History WesternAnimation / MoralOrel

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Reverend Putty. To his eternal, bitter ire, it's the only sex he gets.
** Well, except for that time Orel sent him some "sinners".
** And he almost got there when Orel's mom came to him, [[JizzedInMyPants but her request ended up being all he needed]].
** Believe it or not, this was how Stephanie got conceived.
** The main focus of "God's Chef" when Orel is caught doing it and Putty tells him it's a sin despite the fact he does it all the time.
** And let's not forget about Reverend Putty having sex with Florence in the episode "Sundays".

* ChristmasCake: The episode "Help" reveals that Bloberta married Clay immediately after meeting him at a wedding reception in order to prevent becoming this. [[AwfulWeddedLife They've both been miserable ever since.]]

* MarriageOfConvenience: "Help" shows that, at the end of the day, Clay and Bloberta's marriage is this. Bloberta's primary motivation for getting married in the first place was because all the other ladies her age were getting married, and she [[ChristmasCake needed to save face]] (and as an added bonus, getting married could help her get away from her own dysfunctional family). She and Clay met at a wedding reception, and despite numerous warning signs (especially after Bloberta introduced Clay to [[TheAlcoholic alcohol]]), she took the opportunity presented to her. [[AwfulWeddedLife They've both been miserable ever since,]] but living in [[TheFundamentalist ultra-religious Moralton]] means that there's no way they can get a divorce without taking a severe hit to their reputations.

* ThisIsGoingToSuck: Orel knows what to expect whenever his dad takes him in his study. He responds with a LoudGulp.

** [[spoiler:Nurse Bendy said her 11-13 year old son Joe’s age was half of hers in the script for the scrapped episode Narcissism, suggesting she’s in her early 20s.]]

Every member of Orel's family [[DysfunctionalFamily shows some form of dysfunction]]: father Clay [[TheAlcoholic abuses alcohol]], [[AbusiveParents abuses Orel]] (emotionally and physically), and [[TransparentCloset fails to hide]] his [[GayConservative closet bisexuality]]; mother Bloberta [[SympatheticAdulterer cheats on Clay]], often finds herself depressed yet [[StepfordSmiler hides it with a smile]], and has an [[SuperOCD unhealthy obsession with cleanliness]]; and little brother Shapey is so neglected by his parents that he has the emotional maturity of a toddler [[OlderThanTheyLook despite being seven years old]]. The population of Moralton (a town placed precisely in the middle of the continental United States[[note]]the show's intro positions the town near Burlington, Kansas[[/note]]) [[DysfunctionJunction fare little better]]; most of the adults lead lives as dysfunctional as Orel's family -- if not more so -- while putting on a show of being Good Christians and Good Neighbors.

* OedipusComplex: It turns out that [[spoiler: Clay has one, something Ms. Censordoll picks up on quickly to manipulate him.]]

* PsychopathicManchild: Clay tries to act like a well-adjusted adult, but his [[LackOfEmpathy selfishness]], [[AttentionWhore need for attention]], and [[NeverMyFault chronic inability to admit when he's done wrong]] show him to be deeply immature. Not to mention his OedipusComplex that rules his mentality even as an adult.

** [[ScaryLibrarian Miss Censordoll]] a KnightTemplar who has the penchant of burning books and later takes advantage of Clay's OedipusComplex to get what she wants.

*** WordOfGod in online commentary expands on Censordoll's story. In "Alone", it was hinted that Censordoll's mother had her reproductive organs removed as an infant, in a form of [[{{Squick}} female castration]]. This is what causes her obsession with eggs--and is probably why she aged so badly. As Reverend Putty's sermon in that episode says, we need other people in our lives to remind us we're not the center of the universe (which is what Censordoll believes). In "Nesting", Censordoll withdraws from the election when she realizes she can manipulate Clay's OedipusComplex for his mother to get the town's egg ban lifted.

Every member of Orel's family [[DysfunctionalFamily shows some form of dysfunction]]: father Clay [[TheAlcoholic abuses alcohol]], [[AbusiveParents abuses Orel]] (emotionally and physically), and [[TransparentCloset fails to hide]] his [[GayConservative closet bisexuality]]; mother Bloberta [[AbsenceMakesTheHeartGoYonder cheats on Clay]], often finds herself depressed yet [[StepfordSmiler hides it with a smile]], and has an [[SuperOCD unhealthy obsession with cleanliness]]; and little brother Shapey is so neglected by his parents that he has the emotional maturity of a toddler [[OlderThanTheyLook despite being seven years old]]. The population of Moralton (a town placed precisely in the middle of the continental United States[[note]]the show's intro positions the town near Burlington, Kansas[[/note]]) [[DysfunctionJunction fare little better]]; most of the adults lead lives as dysfunctional as Orel's family -- if not more so -- while putting on a show of being Good Christians and Good Neighbors.

