"The Sweet Stench of Success" is the 10th episode in Season 2 of Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.
Plot[]
SPOILER: Plot details follow.
Bloo and the gang see that Eduardo is on the news for their "Friday's Friend" segment, a segment that covers local imaginary friends who are up for adoption. Bloo becomes jealous, but Frankie tries to explain it is just a small news segment for imaginary friends who are to be adopted, and that he already has Mac. It is also to reassure Bloo that the news segment Eduardo was on isn't for fame, just promotion for adoption. Still being envious, regardless of Frankie's reasoning, Bloo still goes to the news office and pretends to be a sick friend up for adoption. The news then proceeds to air a "Friday's Friend" emergency broadcast segment, thinking that Bloo is actually in desperate need of help.
The others are mad at Bloo for faking that he was in need of help and is up for adoption. Bloo tries to explain that it is for his acting career, but the group is still bothered by his antic of doing so; saying to him that it was inexcusable and manipulative to the News and their viewers. The doorbell rings, and Bloo goes to answer, where Kip Snip, a supposedly friendly and honest Hollywood agent, awaits to give him the offer to be a star attraction. Being excited that he now has the opportunity of being a rich and famous celebrity, Bloo then signs a bunch of "contract papers", with the labeling of "contract" to ensure he is going to have a career of a lifetime, without knowing what he's signing or knowing about the legality as to what he is about to sign, and he and Kip drive off.
Bloo then stars in his first commercial for Deo-brand deodorant, where he plays the role as the title character, "Deo", a natural-ingredient fast-acting hygienic antiperspirant deodorant stick destined to eliminate sweat and body odor all over the world and make everyone smell better and live healthier and more hygienic lives. In the commercial, Bloo promotes the Deo-brand deodorant company's famous line, "Got BO?... Get DEO!", as he eliminates the body odor stuck on a man trying to attract the attention of women.
The first commercial became an instant success for Bloo. Back at Foster's, Mac, Frankie, Eduardo, Wilt, and Coco all watch it and cheer for Bloo. The gang immediately calls Bloo up to congratulate him and tell him how proud they are of him. Bloo sits in his dressing room in immense happiness and tells them over the phone, "It's the role I was born to play!", knowing for certain that he has made it to the big time.
As the time goes by, Bloo becomes a major star after advertising for various Deo-brand deodorant commercials and advertisements, even commercials in other languages. Bloo even makes it on the covers of magazines and newspaper articles. He also makes it onto TV shows and late-night talk shows with his promotional image. He even promotes the pilot for his new comedy sitcom show, "What's the big Deo?".
After the pilot episode for the show aired, Mac and the gang try to call Bloo up to congratulate him once again for another achievement, only to find out that "his" assistant picks up to answer. Mac tries to ask if they can talk to Bloo, only for the assistant to tell them they can only meet up with him three weeks in advance to talk to him. Mac tries to tell the assistant that he is Bloo's best friend that he talked about, only for the assistant to explain that Bloo hasn't told any of them about him or his friends. Mac hangs up, thinking that Bloo has forgotten about mentioning him.
After days and hours of work, Bloo sets off to go home, when Kip stops him to explain that actors don't get to go home, which shocks and confuses him since he notices all the other cast and crew members walking out of the studio to go home after they finish up. Kip makes Bloo sleep in a dog cage with no bed, blankets, nor pillows. He also makes a persuasive argument to Bloo that if he has a problem with it and wants to go home, he can just quit and give up being a famous celebrity. Bloo reluctantly says that he wants to remain a celebrity, and Kip opens the cage up for Bloo and closes and locks it up on him. Bloo sleeps in the cage, and Kip refuses to feed Bloo any food or let him contact Mac.
The next morning, Kip wakes up Bloo telling him that he has a huge gig to attend. Bloo counters that he hasn't eaten in two days, but Kip blows him off, stating that celebrities don't keep their fans waiting for their idol. Eventually, Bloo is extremely weak from lack of proper sleep, food, water and treatment by Kip Snip with unfair and unsafe working conditions.
