Narrator: Listen for the words original and laughable.
(Scene: Mr. Big's penthouse. Mr. Big, holding a bunny toy, is looking out the window ominously as Leslie is carrying a large stack of boxes behind him.)
Narrator: In a towering skyscraper high above the city, Mr. Big prepares his latest big, big evil plan.
(Leslie starts to leave the room, still carrying the precarious stack of boxes.)
Mr. Big: And remember, don't come back until every last one of them has sold. It's time to begin... phase one! (squishes his toy)
Leslie: Right away, sir. (exits the room)
Mr. Big: (to the toy) Soon, everyone in the city will have fuzzy bunny ears just like you, and then, thanks to my plan, which is quite original, the city will be mine! Mine for the taking, all mine! (laughs maniacally)
Narrator: Hmm... This plan doesn't sound very original.
Mr. Big: Well, I say it is. (pets his toy) Nice bunny bunny.
(Scene: The grocery store. Becky walks up to some bags of monkey food.)
Narrator: Later, at the grocery store's pet food aisle...
Becky: Okay, Bob. Monkey chow. Pick a flavor: liver and onions or lemon meringue.
(Bob puts a steak in the shopping cart instead. As he rolls away, Becky hears an indistinct robotic voice.)
Becky: What was that noise?
(Scoops pops up behind the bags, wearing a watch shaped like a triceratops head.)
Watch: More!
Scoops: My Mini Dino. (singing) It's a pet that's also a wristwatch! It's a friend from life that never turns off!
Becky: Wow. What does he do?
Scoops: He mostly just complains and eats. It's pretty cool.
Watch: Feed me, Scoops! Feed me, Scoops!
Becky: And how is that a fun toy?
Scoops: I'm not sure yet, but my cousin Simon has one, so I got one too. (presses buttons on the watch)
Becky: You know, Scoops-- (Scoops hushes her.)
Scoops: He's finally sleeping. (strokes the watch, which is snoring)
Becky: (quietly) Scoops, just because your older cousin thinks some fad is cool doesn't mean you have to copy him.
Scoops: (sees something behind Becky) Hey, what are those? (goes to take a closer look)
(Scoops goes to take a closer look. Leslie is setting up a stand with pink bunny ear headbands. When Becky and Scoops approach the stand, she runs away.)
Becky: (reading from a sign) "Brand new. Everyone loves them. Floppy, fuzzy, squishy bunny ears. Buy them now."
(Cut to Mr. Big watching the two on a screen in his lair.)
Becky: Huh. These are probably...
Mr. Big: (to his toy) Oh, this is it, bunny bunny. Phase one! (squishes the toy)
Becky: These are probably the silliest, most laughable things I've ever seen!
(Becky and Scoops laugh at the bunny ears. Suddenly, Mr. Botsford pops out of a barrel full of them, wearing a pair.)
Mr. Botsford: Hey, kids, check me out!
Becky: (embarrassed) Okay, dad. You can take those off now. Someone might see you.
Man: Hey, everyone! Look at him! (points at Mr. Botsford, then puts his arm around Mr. Botsford's shoulders) He's wearing fuzzy bunny ears like a rabbit, but he's a human man! That is original and hilarious!
Pink Jacketed Woman: I want a pair now!
(A crowd starts gathering around the stand, reaching for the bunny ears, including the ones Mr. Botsford are wearing.)
Mr. Botsford: Whoa! One at a time! Whoo! Personal space!
Mr. Big: (watching the proceedings on his screen) Ha! Didn't see that coming, but hey, I'll take it! Phase one is a success! (laughs evilly)
(A bunny hopping across the screen serves as a transition to the next scene. There is a short montage of people buying bunny ears before the scene cuts to Anthony reporting on the ears. Anthony himself is wearing a pair as well.)
Anthony: The scene was pure bun-demonium yesterday at the local grocery store, home to the biggest new fad to sweep our city in years: wearing fuzzy pink bunny ears. The adorable headbands sold like hotcakes, putting a smile on just about everyone's face, except for this surly little girl. (A picture of Becky frowning is shown. The picture then changes to one of Mr. Botsford wearing the bunny ears.) The fad has been traced to this trend-setting area man. (The scene cuts to a crowd outside the Botsford residence, with Mr. Botsford taking in their admiration.) His unique and original idea has made everyone in town hop to it, and to him we say, "ears" to you. (laughs) My, I am good at this.
(Scene: The playground. An actual bunny points to the bunny ear headband it is wearing as Sean and Lesly look on, impressed. It jumps away, and they follow it. Becky and Bob enter the scene, with Bob carrying a rolled-up pizza under his arm.)
Becky: How could this happen so fast?
(Bob chatters that he doesn't know. Scoops shows up to greet them.)
Scoops: Hey, Becky. Where are your bunny ears?
Becky: Wait, Scoops, you have some too?