With this in mind, ''Moral Orel'' is less a critique of Christianity itself than a {{deconstruction}} of religious fundamentalism. The show aims its real critique towards [[MoralGuardians authority figures]] who pay lipservice to their inferiors' religious beliefs as a way of preserving their authority -- especially when such people [[BrokenAesop make horrible authority figures and role models]]. In short, it's not a criticism of religion specifically, but of hypocrisy itself; specifically those who don't practice what they preach.

Fans kept hope alive for a revival, and while Adult Swim only played reruns of the show sporadically after 2007, the network began rerunning the show in chronological order on weeknights in late 2011. When Dino learned of this, he said that "[if] enough people watch, there may be hope for a special or two". A month in, Dino updated fans on a call he'd received from Adult Swim's head raving about the reruns' ratings, and said that at such a rate, "the Moral Orel special will be imminent."

Every member of Orel's family [[DysfunctionalFamily shows some form of dysfunction]]: father Clay [[TheAlcoholic abuses alcohol]], [[AbusiveParents abuses Orel]] (emotionally and physically), and [[TransparentCloset fails to hide]] his [[GayConservative closet bisexuality]]; mother Bloberta [[AbsenceMakesTheHeartGoYonder cheats on Clay]], often finds herself depressed yet [[StepfordSmiler hides it with a smile]], and has an [[SuperOCD unhealthy obsession with cleanliness]]; and little brother Shapey is so neglected by his parents, that he has the emotional maturity of a toddler [[OlderThanTheyLook despite being seven years old]]. The population of Moralton (a town placed precisely in the middle of the continental United States[[note]]the show's intro positions the town near Burlington, Kansas[[/note]]) [[DysfunctionJunction fare little better]]; most of the adults lead lives as dysfunctional as Orel's family -- if not more so -- while putting on a show of being Good Christians and Good Neighbors.

The show's shift from its satirical roots to a bleaker tone was initiated by Dino moving the focus away from Orel midway through the first season, [[CreatorBreakdown caused by a rough divorce he was going through at the time]]. He then began to explore the [[StepfordSmiler dark underbelly of the seemingly happy-go-lucky townspeople of Moralton]], which culminated in the two-part season 2 finale "Nature". The network higher-ups loved the two-parter, with Adult Swim head Mike Lazzo asking Dino to make the show's third season as dark as humanly possible.

Every member of Orel's family [[DysfunctionalFamily shows some form of dysfunction]]: father Clay [[TheAlcoholic abuses alcohol]], [[AbusiveParents abuses Orel]] (emotionally and physically), and [[TransparentCloset fails to hide]] his [[GayConservative closet bisexuality]]; mother Bloberta [[AbsenceMakesTheHeartGoYonder cheats on Clay]], often finds herself depressed yet [[StepfordSmiler hides it with a smile]], and has an [[SuperOCD unhealthy obsession with cleanliness]]; and little brother Shapey is so neglected by his parents, that he has the emotional maturity of a toddler [[OlderThanTheyLook despite being seven years old]]. The population of Moralton (a town placed precisely in the middle of the continental United States) [[DysfunctionJunction fare little better]]; most of the adults lead lives as dysfunctional as Orel's family -- if not more so -- while putting on a show of being Good Christians and Good Neighbors.

* NoNameGiven: the redheaded boy that hangs out with Orel and his friends. He's always lumped in as 'the rest' or 'the gang'. Even in the commercial promoting ''Beforel Orel'', he's cut off by Orel before he could say his name. But his name was revealed through a cast sheet in "Orel's Movie Premiere". [[spoiler: It's Billy. Which may actually explain ''why'' his name was never given: the NamesTheSame as Billy Figurelli's.]]

Every member of Orel's family [[DysfunctionalFamily shows some form of dysfunction]]: father Clay [[TheAlcoholic abuses alcohol]], [[AbusiveParents abuses Orel]] (emotionally and physically), and [[TransparentCloset fails to hide]] his [[GayConservative closet bisexuality]]; mother Bloberta cheats on Clay, often finds herself depressed yet [[StepfordSmiler hides it with a smile]], and has an [[SuperOCD unhealthy obsession with cleanliness]]; and little brother Shapey is so neglected by his parents, that he has the emotional maturity of a toddler [[OlderThanTheyLook despite being seven years old]]. The population of Moralton (a town placed precisely in the middle of the continental United States) [[DysfunctionJunction fare little better]]; most of the adults lead lives as dysfunctional as Orel's family -- if not more so -- while putting on a show of being Good Christians and Good Neighbors.

Every member of Orel's family [[DysfunctionalFamily shows some form of dysfunction]]: father Clay [[TheAlcoholic abuses alcohol]], [[AbusiveParents abuses Orel]] (emotionally and physically), and [[TransparentCloset fails to hide]] his [[GayConservative closet bisexuality]]; mother Bloberta cheats on Clay, often finds herself depressed, and suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder; and little brother Shapey is so neglected by his parents, that he has the emotional maturity of a toddler [[OlderThanTheyLook despite being seven years old]]. The population of Moralton (a town placed precisely in the middle of the continental United States) [[DysfunctionJunction fare little better]]; most of the adults lead lives as dysfunctional as Orel's family -- if not more so -- while putting on a show of being Good Christians and Good Neighbors.

