Larry-Boy and the Rumor Weed
Encyclopedia
Larry-Boy and the Rumor Weed is the twelfth episode in the VeggieTales
animated series, and the second installment of the LarryBoy adventures. It was released in July 1999 on VHS
formats and January 28, 2003 on DVD
formats. Subtitled "A Lesson in the Power of Words", it illustrates how destructive false rumors or negative words can be, and conversely, how positive words can do good. It is a mild parody of Little Shop Of Horrors
. Unlike other episodes with the VeggieTales Theme Song at the start, this is one of the episodes without Bob the Tomato and the countertop segments.
Marc Vulcano, the animation supervisor for the film had just joined Big Idea Productions from Sierra On-Line, Inc.
.
In 2004, only years after the DVD release of this episode, a new drawing appeared on the Victor George
website. It decipted LarryBoy standing beside Empath.
is born.
The next morning Alfred is speaking before Junior Asparagus and Laura Carrot's class at Veggie Valley Elementary. He makes the comment that he needs to go home and "recharge his batteries." The children don't understand the expression (the phrase is just a figure of speech
and in American English means to rest and relax), and come to the false conclusion that Alfred needs to be a robot. As they are walking home, they run into a small Rumor Weed who extracts their secret and promptly passes it along. She quickly moves from yard to yard spreading the rumor. Percy Pea, Mr. Nezzer, and Dad Carrot unintentionally contribute to the rumor, but Larry-Boy proves impervious to it.
He gets a call from Mayor Blueberry who informs him that weeds are taking over the city. He springs into action, trying to destroy the weeds by conventional means, but weed-whackers and shears have no effect. Alfred then tells him to scan the weed by putting his ear by it. The weed grabs it, and starts to sing a reggae song. He returns to the LarryCave where Alfred has been doing research on the Weed. They study a map of Bumblyburg and discover that all the weeds are connected by a vast root system to a huge Mother Weed deep underground. Realizing that these Weeds are strong enough to knock down abandoned buildings and tear down old houses, they decide they need to attack it underground, at its root.
Fortunately Alfred has made some modifications to the LarryMobile that enable it to bore holes in the ground. LarryBoy is oblivious as Alfred guides him into the underground sewer, and once inside the sewer they lose contact with each other. The 60 foot Mother Rumor Weed finds him by his crashed vehicle, and LarryBoy, unaware of how to stop her, spoils his weed killer gun and gets battered and bruised.
Meanwhile, Alfred has gone into Bumblyburg to try to get help. There he is astonished to find that the usually kind citizens are afraid of him and saying strange things about him. They ignore his desperate assertions that he is not a robot; the rumor has grown out of control. When the giant Rumor Weed receives a final growth spurt and crashes up out of the sewer (implied to be caused by LarryBoy finally listening to the Rumour weed's rumour) and grabs Alfred to the top of the city hall, they refuse to save his life, believing he is getting what he deserves.
Dad Asparagus arrives on the scene and recognizes the absurdity of the rumor. He figures out that Junior and Laura accidentally started the rumor and explains to them that "even if it's true God doesn't want us to tell stories that can hurt, he want us to spread nice words". Given a second chance, they decide to spread good words and are able to convince the citizens of Bumblyburg that Alfred is not a robot at all, but a very nice man. As the word spreads, the Rumor Weed grows flowers on its vines until ultimately, the kind words about Alfred transforms her into a giant flower, and Alfred is saved. LarryBoy then emerges from the sewer beaten to a black and blue pulp and is quickly hushed by everyone else before accidentally starting the rumor again by saying, "Oh hey Alfred... somebody told me you were a... robot?"
The episode is wrapped up in the Larry-Cave with Alfred and LarryBoy. They reiterate that God says that rumors are wrong and God wants us to say nice words about people rather than telling stories that can hurt. The verse is on the LarryComputer
"Reckless words pierce like a sword
, but the tongue of the wise brings healing" (Proverbs
12:18).
