"Who's Stupid Now?" is the twelfth episode of Season 5 of The Ren & Stimpy Show, which aired on November 4, 1995.
Characters[]
Summary[]
When Ren and Stimpy find out they are about to be cancelled thus breaking the 4th wall again, Ren comments that they'll do anything to keep the show ongoing, so the producer makes a twist in chemistry by making Stimpy the skinny jerk cat and Ren as the fat idiot dog, but Ren starts to realize that this might not be a good idea after all.
Plot[]
There are two versions of this episode. One includes a "pre-credits" scene showing a obese Ren revealing himself on stage to a full house as the film stops. Ren recaps to the audience, in the moment, yet, a flashback, that a series of events led up to this happening to him, for which he was excited about. Ren plays the episode as a flashback leading up to this moment as the title card and credits show.
Ren and Stimpy are revealed to be cartoon actors again in their studio in "Hollywood". They have a meeting with the director, who is the same guy who was Ren's boss in other episodes, who they both have a feeling has only good news. However, this is not the case as the man is violently angry, saying that Ren and Stimpy's ratings are at an all time low, and they will be cancelled. Ren and Stimpy plead with him to find a way to not get cancelled, so he decides on the old "role reversal" scenario. Stimpy will become the "skinny jerk" (Ren), and Ren will be the "fat idiot" (Stimpy). This literally blows Ren's mind, but the director boss tells them if they don't like it, they can be cancelled and fired.
Out of fear, Ren is transported to a hospital called "Fat and Thin Institute for the Stars" where Ren sits in a room with a drink serving machine and monitor. His boss comes on the TV, and Ren argues with him. He reminds Ren bluntly and matter-of-factly that he's in total control, and Ren can again get over it or lose his contract. Ren is forced to drink hundreds of "milkshakes" served by the machine, to which he questions. The director says it's a secret ingredient (it's revealed that Stimpy is being liposuctioned the other room, and his fat is being served to Ren as these "milkshakes"). Intimidated by the director, Ren drinks all the shakes and grows very fat, looking slightly like Jabba the Hut. The director tells Ren to come check out Stimpy. Ren goes to see his friend, and is shocked to find him skinny as a rail with his eyes and nose more pronounced. The director says now that their appearances are down they have to study the lines to learn to be their new personas. Meanwhile, Ren regrets going along with all this, feeling ugly and gross being fat. Stimpy (who Ren has grown slightly jealous of his skinnyness) reassures him it'll be okay. Ren instead goes crazy and tells Stimpy that he'll now be the more loved character, because everybody loves the "fat idiot" who he is now, and Stimpy will be hated as he was before as the "skinny jerk". Ren storms off to go prove it as Stimpy figures out how to play a skinny jerk. At first, Stimpy struggles as he is naturally a innocent, nice guy. But soon, the more he practices the easier it gets and he starts to like it a little (possibly as subconscious revenge for all the abuse that Ren put Stimpy through), soon screaming Ren's line "Where's my dinner?!" like an abusive husband.
Meanwhile, Ren has covered himself in a trench coat and has allowed himself to be on a stage before thousands of people in a theater. Ren says this is for all his "adoring fans", as he removes his coat, revealing his naked, fat body to everyone, screaming "LOVE ME!". The episode freezes, and Ren, once again narrating as he did in the prelogue, summarizes this is what happened. And he has been so looking forward to this moment as now he can be loved by millions as a fat, lovable idiot. The episode resumes. Instead of accepting him, the crowd berates him and throws rotten tomatoes at him, violently labeling him and rejecting him as "fat", "ugly" and "a freak", breaking Ren's heart. Feeling dejected, alone and miserable, he feels no one else bit Stimpy would understand, being such a kind friend to him. He enters their stage room to ask his buddy for advice and support, but Stimpy turns to Ren to reveal his acting lessons have changed his personality for the worse. Stimpy is even meaner than Ren was as he cusses him out in the same fashion as he used to do to him, accusing him of up to doing "stoo-pid hijinks" instead of waiting on him and telling him how bad his breath stinks. Ren realizes he is doomed, Ren dreads the taping of this new episode that night.
