Make 'Em Laugh
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| Batman: The Animated Series episode | |
|---|---|
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| "Make 'Em Laugh" | |
| Airdate: | November 5, 1994 |
| Production Number: | 83 |
| Airdate Order: | 77 |
| Animation Services by: | Dong Yang Animation |
| Written by: | Paul Dini & Randy Rogel |
| Directed by: | Boyd Kirkland |
| Episode images (3) | |
"Make 'Em Laugh" is the seventh episode of the third season of Batman: The Animated Series. It originally aired on November 5, 1994.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
A man in a bizarre costume calling himself the "Condiment King" holds up an upscale restaurant. Though he is armed with nothing more than two hoses spraying ketchup and mustard, his manner is sufficiently bizarre and violent to persuade the patrons to hand over their money and valuables. Batman arrives, and easily subdues the man, who starts acting up and falls off the balcony onto the roof of an arriving police car. Renee Montoya removes the man's disguise and recognizes him as a famous TV comic, Buddy Standler.
While Standler is still unconscious, his agent is interviewed on the TV news; he can't explain Standler's actions, but reports that his comedy show has been canceled and he is being sued by the restaurant's owners. Robin, a fan of Standler's, is equally baffled.
The next day, Alfred is shopping at Mayfield's department store, which is invaded by another bizarre robber, dressed in a mouse costume and calling himself "The Packrat." He disregards jewelry and cash and takes only worthless items, but is armed with a real functioning submachine gun. Alfred calls the Batcave.
Elsewhere, comedienne Lisa Lorraine is abducted from her apartment.
Batman and Robin arrive at Mayfield's and manage to subdue the Packrat. He swings a golf club at Batman that catches an electrical panel, shocking him unconscious. Robin takes off his costume and recognizes him as Harry Loomis, another famous TV comic. Batman notices a microchip affixed to his neck, and realizes that he is under mind control.
The Dynamic Duo rushes to Arkham Asylum to see the Mad Hatter, but find that he has been affixed with one of his own chips, leaving him a staring vegetable. Obviously someone has stolen Hatter's technology.
They return to the Batcave and Alfred gives them news of Lorraine's disappearance. They realize that the three comics act as the judges at Gotham's annual "Laugh-Off" stand-up comic competition. Robin taped last year's competition, and Alfred has cued the tape to something interesting:
After the last comic had his turn on stage, and just before the judges announced their decision, a man calling himself "Shecky Rimshot" forced his way on stage and began his routine. He was given the hook and dragged off the stage, yelling that he was the greatest comic in Gotham and would get revenge on them all. The audience laughed, but Batman examines the man's face up close and realizes he is the Joker in disguise.
That night, at the comedy competition, Joker takes control of the competition and announces himself the winner. As he prepares to toss Joker gas into the crowd, Batman arrives and knocks the bombs away. Joker introduces his latest "girl": Lorraine, acting under mind control and now calling herself "Mighty Mom." As Joker escapes carrying the trophy, Batman pursues, while Robin subdues Mighty Mom.
On the roof, Joker jumps onto a clown-shaped balloon, which takes off into the sky. Batman and Robin follow and in the fight, Joker accidentally stabs the balloon with a knife, causing it to descend. Joker ends up falling off the balloon with the trophy stuck onto his head. Batman saves him by firing his grapple gun, catching Joker by the seat of his pants. For once in his career, Joker gets real laughs, but for something he'd rather forget ever happened: dangling upside down from Batman's cable with his head in the trophy and his pants around his ankles. As he is led to a police van, his pants fall and he trips, causing even more laughter. Humiliated, he hides his head in the trophy again as he is taken away.
[edit] Continuity
- When Batman and Robin are watching the news report on the Condiment King, the headline of the newspaper Robin is holding reads "Rally To Be Held For Gordon." This presumably refers to the rally thrown in the earlier episode "Shadow of the Bat."
[edit] Background Information
[edit] Production Inconsistencies
- Lisa Lorraine/Mighty Mom's character is credited as "Rolling Pin."
[edit] Trivia
- Joker gives voice to the famous phrase, "Up, up, and away!" usually associated with Superman. This is the first time this phrase has appeared in the DCAU. The other is in Superman: The Animated Series, "New Kids in Town" (see list of classic Superman tributes).
- The episode is thematically similar to Martin Scorsese's 1983 film The King of Comedy, in which an aspiring stand-up comic of mediocre talent (Robert De Niro) is driven to kidnap his idol (Jerry Lewis) and blackmails him into allowing the wannabe to headline his evening show.
- In Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, Terry McGinnis taunts Joker about his lameness as a comedian, telling him to "make a face, drop your pants, something!"
- The title is a possible reference to the famous number from Singin' In The Rain, performed by Donald O'Connor.
- This episode may be a reference to Joker's origins as depicted in works like The Killing Joke, where before becoming The Joker, he was a failed comedian who was pushed into crime.
- Buddy Standler's agent is voiced by an uncredited Joe Piscopo, a famous stand-up comedian.
[edit] Cast
[edit] Uncredited Appearances
- Agent
- Mad Hatter
- Harvey Bullock
[edit] Quotes
Police Dispatcher: Disturbance reported at the top of the Crown Restaurant. Suspect is a male costumed extremist armed with what appears to be a... ketchup gun. |
Condiment King: Ah, the big bad Bat-guy. I knew you'd "ketchup" to me sooner or later! How I've "relished" this meeting! You, the dynamic Dark Knight, versus me, the conceptual Condiment King! Come, Batman... let's see if you can cut the mustard! |
Batman: You've hit a new low, Joker. Only you would ruin three lives for a silly piece of tin. |
Joker: Up, up, and away! |
Joker: Aw, too bad, Bat-sap. But you should have remembered the old saying: Dying is easy, comedy is hard. |
Joker: Oh, I think I'm getting airsick. |
| Previously produced episode: "Lock-Up" | Episodes of Batman: The Animated Series | Next produced episode: "Deep Freeze" |
| Previously aired episode: "Harley's Holiday" | Next aired episode: "Batgirl Returns" |