VeggieTales
VeggieTales is an American series of children's computer animated films featuring anthropomorphic vegetables in stories conveying moral themes based on Christianity...
animated series, and the second installment of the LarryBoy adventures. It was released in July 1999 on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
formats and January 28, 2003 on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
formats. Subtitled "A Lesson in the Power of Words", it illustrates how destructive false rumors or negative words can be, and conversely, how positive words can do good. It is a mild parody of Little Shop Of Horrors
Little Shop of Horrors (musical)
Little Shop of Horrors is a rock musical, by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, about a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood. The musical is based on the low-budget 1960 black comedy film The Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Roger Corman...
. Unlike other episodes with the VeggieTales Theme Song at the start, this is one of the episodes without Bob the Tomato and the countertop segments.
Marc Vulcano, the animation supervisor for the film had just joined Big Idea Productions from Sierra On-Line, Inc.
Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams...
.
In 2004, only years after the DVD release of this episode, a new drawing appeared on the Victor George
Victor George
Victor George was a photographer from Kerala, India who died in 2001 while taking pictures of landslides in Kerala Geography of Kerala#Natural Hazards in Kerala. He was working in an Indian Publication as Chief Photo Editor. His works include Portrait of "Rain"...
website. It decipted LarryBoy standing beside Empath.
Plot
The episode begins immediately with the story, where a year after the events of Larry-Boy! And the Fib from Outer Space!, Percy Pea and Li'l Pea are leaving a movie theater. They are met by the Milk-Money Bandit who demands $1.28, which was the exact amount of their milk money, but after he robs them he runs into LarryBoy on a neighboring rooftop, who brings him quickly to justice. Following this, LarryBoy stands on a rooftop reviewing his technique with Alfred, when he accidentally knocks a plant off the ledge. It falls into the sewer getting caught on some electrical telephone wires on the way down. The electrical charge and a gossiping woman on the phone, brings the plant to life, and the Rumor WeedRumor Weed
The Rumor Weed is a gossiping, anthropomorphic weed who is the main villain in the VeggieTales episode Larry-Boy and the Rumor Weed.-Appearance in Episode:...
is born.
The next morning Alfred is speaking before Junior Asparagus and Laura Carrot's class at Veggie Valley Elementary. He makes the comment that he needs to go home and "recharge his batteries." The children don't understand the expression (the phrase is just a figure of speech
Figure of speech
A figure of speech is the use of a word or words diverging from its usual meaning. It can also be a special repetition, arrangement or omission of words with literal meaning, or a phrase with a specialized meaning not based on the literal meaning of the words in it, as in idiom, metaphor, simile,...
and in American English means to rest and relax), and come to the false conclusion that Alfred needs to be a robot. As they are walking home, they run into a small Rumor Weed who extracts their secret and promptly passes it along. She quickly moves from yard to yard spreading the rumor. Percy Pea, Mr. Nezzer, and Dad Carrot unintentionally contribute to the rumor, but Larry-Boy proves impervious to it.
He gets a call from Mayor Blueberry who informs him that weeds are taking over the city. He springs into action, trying to destroy the weeds by conventional means, but weed-whackers and shears have no effect. Alfred then tells him to scan the weed by putting his ear by it. The weed grabs it, and starts to sing a reggae song. He returns to the LarryCave where Alfred has been doing research on the Weed. They study a map of Bumblyburg and discover that all the weeds are connected by a vast root system to a huge Mother Weed deep underground. Realizing that these Weeds are strong enough to knock down abandoned buildings and tear down old houses, they decide they need to attack it underground, at its root.
Fortunately Alfred has made some modifications to the LarryMobile that enable it to bore holes in the ground. LarryBoy is oblivious as Alfred guides him into the underground sewer, and once inside the sewer they lose contact with each other. The 60 foot Mother Rumor Weed finds him by his crashed vehicle, and LarryBoy, unaware of how to stop her, spoils his weed killer gun and gets battered and bruised.
