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Washingtoon is the 11th episode of the third season of Tiny Toon Adventures, the 95th in production, and the 89th episode overall. It was written by Nicholas Hollander and directed by Alfred Gimeno and David West.

Summary[]

Buster and Babs are being chased by The Wolverine. When he corners them at a cliff near the entrance to Wackyland, Buster has an idea. He sends Plucky, who claims he isn't in this episode, in their place, and The Wolverine beats him up as Buster and Babs hide underground. After The Wolverine leaves, Babs thanks Plucky and Buster tells him they owe him. Plucky tells them, "Big time!" and just as they are about to head back home, The Wolverine stops them. Since their first plan to trick him failed, Buster decides he and Babs should resort to gratuitous violence. Buster grabs a club and Babs grabs a wooden mallet, and just as they hit The Wolverine with them, The Wolverine's tooniness is taken away and he becomes very sensitive to pain. Just as Buster and Babs are about to drop a refrigerator and a washing machine, respectively, on The Wolverine, The Wolverine says, "Owie owie owie!" Babs looks over the script and finds out that The Wolverine isn't supposed to say, "Owie owie owie!" in this episode. The Wolverine tells her and Buster that they play too rough, and he leaves. Babs begins to suspect something isn't right. She then sees Calamity Coyote being carried on a stretcher, and asks him what happened. Calamity holds up a sign with a picture of a banana peel, indicating that just one banana peel knocked him out. Babs realizes that cartoons don't get knocked out by a single banana peel, and senses an evil presence. The Adults Against Funny Cartoons Chairperson emerges from under a rock to disagree. Buster asks who she is, and she introduces herself to them. She tells them that she has been monitoring the violence on their cartoon show, and while Babs tries to tell her that they do this kind of thing for fun, the AAFC Chairperson tells her that their cartoon is not responsible viewing material. Plucky, tired of the abuse he's taken over the years, finds what the AAFC Chairperson just said the first sensible thing he's heard all day. The AAFC Chairperson is glad someone agrees with her, and gives Plucky her card. She then tells Buster and Babs that her plan is to rid Acme Acres of cartoon violence, and instead, create a new educational television show. She brings in her Toon Logic Extractor Machine, and demonstrates it on Gogo Dodo, who becomes a slideshow presenter. Naturally, Buster and Babs aren't going to stand for what The AAFC Chairperson is doing, and Buster decides he and Babs are going to stop her plan, even if they have to go to the President of the United States. Babs finds what Buster just said a wonderful idea, and she and Buster set off for Washington, D.C.

Buster and Babs arrive at Washington, D.C., and they go to the White House. When Babs rings the doorbell, a guard asks her and Buster who they are and what their business there is. They tell him that they are the stars of Tiny Toon Adventures, and wish to speak to the President. The guard tells them, "Take the tour," and shuts the door. Babs is now distraught.

As Buster and Babs sit outside the entrance to the White House, Babs complains that they failed their mission. Inside the white house, U.S. Vice President, Dan Quayle, sees them and is excited to meet them. He runs outside and tells them he is their biggest fan, and that he watches their show every day. He invites them over to give them a tour of his room.

When Buster and Babs arrive at Dan's bedroom, they are surprised to find it is decorated like a child's bedroom. As Dan excitedly repeats, "Buster and Babs are in my room!" while skipping in his room, Babs tries to explain to him that Acme Acres is being drained of its tooniness. Dan hasn't heard what she just said, and asks her to do that funny thing with her toes. Buster tells Dan that if all the tooniness is drained from Acme Acres, the nation will fall. Dan, still having not listened, asks Babs to do that funny thing with her toes. Babs, annoyed, reluctantly says, "Don't I have the cutest toes?" Dan laughs hysterically. Babs tells Buster their plan isn't going well, and Buster asks Dan if they can meet the President. Dan tells them he'd like to meet the President, too, and asks them if they know him. Annoyed, Babs says, "The future, folks," and Buster asks Dan if he can help them by telling them where the President is. Dan tells them that President George H.W. Bush is currently at Sleep-away Camp, Camp David. Babs and Buster set off, and as they leave, Dan removes his left shoe and sock, remembering Babs' "Don't I have the cutest toes?" line, and laughing hysterically.

Back at Acme Acres, Plucky has read the newspaper and found out that Buster and Babs have gone to Washington to save their show. He decides to get back at them, and calls the AAFC Chairperson. He tells her he's been thinking about her new show, and agrees that children should be watching boring, slow-paced highbrow stuff. The AAFC Chairperson tells him to see her right away.

