Anthology of Interest II

Production Number: 3ACV18

Title Caption: Hey TiVo! Suggest this!

First Aired: February 6, 2001

Act I: I, Meatbag
The What-If Machine is brought back, Bender promptly wants to know what it would be like if he were human. When the machine is started up, we see all the crew gathered around a table with Bender strapped down in preparation for the Professor's latest experiment using the process of 'reverse fossilization' in order to make Bender human. Bender is successfully transformed into a human and goes about getting used to life inside a human body. The crew warn him of the dangers of over-indulging and having self-control. Bender escapes into the night and goes on a non-stop week-long partying session. A week later, Bender is found and Professor Farnsworth displays him to the shocked crowd at the Nobel Prize ceremony and is kicked him out of the Academy Of Science, but not before Bender (now largely overweight to the point where he can just about move his mouth) gives a heartfelt confession of having a good time and partying. The scientists at the convention are clearly touched by Bender's speech and party for hours on end. After the party, Bender is announced dead twelve hours after the party had started.

Act II: Raiders of the Lost Arcade
The next question the machine is asked is Fry's "What would life be like if it were more like a videogame?" The story begins in outer-space in the form of the game Asteroids. The green ship (Planet Express Ship) shoots and dodges asteroids before safely returning back to Earth. Richard Nixon's head is signing a peace accord with the ambassador Kong of the planet Nintenduu 64. But, things go wrong with the peace agreement when (Donkey) Kong throws a barrel at Richard Nixon's head and abandons the peace signing. The story then cuts to Militari HQ with a green tank from the game Tank Commander passing by. Fry, Leela, Bender and Zoidberg rendezvous with General Colin Packman (or Pac-Man as he is better known). The group arrive outside Planet Express through a Mario tube. But, there is another force threatening Earth. Lrrr, of the planet Nintenduu 64 has decided to invade Earth with his Space Invaders. Fry then battles the Space Invaders. During the battle, General Pac-Man is fatally wounded. Fry eventually loses after realising he could never get the last ship, his brother always did. The last Space Invader lands on Earth and their demand is simple: they demand quarters to do their laundry with. The Planet Express crew refuse to accept their offer but the Space Invaders settle an agreement if they can have their laundry done at the same time of when the crew do their laundry. They accept. The story ends.

Act III: Wizzin'
It's Leela's turn to ask a question, she asks what it would be like if she found her true home. But, she accidentally gets knocked out by the What If Machine's gambling machine arm. Instead of finding out where she came from, Leela begins to dream in her comatose state and the third story is a parody of The Wizard of Oz. Leela and Nibbler are caught in a tornado in the Planet Express Ship and land in Oz. After realising she crushed the Man-Witch (Scruffy) of the West, the deceased witch's boots appear on Leela's feet. The Cute Witch of the North (Amy) appears, she informs her that only way for her to get home is to see the Professor in the Emerald Laboratory on Martin Luther King Boulevard. Further on down the road, she meets the Scarecrow (Fry) and the Tin-Man (Bender) who travel with Leela to find the Professor. Fry needs to see him about a brain and Bender needs a heart (so he can pump a lot of blood out of his basement). Zoidberg then appears in a taxi to represent the Cowardly Lion although he refers to himself as "the other guy. Courage". Overlooking this is the Wicked Witch of the West (Mom) who decides to send her flying monkeys (Walt, Larry and Ignar) to capture Fry, Leela and Bender, Zoidberg takes a taxi. The reason Mom captured Leela was the fact that she never had a daughter, she agrees to become Mom's daughter due to the fact that she'd love to be evil. But, as Bender gets a celebratory drink out of his chest, the liquid spills over Mom and she starts to melt. The group then take a taxi to the Emerald Laboratory to see the Professor. The Professor gives Zoidberg a gun rather than courage. The Professor says that Leela must get home by clicking her boots together three times, but she instead wishes to be the new Wicked Witch and transforms Fry, Bender and the Professor into frogs. A flume of water lands on her from above (due to a toilet leak after being used by Zoidberg) and she begins to melt.

Another flume of water lands on Leela and she is awoken from her dream by Bender. Leela comes to, and the Professor is heartbroken to discover she has awoken having entered the room with a pair of tweezers and a box with "Leela's Organs" written on the side. Hermes informs the Professor there's always next year to try.

