It's also a good term for those that wanna be all serious but act the fool so naturally. "You act the fool so well...you sure you are not a closet clown?"
@@tacocat1921 I'm still a closet clown unfortunately, but don't worry. We all leave the closet eventually, sometimes we just stumble on all the junk before reaching the door.
Baume: This TV show has gay subtext The writers: Yes, definitely gay subtext The producers: Oh, so very much gay subtext The actors: And don't forget the trans subtext! That's there, too Random people of youtube: You're stretching! No gay here! None at all!
I honestly don't even know how you miss the subtext in Clown in the Closet. From the title card to the rainbow ending, it is *so clearly* a gay metaphor.
I loved Rocko. There was one episode where he went to, I think it was a movie theater, and the ushers there wore uniforms identical to his shirt and everyone kept mistaking him for someone who works there. Lol. That happened to a friend of mine irl. Customers kept mistaking him for a waiter. Lol.
My dad was born and raised in Copenhagen, Denmark so I DEFINITELY caught the "Scandinavia" remark. My head immediately popped up when I heard it. I had a secret girlfriend at the time and it was...incredible to see. It was a rough, rough time to be LGBT+ in the '90's. The world did not hesitate to let us all know how much they wanted us dead and made the point. We lost so many people to murder and vicious hate crimes back then. Matthew Shepard was our peer, only 6 months older than I was when he was murdered in '98. I thank humanity and empathy for change and I'm grateful there has been change. I don't EVER want to go back to the '90's.
@cyotee doge I don't know what to tell you. It's in the history books and the 2000-2010 was even worse as the world rebelled harshly to the efforts of the '90's to make people realize homophobia is stupid. I still have old injuries from back then from simply being PERCIEVED as gay. How old were you in the '90's?
@cyotee doge In the 19990s my school had a kid LITERALLY say he would rather be caught DEAD, than be seen at the Gay Straight Alliance. Back then Gay Marriage was seen as EXTRA bad. Gays didn't truly start to become humanized until shows like Will & Grace and Queer Eye started showing Mainstream America "Hey! These people are really just like you and me! They're not these total monsters. They're no better or worse than heterosexuals!" an such. To say NOTHING of how in the 1980s and even 1990s you could get beaten up for being a "Sissy"
@cyotee doge OK, so you don't read and you have never met me, but that isn't going to stop you from sharing your opinion. You're simple. Cool story bro, have a nice day.
The one thing I hated about Closet Clown those years ago of Rocko's Modern Life was the fact that his own friends and neighbors attacked him for "liking rainbows." I never understood what was wrong with that when I was a kid in the 90s. Now it makes sense these days, so they're gay bashing him for admitting that.
You started talking about the clown nose bit and my brain automatically went "oh, like me trying on heels before I even knew I was trans". Like, its such a cool depiction of being closeted and being afraid of people finding out.
I never liked this episode because of the ending where everyone forms an angry mob about Rocko & starts chasing him. In fact, I hated it so much as a kid, that I actually drew a picture of Rocko receiving a gold coin from a leprechaun for liking rainbows, while everyone else got nothing & cried about it (I was in 2nd grade, can you blame me?).
I never understood why they did that scene too, until years later I've learned about the Pride, the LGBTQ+, and their symbol being a rainbow. I guess this was back when people despised gay people and I don't blame them for feeling that way. I feel like now that whenever I draw a rainbow in a picture, painting, or even take a photo of one, people would think that I'm gay. (WHICH I ABSOLUTELY AM NOT!) I'm a normal boy who likes normal girls, and proud of it. I use to watch a good kid show back in childhood days called Rainbow Brite and it was about a magical girl who brought color to the world. Now I fear that if they ever make a reboot, they add some LGBTQ+ stuff in it. Plus, I've that Elvira, a famous and sexy ghost storyteller was in a relationship with her own female trainer and assistant, breaking all of her boy fans hearts and destroying their dreams of making out with her. Sometimes I feel and fear that all this Pride and LGBTQ+ is starting to take over the world. P.S. Great job of drawing the picture of Rocko and him getting a gold coin.
@@dreamguardian8320What are you doing on that chanel, if you are homophobic? You think your sympathy towards bigotry and your "fears" of gays taking over the world are useful or helpful? You are not "normal", you are delusional and paranoid if you seriously think that someone else's rights are a threat to you.
@@dreamguardian8320 I think maybe the important questions to ask yourself are... Why do you feel so threatened by other people doing what they gotta do to be themselves? What about them carving out a corner in this world for themselves makes you feel like it's done at the expense of _your_ safe space? Homophobia translates to "fear of homosexuals", and there's nothing wrong with confronting your fears. That's how you realize there was nothing to fear in the first place. They're people just like you 🌈Aloha🤙🏽
I work with kids entertainment (live entertainment and books) and I'm constantly being asked whether kids will "get it". Kids spend most of their time not getting stuff!
The commenters who are angry at the idea that creators have intentions when they create things are just perfect. Imagine being so mad that someone is more perceptive than you.
