or puts down a plan of action, chances are that plan will be harsh, immoral, and ultimately not helpful. She lampshades it in "Deconstructing Arnold" while explaining to Arnold why he is the right person to give advice and she... isn't.
-->'''Helga''': ''(cheerfully)'' Look at me! I'm terrible at helping others. I'm the worst! I have no moral conscience whatsoever.
** The way Helga treats Phoebe can also be unpleasant at times.
** Sid is this as well. He turns on his "friends" at the drop of a hat and will usually do something to mess everything up.
** Harold alternates between being friendly (if kind of obnoxious) towards Arnold, Gerald, Sid, and Stinky, and making fun of or bullying them. Though in Sid and Stinky's case, they often antagonize him first.



* PuppyLove: The kids are probably the horniest 9-year olds in history of Western Animation, even though only one or two pairings are established canon by Craig Bartlett saying so (Arnold/Helga and Gerald/Phoebe).

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* PyschoSupporter: Helga, at times. Though she often means well in situations where she is made to help others, her idea of the right way to do something is a little... skewed. In episodes where she gives advice or puts down a plan of action, chances are that plan will be harsh, immoral, and ultimately not helpful. She lampshades it in "Deconstructing Arnold" while explaining to Arnold why he is the right person to give advice and she... isn't.
-->'''Helga''': ''(cheerfully)'' Look at me! I'm terrible at helping others. I'm the worst! I have no moral conscience whatsoever.
* PuppyLove: The kids are probably the horniest 9-year olds in history of Western Animation, even though only one or two pairings are established canon by Craig Bartlett saying so (Arnold/Helga and Gerald/Phoebe).

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** In "Oskar Gets A Job", [[NiceGuy Arnold]] gets so frustrated with Oskar (who has been duping Arnold into doing his job delivering newspapers for him) that he outright calls Oskar a loser. This ultimately leads to Oskar deciding to take his job more seriously.

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** In "Oskar Gets A Job", [[NiceGuy Arnold]] gets so frustrated with Oskar (who has been duping Arnold into doing his job delivering newspapers for him) that he outright calls Oskar a huge loser. This ultimately leads to Oskar deciding to take his job more seriously.seriously.
*** In "Arnold's Cousin" he bluntly tells Stinky to shut up, after the latter insensitively has been going on about how much Lila prefers Arnie to Arnold throughout the episode.
** In "Chocolate Turtles" Timberley's adorable confession was so touching that ''Oskar'' of all people gave a sock full of dollars with tears in his eyes. In the same scene one can also see Frankie G. (the one who tried to force Arnold into helping his gang rob an electronics store) in the listening crowd. Timberley's speach was apparently that good!



** Harold alternates between being friendly (if kind of obnoxious) towards Arnold, Gerald, Sid, and Stinky, and making fun of or bullying them. Though in Sid and Stinky's case, they often antagonize him first.



** There was originally a tenant at the boarding house named Lana, but she disappeared after season 1. There was supposed to be a subplot with her falling in love with Arnold; unsurprisingly, Nick shot down that idea in a hurry, so Lana was removed as a result. But she still appeared in the title sequence.
** Another tenant removed from the show was Mr. Smith, who was put on a helicopter.

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** There was originally a tenant at the boarding house named Lana, but she disappeared after season 1. There was supposed to be a subplot with her falling in love with Arnold; unsurprisingly, Nick shot down that idea in a hurry, so Lana was removed as a result. But she still appeared in the title sequence.
sequence, and made several cameo appearances in later episodes.
** Another tenant removed from the show was Mr. Smith, who was put on a helicopter.helicopter, apparently permanently.
** There was yet another unseen tenant who disappeared after the first season, Mr. Purdy. In later episodes we occasionally see a middle-aged bald man with a pet chicken, WordOfGod confirmed this to be him.
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** In "Mr Green Runs", Councillor Gladhand's assistant Lorraine, who was an accomplice to his inaction, gets off by changing sides. Er right... because that makes her a good person, right?
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Dewicked trope


* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: There is a sizeable number of characters on this show, including all of Arnold's classmates, their families, and the people living in the boarding house.
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Crosswicking