Trivia

 * When Bender is human, his human alter-ego looks exactly like a 31st century version of Homer Simpson in the way that he is dressed right from the white shirt down to the blue trousers.
 * The title of the segment Raiders of the Lost Arcade is a reference to the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark.
 * When the Nintendians are exiting their ship, one of them says the infamous gaming phrase "All your base are belong to us".
 * Some of the Nintendians that come out of the ship include: a robot from the game Berzerk, a fried egg from Burgertime, Q*bert, and an evil brain-bot (possibly from Robotron 2084).
 * The title of the segment Wizzin is from the musical The Wiz (based on The Wizard of Oz).
 * In Oz, the peacock's tail feathers form the NBC logo.
 * Donkey Kong's third appearance, the first non-cameo.
 * The title of the first segment, "I, Meatbag" is a spoof of Asimov's book, "I, Robot," but also referring to the fact that Bender (and presumingly more robots) refer to humans as meatbags.

I, Meatbag

 * Bender: Being a robot's great, but we don't have emotions and sometimes that makes me very sad. *sniffs*
 * Professor Farnsworth: I've already tested it by turning the toaster into a raccoon. Fry: (toast pops up from raccoon) Hmm, kinda gamy.
 * Bender: Hey, my antenna's gone! Nah, it just moved. I'm not getting good reception on it, though. Maybe if I wiggle it around a little... Fry: Bender, no! You'll make God cry!
 * Bender: Whoa, you look better than you used to for some reason. Amy: You're not so bad yourself, big boy. (kisses Bender) Bender: Hey that felt great! (kisses the Professor) Nah, it's not working anymore. Professor Farnsworth: Speak for yourself.
 * Bender: Why didn't anyone tell me tasting things tasted so good?
 * Wornstrom: When did he die? Professor Farnsworth: About twelve hours ago, when the party started. Wornstrom: But he just said Woo! Professor Farnsworth: No, that was just air escaping from the folds of his fat. Bender: (pushes against Bender's fat) Woo!

Raiders of the Lost Arcade

 * Narrator: You watched it. You can't un-watch it. Stay tuned for more Tales Of Interest.
 * Fry: Hey, I know that monkey, his name is Donkey. Professor Farnsworth: Monkeys aren't donkeys. Quit messing with my head!
 * General Pac-Man: Let's get one thing straight. What do you know about the Nintendians?, Fry: I spent all of ninth grade studying them except the day my eyeballs started to bleed...
 * Q*bert: Ereh dnuora stnap emos teg yug a nac erehw? (Which is the phrase "Where can a guy get some pants around here?" backwards)

Wizzin'

 * Leela: Why did you bring us here? Zoidberg: And why did I have to take a cab?!
 * Leela: (clicks her heels three times) There's no place like - I WANNA BE A WITCH!
 * Zoidberg: (after the water has fallen on Leela's head) Err, sorry, there seems to be a problem with your upstairs toilet.

Outside References
The second story pays homage to many video games including in no particular order:
 * Asteroids
 * Donkey Kong
 * Mario
 * Tank Commander
 * Defender (seen in the background before the "War Room" at Milatari HQ)
 * Centipede (seen in the background in the "War Room" at Milatari HQ)
 * Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man
 * Space Invaders
 * Q*Bert
 * Burgertime (the Egg character leaving the Space Invaders ship)
 * Castle Wolfenstein ("you need the blue key")
 * Robotron: 2084
 * Berzerk

Characters

 * Fry
 * Leela
 * Bender
 * Professor Farnsworth
 * Zoidberg
 * Cubert
 * Dwight
 * Richard Nixon's head
 * Hermes
 * Amy
 * Mom
 * Walt, Larry and Ignar
 * Scruffy
 * Debut: Katrina
 * Debut: Xanthor
 * Lrrr
 * Ndnd
 * Dr. Ogden Wernstrom
 * Donkey Kong
 * Debut: General Pac-Man
 * Debut: Q*Bert

Episode Credits

 * Writers
 * Lewis Morton (I, Meatbag)
 * David X. Cohen (Raiders of the Lost Arcade)
 * Jason Corbett (Wizzin')
 * Scott Kirby (Wizzin')
 * Director
 * Rich Moore
 * Voice Actors
 * Billy West
 * Katey Sagal
 * John DiMaggio
 * Tress MacNeille
 * Maurice LaMarche
 * Phil LaMarr
 * David Herman
 * Lauren Tom
 * Frank Welker
 * Kath Soucie
 * DVD Commentary
 * Matt Groening
 * David X. Cohen
 * Rich Moore
 * Lewis Morton
 * Bret Haaland
 * Maurice LaMarche
 * John DiMaggio
 * Billy West