Lmao right? It’s a reason why I managed to snap out of my “anti SJW” phase. I happen to greatly enjoy media criticism, so idiots wanting to dilute various art forms made me re-examine the circles I ran in back in the day. Can’t believe I fell for their propaganda as a teen smh
Actually it's not mad. I am not mad at writers that force an agenda and don't create fully breathing characters that make their own choice. I mean it's okay.. it's why we have games like tomb raider where she claims she is not like her father and claims she isn't strong enough before 5 seconds later taking on a team of mercs with lots of guns. LOL. I mean not like trans has always been there *quotes Garth's line from Wayne's World about Bugs Bunny* I am bisexual and I just find all of this weird... I mean cool... I get it that a lot of people lack any identity and so are puddle thin and nothing more than a walking trope. I get it. I get that some people are so vapid that they need their sexuality to be the centre of their existence. I am not angry... I just pity them... To be that sad and pathetic that you make yourself one dimensional... I feel for people coming out now. In a 100 years this will be seen as a bad time and a time not of enlightenment but severe ignorance. If you walk around shouting "I am okay" are you really okay? If you go round telling everyone you are before they even know your hopes and dreams are you anything more than a walking sexuality? And all at what price? So many people telling themselves this makes them happy.. Until they are alone in their room, looking at the mirror and they realise they are empty and truly lonely. It's why I don't consider myself LGBTQ+ ... I refuse to be allied with people just because we share the same sexual proclivities. That in itself is homophobic. We aren't all the same. We think different and can even think for ourselves! Shocking, I know. And to be honest the whole pride thing is getting a bit beyond a joke now... It's not even about inclusivity! You ask anyone gay, trans or bi whom isn't a poster model for pride about the thing and they will say it makes us feel like we don't belong. How ironic is that? Something set up to make gay and bi people feel included actually makes a section feel unwanted! That is because Pride is a popularity thing. Its for the cool kids, the normies, the populars, the bullies and the it people. And that is my point. LGBTQ+ are no different to anyone else. That means they are capable of the same. But that is another point all together though linked because... All this wokeness and yet certain issues aren't addressed. However if the creators and writers wanted to do some good why not shine a light on Russia? Or the 17 African nations that have elected to use the death penalty on gay men? Hmm? Or at the very least somebody cancel Snoop Dogg... How many twitter rants does the guy have to go on? How many F bombs does he need to drop? The guy literally was the person that made it vernacular for a whole culture to use a slur when referring to a woman. That shit angers me. Not a Nick cartoon that was always madball and leftfield when on air originally. And certainly not considering I grew up with Bugs Bunny and his androgynously curious ways. I would like to know how someone having intentions is being more perceptive? I am reallllly struggling here. I mean really struggling. Imagine using formulaic prose as a rebuttal to try and control other peoples opinions to make sure yours is the one that prevails. I mean I admire you for using something that Goebbels and Adolf loved to do! And funny that it's the fundamental core principle of negging! Imagine that... you share the same reasoning and approach as vile chat up artists! And yes, I wrote an essay. It weeds out a lot of the chaff. But go on, I am sure you will whitegirlsplain it all to me.
i love that the movie uses her transition as a reason to convince rocco to accept the change of his fave tv show instead of using the tv show to convince Rachel's dad to accept her transition. In turn, it's not really about her. it's about accepting that art changes with the times.
I remember having an epiphany about this episode on a color theory class, the teacher made a comment like "this is the chromatic circle (proceeded to explain)..." then had a joke like "it is very similar to that flag San Francisco folks lean on" or something like that and then it hits me, this episode "I like rainbows"
@@KitKatLMFAO that often was watched by the parents with their kids. My dad told me once he was glad it was my favourite cartoon growing up because it had so many hidden jokes for the adults watching.
"The Buffalo Gals" episode of "Cow & Chicken" never officially made it to air. It exists mainly through bootlegs caught during the satellite transmission for broadcast.
The writers on Rocko knew exactly what they were doing and how to dance around the 90's censors at Viacom. That's why we loved Rocko's Modern Life. It worked well on multiple levels for different audiences. Even as a teenager in the 90's, I understood exactly what they were digging at.
Mate, I love it so much that I finally get to understand all of these cartoons as an adult. As a kid, I was constantly itching by this nagging feeling that there was just so much that was RIGHT THERE that I didnt understand. I couldn’t ask my parents as they didnt understand all of it either (none of us are native Eng speakers, so I’ve always watches cartoons in my native tongue). It was always this “translation” and “getting over people’s heads” kinda-deal. Bloody mental. Anyhow. Love the content as always. Keep it up! Cheers.
Rocko was a gay show? I never knew. But no wonder I grew up to think "Why are so many people crappy to gay people, don't be crappy to people. " I can't say Rocko is why, but if so, thank you Rocko
It was fucked up, I didn’t understand anything about transphobia, or noticed it. Hell I used to watch Jerry Springer and see it’s transphobic until I got older, and even then I didn’t see what wrong was it for someone to change their gender to another to be happier.
It's a weird episode. On the one hand, as a trans man, I *hate* the ending. On the other, I kind of appreciate the way Marge is depicted. She reminds me of my parents: ostensibly liberal and all for "those people's" rights, but deeply uncomfortable with the idea of being related to someone LGBTQIA+. Bizarrely, that kind of nuance doesn't make it into these stories often.
the simpsons has handled lgbt issues very differently throughout the years... i know the writers change every so often, but it’s still pretty strange. homer’s phobia was overall good despite being built more around homer than john, but then you have later episodes where it’s like they *know* they can be more accepting than they were in the 90s, but at the same time still dance around the fact that characters like smithers are gay even though they keep making episodes trying to address it. and they’ve even made trans ‘jokes’ about him too :/
This show was always so weird to me as a kid. I was like 9 when it came out. I had forgotten about that Static Cling reunion even though I watched it haha. I'm trans and it was so sweet how accepting they all were towards her. I'm still not totally "out" and it's complicated so to see positive trans things on shows I enjoyed once is so nice.
OH MY ZOD. FINALLY. Like finally, someone talks about Rocko's queerness. Like as a kid, i may not have understood some of the 'adult' jokes, but i could clearly understand queer vibes, especially from Rocko. i'm queer and it was good to see that, but at the same time, i knew none of my friends could relate cuz they never watched these shows.
It always gave me nerdy vibes. I never thought Rocko and his friends were gay. I just thought they were very nerdy and not uber masculine and they might have been unlucky considering dating/girls. Same with Chandler from Friends. I just thought he was nerdy.
@@tuschman168 Everyone I know who's seen Duckman is a fan. Maybe Matt just dislikes it because Duckman occasionally makes vaguely homophobic comments like "Where's Barney the Dinosaur? Check the local bathhouse" but that's just Duckman being an asshole which is the main part of his character
Really? I didn't realise us LGBTQ+ were like Ripley's believe it or not. Don't forget to leave a penny, miss, whilst you gawk at us through the bars... I liked the show because of the animation being like Ren and Stimpy, the voice acting of Tom Kenny, the stories that were leftfield and odd. I mean ... That's weird. That means you probably wouldn't like Ren and Stimpy, Invader Zim or any oddball comedy that isn't exclusively about LGBTQ+ because that is the part you think made you fascinated. A lot of people on here are shockingly homophobic without even realising it. So far Ive seen people compare us to kids that need protecting, disabled people that need help with life, compared to a lifestyle choice and now compared to a circus act to be fascinated by.... Like we are some Cirque Du Sole act. HA! Man I am screening all this for Discord. This is all gold. As a proud member of the community you find fascinating I salute you for showing exactly what I said to someone earlier about the left being just as phobic but from a different angle. Right want us gone and left think we are special and fragile and need big strong straight people to protect us. LOLOLOLOL. Both the same. Will we ever be treated normal?