At the stage, the episode of Ren being the fat idiot and Stimpy the skinny jerk is about to be filmed. Everyone is taking their places as Stimpy is more egotistical and blunt than ever, and Ren, meek and depressed as he's ever been take their places on the set as their hotheaded, control freak director watches on with eagle eyes as they being filming the episode before a live audience. Stimpy starts calling Ren "eed-iot" and "stoop-id", barraging out the insults to Ren, who would rather whimper than say his lines. The director calls Ren stupid and orders him to say his line. Ren messes it up, enraging the director as he screams at the "fat slob" to act. As Stimpy says Ren is just trying to make him look bad, as more cameras are shoved down Ren's throat, as the director keeps insulting his clumsiness and cowardice and not reciting his lines properly, all the while the crowd laughs at him mockingly. Furious, Ren has finally had enough and screams as loud as he can for everyone to stop, as he begins to insult and attack everyone, picking the director up off the ground and with all his might throwing him at Stimpy, smashing them both into a wall. Ren decides after being mocked, ridiculed and picked on he doesn't care about his acting career anyone, screaming "I QUIT!!!" In utter rage to Stimpy and the director and the entire audience. A brief pause happens, before the crowd lets out a roaring applause at Ren's "performance" which puts him in Variety Magazine as "The Best Performance Ever" as flowers are tossed on stage and confetti fills the theater as Ren celebrates and thanks the crowd. Stimpy and the Director have a change of heart towards Ren, as the boss complements Ren on his performance, telling the fat Chihuahua he's "going places" after receiving an acting award and being hoisted up by everyone, Ren decides to not stay angry and instead looks at the camera with a smile, saying "I love show biz!"
Production Music[]
- Cue the Action! (b) – Dick Walter (“Heralding the biggest secret in Hollywood…”)
- Timpani Roll (l) – Gary Kettel (drum roll)
- Cue the Action! (b) – Dick Walter (“LOVE ME!”)
- Nature’s World 8 – John Fox (Ren narrates; title card)
- Tonight in Person – Keith Mansfield (opening)
- Meadows Green (a) – Richard Myhill (“Isn’t that sweet, Ren?”)
- Storm at Sea (a) – Dick Walter (Stimpy looks serious)
- Emotion 1 – John Fox and Otto Sieben (“That’s why I hate to leave you guys.”)
- Where Danger Lurks – Ronald Hanmer (“No, you did.”)
- Bleakdawn Link – Richard Hill (boss insults Ren)
- Drama Link (f) – Hubert Clifford (“Who you calling pigheaded?”)
- Minitake 15 A-E – Gerhard Narholz (“Aw, you got me all wrong, pal.”)
- Minitake 124 F-J – Gerhard Narholz (“I’ll do anything you want, as long as you keep our show going.”)
- Orchestral Link 66 – Mike Sunderland (“Well, I don’t know.”)
- Looking Back – Mike Sunderland (“Can’t you see Stimpy’s torment?”)
- Orchestral Link 66 – Mike Sunderland (“Anything, huh?”)
- Cue the Action (b) – Dick Stephen Walter (“Anything!”)
- Asrael 2) Andante – Joseph Suk, George Wilson (boss looks at Ren and Stimpy)
- Orchestral Link 66 – Mike Sunderland (“I’ve got it!”)
- Playful Pizzicato – Richard Harvey (“You’ll play the skinny jerk, and you’ll play the fat idiot.”)
- Conflict Link 2 – Richard Hill (plays right before Ren screams)
- Dramatic Sting #9 – Dan Kirsten [OGM] (Ren screams)
- Soft and Gentle (b) – Dick Walter (Fat and Thin Institute exterior)
- Carioca Girl – Gerhard Narholz (“Try it, it’s good!”)
- Declamatory Chords – Alan Braden (“It’s either my way… OR THE HIGHWAY!”)
- Skyscraper City – Ronald Hanmer (“Well, if you put it that way. You get so mad.”)
- Moving Target – Dick Walter (Ren swallows the drink)
- Carioca Girl – Gerhard Narholz (“Say, that’s good!”)
- Cat and Mouse – Bill Connor (“What’s in it?”)
- Soft Suspense 1 – Louis Clarke (“It’s a secret.”)
