MovieChat Forums > Hey Arnold! (1996) Discussion > Undertones in Hey Arnold we didn't notic...

Undertones in Hey Arnold we didn't notice as a kid


There use to be a list here and I was going to copy it to my friend but IMDB only holds a few discussions and deletes whatever was on the bottom of the list. So I wanted to make a brand new list and I want to see what you guys add to this. So here is my go on this:

1)

Episode: Helga on the Couch


Dr. Bliss:

Mmhmm.

Helga:

It's okay to be obsessed about him? Y'know, the shrines and stuff, the 3 AM vigils, the tantric spells?

Dr. Bliss:

As long as you're not hurting anyone, it sounds like an okay way to express yourself.

Helga:

So, animal sacrifices are out.

Dr. Bliss:

Yes, I'm afraid so.




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Helga:It's okay to be obsessed about him? Y'know, the shrines and stuff, the 3 AM vigils, the tantric spells?


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Tantric Spells - (a Sanskrit word which means "woven together") is a term applied to several divergent and even contradictory schools of Hindu yoga in which the sexual union of... male and female is worshipped either in principle or in human practice.

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2) Episode: Helga's Parrot

"Arnold, my love, my sultry preteen,
Why must I hold you only whilst I dream?
Will I be forever enslaved by your spell?
Why must I worship you and never ever tell?

Arnold, you make my girlhood tremble,
My senses all go wacky.
Some day I'll tell the world, my love,
Or my name's not Helga G. Pataki."

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Girlhood - Private Area for a female.



Your Turn guys, what sexual or adult like themes are on Hey Arnold that we missed as a kid?



Hey Arnold Jungle Movie Nickelodeon / MTV Networks 1515 Broadway New York NY 10036

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This isn't an undertone, but I loved how Harold would always randomly say: "Madam Fortress Mommy!" Who knows what the hell that meant but it was awesome.

Then there is the episode with the two bullies, this could be taken for a homophobic undertone:

Wolfgang: "Watch it, we're trying to play football here!"
Ludwig: "You watch it, fruit cup, we're playing soccer!"

Love how they are named after famous composers and voiced by the two former Arnolds.

Then there is the episode: "On the Lam."

Stinky: "I got the Louisiana hot sauce!" *Shows it close up and it says "Jackass kicking!" Not bad, but putting that in a kids show is a little risque.

Harold saying circumcisions instead of circumstances is the biggest one for me though.

"Welcome to prime time, bitch!" Freddy

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OMGOSH! I thought I was the only person to notice that. I say it now myself. Every time he'd say that I'd break out in laughter! :)

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Inks-by-Audrey-Bautz/444139275670177

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[deleted]

Mainly in a post I made years ago about how each of the character in some way resembles a different thing or condition. It's been years since I've made the thread and it appears to be long gone now. Feel free to add on or correct.

Rhonda: Narcissism and Histrionic personality disorder
Sid: Paranoia, OCD (one episode but still), Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Arnold: Superman Complex
Helga: ?? She seems a bit harder to crack, especially with said dimension
Harold: ??
Stinky: ??
Phoebe: ?? The most I can think of is a dependency issue and a follower mentality.
Gerald: ??
Sewer King, Monkey Man, Stoop Kid and Pigeon Man: Some form of a scizoid/sciziotypical personality condition, avoidance personality disorder, and depression
Lila: Perfectionism
Curly: Sociopathic/Psychopathic tenancies
Olga: Perfectionism, Depression (all of one episode but still)
Miriam: Alcoholism and depression
Big Bob: Rage, greed and perhaps an underlying air of potential substance abuse
Chocolate Boy: Drug addiction (some said his symptoms in the episode where he tries to go cold turkey are close to that of heroin withdrawal)
Jolly Olly Man: Bipolar
Pookie: Dementia?
Oskar: Dependent personality disorder
Agatha Cawfield: ??
Torvald: Passive-aggressive?
Brainy:Stalking
Ronnie Matthews: Narcissism

I know I'm missing a lot and I'm probably way off compared to the post from years ago. I'm sure you can compare each of the characters to a clinical condition. Part of me feels like I'm missing a character that is symbolic of ADHD, BDP and perhaps schizophrenia. Any ideas?