I've tried to reply multiple times but they disappear. My comment was literally about me being an LGBTQ+ youth living in the middle of nowhere midwest starving for LGBTQ+ representation.
Rocko was so great. I was in my late teens and early twenties during its original run. And more so than some live action shows; it captured that aspect of life; and really spoke to me. I had just moved to a new town; I was trying to get my first "adult" job; and ended taking a minimum wage job. I also had friends very much like Phil and Heifer.
@@mrnobody2018 never said that. But, Rocko is fresh outa school; he's trying to start his life; his best friend still mooches off his parents; his other friend has a friends a "real" job he hates; and they grow together. Phil gets married and has kids. Story wise there's a lot here for a young adult.
6:29 ah, yes... when you first met a more experienced ,out of the closed ,"clown" and get creme pied in his office later that day...we have all been there
That is the first thing I thought seeing that now. Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if it was an intentional goatse reference. The show had metric tons of sexual innuendo, more than a bit of which would be difficult to get away with even today. I'm fairly secure in feeling that it only got away with what it did due to the massively high absurdity of the show. It was so absurdist that most of the sex jokes could be read as just part of the insanity.
Yes. I just posted about that myself. The story is about a young being starting their adult life. And I think it captured it better than a lot of others.
Omg, the timing of this video is impeccable! I bought the complete set of Rocko's Modern Life awhile ago and have finally started watching it. I'm about halfway through season three. I had seen bits and pieces of the show as a child, but I was more into Hey Arnold and Rugrats because I was a little older by then. I'm really enjoying it as an adult. So many innuendos! I'm looking forward to the Closet Clown episode now and Static Cling!
I love that you brought up Greg Weisman and Gargoyles not to mention the comic! What dork cred! Hey he also helped create Young Justice’s version of Aqualad I love Kaldur and he’s in a relationship with a man. Also that shirt how perfect for Rocko!
Even when I was a kid and didn't know any better, whenever I saw the "I like rainbows" scene even then I was like "...wait a minute. There's something else going on here."
I always loved Rocco's modern life as a kid in the 90's! What a wonderful happy and positive message! That we're all human beings ,and it's ok to be different ,no matter gay,straight, bi,lesbian or transgender, whatever!
14:35 Oh, there's a theory that Power Puff Girls' villain is actually the girls' gay uncle that Professor Utonium is a complete homophobe and disassociates from.
I love Rocco when I was a kid it is good that they put gay characters on cartoons. Kids know more about that stuff today then in the 90s I did. I love King of the Hill when Dale's dad is gay I just love King of the Hill.
I was braced for a much more risqué story about the clown nose on the butt, now I feel naughty for where my mind went. The meme video usage on this video was top tier, I lol'd multiple times
The algorithm’s on your side, bro. I’ve never watched your channel and my suggestion page had four of your videos. You deserve it though, good luck out there
A super fun episode about one of my favorite shows as a kid too! Also a surprising amount of furry stuff going on here, but then again the venn diagram of kids from the 90's who had media speak to them as gay or realize they were furries has a fair amount of crossover in the middle.
You are so right. I was a 90s kid and I'm not even a furry, but before I even knew what gay was, I had crushes on quite a few male anthropomorphic characters. Hell, I had a crush on Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast at one point.
@@dorothyallspice1862 late reply oops, but i just rewatched the episode and goodness i can definitely see why you'd love it its actually cute how filbert gets super into the role. if only rocko hadnt treated him like that. i was actually pleasantly surprised on a rewatch rocko wasnt weirded out by the whole concept of being married to a man or anything (then again rocko has always been the type to go with the flow which is why hes my favorite of the show) just filbert's behavior. maybe me headcanoning both of them as bi wasnt too of the mark! sorry for the silly ramble haha
Just wanted to comment why the heck anyone with no intention of critically analyzing shows and film like this channel does...even watches this channel? That is literally the intent and your videos often provide the research or references to prove what you are showcasing on these videos. That segment at 6:13 just made me irrationally annoyed at people who complain when they can choose to remain ignorant and void of critical thought.
Imaginr watching videos on a channel centered about analyzing LGBT elements in media and then getting upset when you find an analysis about LGBT elements in media.
The meaning of this episode definitely flew over my head as a kid, but it makes so much sense now. Rocko was a great show, still my childhood favorite.
Just discovered your channel awhile ago, and I'm glad I did! As a 90's gay myself, it's kind of cool to look back and see even glimpses of support in cartoons and media I consumed.
Found your channel after listening to you on the Savage Lovecast and this is brilliant. Love your content dude, as a young kid who loved Rocko while growing up, this is so mind blowing
I found my son a Rocco shirt and I was so heart broken when he refused to wear it and it got to small for him. He likes the show but doesn’t like shirts with collars unless dadums wears a collar shirt too. Nope just got them too in weird tshirt(ie Godzilla playing the guitar) and cargo shirts. I am lucky that my best friend from high schools little girl, who is also my son’s bestie, loves the shirt.
Suddenly it makes so much sense why this was my favourite nicktoon as a kid. I always loved this show but could never put into words why I loved it so much
No matter how much we try to grow and change as a society, theres always gonna be a group of blockheads stuck in the past who will step on others to feel better about themselves. Its a sad reality but its reality. I will forever love Rocko's Modern Life, and Static Cling was an amazing film 💙💙💙
An episode that stands out for me is when Rocko gets a crush on his Mail-lady and writes her a letter but her brother shows up and Heffer reads the letter out loud and then goes "I love you too Rock." And Wallace thinks they're a couple haha
There have actually been a good few episodes where people think Rocko and Heffer are a couple. Filbert sometimes too. I mostly remember how one of Heffer's siblings liked crossdressing and their mom was totally cool with it.
