Sometimes it feels like the folks who made these old shorts were doing so just so we could make fun of them sixty years later.
And then there are shorts like Dick Wakes Up, where there is absolutely nothing funny that stands out about it. Sometimes these shorts will have a character who looks super old even though they’re in high school. That’s great! Other times, a crappy puppet appears to lecture a kid about hygiene. Hilarious! But then you get a title like Dick Wakes Up. You look at it and wonder: Where are the laughs going to come from? There’s nothing silly about the action of “waking." And as far as directions go, “up” has to be the least funny. Maybe there’s the slightest bit of humor to be mined from the character’s name? That’s it! Dick is short for Richard! The Richard Dean Anderson jokes will write themselves!
As it turns out, Dick Wakes Up after Dick is hit by a car. So, phew! Something funny does happen! He’s then lectured by two tiny versions of himself: an uptight goody two shoes version, and a cool, devil-may-care version. These are likely hallucinations brought on by the morphine drip, and/or brain trauma caused by the accident. It doesn’t stop the two versions of himself from competing for control of Dick’s conscience. They tug on Dick, jerk Dick around, but eventually Dick Wakes Up and stands at attention for all to see.
Look: It’s called Dick Wakes Up. Do you wanna see Mike, Kevin, and Bill make fun of something called Dick Wakes Up or not?!
Written by: Mike Nelson, Bill Corbett, Conor Lastowka, & Jason Miller
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