Scoops: (holds onto his ears) These are mine! You can't have them! (lets go) Sorry, but it took me all night to find them. I wouldn't give these babies up for a lunchbox full of Bob's homemade pizza rollers. (Bob eats his rolled-up pizza.)
Becky: Wait, the TV said the store was sold out. How'd you get those?
Scoops: I traded for my Mini Dino.
Becky: Really? But you were so proud of it.
Scoops: Was I? (sees a group of students skipping by carrying the bunny from earlier) Hey, guys. Cool ears. Wait up! (runs after them)
Becky: It sure seems like something strange is going on. (In the background, a pizza delivery man gives another pizza to Bob.) Maybe it's me. Maybe I just don't get it. (sits down on a jungle gym) But then again, doing something just because everyone else is doing it doesn't feel very original. (Bob chatters a question.) Original? Oh, it means fresh, unique, or new, not copied from someone or something else. Like when you made up the recipe for those pizza rollers. There's nothing else like them. They're original. (Bob offers her a pizza roller.) Uh, no thanks.
(TJ walks past, playing with Scoops's Mini Dino. Becky eyes him suspiciously.)
(Scene: Mr. Big's penthouse. He is laughing maniacally as Leslie is welding something giant.)
Mr. Big: Excellent, my squishy bunny! This is working even better than I originally expected. Time for... phase two. (squeaks toy)
Narrator: Oh, this is getting good! (Mr. Big and Leslie look up.) Ahem. I mean, the very next squishy bunny morning, back at the squishy bunny Botsfords...
(Scene: The Botsford residence. The sun is just rising. Becky, TJ, and Bob are eating breakfast while listening to the radio.)
Radio Voice: It's 7 squishy bunnies in the A-and-M, baby, and this town has bunny ear fever! Now perk up your bunny ears for this week's number one song, "Do the Squishy Bunny Hop"! Maybe it'll even make that grumpy little girl from the news lose her bunny ear blues.
(Becky, insulted, drops her fork and drops the radio onto the ground, breaking it. Mr. Botsford walks up to them, carrying a large pile of letters that he drops on the table.)
Becky: Whoa! What's all this?
Mr. Botsford: Fan mail! Suddenly, I'm up to my ears in it. (starts writing replies to the letters) My real ears, that is.
Becky: (reading one of the replies) "To Delilah. Keep reaching for those stars. Hop, hop, hop. Your pal, Big Man Bunny." Big Man Bunny?
Mr. Botsford: That's what they call me, and they all want an autograph. Oh, Becky, could you and TJ walk to school today? I have way too many photos to sign. Thank you, pumpkin. (Becky glares at him. Mr. Botsford continues writing.) "Dear Scoops..."
(Scene: The neighborhood. Becky, TJ, and Bob are on their way to school.)
Becky: This whole fad is almost laughable. I mean, don't you think it's a little strange that two days ago, nobody even cared about fuzzy bunny ears, and now they're all anyone will even talk about? (TJ makes a "blah blah blah" gesture with his hand.)
TJ: I don't know what to tell you, Becks. I mean, if I have to explain it to you, then, uhm... (makes an awkward face)
Becky: Then what?
TJ: No, I mean my face is the end of the sentence. If I have to explain it to you, then, uhm... (He makes the same face. Becky grabs the bunny ears off his head.) No! Squishy bunny! Give them back!
Becky: Hang on! (Becky pushes TJ away and looks at the underside of the headband. She sees Mr. Big's picture and gasps.) Mr. Big Industries?!
TJ: I'll take those, thank you. (takes back the ears, puts them on, and walks away)
Becky: Of course! It has to be a Mr. Big mind control device. (to Bob) And we have to take him down. Come on, Huggy!
(Becky runs off-screen, then takes off as WordGirl. She and Captain Huggy Face scan from the skies.)
WordGirl: He could be hiding out almost anywhere! Anywhere at--
(Captain Huggy Face taps WordGirl on the shoulder right before she flies into a large blimp shaped like a bunny. Inside the blimp, Mr. Big is looking out at the city, watching people in bunny ears partying.)
Mr. Big: (to his toy) Look, my little squishy. You see all the squishy bunnies? Yes you do! Oh, who's a good bun-bun?
WordGirl: (flies up in front of him) Hold it right there, Mr. Big!
Mr. Big: It's too late. Phase two is already operational. (laughs)
WordGirl: (enters the blimp) You're going to use everyone's bunny ears as radio antennae for mind control, aren't you? So you can take over the city!
Mr. Big: What?! No! Phase two was building the blimp! Well, and writing the Squishy Bunny Hop song. That took forever. (WordGirl glares at him.) Okay, fine. There was going to be mind control.
WordGirl: I knew it!
Mr. Big: Yes, congratulations. But once that Big Man Bunny guy wore my bunny ears and got on the news--
WordGirl: You mean my da-- (Captain Huggy Face stops her.) I mean, go on.
