You Said a Mouseful


The original title was Tongue Tied.

There are several minor alterations from the original script, but a few things were changed significantly. First:

PINKY
That's brilliant, Brain! Oh, you're so amazing. Do you know, I tried to move the Earth yesterday, and it was really, really heavy.

BRAIN
Actually, Pinky, in your naïveté, you have stumbled upon a slight snafu. The only way the Axis Shift-A-Tron can successfully change the Earth's axis is if the Earth suddenly loses weight!

In the original script, these lines were:

PINKY
That's brilliant Brain! And it's so simple! Um, no, wait... Isn't the Earth really, really heavy? I think I read that somewhere.

BRAIN
As unlikely as that seems, you are correct, Pinky. The only way my plan can be successful is for the Earth to suddenly lose weight.

Strangely, the motion of Pinky and his mouth and tongue movements suggest that his line was originally recorded as it appears in the script, but Brain's motions seem to match the lines we see in the final version. Perhaps there is a combination of changes. Maybe Brain's lines were lengthened before initial recording, but leaving in "As unlikely as that seems." Then Pinky's line and Brain's first sentence were changed in ADR. I can't say for sure on this case.

The next major change involves the "Are you pondering what I'm pondering?" routine. The originally scripted and recorded line was changed shortly before the episode went to air. What you hear is:

BRAIN
Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?

PINKY
I think so, Brain, but then my name would be Thumb-y.

BRAIN
In a perfect world, your name would be Dumb-y.

But notice the motions. Pinky puts a comforting hand on Brain's shoulder, and Brain seems angry at what Pinky has to say. The originally recorded lines were:

BRAIN
Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?

PINKY
I think so, Brain, but she'll never leave Mickey.

BRAIN
I thought we agreed never to discuss that!

This line was changed to prevent setting a precedent; it had been a fan suggestion, and other fans knew of it. Even though the fan had given both private and public disclaimers to any rights, the producers feared that using the line would open flood gates, resulting in a deluge of suggestions which would not have disclaimers, thus they could not legally use them. This is similar to how the Babylon 5 newsgroup had to be moderated because a fan story idea was posted which happened to match a storyline in development, and since it was known that the producer participates on the group, that storyline no longer could be used on the show.

To tell the truth, I'm the one who came up with the idea. I first mentioned an early version of the line when Maurice LaMarche (Brain) signed "Are you pondering what I'm pondering?" on a lithograph I own at a Warner Bros. Studio Store appearance. I responded, "I think so, Brain, but she'd never leave Mickey for you." After I left, Moe shouted across the store to me, asking, "Is that for free?" I gave permission for him to suggest it. Later, in an email conversation, Gordon Bressack, who would eventually write this cartoon, wrote "Are you pondering what I'm pondering?" about something, and I responded with the line in its final form, and also gave permission for it to be used. In an alt.tv.animaniacs thread about favorite pondering lines, I mentioned it again (it's my favorite, though I say so myself), and once more put a disclaimer giving permission for it to be used. So, many people would have recognized the line had it aired, and that is what the powers-that-be feared. Ah well.

Another major change involves their disguise names. Brain tells Pinky that he is Mister Kawasaki, and Pinky is Mister Hiasaka. When Pinky gets his name confused, what you hear him say is "Turkey Lurkey." What his mouth says, and what was originally scripted and recorded, is "Sourkaki." The name had been changed because the censors didn't like what they heard as "Sour Cocky."

Another line changed in ADR is when they meet Peggy Babcock, the security specialist. What you hear is:

BRAIN
Peggy Babcock, Peggy Babcock, Peggy Babcock. Why does that name sound familiar?

PINKY
Oh, I think I know! Peggy picked a peck of pickled peppers!

But the movement of their mouths, and the original recording, goes like this:

BRAIN
Peggy Babcock, Peggy Babcock, Peggy Babcock. Where have I heard that name before?

PINKY
Monday Night Wrestling! You look much better in that mask, you know.

Most likely the change was just to produce more tongue twisting. There are many minor changes which add a few words to the tongue twisters that actually appear in the script, so it seems apparent that they were thinking of ways to make the dialog more convoluted, even as late as the ADR session.

One more significant change. This one was before the story was animated. These lines simply were removed, and one action of Brain's misery was taken out. Instead of getting plucked out of a sock, he climbs out on his own. What is said in the script is:

BRAIN
Don't pug the slack, er, plig the slick... flug the plock!

PINKY
I wasn't going to do any of those things, Brain. I was going to pluck the sock, though.

My guess as to why that part was removed is that it might have been decided that Pinky should not appear to have an ounce of intelligence, like he did in early stories (I would not agree with any such decision; he is quite intelligent -- for a mouse -- and it's funnier when he actually does get things right, at inopportune moments). This may also explain the first change mentioned about this cartoon's dialog.

And in case you're wondering about the laughing and suggested mixups and commentary between Rob Paulsen, Tress MacNeille and Maurice LaMarche that is played at the end while Pinky and The Brain wait for their ending theme: The script has no suggestion to do this. It almost certainly was ad lib, with some random captured commentary from the recording session thrown in as well. Yes, they had fun making these shows.


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