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* PaperThinDisguise:
** In "Helga's Locket", Helga accidentally loses her precious Arnold locket -- which she's just had engraved with a signed message declaring her love -- and Grandpa finds it, prompting her to attempt various schemes to get it back before he and Arnold and can open it. At one point, she disguises herself in a black trenchcoat, derby, glasses, and fake mustache and calls herself "Bernard Flotsam," a rich antique art collector. This somehow manages to fool Grandpa despite several near misses (such as a pigtail poking out from beneath the hat or her voice slipping back into its normal register). When she does manage to snatch the locket and make a break for it, (only to lose it again when Grandpa trips her with the rug). As Helga retreats, Grandpa screams "AND YOU FORGOT YOUR MUSTACHE!"
*** The same episode has Helga hiding in a container of blank mannequin heads when she sneaks into the basement to get the locket back. Despite being the only "head" in the box with hair and facial features, Grandpa ''still'' doesn't recognize her. The poor man probably needs glasses.
** "Arnold's Valentine" has Helga pose as Arnold's French pen-pal Cecile for a Valentine's Day date. To do this, she gets a new hairdo, puts on a dress and heels and dons makeup. Seems like a reasonable disguise, but there are several flaws. One, [[ChromaticArrangement the dress is still pink]]. Two, she's still wearing her [[SignatureHeadgear trademark pink hairbow]]. Three, no amount of makeup short of full-on Wrestling/{{Sting}} facepaint could disguise someone as instantly recognizable as Helga. And finally, [[NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent she makes no attempt to disguise her voice or accent despite portraying a French girl.]] What's worse is that Arnold actually buys it.
** In the episode "Suspended", Harold is [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin suspended from school.]] When he discovers that being suspended isn't all it's cracked up to be, he repeatedly attempts to sneak back into P.S. 118. At one point, he hits upon the idea of pretending to be a pizza delivery man, and so dons what he dubs a "foolproof disguise": a fake black mustache, chef's hat, apron, and a striped shirt ''with his name on it.'' Unsurprisingly, Principal Wartz isn't fooled by the trick, even when Harold attempts a horrible Italian accent to convince him.
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Panty Shot is a definition-only page


* PantyShot: Helga in "Downtown As Fruits". Her white undies are seen under her dress/milk carton costume when she goes on stage to talk to the audience, from behind when she gets her head stuck and is being pulled by Phoebe, and from the front again as she struggles to get her head free from the hole in the carton.
** Phoebe in "Hall Monitor". Her white undies are shown after she gets knocked down.
** Timberly has these in a few, certain episodes.
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Crosswicking

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* PettyChildhoodGrudge: In "Part Time Friends", Mrs. Vitello puts Gerald in charge after she had an accident that hurts her back. [[AcquiredSituationalNarcissism He becomes too demanding]] and Arnold has had enough. They avoid each other and Grandpa Phil mentions that he had a fight with his former childhood friend for a similar reason that caused them to cut ties with each other. When Arnold dozes off, he has a nightmare where even as elderly adults, he and Gerald are still angry with each other, and they don't even remember what they argued about to begin with (Old Arnold claims it was school-related, while Old Gerald argues it was baseball-related).
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--> Helga: "Alright Pheebs, looks like I'm gonna be needing a few things. A box of thumbtacks, a ball of string and a watermelon..."
--> Phoebe: [[BewareTheNiceOnes "How about a pack of trick gum?"]]
--> Helga: "Good idea, Phoebe! Write that one down..."

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--> Helga: -->'''Helga''': "Alright Pheebs, looks like I'm gonna be needing a few things. A box of thumbtacks, a ball of string and a watermelon..."
--> Phoebe: -->'''Phoebe''': [[BewareTheNiceOnes "How about a pack of trick gum?"]]
--> Helga: -->'''Helga''': "Good idea, Phoebe! Write that one down..."
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* PrimpOfContempt: Arnold's crush Ruth files her nails during their TwoTimerDate.