- African Drums – Hans Conzelmann, Delle Haensch (Ren keeps drinking)
- Set to Pounce – David Farnon (sinister music when the camera follows the tube)
- Zirkon Fanfare – Steve Gray (“It sure does tickle!”)
- African Drums – Hans Conzelmann, Delle Haensch (Ren becomes fatter, Stimpy becomes skinny)
- Basso Ostinato Op.5 No.5 (Russia) – Susan Kanzian, Ed Lewis, Anton Stepanowitsch Arensky (Ren finishes drinking)
- Minitake 124 F-J – Gerhard Narholz (“He must look hideous!”)
- Soft Suspense 1 – Louis Clarke (“He’s covered up.”)
- Send Them Victorious (b) – Graham De Wilde (fat Ren and skinny Stimpy shot)
- Soft Suspense 1 – Louis Clarke (“Let me take a look at you.”)
- Slapstick Effects 41 – David Bell (“Lumpy, lumpy, lumpy!”)
- Approaching Danger – James Clarke (“Thighs of steel!”)
- Symphony No. 6-Pathetique (Movement 4) – Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Ren has tears in his eyes…)
- Black Swarm – Simon Benson (…but he gets defiant)
- Industrial Riot A – Mladen Franko (“So it’s like THAT, is it?”)
- Orchestral Link 68 – Mike Sunderland (“I’ve got your number.”)
- Minitake 152 F-J - Gerhard Narholz (“Of course you do, Ren, we live together!”)
- Star Warriors – Richard Harvey (“Don’t play stupid with me!”)
- Slapstick Effects 64 – David Bell (“Or don’t you remember?”)
- Star Warriors – Richard Harvey (“I’m the stupid one now!”)
- Misty Autumn Days – Mike Sunderland (Stimpy consoles Ren)
- Star Warriors – Richard Harvey (“Being stupid and bloated and…”)
- Mental Torment – John Fox (“Take it easy, Ren!”)
- King of Arms A – Gregor F. Narholz (“You fool!”)
- Intense Danger – James Clarke (Ren daydreams)
- Sneaking Pussy – Ron Ronsted (Ren walks away)
- Brass Flourish (i) – Barrie Hingley (“To address my fans!”)
- Orchestral Climax 9 – Gregor F. Narholz (Ren slams the door)
- Minitake 163 A-E – Gerhard Narholz (“I love it when he’s so determined.”)
- Flute Link (d) – Richard Myhill (“Uh, OK, here goes…”)
- Timpani Roll (e) – Gary Kettel (Stimpy gears up)
- What a Goof! (c) – Richard Myhill (“Where’s my dinner?”)
- Grandpa – David Farnon (“This is harder than I ever imagined.”)
- Dramatic Cue (d) – Ronald Hanmer (“Where’s… my… DINNER?!”)
- Exciting Action C – Mladen Franko (Stimpy’s eyebrows furrow)
- Cue the Action! (b) – Dick Walter (“LOVE ME!”)
- ? (“At last, we are at the present. My glory days.”)
- Discordant – David Farnon (“Uh… duh?”)
- Air Raid – Gerhard Trede (audience is angry)
- Into Battle Again/Main Theme – Jean Clero (“Stimpy, they laughed at me and called me names!”)
- Lonely Violin – Dick Walter (“…Not really.”)
- Folli the Foal – Andrew Fenner (Stimpy says his line)
- Black Swarm – Simon Benson (“Uh… duh?”)
- Mounting the Scaffold 1 – Gregor F. Narholz (director is angry)
- Drama Link (d) – Hubert Clifford (“ACT!”)
- Armed Attack – Jean Clero (“What are you trying to do, moron?”)
- Crosses on Graves – Jean Clero (“You want me to be stupid?”)
- Emotion 11 – John Fox and Otto Sieben (“Nobody understands me.”)
- Discordant – David Farnon (“Not again…”)
- Starlight Revue – Alan Braden (audience cheers)
Trivia[]
- This is the only episode with a black title screen.
- This episode was originally written to be a Spümcø episode titled "The Big Switch".
- This is the last episode from Spümcø, and the last episode written by John Kricfalusi.
- This episode marks that season five is the last season of Ren & Stimpy (but not counting Ren and Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon", since this reboot only ran for six episodes).