Meanwhile, Alfred has gone into Bumblyburg to try to get help. There he is astonished to find that the usually kind citizens are afraid of him and saying strange things about him. They ignore his desperate assertions that he is not a robot; the rumor has grown out of control. When the giant Rumor Weed receives a final growth spurt and crashes up out of the sewer (implied to be caused by LarryBoy finally listening to the Rumour weed's rumour) and grabs Alfred to the top of the city hall, they refuse to save his life, believing he is getting what he deserves.
Dad Asparagus arrives on the scene and recognizes the absurdity of the rumor. He figures out that Junior and Laura accidentally started the rumor and explains to them that "even if it's true God doesn't want us to tell stories that can hurt, he want us to spread nice words". Given a second chance, they decide to spread good words and are able to convince the citizens of Bumblyburg that Alfred is not a robot at all, but a very nice man. As the word spreads, the Rumor Weed grows flowers on its vines until ultimately, the kind words about Alfred transforms her into a giant flower, and Alfred is saved. LarryBoy then emerges from the sewer beaten to a black and blue pulp and is quickly hushed by everyone else before accidentally starting the rumor again by saying, "Oh hey Alfred... somebody told me you were a... robot?"
The episode is wrapped up in the Larry-Cave with Alfred and LarryBoy. They reiterate that God says that rumors are wrong and God wants us to say nice words about people rather than telling stories that can hurt. The verse is on the LarryComputer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
"Reckless words pierce like a sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
, but the tongue of the wise brings healing" (Proverbs
Book of Proverbs
The Book of Proverbs , commonly referred to simply as Proverbs, is a book of the Hebrew Bible.The original Hebrew title of the book of Proverbs is "Míshlê Shlomoh" . When translated into Greek and Latin, the title took on different forms. In the Greek Septuagint the title became "paroimai paroimiae"...
12:18).
Cast
- Mike NawrockiMike NawrockiMichael Nawrocki is an American voice actor, writer, animator and director. He is the co-founder and Executive Vice President of Big Idea Entertainment, the company best known for bringing computer-animated vegetables to life in the popular VeggieTales series...
voices Larry the Cucumber / LarryBoy - Phil VischerPhil VischerPhillip "Phil" Vischer is an American voice actor, animator, director, writer and puppeteer known for creating the computer-animated video series VeggieTales with partner and friend Mike Nawrocki...
voices multiple roles:- Archibald as Alfred
- Percy Pea
- Mr. Nezzer
- Dad Pea
- G. Bock voices The Rumor Weed, Gossiping Woman in the Window and Madame Blueberry
- Lisa Vischer voices Junior Asparagus
- Kristin Blegen voices Laura Carrot
- Dan Anderson voices Dad Asparagus
- Lesley Benodin voices Li'l Pea
- Mike Sage voices Scallion #3 as the Milk Money Bandit
- Jim PooleJim PooleJames Richard "Jim" Poole is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played as a relief pitcher from through ....
voices Scooter - John Wahba voices Dad Carrot
Songs
This episode has a unique format and does not include the usual "VeggieTales Theme" and "What We Have Learned" songs. It does contain the following songs:- "LarryBoy Theme Song" - Nicole C. MullenNicole C. MullenAileen Nicole Coleman-Mullen, known professionally as Nicole C. Mullen, is an award-winning singer, songwriter, and choreographer. She was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio.-Music career:...
- "The Rumor Weed Song" - Bock, Phil Vischer and Wahba
- Also, during the credits, the Rumor Weed Song is performed by The W'sThe W'sThe W's were a Christian ska/swing band, formed in Corvallis, Oregon in 1996. Success came quickly to the band and their first album, Fourth from the Last, was a sleeper hit unexpectedly having had the strongest debut of any Christian album to date for its distributor. They toured the United...
.
Trivia
- This is Adam Holmes and Bryan Moll's last episode.
- Andy Arnett, Henry Vera, Patty O'Kelley, Nicole Allen, Richard Gouge and Marc Vulcano's first episode.
- This is Ryan Williams' first episode on layout.
- Everett Downing's last episode in storyboards and Jennifer Combs's in render managing.
- This is the last episode Mark Buczek is the exceutive charge of production.
- This is also the last episode Jennifer Combs is a production coordinator.