Follow TV Tropes

Following

Recap / Strong Bad Email E 142 Secret Identity

Go To

Airdate: Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Sender: Chris, Laramie WY

Strong Bad: Initiate sbemail-refresh daemon. (types in "strongbad_email.wad" instead of the usual "exe". It still manages to work somehow)

Chris from "Laramie, Why?" wonders if Strong Bad has a secret identity, which to him is "the kind of rockin' cool thing you'd have".

Strong Bad: Chris, let me be frank. The term "rockin' cool" is so uncool it makes my face hurt! (clears screen) Okay, now that all the "rockin cool"s are off the screen... (freaks out, clears screen again) They're gone. Those things are vicious!

Strong Bad at first claims "Have you ever seen the Poopsmith and I in the same place at the same time?", but this is quickly put to the lie when the Poopsmith shows up in the computer room... along with Homestar Runner, who was the one who let him in, and also used up the last of the mayonnaise for the Poopsmith's hamburger.

Strong Bad: Is there, like, a sign on my door that says "Wanted: Everyone I Hate, Inquire Within"?!
King of Town: I didn't see one.
Strong Bad: Wght... wh... So, apparently, I'm not the Poopsmith.

Strong Bad does have several other secret identities, at least. When he's traveling on business and doesn't want to be bothered by hordes of fans, he uses the alias "Tip Tappers, Expensive Briefcase Carrier", as seen when he checks in at Bubs' Motor Lodge (alongside such names as Mr. Dee Williams, AKA Homestar).

Strong Bad also claims to have a secret second family in the town of Broiter Grove, whom he visits as "Vance Mudgeman". He claims that "All the kids love Daddy Mudgeman", even though his visits mostly consist of sitting around watching TV and making halfhearted threats at the kids when they act up.

Strong Bad also writes an advice column for "Scarfgirl" Magazine under the name "Cara Carabowditbowdit", where he claims "I'm slowly but surely making the girls of the world cooler for all us dudes" by advising his readers to play more of "the explodey kind" of video game. Marzipan isn't too impressed by Miss Carabowditbowdit's advice, or her "pseudoname", but Homestar thinks Marzipan just envies her popularity with the hot boys.

Strong Bad: So you see? Secret identities aren't just for superheroes and Garth Brooks anymore. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have several butts to jettison from my home.
(Strong Bad walks offscreen and is heard throwing the other characters)
Homestar: (flying offscreen to the right) Thanks for having me overrrrr!
King of Town: (flying offscreen to the right) Worst mayonnaise party everrrr!
(Strong Bad enters, chasing the Poopsmith across the screen with a fondue fork.)
Strong Bad: Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out.
(The Paper comes down.)

Tropes:

  • Accidental Misnaming: After asking Chris to "Let me be frank" and getting sidetracked, Strong Bad continues "Anyway, Frank..."
  • Angrish: Strong Bad lets out a brief burst of frustrated gibberish when the King of Town shows up.
  • Berserk Button: In the Easter Egg, Strong Sad gets fed up with the usage of the word “pseudoname”.
  • Blatant Lies: Despite Strong Bad's claims to the contrary, we have seen him and the Poopsmith in the same place, several times.
  • Comically Missing the Point: The King of Town proves to be Sarcasm-Blind in this exchange.
    Strong Bad: [After Homestar and the Poopsmith show up in the e-mail room] Is there, like, a sign on my door that says "Wanted: Everyone I Hate, Inquire Within"?
    King of Town: [Walks in] I didn't see one.
  • Continuity Nod:
  • Corporal Punishment: Strong Bad, in his identity of Vance Mudgeman, threatens to smack one of his kids for stealing the TV remote.
    Strong Bad: (sheepishly) Yes, well... you gotta be firm. (clears throat)
  • Even Evil Has Standards: Downplayed: Strong Bad cuts away in the middle of Vance Mudgeman threatening to smack his kid, but doesn't apologize for the threat.
  • Get Out!: Strong Bad chases the Poopsmith out with a fondue fork while repeatedly chanting "Get out, get out, get out."
  • I'm Standing Right Here: As Strong Bad announces that he is the Poopsmith, the real Poopsmith appears behind him and prods him with his shovel to get his attention. Strong Bad then berates him for "ruining [his] scam".
    "I was gonna have all of everyone believing that I was you and that the steaming pile of whatsit was really a smoldering pile of money covered in whatsit."
  • Moustache de Plume: Gender-inverted with Cara Carabowditbowdit, Strong Bad's pen name for an advice column he writes for a women's magazine.
  • Parental Neglect: When he isn't threatening to smack his kids, Vance Mudgeman tends to sit around and watch TV. Also, if Strong Bad is telling the truth, then he's guilty of this anyway by living his other lives outside the Mudgeman residence.
  • Real Name as an Alias: Homestar apparently checked into Bubs' motel as "Mr. Dee Williams". An Easter egg shows several other names in Bubs' hotel register that are implied to be other characters from HSR, such as "Mr. Allan Poe" (Strong Sad), "Mr. Five Freddy" (Coach Z) and "Ms. Cousteau" (Marzipan).
  • Rhetorical Question Blunder: When Strong Bad wonders if someone hung up a sign inviting everyone he hates into his house, the King of Town strolls in and replies "I didn't see one."
  • Secret Other Family: Strong Bad claims to visit a "secret second family" in Broiter Grove under one of his aliases.
  • Sexiness Score: Strong Bad, under his "Tip Tappers" alias, tells Bubs to send girls to his room if they're asking for Strong Bad and are a seven out of ten (or a six if they're naked).
  • Shout-Out:
    • The floppy disc on Strong Bad's desk is labeled "sam and max" after the video game series of the same name.
    • "Secret identities aren't just for superheroes and Garth Brooks anymore," Strong Bad says, referencing Garth's short-lived alternate persona Chris Gaines.
    • Strong Bad's email intro is a clear homage to Doom, referencing the .wad files used to store stage data.
  • Totally Radical: Strong Bad informs Chris "The term 'rockin' cool' is so un-cool it makes my face hurt."
  • Worst. Whatever. Ever!: As Strong Bad literally throws him out, the King of Town yells "Worst mayonnaise party ever!"

Homestar: Maybe I should get me one of them pseudonames.
Strong Sad: (leans in from the left side, hyperactive) It's "-nym"! It's "-nym"! It's pseudonym, not pseudoname! I can't take it anymore! Nym nym nym! It's a Greek word for "name"! Pseudonym! Pseudonym!

Top