Every member of Orel's family [[DysfunctionalFamily shows some form of dysfunction]]: father Clay [[TheAlcoholic abuses alcohol]], [[AbusiveParents abuses Orel]] (emotionally and physically), and [[TransparentCloset fails to hide]] his [[GayConservative closet bisexuality]]; mother Bloberta cheats on Clay, often finds herself depressed, and suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder; and little brother Shapey is so neglected by his parents, that he has the emotional maturity of a toddler [[OlderThanTheyLook despite being seven years old]]. The population of Moralton (a town placed precisely in the middle of the United States) [[DysfunctionJunction fare little better]]; most of the adults lead lives as dysfunctional as Orel's family -- if not more so -- while putting on a show of being Good Christians and Good Neighbors.

Every member of Orel's family [[DysfunctionalFamily shows some form of dysfunction]]: father Clay [[TheAlcoholic abuses alcohol]], [[AbusiveParents abuses Orel]] (emotionally and physically), and [[TransparentCloset fails to hide]] his [[GayConservative closet bisexuality]]; mother Bloberta cheats on Clay, often finds herself depressed, and suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder; and little brother Shapey is so neglected by his parents, that he ends up as [[OlderThanTheyLook a toddler trapped in a seven-year-old's body]]. The population of Moralton (a town placed precisely in the middle of the United States) [[DysfunctionJunction fare little better]]; most of the adults lead lives as dysfunctional as Orel's family -- if not more so -- while putting on a show of being Good Christians and Good Neighbors.

Every member of Orel's family [[DysfunctionalFamily shows some form of dysfunction]]: father Clay [[TheAlcoholic abuses alcohol]], [[AbusiveParents abuses Orel]] (emotionally and physically), and [[TransparentCloset fails to hide]] his [[GayConservative closet bisexuality]]; mother Bloberta cheats on Clay, often finds herself depressed, and suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder; and Orel's rambunctious little brother Shapey is so neglected by his parents, that he ends up as [[OlderThanTheyLook a toddler trapped in a seven-year-old's body]]. The population of Moralton (a town placed precisely in the middle of the United States) [[DysfunctionJunction fare little better]]; most of the adults lead lives as dysfunctional as Orel's family -- if not more so -- while putting on a show of being Good Christians and Good Neighbors.

Every member of Orel's family [[DysfunctionalFamily shows some form of dysfunction]]: father Clay [[TheAlcoholic abuses alcohol]], [[AbusiveParents abuses Orel]] (emotionally and physically), and [[TransparentCloset fails to hide]] his [[GayConservative closet bisexuality]]; mother Bloberta cheats on Clay, often finds herself depressed, and suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder; and Orel's rambunctious little brother Shapey is a toddler trapped in a seven-year-old's body. The population of Moralton (a town placed precisely in the middle of the United States) [[DysfunctionJunction fare little better]]; most of the adults lead lives as dysfunctional as Orel's family -- if not more so -- while putting on a show of being Good Christians and Good Neighbors.

** A big one is Joe's family. Joe is introduced as Coach Stopframe's nephew, and a second-season episode has him have a grandfather. Season 3 has him with a very elderly father (with last name that isn't "Stopframe") and no known mother.
** Nurse Bendy is called "Nurse Blinkless" in "Maturity".

Every member of Orel's family [[DysfunctionalFamily shows some form of dysfunction]]: father Clay [[TheAlcoholic abuses alcohol]], [[AbusiveParents abuses Orel]] (emotionally and physically), and [[TransparentCloset fails to hide]] his [[GayConservative closet bisexuality]]; mother Bloberta cheats on Clay, often finds herself depressed, and suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder; Orel's rambunctious little brother Shapey is a toddler trapped in a seven-year-old's body. The population of Moralton (a town placed precisely in the middle of the United States) [[DysfunctionJunction fare little better]]; most of the adults lead lives as dysfunctional as Orel's family -- if not more so -- while putting on a show of being Good Christians and Good Neighbors.

Every member of Orel's family [[DysfunctionalFamily shows some form of dysfunction]]: father Clay [[TheAlcoholic abuses alcohol]], [[AbusiveParents abuses Orel]] (emotionally and physically), and [[TransparentCloset fails to hide]] his [[GayConservative closet bisexuality]]; mother Bloberta cheats on Clay, often finds herself depressed, and suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder; and both parents spoil Orel's rambunctious and disabled little brother Shapey rotten. The population of Moralton (a town placed precisely in the middle of the United States) [[DysfunctionJunction fare little better]]; most of the adults lead lives as dysfunctional as Orel's family -- if not more so -- while putting on a show of being Good Christians and Good Neighbors.