Airdate: Monday, October 1, 2007
Sender: Thomas O. from NY
Sadly, this email isn't from Gary, but "Thomas O. from En-Why", who asks Strong Bad for advice on slumber parties, complaining that the last one he attended had "nothing but a lame game of Uno".
(cut to a bored Strong Bad sitting at a table with a deck of cards)
Strong Bad: Thanks for inviting me, Skip-Bo...
Strong Bad's first bit of advice is to cite "Coolguy's Law": the less popular the host is, the more fun you can have (and the more mayhem you can cause) at their house: "You can tear the place apart and dislocate all the younger siblings' shoulders you want. It's not like you're ever going back there again."
Strong Bad demonstrates by playing a few rounds of "Find the Load-Bearer" and "Bed-Axe" at Homestar's house. Strong Bad also adds that "Unpopular kids' dads definitely still play video games", and you should look for a hidden stash of "rated M for Mature" titles like Blood Bleeder, Head Chopper 2, Scab Wars, and Blistergeist, all of which are way more fun to Strong Bad than Homestar's suggestion of "approved" games like Clapping Party.
The next thing to consider at a slumber party is the menu, which should include "six-foot party subs, an exorbitant amount of pizza, and at least enough Skittles and red cream soda to make your spit hurt". Any party that includes a sit-down dinner at the table with healthy fare like "chicken... in a pan... with some... salad... and a... glass of milk... to drink" should be avoided like the plague.
If Thomas is looking for a guaranteed good time, Strong Bad suggests trying to get invited to an older kid's slumber party, where anything goes! Though he does also suggest that you put a cap on the age of "older kids" you hang out with, as seen when Strong Bad ends up hanging out with Bubs (who rambles about his dead relatives), Coach Z (who rambles about his aching body parts), and the King of Town (who rambles about the government).
Strong Bad: (next to a sleeping bag, his eyes half-closed) Uh, can you guys start using some words that were invented after the year nineteen-oh-zero?
The King of Town: Come now, young whipper-snapper. My fellows and I were just about to start playing at games of chance. (holds up and shakes a pair of dice)
Strong Bad: Let me guess. That doesn't include "Bed-Axe"? (holds up an axe)
Finally, Strong Bad suggests taking part in the time-honored tradition of "endlessly ridiculing the kid that got picked up early 'cause he misses his mom", like his kid brother Strong Sad used to when the Brothers Strong would have slumber parties in their own basement.
Strong Bad: Uh-huh...
Strong Sad: A week...
Strong Bad: Keep going.
Strong Sad: For ten years.
Strong Bad: There you go! Oh, and one more thing: If your jim-jams happen to be a, oh, I dunno, long V-neck undershirt with a pair of questionable tighty-whiteys underneath, maybe don't wear those to the slumber party. Don't ask me how I know this. Please, PLEASE, DON'T ASK ME HOW I KNOW THIS.
Strong Sad: (in a mocking voice) How do you know that?
Strong Bad: Oh, that's it! Allow me to relieve you of that located shoulder!
(Strong Bad leaps offscreen, prompting a pained yell from Strong Sad. New Paper comes down.)
Tropes:
- Asinine Alternate Activity: Homestar suggests playing Clapping Party instead of a bunch of M-rated games.Strong Bad: Whoa! Jackpot! Blood Bleeder, Head Chopper 2, Scab Wars, Blistergeist? Most of these things have been taken off the market!Homestar: Oh. Those are off-limits. We're only allowed to play Clapping Party.[Homestar shows off the game, which just involves making a pair of pixelated hands clap.]
- Apparently Clapping Party isn't as dumb as it first appears. There's a playable demo as an Easter Egg on the original website, and clearing two rounds unlocks "Blistergeist Mode".
- Brick Joke: Early on, Strong Bad mentions dislocating younger siblings' shoulders for fun. Near the end of the e-mail, Strong Bad's own little brother Strong Sad shows up with one arm in a sling.
- Chainsaw Good: The Blistergeist is armed with a chainsaw.
- Comically Missing the Point: Due to some minor Ambiguous Syntax in Thomas's email, Strong Bad assumes he was invited to a slumber party hosted by a living game of Uno.
- Continuity Nod:
- "Coolguy's Law" is a reference to Strong Bad's alter ego of "Professor Tor Coolguy" from "Strong Bad Is In Jail Cartoon".
- The pizza boxes and the Easter egg with Homestar's "slumber party" dance are nods to the previous e-mail "pizza joint".
- Cutaway Gag: Strong Bad's remark about how "Family card games are notorious for hosting the worst slumber parties" is followed by a brief scene with Strong Bad hanging out with a copy of Skip-Bo, bored out of his mind.
- Elderly Ailment Rambling: Coach Z brings up his various aching body parts during the "older kids' party" scene.Coach Z: And my back still hurts, and my knees still hurt, and my head still hurts...
- Escalating Punchline: When Strong Bad brings up Strong Sad missing his mom at their own slumber parties, Strong Sad chimes in with "That only happened once... a week... for ten years."
- Fictional Video Game: Strong Bad lists a bunch of fictional games, such as Scab Wars and Head Chopper 2.
- Gory Deadly Overkill Title of Fatal Death: All the "rated M for Mature" games Strong Bad wants to play have titles like Blood Bleeder and Scab Wars.
- Incredibly Lame Fun: Homestar's idea of a fun video game is Clapping Party. All it invokes is clapping a pair of virtual hands.
- Literal-Minded:
- Strong Bad assumes that when Thomas said there was "nothing but a lame game of Uno" at his last slumber party, he means it literally. He suggests that Thomas should have skipped that one, since card games are notorious for holding the worst slumber parties.
- Strong Bad later advises to get invited to an "older kid's" slumber party. Cue Strong Bad stuck in a slumber party filled with elderly people, played by Bubs, Coach Z, and the King of Town. This prompts Strong Bad to suggest putting a cap on what one would define as "older kids".
- Slumber Party: The focus of the email, as Strong Bad goes over the ins-and-outs of slumber parties and gives advice on how to have the most fun at someone else's house:Strong Bad: According to Coolguy's law, the popularity of the host is inversely proportional to the amount of fun you can have at their house.
- Suspiciously Specific Denial: Strong Bad's advice to not wear pajamas to a slumber party involving a "long V-neck undershirt with a pair of questionable tighty-whities underneath".Strong Bad: Don't ask me how I know this. Please, please, don't ask me how I know this...
- Ultra Super Death Gore Fest Chainsawer 3000: Strong Bad's idea of fun video games include titles like Blood Bleeder and Blistergeist.
- Ultra Super Happy Cute Baby Fest Farmer 3000: Clapping Party is fairly tame, though it does include a "Blistergeist mode".
Homestar: (singing) Party! Slumber party! Listen to some Sade! At my slumber party!