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** Tragically {{deconstructed|Trope}} in "Helga and the Nanny". When Miriam gets a new job, Helga’s parents hire a nanny named Inga to look after Helga. However, while Inga actually cares for Helga, Helga feels as though Inga is trying to control her life, especially when Inga calls her out on her bad behavior, telling her that sewing is a sane way to canalize anger. Finally, Helga loses her patience completely and frames Inga for theft...only to be surprised when the other kids [[WhatTheHellHero call her out]]. Inga is fired and has to return to her country. When Helga finds her, her guilt gets the better of her, and she confesses to the framing, only for Inga to tell her she knew it all the time. Helga is confused as to why she is getting off scot-free until Inga explains that she is not: at the end of the day, Helga is nothing but an angry and sad kid, who pushes away those who care about her, and because of that she cannot be happy. The show ends with Helga in her unhappy home, sadly sewing something, realizing that her actions have cost her a happy home and someone who cares about her.

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** Tragically {{deconstructed|Trope}} in "Helga and the Nanny". When Miriam gets a new job, Helga’s Helga's parents hire a nanny named Inga to look after Helga. However, while Inga actually cares for Helga, Helga feels as though Inga is trying to control her life, especially when Inga calls her out on her bad behavior, telling her that sewing is a sane way to canalize anger. Finally, Helga loses her patience completely and frames Inga for theft...only to be surprised when the other kids [[WhatTheHellHero call her out]]. Inga is fired and has to return to her country. When Helga finds her, her guilt gets the better of her, and she confesses to the framing, only for Inga to tell her she knew it all the time. Helga is confused as to why she is getting off scot-free until Inga explains that she is not: at the end of the day, Helga is nothing but an angry and sad kid, who pushes away those who care about her, and because of that she cannot be happy. The show ends with Helga in her unhappy home, sadly sewing something, realizing that her actions have cost her a happy home and someone who cares about her.



*** Ernie also his own theme. It doesn't get much play in the series, but it can be first heard when Ernie is introduced at the beginning of "The Old Building", and when Arnold and Gerald are going into Ernie’s room in "Gerald Comes Over". It’s especially prominently featured in "Ernie in Love" where a much more sweeter-sounding rendition of it can be heard.

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*** Ernie also his own theme. It doesn't get much play in the series, but it can be first heard when Ernie is introduced at the beginning of "The Old Building", and when Arnold and Gerald are going into Ernie’s Ernie's room in "Gerald Comes Over". It’s It's especially prominently featured in "Ernie in Love" where a much more sweeter-sounding rendition of it can be heard.



* ParentalBonus: "Oskar Kokoshka" was also the name of a real life modernist artist.

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* ParentalBonus: "Oskar Kokoshka" was also the name of a real life real-life modernist artist.


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* PartiallyConcealedLabelGag: As a final test to see if Oskar has conquered his illiteracy and learned to read, Arnold drops him off in a far-off part of town with written directions on how to get back home. When Oskar gets to the part where he has to take a subway to Sheffingtown, he looks up at the train schedule, which is partially obscured by a cart carrying a tall stack of luggage, and sees that the next train is going to Sheffing'''ston'''. Once he goes to board it, the cart gets pushed away, revealing more of the schedule and info that the Sheffing'''town''' train was the other way.

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* NoFullNameGiven: The main character himself. "Arnold...um, the last name's kind of smudged..." His last name is eventually shown in ''The Jungle Movie'' to be [[spoiler:Shortman]].



* NoNameGiven: The main character himself. "Arnold...um, the last name's kind of smudged..."
** His last name is [[spoiler:Shortman]], as seen in ''The Jungle Movie''.
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** "The Baseball" has a similar opening to the pilot, with Arnold daydreaming he is in orbit before it cuts to the kids playing a baseball game.
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* OneMarioLimit: Helga Pataki is easily the most well-known character bearing that name. Arnold unfortunately is overshadowed by Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger.
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* OminousPipeOrgan: In the episode "Helga vs. Big Patty", after she told him that Big Patty will still beat her up, even though she apologized for her behavior before, Helga walks away from Arnold having lost hope while a short, but powerful pipe organ tune plays ominously. Organ music, along with DramaticTimpani, is also played at the end of the episode after Helga walked out of a school gym [[spoiler:as if she was beaten my Big Patty]].

