Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, October 13, 1993 TAG: 9311190352
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Tom Shales
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Beavis and Butt-Head are the new Dumb Standard. They're like George and Lenny of Steinbeck's ``Of Mice and Men,'' except they're both Lenny. They are also immensely, hugely and very profitably popular.
MTV's animated ``Beavis and Butt-Head'' show is getting more attention than any other pop-cultural phenomenon of the moment. It's not only much discussed, it's much agonized about, with detractors invoking phrases like ``the death of Western civilization'' in denigrating the program.
Who are Beavis and Butt-Head? They're two cartoon teen-age morons who sit on the couch watching music videos and making sarcastic remarks: ``This is cool'' or ``this sucks'' being among the most frequent. Between videos, Beavis and Butt-Head have mundane adventures like almost enlisting in the army or making fools of themselves at a local comedy club.
Butt-Head: ``Look at this dork.''
Beavis: ``What is this, Battle of the Dorks?''
Butt-Head: ``I think we have a winner.''
Beavis: ``I think we have a weiner.''
Around these two witless clods a controversy swirls. They use words not normally heard on TV, and that has some parents upset; although the show is aimed at teen-agers and older, many younger children watch. Others charge that B&B promote cruelty to animals. In one episode they harassed a cat with a vacuum cleaner; in another they put a poodle in a washing machine.
Mike Judge, the 30-year-old humorist who created the hapless pair, is amused by all the criticism.
``A lot of people are worrying about this having something to do with the end of civilization,'' he says from his home outside New York City. ``It's kind of an inflated overreaction. We've had the Three Stooges and other kinds of stupid humor for a long time. This whole thing is a fad, and it'll burn out. There's nothing to worry about.''
And yet even Judge thinks MTV should stop showing ``B&B'' at 7 p.m. daily because ``it's too early'' and little kids might be watching. Another episode airs at 11.
A former musician who only a few years ago thought he might become ``like, a math teacher at a community college,'' Judge stands to make millions from ``Beavis and Butt-Head'' before the fad burns out. Tons of B&B merchandise, including Halloween masks of the two anti-heroes, will soon be available in stores. In Hollywood, two studios are bidding on the rights to make a movie version.
Judge says Beavis & Butt-Head are not cruel to animals, but that impression lingers because the first film he ever did using the characters was called ``Frog Baseball'' and had them swatting at toads. ``It was a little grisly, I guess,'' Judge says, ``but it was made for the `Sick and Twisted' animation festival, which is R-rated.''
Although Beavis and Butt-Head talk a lot about ``kicking ass'' and making mischief, the characters are essentially nitwitted losers with little potential for harm.
``I don't see them as being really cruel or vicious,'' Judge says. ``They're just out to have a good time. They're not bullies. They don't have a lot of hatred. Most of the time, they're in a pretty good mood, even when they're watching terrible videos.''
Beavis and Butt-Head don't discuss their ages on the show, but Judge says they are 14.
``It's a weird age. I remember ninth grade, some guys have gone through puberty and some haven't. It's an awkward age where you want to show you're not a boy any more, everyone acting macho. It's really pathetic. That was one of the worst periods of my life.''
Among the show's fans is David Letterman, who on a recent ``Late Show'' praised the ``idiot behavior'' of Beavis and Butt-Head because ``they are so pure to the intent and they never vary a degree, and it's always very satisfying. ... ''
So whaddaya say - let's watch ``Beavis and Butt-Head'' and laugh ourselves sick.
\ Washington Post Writers Group
by CNB