This morning, I came across an episode of the Rugrats — a show I haven't watched in years, and thought it'd be a good idea to discuss something I wouldn't expect out of a '90s Nicktoon. I'm going to assume most people here know at least somewhat about this early Nickelodeon cartoon, as well as the network by extension (and that some of you had children during this show's 13-year-long airing), and skip the expository history of both of these things. I'll cut right into the meat by giving my own synopsis of what happens, then linking to a fan wiki for better context. I'll even throw in a few pictures if I'm able.
The episode begins with the baby quartet (the "fearless" leader Tommy, the oldest, yet timid Chuckie, and the unkempt twins Phil and Lil) playing outside in the summertime. Chuckie and Phil complain about the heat, with the former even remarking about how sweaty his legs are. Phil assures him that his shorter shorts still rub against his skin and give him rash a down to his knees. Tommy, who wears only a blue shirt and diaper, believes a diaper is the only thing babies need. Lil, on the other hand, flaunts her dress, proclaiming "dressies" to be the "bestest", and I'm sure everyone here knows why. She tells her male friends "boys are bad and girls are good", which is why they can't wear one.
The twins' mother and father, Betty and Howard, as well as Didi (Tommy's own mom) enter the backyard and collect Tommy and Lil, while Howard looks after the latter half of the kids. Didi wants everyone to meet up at a multicultural food fair. Phil even comments that despite being a "girl", her mom still wears pants, which convinces him that he and Chuckie should try on his sister's dresses.
The scene depicting the boys trying on and enjoying these dresses is really sweet and fun to watch. They twirl around in them, and even try using them as parachutes (thankfully, it doesn't seem to hurt them much when they try). It seems like a realistic depiction of a little boy trying on a dress for the first time.
I guess it's time to mention that during all of that jovial activity, Howard was passed out on the couch watching a program about toothbrushes, but the hammering from the TV causes him to wake up and remember about the fair. He hurriedly drives the boys to the fair while they're sleeping, failing to take into account one different thing about them, which leads into the next scene of the boys finding themselves somewhere different from the house they were sleeping in.
They come across two boys who mistake them as girls as they both offer a different piece of candy. One accepts the chocolate; the other accepts a "Dummy Worm". All goes well until Chuckie accidentally flashes the boys by tripping on his back, revealing his blue diaper. The revelation that the two "girls" weren't actually girls, and that they just offered candy to members of their own sex, angers the two little troublemakers, declaring that boys can't wear dresses, and give chase.
Since this is an international food fair, the boys run across people of various different cultures, reflected in the clothing that they wear. Chuckie is irritated to find Sumo wrestlers wearing the mawashi, pondering why women can wear pants, and adults can wear "diapers", but boys can't wear dresses. Phil is quick to point out that the cause is of course, the double standard; coincidentally, Joey and Frankie (the two pursuers) arrive just as he reminds Chuckie of this reason.
After Chuckie stumbles upon a Jewish "Horah", he and Phil make their war towards Scottish men wearing kilts, and the former declares "everybody's nakey". A similarly-dressed boy about this age is quick to correct him on the garment he and his own group is wearing. Another boy jumps, sees the ducks on their dresses, and dubs the duo the "Clan of the Duck" — the title of this episode. With their help, the Scottish babies lift up their kilts to scare away the delinquents chasing after the skirted boys. Them shouting, "Freedom!" while they do it is endearing. I wish we saw more of these characters in the show.
The parents finally meet with Chuckie and Phil. Betty jokingly refers to the display of seeing her son and his friend wearing dresses as a costume party while Harold finally notices what was odd about the two. Tommy even takes a shirt and wears it as a skirt. Didi is shocked by this, but Betty is outwardly more amused that he wanted to join his friends in trying something new. The reactions from the parents aren't negative at all. It's really telling that this episode is from 1997 and it portrays the idea that people shouldn't be confined to wearing a specific set of clothing due to their sex in such a positive and innocent light that it's criminal more episodes haven't been produced in other shows.