All the jerks commenting 'this isn't english lit class' as if media studies isn't its own field
It scares me how many people think learning and thinking should never be done outside of a classroom. Idiots.
As someone who took a media literacy class and a film studies class in high school, I can conclude that nothing does not mean nothing. 💕
People that say that probably didn’t pay attention in English class, this is what it teaches you, to look for messages and themes in art
@@outlawscar3328 Precisely.
Yeah but those people look down on media studies
"Nature's Error Forced Girl to Live as Boy" To be fair that is one hell of a coming out announcement for a trans woman.
I want it to be my autobiography title
Nature's Error has got to be my drag name
@@k.morningstar7983 That sounds like a fun drag name. 😆
@@k.morningstar7983 that drag name is just *chef’s kiss*
@@dariusivey543 😂
Closet Clown is a perfect term for me before I came out
It's also a good term for those that wanna be all serious but act the fool so naturally. "You act the fool so well...you sure you are not a closet clown?"
I was a closet clown now I'm an out and proud clown
We are all a proud rainbow clown mafia now!
I was a closet clown, and now I'm an out pan.
I'm still a closet trans clown :(
@@tacocat1921 I'm still a closet clown unfortunately, but don't worry. We all leave the closet eventually, sometimes we just stumble on all the junk before reaching the door.
As an Aussie I always appreciated that they attempted to give Rocko an Australian accent.
Yes mate
Fun fact, Rocko's voice actor is the same guy who voiced the Taco Bell Chihuahua in the 90s. Dude's also on Reno 911, Carlos Alzauraqi.
@@julesrules7297 He was also Spyro in Spyro the Dragon (1998 version only)!
@@fe_fanby2278 which makes it funny when Tom Kenny voiced Spyro later.
@@firepuppies4086 Funnily enough, Kenny was the voice of the little electro dudes from one of the PS1 games.
Baume: This TV show has gay subtext
The writers: Yes, definitely gay subtext
The producers: Oh, so very much gay subtext
The actors: And don't forget the trans subtext! That's there, too
Random people of youtube: You're stretching! No gay here! None at all!
...and video games aren't political! * goes back to playing military-themed shooter #24 *
Sidenote: "You're stretching!" That's what he said. 😏
I've always hated when people do that! Why are they so offended? EVERYTHING is subtext.
I honestly don't even know how you miss the subtext in Clown in the Closet. From the title card to the rainbow ending, it is *so clearly* a gay metaphor.
Nah, the show with an ultra muscular superhero who had magic nipples that enabled people to see the future? No gay subtext here.
And someone threatened to turn him into a mushroom.
im queer and consider rocko's oufit the height of fashion. coincidence? i think not.
I concur! 10 year old me would've died for a blue polo shirt with purple triangles on it. 💕
Omg. I just put it together. I see it.
Needs more floral. But it’s pretty
Hahahahahha
I loved Rocko. There was one episode where he went to, I think it was a movie theater, and the ushers there wore uniforms identical to his shirt and everyone kept mistaking him for someone who works there. Lol. That happened to a friend of mine irl. Customers kept mistaking him for a waiter. Lol.
"Are you down to Clown?"
Has a whole new meaning 😏
*honks*
*throws confetti on face*
@@nunyabiznes33 confetti necklace?
Want to play with my balloon snake?
My dad was born and raised in Copenhagen, Denmark so I DEFINITELY caught the "Scandinavia" remark. My head immediately popped up when I heard it. I had a secret girlfriend at the time and it was...incredible to see. It was a rough, rough time to be LGBT+ in the '90's. The world did not hesitate to let us all know how much they wanted us dead and made the point. We lost so many people to murder and vicious hate crimes back then. Matthew Shepard was our peer, only 6 months older than I was when he was murdered in '98. I thank humanity and empathy for change and I'm grateful there has been change. I don't EVER want to go back to the '90's.
@cyotee doge I don't know what to tell you. It's in the history books and the 2000-2010 was even worse as the world rebelled harshly to the efforts of the '90's to make people realize homophobia is stupid. I still have old injuries from back then from simply being PERCIEVED as gay. How old were you in the '90's?
@cyotee doge In the 19990s my school had a kid LITERALLY say he would rather be caught DEAD, than be seen at the Gay Straight Alliance.
Back then Gay Marriage was seen as EXTRA bad.
Gays didn't truly start to become humanized until shows like Will & Grace and Queer Eye started showing Mainstream America "Hey! These people are really just like you and me! They're not these total monsters. They're no better or worse than heterosexuals!" an such.
To say NOTHING of how in the 1980s and even 1990s you could get beaten up for being a "Sissy"
@cyotee doge depends on where you were I suppose.
@cyotee doge also sup possible fellow coyote
@cyotee doge OK, so you don't read and you have never met me, but that isn't going to stop you from sharing your opinion. You're simple. Cool story bro, have a nice day.
The one thing I hated about Closet Clown those years ago of Rocko's Modern Life was the fact that his own friends and neighbors attacked him for "liking rainbows." I never understood what was wrong with that when I was a kid in the 90s. Now it makes sense these days, so they're gay bashing him for admitting that.
Although he is shown to be straight in other episodes since he has a crush on a female neighbor named Melba.
@@李재성that is so far from the point
@@李재성 And he has a crush on his Mail Carrier, Alicia.
Let's hope hope rocko's friends won't get sent to a "Tolerance Camp"
@@SparkLizard99hey we don't tolerate that type of language here, takez him to ze fingerpaint station
You started talking about the clown nose bit and my brain automatically went "oh, like me trying on heels before I even knew I was trans". Like, its such a cool depiction of being closeted and being afraid of people finding out.
I never liked this episode because of the ending where everyone forms an angry mob about Rocko & starts chasing him.
In fact, I hated it so much as a kid, that I actually drew a picture of Rocko receiving a gold coin from a leprechaun for liking rainbows, while everyone else got nothing & cried about it (I was in 2nd grade, can you blame me?).
I never understood why they did that scene too, until years later I've learned about the Pride, the LGBTQ+, and their symbol being a rainbow. I guess this was back when people despised gay people and I don't blame them for feeling that way.