Buster and Babs arrive at Camp David, where they have found President George H.W. Bush, as well as his Secret Service agents who won't let them anywhere near him. George H.W. Bush is in a swimming pool, trying to catch a fish with a fishing pole. Elsewhere in Camp David, his wife, Barbara Bush, is being interviewed by Barbara Walters. Ms. Walters asks Mrs. Bush when she's going to see her husband again, and Mrs. Bush tells her that she and her husband have a special relationship; they watch TV together. Babs burrows and buries Ms. Walters, also disguising herself as Ms. Walters. She then asks Mrs. Bush what the President thinks of Babs Bunny. Mrs. Bush is confused. Babs then asks her if the retired-five star General What's-his-name is behind her. Mrs. Bush replies with "Swarshkoff", and Buster, disguised as General Swarshkoff, arrives. Babs asks him what brings him to Camp David, and he tells her he has confidential but urgent business for George. Babs brings Mrs. Bush and follows him. When they arrive at the pool, they want to talk to George, but he tells them, "Read my lips." On George's lips, Babs reads, "No new taxes," then asks, "So what else is new?" Buster is starting to suspect they will be kicked out, and George introduces them to his bodyguards, Agent Kinder and Agent Gentler, who are wearing shark fins on their heads. Babs tells George that toons are an endangered species, and she and Buster remove their disguises. George, who is convinced by Babs, tells her he couldn't throw out an endangered species. They tell him that once all the tooniness is drained from Acme Acres, cartoons will be banned, and there should be a law to protect cartoons. George agrees, but tells them that he doesn't make laws, rather, they take an act of congress. First, a bill has to be written, then debated and voted on, and finally, passed onto him for approval. If he doesn't veto it, the bill becomes a law. Buster and Babs decide to get started right away.

Back at Acme Acres, Plucky and the AAFC Chairperson work together to drain all the tooniness from Acme Acres. As a result, Elmyra becomes a proper pet caretaker, Dizzy Devil becomes a health fanatic, and Hamton becomes a neat freak (Not much was changed from him). The AAFC Chairperson's new show, Plucky's Learn-o-Rama, has just aired on TV. Buster and Babs have returned to Acme Acres, and find out that time is running out. If congress doesn't approve, Acme Acres is doomed.

Buster and Babs go to the Washington Courthouse, where they find the Lincoln Memorial. Babs reads over the speech written on the memorial, and finds what she read beautiful. Buster is sad, because that speech doesn't apply to them. He tells her that now they're a lost cause. The Lincoln Memorial then tells them that lost causes are the only causes worth fighting for. Buster and Babs are surprised to hear the Lincoln Memorial speak to them, who then tells them never to give up. Buster has now worked the courage to continue his mission, and he and Babs set off. As Babs leaves, she thanks the Lincoln Memorial for encouraging them. After they leave, the camera pans to reveal that Ronald Reagan was the one who spoke to them.

Buster and Babs return to the White House, where Congress is now in session. Dan Quayle begins the meeting and tells the Members of the Congress that Buster and Babs are his friends. Buster tries to speak, but a Member of the Congress interrupts, saying, "Filibuster!" Dan questions, "Filibuster?" and the other Members of the Congress sing, "Filibuster!" Babs inflates Buster using a bicycle pump, obviously playing on what they just said. (Fill a Buster). The inflated Buster flies up to the ceiling, then deflates his way back down. The Members of the Congress find this a funny gag. Buster then reads over a script reminiscent of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, ending with, "We hold these tooths to be self evident", while holding up a pair of chattering teeth. The Members of the Congress find this gag funny as well. Buster mentions that, as a toon, he does this kind of thing for fun. He then tells the Members of the Congress that cartoons are a part of everybody's cultural heritage. Babs joins in, telling the Members of the Congress about what's been happening to them lately. All the tooniness has been drained from Acme Acres, and the toons living there aren't funny anymore. She brings in a television set, and turns it on. On the TV is the AAFC Chairperson's new show, Plucky's Learn-o-Rama. On the show, Plucky, Elmyra, Dizzy, and Hamton have all been drained of their tooniness, and are giving blank stares. Plucky then sings a boring and sappy song about feelings. The Members of the Congress have fallen asleep after watching Learn-O-Rama, and Babs wakes them up by hitting a big bass drum. Buster continues by telling them that free speech is on the block. Babs then brings in the AAFC Chairperson and tells the Members of the Congress that she is responsible for what has happened to the toons living in Acme Acres. The AAFC Chairperson argues, and Buster and Babs tell the Members of the Congress that if she gets her way, cartoons won't be able to do the funny gags they are known for anymore, demonstrating them on the AAFC Chairperson. Outraged, the AAFC Chairperson tells the Members of the Congress that cartoons are an insult to decent Americans. After Buster drops a 16 ton weight on the AAFC Chairperson, he tells the Members of the Congress that cartoons aren't like real people; as real people get hurt in real life, but cartoons, they never really get hurt and can withstand cartoon violence, as it's all part of making people in real life laugh. The AAFC Chairpseron emerges from under the weight, and tells them she's only just begun to fight. Buster and Babs proceed to drop more heavy objects on her. Dan concludes the meeting by asking the Members of the Congress if they are in favor of banning cartoons from the TV. The response is a long silence (save for a cricket chirping). He then tells all opposed to laugh. Everyone laughs, and the new law to save cartoons is passed. The AAFC Chairperson emerges from the rubble, and tells them that no matter how much they laugh, she will not give up. She uses her Toon Logic Extractor Machine on Buster, draining him of his tooniness. Unfortunately for her, Buster's tooniness is too strong and destroys her machine. With the machine destroyed, everyone's tooniness is returned (although not all of them to their proper bodies). When Buster's tooniness is returned, he says to Babs, "So, um, I still got no pants." Babs is proud of Buster, as she knew his tooniness was too strong for the machine. Suddenly, The AAFC Chairperson's tooniness, which had been lost many years ago, emerges from the destroyed machine. With her tooniness returned, the AAFC Chairperson is completely reformed, and goes to live with Gogo Dodo and his friends in Wackyland.