Tommy thanks the little Scots for protecting Phil and Chuckie, and Phil thanks them for the haggis they gave. Phil and Lil lick their lips when they realize haggis is made out of sheep guts (because these are twins who like to get down 'n' dirty), and Chuckie waves a farewell to his heroes. The episode ends with Scott babies giving a victorious fanfare, lifting their kilts up repeatedly as a cheer to the Clan of the Duck.
This is actually a really great episode, and I normally wouldn't praise the Rugrats because I don't think I cared for it as much as other people did. Hey Arnold! was a much better Nicktoon, but episodes like this made me understand a little bit more why the show was so popular if it had writing such as this.
Just something I wanted to share. I might add some images later on, but here's a wiki page for the episode in question, anyway:
https://rugrats.fandom.com/wiki/Clan_of_the_Duck
A Very Interesting Rugrats Episode
Re: A Very Interesting Rugrats Episode
It would be interesting to know who the writers were for that episode.
Daily, a happy man in a skirt...
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robehickman
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Re: A Very Interesting Rugrats Episode
I've been researching the phenomenon of male skirts in USA contra dances, and it seems that it really took off around the same time period as this episode you mention. Apparently there was also some general interest in male skirts in some niches of the general public due to Kurt Cobain sometimes wearing them.
Re: A Very Interesting Rugrats Episode
This niche community, of course, being one among them. While it's nice to see men dancing in skirts, if it hasn't made much of an impact in this battle, I'm not too interested in contra dances.robehickman wrote: ↑Tue Oct 08, 2024 11:55 am I've been researching the phenomenon of male skirts in USA contra dances, and it seems that it really took off around the same time period as this episode you mention. Apparently there was also some general interest in male skirts in some niches of the general public due to Kurt Cobain sometimes wearing them.
Kurt Cobain was part of a short-lived band that's still immensely popular to this day. That he sometimes wore women's garments, and that this fact is only ever touched upon in the smallest circles of the public, tells me that you might be overselling his influence in this regard, and I don't mean this to be a jaded person, nor do I want to dismiss what made Nirvana such a driving force of grunge rock in the first place. I just don't want anyone here to get their hopes up, only to be bogged down by the disappointing reality of the general consensus being that people care so little about fashion freedom for men that they don't even consider skirts as a viable, sensible option for men, and at worst, are vehemently opposed to such a standard.
Regardless, being able to watch something like this was fun, and it's free, if you know where to look.
Last edited by TSH on Thu Oct 10, 2024 4:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: A Very Interesting Rugrats Episode
Nirvana, Curt Cobain and skirts made me flash back to a recent outing. We were housesitting on Puget Island in the middle of the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington last Christmas season when a Fabric Show was being held in the hall of a church in the little village of Naselle, WA, which seemed like a pleasant excursion in getting acquainted with the region. We arrived at a fantastic display of grand fabric hangings done by a woman named Darbury wearing a 'delightful' skirt that she told me she made while giving mine the kind of look that she could do better by me; and me thinking as I was observing her skirt, "maybe I should ask her to make me one"?
It was a small gathering and we chatted with the few attendees and the family entourage with Darbury. We picked up a small booklet she had assembled of some of her work, had her sign it, and in the process met her husband Krist and learned of his interest in flying, including owning three planes, and the price of organic potatoes he had raised. Nothing dramatic or special, just a very pleasant afternoon with some nice folks, one of whom said she had been fascinated with fabrics for years and had a space where she had worked on these for several years, but not shown them before.
I had heard of Curt Cobain and the band Nirvana, but their genre did not appeal to me, and neither my wife or I had followed them. Only upon returning 'home' to the Island did we learn we had been in the company of some local celebrities! The Krist we had met was Cobain's co-founder of the band! He has quite an extensive track record in the music industry, and in local politics -- latest notes, say he actually qualified to have his name added to the ballot for the 2024 Presidential race -- and then dropped out after achieving the 1000 signatures -- smart man!