"I'll go,because I am Cinema!" - Ben (Man Bites Dog)

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What I think:

Rhonda: Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Sid: OCD, GAD
Arnold: Superman Complex
Helga: Borderline Personality Disorder
Harold: Binge Eating disorder
Stinky: Low self-esteem? Low IQ?
Phoebe: Dependent Personality Disorder
Gerald: doesn't seem to have any major problems?
Sewer King: schizotypal
Monkey Man: schizotypal
Stoop Kid: GAD, OCD maybe
Pigeon Man: not sure
Lila: Maybe some narcissism?
Curly: Sociopath, Borderline Personality Disorder
Olga: depression, maybe some narcissism
Miriam: Alcoholism and depression
Big Bob: Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Anger issues
Chocolate Boy: Addiction
Jolly Olly Man: Sociopath?
Pookie: Dementia
Oskar: Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Dependent personality disorder
Agatha Cawfield: not sure
Torvald: Low self-esteem
Brainy: we never get to know him well enough to make an assessment
Ronnie Matthews: Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Some additions:
Mr. Simmons: Depression?
Principal Wartz: not sure
Grandpa: not sure
Suzie: Dependent Personality Disorder

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What about Big Patty?

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I'm thinking agoraphobia and/or separation anxiety disorder for Stoop Kid.

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What about Eugene ?. I was thinking Aspergers ?. I have Aspergers, and noticed some signs. I also noticed signs of Aspergers in Chuckie from Rugrats.

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I think Pidengon man would be obvious. Anti-social.

Little Mikey Myers that lived across the street.

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No, because he had empathy. Antisocial Personality Disorder means the person is a sociopath, not that they're antisocial or reclusive.

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'New Teacher'

Harold: I know a poem. There once was a man from Nantucket...

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I'm re-watching on Hulu + now and just watched the first episode, Arnold and Gerald are downtown dressed as fruits and some sketchy (drug-dealing looking guy) drives by and throws them a bag of money, "You know what it's for." LOL



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I like the episode "Dino Checks Out" where the Dino impersonator steps out of the car with Dino ' s ex wife and rather than say simulation she says "He's an incredible stimulation"

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I can't believe that I haven't replied to this thread before! But yeah, this show is full of clever innuendo! And I never even noticed a lot of it until I read this thread.

Intelligence and purity.

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Gerald vs Jamie O.

Gerald has a corn dog and leans down. A girl comes to say hi; Gerald pops up with the corn dog erect. It even makes the "boing" sound effect

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Watching it now for a week on HULU with my 9 yr. old son.

As a kid I do not remember it being this saucy. Wow.

To add to the list of undertones--I could be wrong, but in the episode "Oskar Can't Read" I found there to be some sexual innuendo.

Oskar was reading from a children's book to kids at a school or center or something and he kept saying "I pet the kitty" and he was stroking the page with the kitty picture. Maybe it was a read and feel children's book that's textured lol

And then when he told his wife he learned to read she hugged him happily that night in front of the borders. And the next shot is like just the building from the outside so you know everyone probably went to bed already. He may have been reading in bed for his wife...

So all you hear is "I pet the pretty kitty", etc. over and over again. So the neighbors turn their lights on and start shouting at him. And one guy says something like "shut up or I'll make you eat the kitty!" LMAO

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So all you hear is "I pet the pretty kitty", etc. over and over again. So the neighbors turn their lights on and start shouting at him. And one guy says something like "shut up or I'll make you eat the kitty!" LMAO



Lmao, yeah, that was Ernie.

Don't play games with a girl who can play better.

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