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* OminousPipeOrgan: In the episode "Helga vs. Big Patty", after she told him that Big Patty will still beat her up, even though she apologized for her behavior before, Helga walks away from Arnold having lost hope while a short, but powerful pipe organ tune plays ominously. Organ music, along with DramaticTimpani, is also played at the end of the episode after Helga walked out of a the school gym [[spoiler:as if she was beaten my Big Patty]].
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* OminousPipeOrgan: In the episode "Helga vs. Big Patty", after she told Arnold that Big Patty will still beat her up, even though she apologized for her behavior before, Helga walks away from him having lost hope while a short, but powerful pipe organ tune plays ominously. Organ music, along with DramaticTimpani, is also played at the end of the episode after Helga walked out of a school gym [[spoiler:as if she was beaten my Big Patty]].

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* OminousPipeOrgan: In the episode "Helga vs. Big Patty", after she told Arnold him that Big Patty will still beat her up, even though she apologized for her behavior before, Helga walks away from him Arnold having lost hope while a short, but powerful pipe organ tune plays ominously. Organ music, along with DramaticTimpani, is also played at the end of the episode after Helga walked out of a school gym [[spoiler:as if she was beaten my Big Patty]].

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* OminousPipeOrgan: In the episode "Helga vs. Big Patty", after she told Arnold that Big Patty will still beat her up, even though she apologized for her behavior before, Helga walks away from him having lost hope while a short, but powerful pipe organ tune plays ominously.
-->'''Stinky:''' Bad girl walkin'.

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* OminousPipeOrgan: In the episode "Helga vs. Big Patty", after she told Arnold that Big Patty will still beat her up, even though she apologized for her behavior before, Helga walks away from him having lost hope while a short, but powerful pipe organ tune plays ominously.
-->'''Stinky:''' Bad girl walkin'.
ominously. Organ music, along with DramaticTimpani, is also played at the end of the episode after Helga walked out of a school gym [[spoiler:as if she was beaten my Big Patty]].
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* OminousPipeOrgan: In the episode "Helga vs. Big Patty", after she told Arnold that Big Patty will still beat her up, even though she apologized for her behavior before, Helga walks away from him having lost hope while a short, but powerful pipe organ music plays ominously.

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* OminousPipeOrgan: In the episode "Helga vs. Big Patty", after she told Arnold that Big Patty will still beat her up, even though she apologized for her behavior before, Helga walks away from him having lost hope while a short, but powerful pipe organ music tune plays ominously.
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* KillerOutfit: "Headless Cabbie" was about the eponymous legend of a horse drawn carriage driver being loaned a scarf from a woman passenger looking for her missing dog. Later, hearing a dog's barking, she begins urging him to drive faster and faster through a dark and foggy forested path until his scarf inevitably snags on a tree branch, getting his whole head snatched off.
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Forgot to add dot (.)


** Helga, being the tomboy, prefers to spend more time with boys than girls. Harold even [[DiscussedTrope commented on this trope]] by telling Helga that the game they were playing is for boys only in the episode "Helga's Makeover"

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** Helga, being the tomboy, prefers to spend more time with boys than girls. Harold even [[DiscussedTrope commented on this trope]] by telling Helga that the game they were playing is for boys only in the episode "Helga's Makeover"Makeover".
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* OneOfTheBoys:
**Helga, being the tomboy, prefers to spend more time with boys than girls. Harold even [[DiscussedTrope commented on this trope]] by telling Helga that the game they were playing is for boys only in the episode "Helga's Makeover"
**Rhonda is also mostly seen hanging out with the boys. Despite her wealthy upbringing and snobby, self-righteous attitude, she has been known to play contact football and a variety of other sports along with the other children even to the point of destroying her beloved outfits in the process as seen in "Mudbowl" and "New Bully on the Block".
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* OminousPipeOrgan: In the episode "Helga vs. Big Patty", after she told Arnold that Big Patty will still beat her up, even though she apologizes for her behavior before, Helga walks away from him having lost hope while a short, but powerful pipe organ music plays ominously.