But we learned after returning home it was Darbury and her fabric fascination who was responsible for some of the band's attire and MIS seen around the Cobain presentations. We learned she had a national reputation for high end design work and outlets in several major cities for custom-made clothing. I rue my ignorance in not having given her the challenge of 'fixing' my skirt, but no doubt my pocket book is better off.
The picture below is one I took while we chatted with her in front of one of the large pieces on display -- sadly it does not display how well she wore the skirt of her making.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/sGm6V64PZyu7opiW7
It was a small gathering and we chatted with the few attendees and the family entourage with Darbury. We picked up a small booklet she had assembled of some of her work, had her sign it, and in the process met her husband Krist and learned of his interest in flying, including owning three planes, and the price of organic potatoes he had raised. Nothing dramatic or special, just a very pleasant afternoon with some nice folks, one of whom said she had been fascinated with fabrics for years and had a space where she had worked on these for several years, but not shown them before.
I had heard of Curt Cobain and the band Nirvana, but their genre did not appeal to me, and neither my wife or I had followed them. Only upon returning 'home' to the Island did we learn we had been in the company of some local celebrities! The Krist we had met was Cobain's co-founder of the band! He has quite an extensive track record in the music industry, and in local politics -- latest notes, say he actually qualified to have his name added to the ballot for the 2024 Presidential race -- and then dropped out after achieving the 1000 signatures -- smart man!
But we learned after returning home it was Darbury and her fabric fascination who was responsible for some of the band's attire and MIS seen around the Cobain presentations. We learned she had a national reputation for high end design work and outlets in several major cities for custom-made clothing. I rue my ignorance in not having given her the challenge of 'fixing' my skirt, but no doubt my pocket book is better off.
The picture below is one I took while we chatted with her in front of one of the large pieces on display -- sadly it does not display how well she wore the skirt of her making.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/sGm6V64PZyu7opiW7
Re: A Very Interesting Rugrats Episode
Wow...
I grew up at about the right time, but never really watched Rugrats as a kid. But here we are discussing one episode's influence, most of two decades later, along with that of a '90's rocker. These people and things, clearly had an influence on society.
I know I have heard some of Nirvana's music, though I couldn't tell you a single song title. I'd heard Kurt Cobain's name, but I didn't even know he was part of that band. Though, I think I've seen pictures of him in a dress online before.
I see new members every time I log in to this site. From a well known member's lady friend joining the conversation recently, to the new guys, young and old, who are just taking the plunge into skirt wearing, this place is growing, in part due to guys like us just being out and about, showing the world it's okay to wear one tube instead of two.
Point being, little things really do influence the world. Every single one of us has agency, the ability to make our own decisions and influence the world around us, for better or worse.
As small or dumb as it may seem it's stuff like this that makes me optimistic about this whole endeavor. It also motivates me to keep going, knowing that my going to the store in my new favorite skirt could save some guy from despair, or simply plant the idea in someone's mind that a guy can wear a skirt and the world will keep turning...
I grew up at about the right time, but never really watched Rugrats as a kid. But here we are discussing one episode's influence, most of two decades later, along with that of a '90's rocker. These people and things, clearly had an influence on society.
I know I have heard some of Nirvana's music, though I couldn't tell you a single song title. I'd heard Kurt Cobain's name, but I didn't even know he was part of that band. Though, I think I've seen pictures of him in a dress online before.
I see new members every time I log in to this site. From a well known member's lady friend joining the conversation recently, to the new guys, young and old, who are just taking the plunge into skirt wearing, this place is growing, in part due to guys like us just being out and about, showing the world it's okay to wear one tube instead of two.
Point being, little things really do influence the world. Every single one of us has agency, the ability to make our own decisions and influence the world around us, for better or worse.
As small or dumb as it may seem it's stuff like this that makes me optimistic about this whole endeavor. It also motivates me to keep going, knowing that my going to the store in my new favorite skirt could save some guy from despair, or simply plant the idea in someone's mind that a guy can wear a skirt and the world will keep turning...