Tiny Toon Adventures (TV Series) Elephant Issues (Why Dizzy Can't Read/C.L.I.D.E. and Prejudice/One Beer) (1991) User Reviews

Toons don't let Toons drive drunk

[hellraiser7 · 8/10 · 5 August 2020]

This episode I feel is an under the radar episode, sure the first two sketches were anything to run home about but the last one was a good one, so it was better than nothing in the episode.

This was a controversial and lost episode at the time, as it premiered once but never again due to the dark content of the last sketch, though now you can watch this episode with a copy of a season. Personally, I really liked the "One Beer" sketch as the show was really taking a risk going into dark territory, but most importantly like any PSA had a good message.

This "One Beer" sketch clearly parodies on all the PSA going on from the 80's to 90's. Most notably the ones from the "Ad Council" on drinking and driving, one which was the famous destroyed glasses and another which has a group of drinkers getting into a car and then turning into skeletons the instant the ignition is turned. Anyway, this one parodies on how PSA's colorfully exaggerate their messages as a scare tactic to get people to not do something, strangely it does work because it's true drunk driving does kill.

We see Buster, Plucky, and Hampton all decide to take a swig of beer, I know seems out of character for all three but what funny is Buster states the nature of this episode, which is why their doing it because the episode's script requires them to.

Of course, after one swig the lives of all three of them turn upside down overnight. It's really funny when all three of them are dressed and have the stereotypical clenched looks of most drunks in movies and TV. From Buster wearing a dirty overcoat, Plucky in an out of date zoot suit and hat, Hampton in pretty much the drunk sailor get up and all three of them have the unshaven look. We see them just slurring their words and just act out of sorts. They then steel a cop car and are in a chase throughout the episode, but of course things get downright deadly and serious once they start to drive someplace, they don't want to. It results in an ending that I'll admit I found shocking and made me say to myself "OMG", though knowing "Tiny Toons" I wouldn't fret too long.

This episode is at least worth a swig and most importantly "Friends don't let friends drive drunk."

Rating: 3 stars

The elephant in the room is, this episode's ridiculous

[gizmomogwai · 5/10 · 3 September 2011]

I loved Tiny Toons as a kid, but I don't remember seeing this episode when it first aired (1991). From what I recall, Elephant Issues isn't representative of what the show was like generally. In fact, this "very special episode" cheapens the show by making it look like a silly, forced public service announcement. The episode deals with illiteracy, prejudice and bullying and underage drinking.

The first segment is about Dizzy not learning to read because he watches too much TV. It's always interesting to see a TV show bite the hand that feeds it by attacking television. There may be some humour, but this segment is too heavy-handed and simplistic. The next segment is about prejudice at the school against a HAL-like robot student. This is a fine topic for a cartoon, but the downside is it's totally unfunny.

The third segment is easily the strangest. One Beer depicts Buster peer pressuring Plucky and Hamton into drinking a beer, even though Buster is explicitly depicted as a role model in the earlier segments. The episode shows the three underage cartoon characters drinking, stealing a car, drunk driving, and getting killed. Like the anti-drug Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue from the previous year, I have to question the effectiveness of cartoons like these. I wonder if showing beloved cartoon characters doing this backfires and encourages imitation. But it likely doesn't do anything at all. All it may accomplish is to make light of drunk driving, which is a fatal real-life problem. However, I will give One Beer this- it is funnier and more truthful than Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue. It may exaggerate that sharing one beer will make you unattractive and dead, but there is some truth that more beer can give you gas and put you in a deadly car accident. Overall, I would say Elephant Issues has a noble purpose, but in the end it looks like an episode they were forced to do and shouldn't have been.

Definitely has issues

[TheLittleSongbird · 5/10 · 8 February 2021]

"Elephant Issues" stands out when it comes to talking about 'Tiny Toon Adventures'. Not because of it being an out of this world great episode, it's a long way from that. It is because it's the most controversial episode of the show, due to the dark content of the "One Beer" segment which is very heavy tonally by 'Tiny Toons Adventures' standards. There are few other episodes of the show too that dared tackle the issues that "Elephant Issues" does.

Which was admirable, illiteracy, bullying and alcohol are brave issues to tackle anywhere. Let alone animation for a family and young adult friendly audience, so the effort is valiant and appreciated. Unfortunately, the execution doesn't quite come together, it and "Elephant Issues" as an episode were rather strange tonally and could have handled the issues with more tact and subtlety. For me, this is one of the lesser outings of a terrific show and a rare oddity for it.

There are definitely good things here. Despite being the most controversial segment of the episode and even of the show, to me "One Beer" was the best of the three. It was daring, it hit hard, it was imaginatively animated, had a few amusing moments and the character writing and interaction are classic 'Tiny Toon Adventures'. It is an odd segment and very different to what you expect for the show and from the rest of the episode, but it was the one that interested me the most and was the most inspired.

Furthermore, the animation is vibrantly coloured and beautifully rich in detail, not just the backgrounds but also the expressions and reactions of the characters which are wonderfully loony. The music is dynamic and characterful as always and the theme song has always brought a smile to my face. Something that was the case when a child and still is now. The voice acting is very good and all do so well with delivering material that is not really worthy of them and have no problems with most of the regular characters.

However, too much works against it. On the whole, the wackiness is nearly completely missing and there is very little that is amusing let alone funny. Pace-wise, much of "Elephant Issues" is bland, especially "Why Dizzy Can't Read" and the wraparound is also not that engaging. While the episode is well intentioned, as said the handling of the issues covered was flawed. "Why Dizzy Can't Read" is especially laid on too thick and borderline patronising, with more sensitivity being needed and if Dizzy had a stronger personality and the conflict more urgency it would have been easier to relate to him.

Also didn't think very much about "C.L.I.D.E and Prejudice", that sounded very fun and inventive on paper but the segment is executed in a very ordinary manner and at times mean-spirited, especially the treatment of the robot (the best thing about the segment). It tries so hard to tackle the issues of bullying and prejudice, important to address at any age, but in the process forgets to be funny. The dialogue is usually sharper and wackier, it was also rather forced and simplistic in "Why Dizzy Can't Read" and the tone came over as somewhat muddled. Again despite being the best segment, "One Beer" doesn't gel with the other two.

In conclusion, watchable but the show has done much better before and even since. Appreciated what the episode tried to do but it doesn't entirely come together. 5/10