Venture Bros: Mid-life Chrysalis
My research is not complete, but I think this episode contains more disturbing images than any other.
1. Rusty in his toupee. Usually I’m struck by how much Dr. Venture resembles James Urbaniak, but with the wig on it’s truly alarming.
2. Brock losing his nerve. It’s so bizarre to see him at loose ends, without purpose, robbed of his spontaneity.
3. The Monarch masturbating to the image of his girlfriend making out with his arch-enemy. Oh. My. God. Perhaps the single most disturbing image in the history of animation.*
4. Rusty, without preamble, vomiting up reams of mucus to encase himself in.
That’s not even getting into the old, skanky and overweight strippers, the crumbling condom or the ugly pink tumor taking over Rusty’s head.
*Perhaps, even, the most disturbing image in the history of fantasy filmmaking. I don’t know why, but the mere idea of fantasy characters masturbating seems revolutionary and deeply subversive. Imagine Blofeld masturbating. Or Goldfinger. Or Darth Vader. Or even James Bond or Luke Skywalker or Gandalf the Great. Human nature insists that they all do, but, but —
— and then there’s the all-too realistic way that the Monarch goes about it. His hand idly tracing patterns on his chest, then slipping down to his abs, then — I can’t go on. It’s too disturbing.
I love the way The Monarch’s wings pop out when he’s discovered by one of his henchman. Why he didn’t let loose with a poison-tipped dart at that moment I’ll never know. (Maybe he emptied his barrels so he wouldn’t “go off” at an inopportune moment.)
Okay, that’s enough double entendres for one post.
I don’t think Darth Vader is properly equipped. On the other hand, maybe that’s why he spends so much time… you know… choking the admiral.
Yes, and try not to think that Luke Skywalker probably spent a lot of time masturbating to holograms of his own sister.
That wasn’t a problem two minutes ago.
I just watched that last night!
Meanwhile, I love the lines:
Dr. Girlfriend: You two have a lot in common!
The Monarch: NOW we do!
Dr. Girlfriend is my favourite person in all time, I think.
Aw, come on. I don’t resemble Dr. Venture that much.
That’s exactly what Rusty would say!
Hey just because I’m a skinny, bespectacled father of twins who oozes bitterness and creepy sexuality doesn’t mean– oh never mind.