I remember recording the line late in Nescaflowne when Hitmi says she got her pendant from a box of Cracker Jack. Christine, who played Hitmi, told me upon reading the script that the line was a great Spaceballs reference. Funny thing is, it never occurred to me until that moment that it was a reference.
I don’t doubt I stole that gag from Spaceballs, but I swear I wasn’t conscious of that fact at the time I wrote it. I suppose these things happen. Scott Melzer once asked me if Head’s “Your kung-fu is weak” line in Nesca was a reference to This is Otakudom (which features the line, “Our kung-fu is weak”). I had to be honest: it wasn’t a conscious decision, but I couldn’t rule it out as a subconscious possibility. This is something I’m always paranoid about, that thin line between homage and ripoff. So I was bugged just a little bit watching a Family Guy repeat where Peter discovers his son Chris has a larger penis than Peter does. The scene where this is revealed goes a little something like this:
[Peter looks at his son Chris, who is naked.]
PETER
What’s with your leg?
[Peter looks a little closer.]
PETER
My God! That’s not your leg!
Those of you familiar with our work might have noticed a striking similarity to a scene in Fanboy Bebop:
[Ripley, Keanu and Ash are watching a hentai called “Poke Man”, which the audience can’t see.]
RIPLEY
What’s he doing to her with his leg?
KEANU and ASH
That’s not his leg.
RIPLEY
Oh my God…
Had I done it again… uh… years ago? Gotta admit, those gags are awfully close in set-up and punchline. To me, the difference between ripoff and homage is intent. Am I paying tribute or trying to pass another’s joke as my own? I think the difference in execution is that homages are much more obvious for the purpose of being recognized as such. Thanks to the almighty Wikipedia though, I found out that the episode of Family Guy featuring that gag first aired on August 8, 2001, well after all of Fanboy Bebop was written and recorded (though the complete edit of FBBB didn’t debut until Spring 2002). Maybe I honestly came up with that joke on my own. Maybe not, but until I hear otherwise, that’s just what I’ll let myself believe.
I swear the next post will have real news.
So, after a whole year with my piece of crap wal-futon, I finally went and ordered a new loveseat for my place. I got the Milano Mocha and Espresso loveseat from Target.com. At only $300 it’s ony $112 more than the wal-futon. Had I known (I should have) what a shitty deal the wal-futon was I would’ve just bought this a year ago and saved the $188 and sore ass.