Stimpy's Invention
Stimpy invents a helmet that forces happiness on Ren.
"Stimpy's Invention" serves as the first season finale of The Ren & Stimpy Show, airing on Nickelodeon in February 1992. Written by John Kricfalusi and Bob Camp, with Kricfalusi directing, the episode follows Stimpy building absurd gadgets, culminating in the Happy Helmet. Its famous "Happy Happy Joy Joy" sequence and layered themes helped make it one of the series' most iconic episodes.
Quick Facts
- Series
- The Ren & Stimpy Show
- Season
- 1
- Episode
- 12
- Air date
- 23 February 1992
- Production
- RS-06B
- Story
- John Kricfalusi; Bob Camp
- Director
- John Kricfalusi
Facts from the source article.
Plot
Stimpy, showing more intelligence than usual, creates impractical inventions and subjects Ren to each one. The Cheese-O-Phone serves no purpose, the Remote Controlled Shaver malfunctions and shaves Ren's fur, and the Stay-Put Socks prevent Ren from walking. In his laboratory, Stimpy uses machinery and animals to create the Happy Helmet, a device that brainwashes the wearer. He places it on Ren, who falls under its influence and happily performs chores. Stimpy later brings home a record of "Happy Happy Joy Joy" by Stinky Whizzleteats. As they dance, Stimpy becomes distracted, allowing Ren to pull a hammer and smash the helmet. Freed, an enraged Ren confronts Stimpy but stops after realizing he enjoys being angry.
Production
The episode took a year to complete, from February 1991 to February 1992. Bob Camp developed the idea of Ren being subject to Stimpy's inventions in 1990, and John Kricfalusi was highly interested, obsessively refining details. Kricfalusi altered the story after suggesting Ren should experience a breakdown, prompting Stimpy to create the Happy Helmet. Executives wanted a scene with Stimpy using a duck as a tool and Ren whacking Stimpy with a newspaper, causing his head to separate from his jaw. Some extreme elements were removed, though much objected-to material made the final cut. Kricfalusi had to persuade producer Vanessa Coffey to approve production, as the team lost a month due to issues beyond their control. Both "Space Madness" and "Stimpy's Invention" were initially rejected by Nickelodeon. Vincent Waller stated executives disliked Stimpy using a duck due to concerns of children imitating the scene and potential harm to the duck; they preferred a woodpecker. Kricfalusi sent a memo saying the team would draw a duck, responding with "No."
Reception
American scholar Thad Komorowski gave the episode five out of five stars, calling it among the best of the series with an ideal balance of turmoil and comedy. Journalist Joey Anuff wrote that it was Kricfalusi's finest moment. Critic Dawn Taylor called it one of the best episodes, featuring the catchy "Happy Happy Joy Joy" song, and noted that the psychotic rant by Stinky Whizzleteats uses dialogue originally spoken by Burl Ives in the 1958 film The Big Country. Scholar Sarah Banet-Weiser wrote that the episode was a refreshing change from 1980s cartoons, with dialogue like Ren's threat "You filthy swine, I will kill you!" that would not have aired earlier. She noted it satirized conventions such as the "no testing on animals" disclaimer through Stimpy's use of a duck and beaver as tools, and lampooned ideals of happiness and conformity, as being unhappy makes Ren happy and the Happy Helmet represents slavery of mind and emotion.
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