I feel like now that whenever I draw a rainbow in a picture, painting, or even take a photo of one, people would think that I'm gay. (WHICH I ABSOLUTELY AM NOT!) I'm a normal boy who likes normal girls, and proud of it.
I use to watch a good kid show back in childhood days called Rainbow Brite and it was about a magical girl who brought color to the world. Now I fear that if they ever make a reboot, they add some LGBTQ+ stuff in it.
Plus, I've that Elvira, a famous and sexy ghost storyteller was in a relationship with her own female trainer and assistant, breaking all of her boy fans hearts and destroying their dreams of making out with her.
Sometimes I feel and fear that all this Pride and LGBTQ+ is starting to take over the world.
P.S. Great job of drawing the picture of Rocko and him getting a gold coin.
@@dreamguardian8320What are you doing on that chanel, if you are homophobic? You think your sympathy towards bigotry and your "fears" of gays taking over the world are useful or helpful? You are not "normal", you are delusional and paranoid if you seriously think that someone else's rights are a threat to you.
@@dreamguardian8320 I think maybe the important questions to ask yourself are...
Why do you feel so threatened by other people doing what they gotta do to be themselves?
What about them carving out a corner in this world for themselves makes you feel like it's done at the expense of _your_ safe space?
Homophobia translates to "fear of homosexuals", and there's nothing wrong with confronting your fears. That's how you realize there was nothing to fear in the first place. They're people just like you
🌈Aloha🤙🏽
@@dreamguardian8320Why are straights allowed to exist visibly but not queer people?
The rainbow has been exploited these days. Mostly by businesses capitalizing on LGBT.
That shot of him with tears in his eyes at being caught is genuinely emotionally affecting.
It contains a lot of fears that we hold, even to this day
Watching Rocko as a kid, I felt like there were references and jokes and codes I weren't getting but it was always a good time.
@@jg9444 so butch of you.
@@jg9444 why are you even here dork?
Who can forget when 3 cougarsraped rocko
I work with kids entertainment (live entertainment and books) and I'm constantly being asked whether kids will "get it". Kids spend most of their time not getting stuff!
The commenters who are angry at the idea that creators have intentions when they create things are just perfect. Imagine being so mad that someone is more perceptive than you.
You tell em, Liz! 👏✨
Lmao right? It’s a reason why I managed to snap out of my “anti SJW” phase. I happen to greatly enjoy media criticism, so idiots wanting to dilute various art forms made me re-examine the circles I ran in back in the day. Can’t believe I fell for their propaganda as a teen smh
@@someonerandom8552 Right on, that's why critical thinking is so important. Glad you managed to de-program.
Actually it's not mad. I am not mad at writers that force an agenda and don't create fully breathing characters that make their own choice. I mean it's okay.. it's why we have games like tomb raider where she claims she is not like her father and claims she isn't strong enough before 5 seconds later taking on a team of mercs with lots of guns. LOL.
I mean not like trans has always been there *quotes Garth's line from Wayne's World about Bugs Bunny*
I am bisexual and I just find all of this weird... I mean cool... I get it that a lot of people lack any identity and so are puddle thin and nothing more than a walking trope. I get it. I get that some people are so vapid that they need their sexuality to be the centre of their existence. I am not angry... I just pity them... To be that sad and pathetic that you make yourself one dimensional... I feel for people coming out now.
In a 100 years this will be seen as a bad time and a time not of enlightenment but severe ignorance. If you walk around shouting "I am okay" are you really okay? If you go round telling everyone you are before they even know your hopes and dreams are you anything more than a walking sexuality? And all at what price? So many people telling themselves this makes them happy.. Until they are alone in their room, looking at the mirror and they realise they are empty and truly lonely.
It's why I don't consider myself LGBTQ+ ... I refuse to be allied with people just because we share the same sexual proclivities. That in itself is homophobic. We aren't all the same. We think different and can even think for ourselves! Shocking, I know. And to be honest the whole pride thing is getting a bit beyond a joke now... It's not even about inclusivity! You ask anyone gay, trans or bi whom isn't a poster model for pride about the thing and they will say it makes us feel like we don't belong. How ironic is that? Something set up to make gay and bi people feel included actually makes a section feel unwanted! That is because Pride is a popularity thing. Its for the cool kids, the normies, the populars, the bullies and the it people. And that is my point. LGBTQ+ are no different to anyone else. That means they are capable of the same. But that is another point all together though linked because... All this wokeness and yet certain issues aren't addressed.
However if the creators and writers wanted to do some good why not shine a light on Russia? Or the 17 African nations that have elected to use the death penalty on gay men? Hmm? Or at the very least somebody cancel Snoop Dogg... How many twitter rants does the guy have to go on? How many F bombs does he need to drop? The guy literally was the person that made it vernacular for a whole culture to use a slur when referring to a woman. That shit angers me. Not a Nick cartoon that was always madball and leftfield when on air originally. And certainly not considering I grew up with Bugs Bunny and his androgynously curious ways.
I would like to know how someone having intentions is being more perceptive? I am reallllly struggling here. I mean really struggling.
Imagine using formulaic prose as a rebuttal to try and control other peoples opinions to make sure yours is the one that prevails. I mean I admire you for using something that Goebbels and Adolf loved to do! And funny that it's the fundamental core principle of negging! Imagine that... you share the same reasoning and approach as vile chat up artists!
And yes, I wrote an essay. It weeds out a lot of the chaff.
But go on, I am sure you will whitegirlsplain it all to me.
@@razerow3391 k essay loser
i love that the movie uses her transition as a reason to convince rocco to accept the change of his fave tv show instead of using the tv show to convince Rachel's dad to accept her transition. In turn, it's not really about her. it's about accepting that art changes with the times.
I remember having an epiphany about this episode on a color theory class, the teacher made a comment like "this is the chromatic circle (proceeded to explain)..." then had a joke like "it is very similar to that flag San Francisco folks lean on" or something like that and then it hits me, this episode "I like rainbows"
I'm straight but you're NOT reading too much into this! It's not even that subtle!
Subtle? Rocko?
For kids yes. Clearly this one was for the adults.
it aired on a network made for kids. it was for kids, duh
@@KitKatLMFAO Though, in fairness, I didn't get it as a kid.