Bloo begins to work a number of promotional events in the next following weeks, even engaging with the fans and followers by saying his famous line. The numerous events Bloo is forced into also takes further toll on his body and on his well-being, since he gets even more weakened physically, mentally and emotionally from all the poor treatment from Kip. He is even forced to work at a meet-and-greet book signing, where he is forced to give out autographs and meet fans. At the rally, Mac, Eduardo, Frankie, Wilt, and Coco arrive trying to meet up and talk to Bloo only to have the security guard escort them all out. Mac tries to call out for Bloo to spot him, but being so exhausted and weak that he is unable to respond back to Mac as he is carried out by a security guard. Bloo also isn't able to properly see him due to his weak state, and before he can respond back to Mac while he is being escorted out, Bloo is then once again taken away by Kip. Mac starts to show resentment for Bloo, thinking that fame is going to his head, yet not knowing that Bloo is being abused by Kip. The other friends try to have Mac look at the bigger picture as to why Bloo didn't respond to them, only for Mac to still deny any other reasoning to it. Mac believes that he saw nothing in the eyes of Bloo as he was being thrown out from the Deo book signing and meet and greet.
Bloo quickly becomes very bored and weary with all these commercials and gigs. Later that night, Bloo is back in his cage, and he begs Kip to let him contact Mac at least just once, but as Kip counts all the money he made off Bloo from that day, he still refuses Bloo's request and turns the lights off on him, causing Bloo's eyes to swell up with tears. Though apart, Mac and Bloo both remember the old times they had, missing one another and not being able to talk to each other. Bloo soon thinks to himself that this isn't the life he wants for himself and that the best option is to quit.
Early the next morning, Kip tells Bloo he's got another DEO gig, which is going to be an evening variety show. Bloo, finally fed up with Kip's abusive and manipulative treatment, furiously tells him that he quits and wants to go home. Unfortunately for him, Kip reveals that the contract Bloo signed was not an acting contract but actually forged adoption forms he had set up to trick Bloo into going with him, making Kip his new "legal" guardian and thus, Bloo has no choice or say in the matter (not even his friends or Foster's); only Kip himself. This indicates to Bloo that he isn't going to be a rich and famous celebrity, rather a slave to the abuse and evil of Kip Skip. Kip even threatens Bloo further rudely, in hopes he understands that he is to work only for him.
Later that night, right before the variety show starts, Mac thinks to himself that Bloo doesn't want him anymore and that they're no longer best friends. Wilt, Ed, and Coco try to convince Mac to sit down and watch the variety show with them, only to have Mac refuse to pay attention as he sits behind the couch. On the set of the show, Bloo attempts to quit and go home again, only for Kip to stop and threaten him once again. Kip then tells Bloo that this show is going to be televised to everyone around the world, and Bloo reluctantly prepares for another act. Just as Bloo is ready to sadly accept his fate as a working slave, he gets an idea and starts to leave a bunch of hidden messages about his abuse and mistreatment by his producer, including singing a variety of showtunes about Kip kidnapping him and not letting him go (including "My Evil Producer Has Kidnaped Me and Won't Let Me Go", "The Somebody Save Me Magic Show", "A Little Help From My Imaginary Friends", etc.) and making jokes about him being locked up and forced to sleep in a cage. Knowing what these references mean, Kip gets nervous, especially since he knows Bloo's antics during this performance can ruin his public image and clean legal reputation. The next segment is when Bloo gets on a floor piano and starts to tap out a secret morse code, hoping to get the attention of Mac. Bloo sends a secret message in morse code across TV, which says, "Help me! Help me! Help me, Mac!".
To Bloo's luck, Mac finally pays attention on the other end and hears Bloo's morse code. The group then instantly realizes what all these songs and sketches mean, indicating to them with 100% certainty that Bloo is being abused by Kip Snip and needs their help. They know something needs to be done, so all four of them team up and set out to the TV station to rescue Bloo.