Mr. Big: Well, they became a fad all on their own. I never even got around to using mind control, because I didn't have to. After that, I was so busy selling bunny ears, all I had time to do was make a bathtub full of money. (Cut to his henchmen in a functional bathtub made out of dollar bills.)
WordGirl: Pretty good story, Mr. Big, except for one thing: It's completely laughable.
Mr. Big: Laughable? I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with that one.
WordGirl: Oh. Laughable. It means something that's so ridiculous, foolish, and silly that the idea of it can make you laugh all by itself! Like the idea of everyone just deciding all at once that they had to wear bunny ears, to me, is laughable!
Mr. Big: Laughable, huh? So... you mean we should all laugh?
WordGirl: Eh, if you want to.
Mr. Big: Okay!
(Mr. Big and WordGirl laugh heartily together.)
WordGirl: Bunny ears!
(The laughter dies down.)
Mr. Big: Well, that was fun.
WordGirl: Yeah.
Mr. Big: That was fun.
WordGirl: Good times.
Mr. Big: I never really thought this would turn into such a big fad, you know?
WordGirl: I know! It's a little strange, right?
Mr. Big: Well, hey, you can't predict stuff like this, WordGirl. One minute they love it. The next minute, poof! Gone. I bet this whole fad is gone by tomorrow.
WordGirl: What? No way! Everyone in the city is wearing bunny ears.
Mr. Big: Yeah, except for that little grumpy girl on the news, but that's the way fads go, WordGirl. They can change in a hurry. See for yourself.
(Mr. Big points at a display screen full of rapidly disappearing bunny ears. WordGirl looks outside and sees people discarding the ears.)
WordGirl: Wow! I can't believe it!
Mr. Big: Hey, what can I say? Squishy bunny here today. Squishy bunny gone tomorrow. I try not to get too caught up in it myself.
WordGirl: Oh, yeah. Me too. Well, I guess technically, you haven't done anything wrong, so... Are you sure there's really no mind control lever?
Mr. Big: No mind control lever. I promise.
WordGirl: Okay... Well, if you say so...
Mr. Big: But there is a mind control velvet rope! (pulls a rope next to him, bathing the blimp in a green light)
WordGirl: What?!
(A cow mooing can be heard.)
Mr. Big: With novelty sound effects! (He pulls the rope again, and an airhorn sounds.)
WordGirl: No!
(Mr. Big pulls the rope a third time, with a cat meowing sound effect. He squishes his toy. The blimp sends out a wave that mind controls everyone wearing the bunny ears, including Mr. Botsford.)
Mr. Botsford: Townspeople of town name here, you must surrender to Mr. Big.
(WordGirl exits the blimp through the roof, bursting a hole in it. The mind control wears off.)
Mr. Botsford: (shakes his head) Huh. (starts writing again) "Dear Mrs. Botsford..."
(Mr. Big starts to panic as the blimp goes down, only for WordGirl to catch it.)
WordGirl: Now, why would you try that with me right here?
Mr. Big: Hey, you can't get to the end of a Mr. Big story and not have a little mind control. I mean, you said it yourself, it's... It's my thing!
WordGirl: (sighs) This is getting more laughable by the minute.
Mr. Big: So can we... Can we laugh again? (He squishes his bunny toy, and WordGirl lets the blimp sink to the ground.)
(Scene: The playground. The bunny is still wearing Mr. Big's headband, but the children now ignore it.)
Narrator: The very next day at school...
Becky: Wow! He was right.
Scoops: (no longer wearing the bunny ears) Who was right?
Becky: Mr.-- Nothing! Nobody! Hey, where are your fuzzy bunny ears?
Scoops: Bunny ears? (laughs) Oh, wow, Becky! Don't make me laugh! Like, that's something I would be able to laugh at. What I mean is, it's practically--
Becky: (sighs) Laughable?
Scoops: Exactly! Yeah. Bunny anything is pretty much completely over, ever since yesterday at about suppertime. (takes off his hat and replaces it with an 18th-century wig) Nah, this awesome flashback old-school look is in now. TJ was the first one to do it.
Becky: Wait. TJ?
Scoops: I heard he found the whole outfit in your dad's garage. It's a real original. Man, he is so cool!
(Cut to TJ, who is also wearing a wig, with matching clothes and make-up. He is surrounded by admiring children.)
TJ: Okay. Stand back, guys. Stand back. Watch the threads. (takes out a keytar) Keytar riff!
(TJ plays the keytar as his female admirers squeal. Bob puts on a top hat and a ruff and joins the others, to Becky's annoyance.)
Narrator: So once again WordGirl cuts Mr. Big down to size, and TJ gets to trade in his bunny ears for something a little more original. And remember, if you like fun, excitement, and big, pink, squishy bunny blimps, it would be laughable to miss the next thrilling, action-packed episode of... WordGirl!
(The bunny pops up again, now wearing Scoops's Mini Dino.)
Watch: Feed me, Scoops!