[MG21] Skateboarding

Skateboarding                                          Written by Matt Groening
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[$Id: mg21 1.1 92/03/17 22:08:07 raymond Exp Locker: raymond $]
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> Didja notice...
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    Voice credits:
        NANCY CARTWRIGHT as Bart
        YEARDLEY SMITH as Lisa

    Animation producer was Margot Pipkin.
    Animators were Wesley Archer and David Silverman.

    The credits list the casting director as BONNIE PIETILA rather
    than BONITA PIETILA.

    ... how Lisa gritted her teeth while she slammed the door shut?
        She also smiled broadly after the job was accomplished.

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> Freeze Frame Fun
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>> The front yard
   A doghouse to the right

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> Assorted comments and observations
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Brian Howard {bh} gives the timing for this short as 0:54, whereas the
syndication package contains a full minute of animation.  ``Nyeah
nyeah nyeah-nyeah nyeah!''

Lisa is seductively cute in the first act of this short.

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> Quotes and scene summary
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% B = Bart, L = Lisa
%
% The front of the Simpsons residence.  From left to right:  Bart smugly
% holds a skateboard.  Maggie sucks on her pacifier.  Lisa holds a jumprope.
%
% Lisa sweetly asks...

L: Whatcha doin', Bart?
B: Skateboarding.
L: Can we come?
B: No way, man.

% Bart proudly walks in front of the girls down the front walk.

B: Skateboarding's men's work.
L: [teasing] Then why are <you> doing it?

% Bart sneers briefly.

B: Because I <am> a man, man!

% Bart has reached the top of a steep hill.  He studly tosses his skateboard
% to the sidewalk, hops on, and scoots off, trailing a cloud of dust.

B: Cowabunga!

% Close-up on Bart's upper body, cruising down the hill, his arms
% outstretched, the wind breezing through his hair.  A boy and his
% skateboard.  (Oops, sorry.  A man and his skateboard.)  Poetry in
% motion.  Bart closes his eyes frequently, enjoying the ride.

B: Ah, the breeze.  The solitude.  The wind whistling through your hair.

% Pull back to reveal the two girls sitting on the skateboard with him.

L: Go, man, go!

% Bart looks down.

B: Huh?

% [End of Act One.  Time: 0:28]
%
% Back to the top of the hill.  Bart and the girls.  Lisa's arms are
% folded in front of her chest.  Bart's skateboard is poised for action.

B: Watch this.  Here goes the daredevil skateboard champion of the universe!

% Bart hops on his skateboard and zooms off.
%
% Close-up on Bart's upper body.

B: [turning]  So long, suckers!

% Pull back.  Bart is skateboarding on one leg.
%
% Lisa pulls up on her own skateboard, standing on her head.

L: [calmly] Hi, Bart.

% Bart reacts, stunned.  Lisa pulls ahead out of frame.

L: Bye, Bart.

% Bart can only watch.
%
% [End of Act Two.  Time: 0:43]
%
% Bart and Lisa are at the top of the hill, each with their skateboard
% in front of them, ready to race.  Maggie watches.

B: Okay.  Ready?  Get set? ... Hey, look over there!

% Lisa does...

B: Go!

% ... and by the time she looks back, Bart is long gone.
%
% Close-up on Bart's upper body as he cackles.
%
% Lisa pulls up next to him on her skateboard.   But Bart grits his
% teeth, and Lisa falls behind.  He laughs some more.  Then Maggie
% passes on her own mini-skateboard.
%
% [End of Act Three.  Time: 1:00]
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Shorts summaries Copyright 1992 by Raymond Chen.  Not to be redistributed
in a public forum without permission.  (The quotes themselves, of course,
remain the property of The Tracey Ullman Show, and the reproduced articles
remain the property of the original authors.  I'm just taking credit for the
compilation.)