At the theater where the variety show is filmed, Bloo is on his last musical number for the show, which is a closing song about how he might be enslaved and abused for the rest of his life, when Mac and company arrive to save him, disguised in different outfits of personal hygienic and toiletry items (Wilt dressed as a toothbrush, Eduardo as a bar of hand soap, Coco as a tube of toothpaste, and Mac as a pack of dental floss). As Bloo is about to walk home in the middle of the song, Kip Snip has ordered his other cast members of the show to attack and try to prevent Bloo from leaving with his friends, ensuing a fight to occur against them. The others fight for Bloo and defend him as he continues to finish his song to the audience, now singing on a more positive note about freedom and leaving Kip. The gang is able to fight back and defend Bloo, and their own safety, from Kip's other actors.
At the end of the song, as Bloo tries to swing away with the help of Mac from Kip's razor-costumed actor, Kip kidnaps him again and angrily tells him in front of the whole viewing audience that Bloo made Kip own him forever. However, when all hope for freedom seems to have faded, Bloo overpowers Kip by brutally kicking him in the face, giving him a swollen black eye, before reuniting with Mac. He even tells Kip flat out in front of everyone that he didn't create him; it was his best friend Mac who created him. He then pulls off his Deo costume and throws it at Kip's face.
Noticing everyone is watching and witnessing the event, Bloo rightfully reveals to the entire audience that Deo-brand deodorant is snake oil and actually doesn't make people smell better at all. Realizing the Deo-brand product is a placebo, this shocks all the viewers (a family gasps in disbelief, Chris throws it away in disgust, and an old woman faints out of shock). Kip claims that he never cares about people's hygiene and personal health, causing the audience to gasp in shock and boo him, then finally snaps and angrily adds that Deo-brand deodorant actually makes everyone smell worse and damages personal hygiene, horrifying the audience.
Immediately after confessing to everyone, two policemen appear and arrest Kip for violating Article 254, Section 3: false advertising (and treating Bloo like a slave). The police then drag Kip away as he comically wails and kicks his legs, indicating to Bloo that he is now free and no longer a slave and that this is the end of the Deo-brand deodorant company. However, Bloo doesn't care that he may no longer be acting in commercials and is just happy that he had beaten Kip Skip, gotten his freedom back and finally having his best friends back by his side.
The audience, though angry and hateful towards Kip Snip and the Deo-brand deodorant company, still claps and jubilantly cheers for Bloo's performance. Bloo happily ends the variety show with a word from their sponsors. Eduardo sings a jingle about potatoes, and everyone, especially Bloo and the gang, are flabbergasted at his jingle. Eduardo then pulls a potato out from his costume and says, "This spud's for you!", and the episode ends.
Running gags[]
- Someone getting Todd's name wrong.
Spoilers end here.
Characters present[]
Speaking:
Bloo, Coco, Deodor Ann, Eduardo, Erin Peterson, Frankie Foster, Kip Snip, Mac, Todd, Wilt
Trivia[]
- One of the flashbacks Mac and Bloo have is of Bloo pouncing on Mac in "House of Bloo's", after Mac tells Bloo he can stay at Foster's. The animation of Bloo pouncing on Mac also appears during the intro and in the Cartoon Network Studios logo.
- Kip Snip says he's a Hollywood producer, but the Hollywood-esque sign in the background at the studio instead reads "Hokeywood".
- Moral: Scamming and cheating your customers will eventually come back to haunt you.
- This is the first appearance of Erin Peterson, with the second being "The Big Cheese" and the only appearance of Kip Snip.
- In the episode "Foster's Goes to Europe", a DEO ad is briefly seen on television Bloo is watching, even though these advertisements were revealed to be false. On top of that, Wilt also has a DEO Deodorant. It is possible that this episode takes place after "Foster's Goes to Europe".
- The scene where Bloo signs the contract is similar to a scene in "Store Wars".
- This is the last episode to feature Mac's season 1 design.
Cultural references[]
- The title is a reference to the 1957 movie Sweet Smell of Success.
- Ed's line, "This spud's for you", at the end of the episode, is a parody of Budweiser's classic tagline "This Bud's for you".
- Friday's Friends is a reference to the real-life news segment "Wednesday's Child", shown on Boston affiliate WBZ-TV.