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* OminousPipeOrgan: In the episode "Helga vs. Big Patty", after she told Arnold that Big Patty will still beat her up, even though she apologizes apologized for her behavior before, Helga walks away from him having lost hope while a short, but powerful pipe organ music plays ominously.
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* OminousPipeOrgan: In the episode "Helga vs. Big Patty, after she told Arnold that Big Patty will still beat her up, even though she apologizes for her behavior before, Helga walks away from him having lost hope while a short, but powerful pipe organ music plays ominously.

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* OminousPipeOrgan: In the episode "Helga vs. Big Patty, Patty", after she told Arnold that Big Patty will still beat her up, even though she apologizes for her behavior before, Helga walks away from him having lost hope while a short, but powerful pipe organ music plays ominously.
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-->'''Stinky:''' Bad girl walking.

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-->'''Stinky:''' Bad girl walking.walkin'.
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* OminousPipeOrgan: In the episode "Helga vs. Big Patty, after she told Arnold that Big Patty will still beat her up even though she apologizes for her behavior before, Helga walks away from him having lost hope while a short, but powerful pipe organ music plays ominously.

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* OminousPipeOrgan: In the episode "Helga vs. Big Patty, after she told Arnold that Big Patty will still beat her up up, even though she apologizes for her behavior before, Helga walks away from him having lost hope while a short, but powerful pipe organ music plays ominously.
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None


* OminousPipeOrgan: In the episode "Helga vs. Big Patty, after she told Arnold that Big Patty will still beat her up even though she apologizes for her behavior before, Helga walks away from Arnold having lost hope while a short, but powerful pipe organ music plays ominously.

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* OminousPipeOrgan: In the episode "Helga vs. Big Patty, after she told Arnold that Big Patty will still beat her up even though she apologizes for her behavior before, Helga walks away from Arnold him having lost hope while a short, but powerful pipe organ music plays ominously.
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None

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* OminousPipeOrgan: In the episode "Helga vs. Big Patty, after she told Arnold that Big Patty will still beat her up even though she apologizes for her behavior before, Helga walks away from Arnold having lost hope while a short, but powerful pipe organ music plays ominously.
-->'''Stinky:''' Bad girl walking.
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* KaraokeBondingScene: Principal Wartz [[TakeThisJobAndShoveIt leaves his job as school principal in frustration]] after teacher Mr. Simmons criticizes him for his [[DeanBitterman strictness on the students]]. With Mr. Wartz's newfound independence, he goes to a karaoke session and sings [[AwardBaitSong "I Will Prevail"]], about the singer [[BreakUpSong prevailing despite being apart from another]]. [[InAnotherMansShoes Mr. Simmons temporarily fills in as principal]] until he reconciles with Mr. Wartz, admitting that he wasn't suited for school principal. Mr. Wartz, after [[TenMinuteRetirement reclaiming his role as school president]] and bringing the school back in order, sings "I Will Prevail" at karaoke once again, but this time as a [[TriumphantReprise triumphant duet with Mr. Simmons]].
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* OnceDoneNeverForgotten:
** One episode had Rhonda throw a party in which some characters were not invited for being Geeks. They bring up the literal definition of the word, which repeatedly prompts this exchange: "...And none of us bite the heads off chickens! Except Curly." "Yeah! [[NoodleIncident And that was only the one time]]!"
** Another example (and deconstruction) occurs in "Phoebe's Little Problem". Phoebe, while accepting an award on stage at a school assembly, accidentally farts into a microphone. The rest of the students won't let her live it down, eventually causing her to become a shut-in. Some of the other students (and Mr. Simmons, the teacher) feel bad for her and try to cheer her up, but their attempts end up making her feel worse. Finally, at another assembly, Phoebe gets on stage and goes on a tirade about how, in spite of everything else she's done, all the other students are reducing her to just being "the girl who farted", as if that was the extent of her accomplishments. When Harold still proceeds to mock her for it, [[LaserGuidedKarma he ends up wetting his pants and runs away while everyone laughs at him and Rhonda says "He's never gonna hear the end of it."]]

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