Buster and Babs thank Dan Quayle, and tell him that if he ever needs their help again, he can give them a call. Dan tells them, "Thanks, I will, in 1996!" Buster gives Dan a high-five.

Allusions[]

  • The episode addresses and is a window into censorship advocacy by "morality in media" and "entertainment decency" groups in the United States in the early 1990s, being spearheaded by the FCC. Though such movements were claimed to have been done for the benefit of the children of the United States, such advocacy groups and tied political movements were often rather controversial conservative and corporate interest groups that mainly sought to find loopholes to overcome the separation of church and state and believed that the state of the world was the coming of "the apocalypse" or even a possible World War III scenario upon the year 2000 within fundamentalist Christian religious and nationalist political interest groups, and often in ignorance or denial of the repercussions and excesses of far-reaching consequences of their party's past actions onto society prior to the 1990s. The purposes of such "advocacy" was to ensure an increase in educational programming within children's entertainment, although such use of television risks also being used to spread propaganda and instill agendas by any means necessary within young minds for self-interest political power purposes than anything truly remotely educational, and such advocacy at the behest of such aforementioned groups increased suspicion of underhanded intentions, all at the cost of the arts, freedom of expression, creativity, and leisurely entertainment. This topic would later be revisited in Animaniacs, in the episode Bully For Skippy.

Trivia[]

  • Henny Youngman makes a cameo appearance, carrying Calamity on a stretcher. The George Burns Chimpanzee also makes a cameo appearance, holding the other end.
  • Production-wise, this is the last episode animated at AKOM.
  • Dan Quayle tells Buster and Babs he will need their help in 1996, referring to his election campaign for President. Of course, later the month this episode aired, Bill Clinton won the election, and would run in 1996 against Bob Dole.

Cast[]

Voice Actors: Character(s):
Charlie Adler Buster Bunny, White House Guard
Tress MacNeille Babs Bunny, Adults Against Funny Cartoons Chairperson, Barbara Bush, Nancy Reagan, Additional voices
Joe Alaskey Plucky Duck
Don Messick Hamton J. Pig
Frank Welker Gogo Dodo, Furrball, George Bush, Ronald Reagan, The Wolverine
Maurice LaMarche Dizzy Devil, Dan Quayle, Ted Kennedy, Additional voices
Louise DuArt Barbara Walters

Quotes[]

  • Babs: "I'm getting that sinking feeling."
Buster: "Cartoon escape rule #1: When it looks as if the heroes are going to eat it, pull in someone else."
(Buster pulls Plucky out of hammerspace.)
Plucky: "Hey! I'm not even in this episode!"
  • (The Toon Logic Extractor Machine takes away The Wolverine's tooniness just as Buster and Babs are about to drop a refrigerator and a washing machine, respectively, on him)
The Wolverine: "Owie owie owie! Owie! Owie! That hurt!"
Buster: "Eh?"
The Wolverine: "Owie owie owie!"
Babs (As she looks over the script): "'Owie owie owie?' There's no 'Owie owie owie!' in this script! What gives?"
The Wolverine: "You guys play too rough, you crazies!"
  • Buster: "Listen, listen, Danny Boy, we want to meet the President."
Quayle: "Oh, me, too. Do you know him?"
Babs (to the toonsters): "The future, folks."
  • (Hamton, dressed in a maid's outfit, arrives to his room to clean it up)
Hamton: "Oh, boy! I'm gonna clean my room!"
(The Toon Logic Extractor Machine takes away Hamton's tooniness)
Hamton: "Oh, boy! I'm gonna clean my room!"
  • Buster: "We are about to make history!"
Babs: "Her-story, too!"
  • (The destroyed Toon Logic Extractor machine puts Plucky's tooniness in Elmyra's body, Elmyra's tooniness in Plucky's body, Hamton's tooniness in Dizzy's body, and Dizzy's tooniness in Hamton's body)
Plucky (In Elmyra's body): "What's going on here?" (Muffles mouth)
Dizzy (In Hamton's body): "Mmmm! Me eat now!" (Growls, then pounces Plucky in Elmyra's body)
Plucky (In Elmyra's body): "Wait! This is impossible!"
Hamton (In Dizzy's body): "Oh, boy! I'm gonna clean my room!"
(Plucky, Hamton, Dizzy and Elmyra fight each other)

Gallery[]

Main article: Washingtoon/Gallery


Home Video Releases[]



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