@@KitKatLMFAO that often was watched by the parents with their kids. My dad told me once he was glad it was my favourite cartoon growing up because it had so many hidden jokes for the adults watching.
"if you look close enough you'll see the signs"
The signs "IT MEANS GAY"
Rocko did always have a bi fit, tbh
Lol
TF 👀
Nah. Pan, don’t lie
all hes missing are the cuffed pants
@@smcphee8499 Pan doesn't exist
If you ever want to make more videos breaking down Rocko's Modern Life episodes .... I wouldn't be mad. This made a lot of sense out of my childhood.
"The Buffalo Gals" episode of "Cow & Chicken" never officially made it to air. It exists mainly through bootlegs caught during the satellite transmission for broadcast.
Excuse me WHAT!? Woah, bootleggers really managed to get that episode slipping through the cracks.
Bootleggers rock
Didn’t it air only once?
The writers on Rocko knew exactly what they were doing and how to dance around the 90's censors at Viacom. That's why we loved Rocko's Modern Life. It worked well on multiple levels for different audiences. Even as a teenager in the 90's, I understood exactly what they were digging at.
Rocko's take on being reintroduced to the modern world was SOOO much better than the Animaniac's take.
if there's one thing i didn't go into this expecting, it's an "*inflates you making you big and round*" reference
I know! I made the goofiest grin when I heard it!
If you know, then you know, and are pretty surprised how many others do too!
That was the equivalent of a suckerpunch.
My jaw dropped when I heard it, i totally didn’t see that one coming
Checked the comments for this remark. Good god I was laughing
My favourite response to the 'youre reading too much into it' crowd: 'do you think you'd pick up queer subtext better than I would?'
The title of the episode has “closet” in it. What more concrete evidence is there?
That was a super cute story about Matt's parents at the conference.
Mate, I love it so much that I finally get to understand all of these cartoons as an adult.
As a kid, I was constantly itching by this nagging feeling that there was just so much that was RIGHT THERE that I didnt understand.
I couldn’t ask my parents as they didnt understand all of it either (none of us are native Eng speakers, so I’ve always watches cartoons in my native tongue). It was always this “translation” and “getting over people’s heads” kinda-deal.
Bloody mental.
Anyhow. Love the content as always. Keep it up!
Cheers.
u deserve so many more subscribers. i love this nuanced well researched content !!!!
I’m crying-I’m so glad that they were finally able to tell the stories they wanted to tell without having to hide it in metaphores
Rocko was a gay show? I never knew. But no wonder I grew up to think "Why are so many people crappy to gay people, don't be crappy to people. " I can't say Rocko is why, but if so, thank you Rocko
Not entirely gay, consider the content was made to be for children
@@mrnobody2018 i mean, gay stuff can still be for children. just saying, gay things aren’t inherently adult
@@arcticfoxinsox Of course you're completely right. But back then gay stuff wasn't really allowed in cartoons. It was banned or heavily censored.
@@starrynight669 Yeah. Well, either those or banished into deep obscurity.
There was a 1994 Episode that got banned, which had Rocko and Filbert pretending to be a Gay couple.
"Patty came out on The Simpsons" accompanied by a whole plot built around transphobia...
Yeah, well, Rome wasn't built in a day.
It was fucked up, I didn’t understand anything about transphobia, or noticed it. Hell I used to watch Jerry Springer and see it’s transphobic until I got older, and even then I didn’t see what wrong was it for someone to change their gender to another to be happier.
@@bigpulgalokes Trixie Mattel spoke of Springer being her first exposure to trans and cross dressing. She used to think it was fierce... :/
It's a weird episode. On the one hand, as a trans man, I *hate* the ending. On the other, I kind of appreciate the way Marge is depicted. She reminds me of my parents: ostensibly liberal and all for "those people's" rights, but deeply uncomfortable with the idea of being related to someone LGBTQIA+. Bizarrely, that kind of nuance doesn't make it into these stories often.
the simpsons has handled lgbt issues very differently throughout the years... i know the writers change every so often, but it’s still pretty strange. homer’s phobia was overall good despite being built more around homer than john, but then you have later episodes where it’s like they *know* they can be more accepting than they were in the 90s, but at the same time still dance around the fact that characters like smithers are gay even though they keep making episodes trying to address it. and they’ve even made trans ‘jokes’ about him too :/
This show was always so weird to me as a kid. I was like 9 when it came out. I had forgotten about that Static Cling reunion even though I watched it haha. I'm trans and it was so sweet how accepting they all were towards her. I'm still not totally "out" and it's complicated so to see positive trans things on shows I enjoyed once is so nice.
OH MY ZOD. FINALLY. Like finally, someone talks about Rocko's queerness. Like as a kid, i may not have understood some of the 'adult' jokes, but i could clearly understand queer vibes, especially from Rocko. i'm queer and it was good to see that, but at the same time, i knew none of my friends could relate cuz they never watched these shows.
It always gave me nerdy vibes. I never thought Rocko and his friends were gay. I just thought they were very nerdy and not uber masculine and they might have been unlucky considering dating/girls. Same with Chandler from Friends. I just thought he was nerdy.
"And some of them were for no one, like Duckman" is absolutely brutal.
Brutal... yet false?
I've never seen Duckman but I've heard people praise it before. Now I'm confused.
@@tuschman168 Everyone I know who's seen Duckman is a fan. Maybe Matt just dislikes it because Duckman occasionally makes vaguely homophobic comments like "Where's Barney the Dinosaur? Check the local bathhouse" but that's just Duckman being an asshole which is the main part of his character
Explains why I had such a fascination with the show as a kid.
Really? I didn't realise us LGBTQ+ were like Ripley's believe it or not. Don't forget to leave a penny, miss, whilst you gawk at us through the bars...
I liked the show because of the animation being like Ren and Stimpy, the voice acting of Tom Kenny, the stories that were leftfield and odd. I mean ... That's weird. That means you probably wouldn't like Ren and Stimpy, Invader Zim or any oddball comedy that isn't exclusively about LGBTQ+ because that is the part you think made you fascinated.
