| What's the Frequency Bessie? | Gallery | Transcript |
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"What's the Frequency Bessie?" is the second segment of the second season and the forty-first segment of The Mighty B! that aired on September 25, 2009.[1]
Summary[]
Bessie gets an abnormally large filling in her tooth and discovers she is now a lean mean radio-signal receiving machine. With so many voices in her head, she can hardly be responsible for her actions!
Plot[]
Bessie is at Doctor/Vet's dentist office, with the latter preoccupied with talk show host Splint Gruntler's show on a nearby TV. Splint talks about his disdain for puppy owners who refuse to clean up their pet's mess, ending his rant with the catchphrase "What do you think, I'm stupid?"
Bessie would prefer to watch SeaCucumber Colony, but Doctor/Vet ignores her and continues watching Splint, paying no mind to the fact he's giving Bessie a slapdash tooth filling. After rinsing and spitting, Bessie tries to tell Doctor/Vet she doesn't feel right, but he forcibly makes her leave by pulling a lever on the patient's chair and shouting "Next!"
At the Higgenbottom residence, Ben is playing with Mr. Pants and his toy microphone. He wants Bessie to join him, but the latter tells Ben she has a severe headache and needs to heal from the filling. After Bessie walks away, Ben notices a bug caught in a web on the windowsill. An excited Ben wants the bug to be his new friend, and he saves the bug just before a spider was about to eat it.
Bessie is about to get ice from the fridge, when Ben starts using his microphone again, with its radio signal also affecting Bessie's filling. The bug demonstrates its "world famous jumping skills," followed by a back flip. Bessie proceeds to do one as well, confusing her. After both the bug and Bessie do various dances, it becomes clear everything Ben says through the microphone, Bessie will do.
Ben notices this, and tests his theory by telling Bessie to do a Pirouette, resulting in Bessie to do just that. He then has her sing Running with the Rainbow Unicorn. Bessie, believing her unexplained actions are caused by the filling, decides to take a nap, though Ben intercepts this by having Bessie get him a double banana split.
Now downtown, Ben follows Bessie as she ventures throughout San Francisco, ensuring she doesn't see him. He tells her to skip, hop and do a cartwheel, though the latter sends her tumbling down the street. Ben does his best to catch up to her, but quickly loses track of where she is. She ends up underneath a bridge as Ben calls for his sister through the microphone, but realizes he lost her signal.
Due to a young boy's toy car, Bessie now picks up that signal and mimics the toy car's movements. After catching on, the boy uses his remote even faster, causing Bessie to twirl around in circles and sends her flying. Ben realizes this as Bessie crashes into chickens, fruit and a glass window. She almost enters the ice cream place, but an artificial ice cream cone propels her into the air, where Bessie lands near several TVs displaying Splint Gruntler. She proceeds to mimic everyone speaking on the show, as well as their movements.
A couple (described as rednecks in the credits) are having a marital dispute because of a puppy. The woman talks about how her husband failed to keep his promises, including making heart-shaped toast. The man responds that getting out of the house is the only way he can get refuge from his wife's nagging. Splint talks about a homewrecker intervening in the marriage, with the redneck woman stating he is making her pay rent, with her husband angry she said words. Their argument causes Bessie to fly further around town, landing on the pavement.
There, a white limousine pulls up. The Hippie asks Bessie why she looks like "her face was run over," but she doesn't have time to answer as she picks up the limousine's signal and sings opera music. This catches the attention of various citizens in San Francisco, in particular a conductor. Finding her voice powerful, he begs her to sing tonight as a soloist. Although Bessie acknowledges she is in excruciating pain, she admits she always likes an audience and accepts the offer.
Ben, having overheard the conversation, knows the truth and wants to save everyone from overhearing his sister's actual singing voice, which is poor. That night, the conductor introduces "child prodigy" Bessie to the audience, with Splint Gruntler among the spectators. Ben tries to enter, but the usher refuses to let him in due to not wearing formal clothing. However, Bug puts a suit on and Ben his cape, which is enough to allow the duo in.
Bessie is about to sing, but admits she doesn't know what song and will let her "inner voice" decide. An audience member believes she is "intuitive" for stating this. Ben tries to command Bessie with the microphone, but realizes the distance is too much and he needs to be closer. Bessie tries to sing, but due to a man using a static television set backstage, nothing comes out. Eventually, an episode of Splint Gruntler plays, with dog-hating Splint stating a dog took someone's job, causing Bessie to mimic "What do you think, I'm stupid?"
The audience is stunned and talks to each other. Bessie then mimics Splint's anti-dolphin speech, claiming "fish were meant for eating." Two audience members defend dolphins before Bessie copies Splint's anti-dog rant. Splint, who had been in the audience, agrees with Bessie's stance. Bessie, believing this is a "part of her" thinking this, tries to explain she loves dolphins and dogs, with her best friend being one. However, Splint's rant on television causes Bessie to spout pro-car and anti-environment views.
Having had enough of her, the audience starts throwing tomatoes at Bessie. Ben tries to help his sister by picking up a signal, and eventually succeeds. Bug proceeds to sing in an operatic voice, causing Bessie to do the same, with the audience now in her corner. Doves are let out as chandeliers break due to Bug's powerful singing voice. Bessie's filling then pops out, which ultimately hits Splint in the face and causes him to lose a tooth.
The audience applauds Bessie, who thanks them for their patronage. Ben praises Bug on the insect's beautiful voice, and knows the two will go far. However, a dove snatches Bug away, with Ben screaming Bug's name as the episode ends.
Cast[]
| Voice actor | Roles |
|---|---|
| Amy Poehler | Bessie & Redneck Woman |
| Andy Richter | Ben |
| Mike Bell | Conductor & Fancy Usher |
| Matt Besser | The Hippie, Splint Gruntler & Redneck Man |
| Rob Corddry | Doctor/Vet |
Trivia[]
General[]
- Ben's microphone is called "Monsieur Microphone."
- Bessie claims to recycle.
- The last of five episodes to air on the Brand New Mighty B! block.
- This is the last episode to premiere before the 2009 rebrand of Nickelodeon.
Cultural references[]
- The episode title is a reference to the 1994 R.E.M. song, "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?".
- Splint Gruntler is a parody of tabloid talk show host Jerry Springer and of Conservative pundits.
- An audience member at the concert bears a striking resemblance to Hanna-Barbera character Hokey Wolf.
Production information[]
- The debut episode for storyboard artist Aaron Paetz.
- This episode's original title card by Bill Wray was similar to the one used, but contained a longer lightning bolt and used a stock image of Bessie altered with electric motifs. It went unused as frequency was accidentally misspelled as "frquency."[2]
References[]
- ↑ TV Listings for - September 25, 2009. TV Tango. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
- ↑ Wray, William (March 28, 2009). (no title). BlogSpot.com. Retrieved June 29, 2023.