"Upper lip, slick and hip. oh Yeah!"A few of the gathered 10 YSA were being skeptical about watching a cartoon; which is understandable since we lured them to our flat under the pretense that we were going to watch Educational TV, which, according to the FOODEST, includes only MacGyver, A-Team, Magnum PI and Sledge Hammer. But, after what i thought was 22mins of pure bliss, I noticed some faces weren't wearing as big of smiles as mine, so i asked one of the more frowning faces, Jessie B, what she thought of the episode.
She wasn't sure. She needed more time to "properly process her thoughts." I asked her to write a 500 word essay on her thought and feelings of The Tick, Justice, Mustaches and the moral of the episode.
she did! and here it is Tick fans, for you. Oh, please enjoy the annotated bibliography at the end of her essay...and yes, she cited the Ticklopedia.
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Morales, Muscles and Mustaches
Review of “The Tick” That Mustache Feeling
If you ever wanted to know the dangers of being big, blue and spontaneously endowed with facial hair charisma, this is the superhero episode for you. From “The Tick” cartoon series directed by Hank Tucker (Max Steel, Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears), Episode 27, That Mustache Feeling, highlights a number of morals on the over-rated nature and hardship of maintaining a mustache – that “chick-magnet” charm (Legg, 2002). As the protagonist quickly finds out, things easily gained are just as easily lost, and it is more important to be true to one’s heart than to seek mad revenge.
Following along similar lines as some of Tucker’s previous storyboard projects (Valiant (2005), Stuart Little 2 (2002)), That Mustache Feeling began season three with an emphasis on the age-old truth: appearance is not everything. Although it is tempting to boast of such characteristics as the “new sensation springing up from [the] upper lip”, vanity in appearance brings its own rewards – and not always what you might expect. As The Tick realises, not long after awaking to find himself in possession of a fully-formed Hispanic mustache, although it at first might seem to give him a rugged, self-assured, adult-look there is more to the game than meets the eye. After strutting his newly acquired facial hair – to its own theme song – the ‘chick’ charm back-fires until his brain is touched and The Tick is led to confess “I never knew what guys with mustaches went through.” The experience suggests one should appreciate the gaiety of good grooming without boasting, and regardless of whether it includes a hard-earned mustache or not.
Another lesson learned the hard way is that of ‘Easy come, easy go.’ Having acquired his proudly professed mustache overnight, it is not surprising that the Tick lost it just as quickly. You gain nothing from nothing, or as The Tick puts it: “You know Arthur, I may have lost my mustache, but I’ve gained a - hehe I haven’t gained a thing.” That is, where the effort is not put in to obtain a prize, the prize can not be obtained (or maintained in this case).
A last point scripted in by writers Ben Edlund and Christopher McCulloch, and highlighted as an undertone throughout the episode, is that of being true to your heart. Without breaking into song and dance as in post-projects involving Tucker’s animation assistance (Enchanted (2007)), Episode 27 highlights the happy ending that comes to those who follow true love with diligence. Dot and Dinosaur Neil allude to the first presence of this notion with their suddenly sprung engagement party. The party works out fine with the help of Arthur and excluding the intrusion of Project Shave in the middle (but seeing as how Dinosaur Neil is a super-villain anyway, some interruption can be expected). A second love-interest exists with Jim Rage and his feelings for associate Project Shave member, Crystal “liberal arts, remarkable at demolitions, and red hot with a blow dryer.” However, in his obsessive desire to destroy the mustache, his story ends despairingly. The ultimate example though, is, of course, the American Mustache. Despite being hunted for 20 years, it never gives up, and is rewarded in the end by finally being united with the Russian Beard – and what a handsome pair they make.
In all, That Mustache Feeling stands to exemplify the last comment made by Arthur: “That’s ok … I like you better without it.” That is to say, true friends appreciate you for you, and Mustaches don’t make you “cool”, it is your choices make you cool! It officially makes it up into the ranks of spoof-hero history. Just behind The Incredibles but ahead of Bananaman (1983 TV Series), I give it three stars for optimism (and bees)!
Bibliography:
IMDb.com, Inc (1990) Hank Tucker – Filmography, http://www.imdb.com/name/
IMDb.com, Inc (1990) “The Tick” http://www.imdb.com/title/
Legg, M. (2002) Cartoons, http://www.thetick.ws/
Legg, M. (2002) That Mustache Feeling, http://www.thetick.ws/car27.
Ticklopedia (n.d.) The Tick Encyclopedia http://home.jps.net/~lsnyder/
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