A lot of people on here are shockingly homophobic without even realising it. So far Ive seen people compare us to kids that need protecting, disabled people that need help with life, compared to a lifestyle choice and now compared to a circus act to be fascinated by.... Like we are some Cirque Du Sole act. HA! Man I am screening all this for Discord. This is all gold.
As a proud member of the community you find fascinating I salute you for showing exactly what I said to someone earlier about the left being just as phobic but from a different angle. Right want us gone and left think we are special and fragile and need big strong straight people to protect us. LOLOLOLOL. Both the same. Will we ever be treated normal?
R4z0r Gr1nd3r weren’t you in another thread calling LGBTQ “vapid and shallow” and that you specifically didn’t like associating yourself with them?
I've tried to reply multiple times but they disappear. My comment was literally about me being an LGBTQ+ youth living in the middle of nowhere midwest starving for LGBTQ+ representation.
It's awesome that your parents so supportive and understanding
Rocko was so great. I was in my late teens and early twenties during its original run. And more so than some live action shows; it captured that aspect of life; and really spoke to me. I had just moved to a new town; I was trying to get my first "adult" job; and ended taking a minimum wage job. I also had friends very much like Phil and Heifer.
I don't believe Rocko's modern life was a cartoon for adults
Adult humor is acceptable but not over used compared to Ren and Stimpy
@@mrnobody2018 never said that. But, Rocko is fresh outa school; he's trying to start his life; his best friend still mooches off his parents; his other friend has a friends a "real" job he hates; and they grow together. Phil gets married and has kids. Story wise there's a lot here for a young adult.
I don't understand how this video is playing but not quite. I'll wait.
Mr Simons being gay was something every fan of hey Arnold knew. Especially when it was directly hinted at during the thanksgiving episode
6:29 ah, yes... when you first met a more experienced ,out of the closed ,"clown" and get creme pied in his office later that day...we have all been there
5:00 ... Goatse?
Perhaps
Oh god....
I can't believe you've done this...
@@lazybacon7520 "aw fuck..."
That is the first thing I thought seeing that now.
Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if it was an intentional goatse reference. The show had metric tons of sexual innuendo, more than a bit of which would be difficult to get away with even today. I'm fairly secure in feeling that it only got away with what it did due to the massively high absurdity of the show. It was so absurdist that most of the sex jokes could be read as just part of the insanity.
Rocko's modern life was a kids show with many adult elements in it.
@@nicholasrodinos4701 Femboy flag but im now trans so a bit outdated. lol, but yes its the femboy flag.
@@nicholasrodinos4701 Its fine, I dont know many also :3
Oh shoot there's a femboy flag??? that's kinda surprising, cool!
@@r3n837 Thx
Yes. I just posted about that myself. The story is about a young being starting their adult life. And I think it captured it better than a lot of others.
That 5 second clip of Macho Man randomly dropped in there is amazing. Thank you.
Omg, the timing of this video is impeccable! I bought the complete set of Rocko's Modern Life awhile ago and have finally started watching it. I'm about halfway through season three. I had seen bits and pieces of the show as a child, but I was more into Hey Arnold and Rugrats because I was a little older by then. I'm really enjoying it as an adult. So many innuendos! I'm looking forward to the Closet Clown episode now and Static Cling!
I love that you brought up Greg Weisman and Gargoyles not to mention the comic! What dork cred!
Hey he also helped create Young Justice’s version of Aqualad I love Kaldur and he’s in a relationship with a man.
Also that shirt how perfect for Rocko!
You did NOT just make a reference to "inflate big and round" OMG HAHAHA
Yes he did!!! XD
I legit cackled when he casually made that reference along with the OWO on screen. XD
My jaw dropped.
Joe Murray literally just said "gay AND trans rights". 💕💕
based
Even when I was a kid and didn't know any better, whenever I saw the "I like rainbows" scene even then I was like "...wait a minute. There's something else going on here."
I always loved Rocco's modern life as a kid in the 90's! What a wonderful happy and positive message! That we're all human beings ,and it's ok to be different ,no matter gay,straight, bi,lesbian or transgender, whatever!
So happy to be such a small part of this video and your research. Love your work and the time you take to do it.
14:35 Oh, there's a theory that Power Puff Girls' villain is actually the girls' gay uncle that Professor Utonium is a complete homophobe and disassociates from.
Him? That's just Utonium's ex.
@@matti.8465 lmao Professor would be great if he came out as bi or pan.
Just want to say thank you for creating and sharing such well-made content! I really appreciate it and am grateful for your work
I love Rocco when I was a kid it is good that they put gay characters on cartoons. Kids know more about that stuff today then in the 90s I did. I love King of the Hill when Dale's dad is gay I just love King of the Hill.
"My Hair lady" is my fave KOTH ep, Bill acts gay to get hairdressing customers
Watching this as a kid gave me so much comfort. I didn’t even know I was gay then. Thank you so much for this show. It means the world to me.
I was braced for a much more risqué story about the clown nose on the butt, now I feel naughty for where my mind went. The meme video usage on this video was top tier, I lol'd multiple times
The algorithm’s on your side, bro. I’ve never watched your channel and my suggestion page had four of your videos. You deserve it though, good luck out there
A super fun episode about one of my favorite shows as a kid too! Also a surprising amount of furry stuff going on here, but then again the venn diagram of kids from the 90's who had media speak to them as gay or realize they were furries has a fair amount of crossover in the middle.
You are so right. I was a 90s kid and I'm not even a furry, but before I even knew what gay was, I had crushes on quite a few male anthropomorphic characters. Hell, I had a crush on Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast at one point.
lets not forget rocko marrying filbert in an episode. it wasnt the best or anything but it's out there.
THAT WAS MY FAVORITE EPISODE OMG
Filburt: "Call me....Ophelia."
@@dorothyallspice1862 late reply oops, but i just rewatched the episode and goodness i can definitely see why you'd love it its actually cute how filbert gets super into the role. if only rocko hadnt treated him like that. i was actually pleasantly surprised on a rewatch rocko wasnt weirded out by the whole concept of being married to a man or anything (then again rocko has always been the type to go with the flow which is why hes my favorite of the show) just filbert's behavior. maybe me headcanoning both of them as bi wasnt too of the mark! sorry for the silly ramble haha
Or when 3 cougara banged rocko
@@kurumiwendy He wanted to stay in the country. Of course he’d put up with pretending to be married to Filbert.
@@dorothyallspice1862”Kiss Me, I’m Foreign” it was Banned on Nickelodeon in 1994.
*"I have no son!*
*-Ed Bighead in 1994*
That aged unexpectedly well.
I was so excited when I was finally able to get a Rocko's Modern Life t-shirt. Always loved that show.
"He's having the time of his life". You could say he was having a GAY OLD TIME
Nice to see the dad jokes are still around
The one episode... The ONE episode I haven't seen of Rocko yet and it's something like this. God I missed out.
In reality Rocko’s Modern Life was actually a post modern one.
Thank you for bringing this episode to my attention. Another great episode!
Coincidentally, “Closet Clown” is the title of my memoir 🤡
Just wanted to comment why the heck anyone with no intention of critically analyzing shows and film like this channel does...even watches this channel? That is literally the intent and your videos often provide the research or references to prove what you are showcasing on these videos. That segment at 6:13 just made me irrationally annoyed at people who complain when they can choose to remain ignorant and void of critical thought.
Uhh, in geeky circles I run in, those people are called “chuds.”
And they are without doubt the smoothest of brains.
@@someonerandom8552 Chuds, I like that. It sucks being even reasonably bright in a world with mostly idiots.
@@smpmuzpid Hey, you're not one of those people completely opposed to critical analysis. You're a good cookie
Imaginr watching videos on a channel centered about analyzing LGBT elements in media and then getting upset when you find an analysis about LGBT elements in media.
Matt, I love you with all my heart but I will not stand for this Duckman slander.
I kinda chuckled at him making such a random slam, but I definitely don't agree with it. Duckman is one of the best shows ever made.
Was hoping to find some fellow DuckFans in the comments!
I choose to think of it as more acknowledging that it struggled to find a large audience durung its run, rather than a knock against its quality
I watched it as a kid and I'm not sure if I actually liked it, or simply liked it because I wasn't supposed to be watching it.
He didn't say it was bad, he said it was "for noone".
The meaning of this episode definitely flew over my head as a kid, but it makes so much sense now.
Rocko was a great show, still my childhood favorite.
Thank you for reminding me that despite how awful things have been lately, progress has still definitely been made.
I enjoy your analysis so much 👍 the soft spoken voice, the pacing... Everything is just chefs kiss 😘👌
It was me, I am the one who for whom Duckman was intended. It was ok.
Just discovered your channel awhile ago, and I'm glad I did! As a 90's gay myself, it's kind of cool to look back and see even glimpses of support in cartoons and media I consumed.
I love how often you have Kids in the Hall clips.
I can't emphasize how much I love this show and I am so glad you covered this episode. ❤
"The clown comes back to bite" omg XD
Not the "when you do clownery" clip 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
Ever seen "Shark tale" Lenny the shark being "Different" because hes "Vegetarian" .... [Obv, Gay]
Found your channel after listening to you on the Savage Lovecast and this is brilliant. Love your content dude, as a young kid who loved Rocko while growing up, this is so mind blowing
it's been really funny reading angry reviews of static cling that hate the LGBT themes, like this show has been very gay since the 90s
Idk... I thought static cling was received very well when it first came out... If it came out now... Oh boy
Living for this episode. So much good, so much caring. Thank you for helping them complete the story!
I think Rocko was my favorite of the nicktoons and I loved the Netflix special. So great to hear all those voices again!
I loved the show, and Static Cling was really nice. Rachel was wonderful, and I am really glad they went the route they did on a revival.
I found my son a Rocco shirt and I was so heart broken when he refused to wear it and it got to small for him. He likes the show but doesn’t like shirts with collars unless dadums wears a collar shirt too. Nope just got them too in weird tshirt(ie Godzilla playing the guitar) and cargo shirts.
I am lucky that my best friend from high schools little girl, who is also my son’s bestie, loves the shirt.
Suddenly it makes so much sense why this was my favourite nicktoon as a kid. I always loved this show but could never put into words why I loved it so much
I remember this episode vividly because of the way it mimicked the process of coming out at a time when I was just opening my own clown closet.
This video meant a lot to me. Thank you.
Well that was just wonderful! I loved Rocko growing up in the 90s. I've yet to watch the special but will give it a go.
"A conference for young vampires"... Had me cackling 💀
So glad your parents were supportive! 🖤 🐨
This was my favorite show as a kid!
Same! That and The Powerpuff Girls!
This was my favourite show growing up! You did an amazing job on this video!
That show was so good, and I now understand why my mom wasn't comfortable with me and my brother watching it
And then there’s cartoons for no one like Duckman ... sadness
Matt Baume is only human, he’s allowed to be wrong sometimes
Yeah what was with that shade?
Duckman is part of the children's TV series list
PLEASE cover Marceline and Bubblegum from Adventure time. It took 10 years for their relationship to be confirmed in the finale
No matter how much we try to grow and change as a society, theres always gonna be a group of blockheads stuck in the past who will step on others to feel better about themselves. Its a sad reality but its reality. I will forever love Rocko's Modern Life, and Static Cling was an amazing film 💙💙💙
I didn't expect that shirt, but I love it and hope to see it a lot more.
I always find it very amusing how much flew over my head back then, being like 5 or 6 at the time. You go Rocko’s Modern Life.
Honestly, if you didn't already know what Closet Clown was really about... you weren't paying attention.
It's about Linda Wallem. Voice of Dr. Hunchinson. It was written for her. She had come out to the Cast and crew of the Cartoon in 1994.
I was 2 in 1993, RML was a fundamental part of my childhood here in Australia. I'm really glad to see that it's aged so well.
An episode that stands out for me is when Rocko gets a crush on his Mail-lady and writes her a letter but her brother shows up and Heffer reads the letter out loud and then goes "I love you too Rock." And Wallace thinks they're a couple haha
There have actually been a good few episodes where people think Rocko and Heffer are a couple. Filbert sometimes too.
I mostly remember how one of Heffer's siblings liked crossdressing and their mom was totally cool with it.
@@wherefancytakesme His brother.
Whoa whoa whoa!! Duck man was amazing! I loved that show as kid.