Love Rollercoaster (The Cleveland Show)
Encyclopedia
"Love Rollercoaster" is the eleventh episode of The Cleveland Show
. It aired on January 10, 2010 on Fox
. In this episode, Roberta learns a lesson about looks.
The episode was written by Kirker Butler
, and directed by Ron Rubio.
) challenges Roberta to prove she can get by without her looks and has her alter her appearance by wearing a 'fat suit'. Her first day as 'Tyra' gets off in an inauspicious start when she is rejected by Federline and the teachers she previously had wrapped around her finger. Cleveland Jr. sees her alone in the cafeteria and warms up to her. When he shows her his model rocket, which is not only failing but is being outmatched by the geeks who are translating Klingon, she helps him with the design flaw. They win the science fair - probably because of the TIE fighters the rocket deployed to attack the geeks - and Ms. Eck gives Roberta and A Grade for proving she more than just looks. However, Cleveland Jr. falls in love with Roberta and when he tricks her into meeting the family while disguised as Tyra she has to admit her actions. Cleveland tells her she has to figure a way out of her predicament. She invents a story about moving to Alaska to avoid breaking Cleveland Jr.'s heart.
Meanwhile, Cleveland and the guys impressed by Holt's new 'Nasal Laser', set out to invent the next infomercial product. After bouncing ideas around they decide that a movable coaster for beers is just the item they need. The guys try to shut Cleveland out of his preferred name of the 'Roller Coaster' in favor of the 'Brew-Choo Train'. Cleveland decides to make their booth sign at the invention show using the name he prefers and is kicked out of the group. The guys show up they tell him the invention already exists and they are being sued. It turns out he saw an ad on late night television while high and had forgotten about it. He gloats at first about the guys getting stuck with the lawsuit until they reveal they never took his name off the invention and HE is the one being sued. He gets off due to some legal maneuvering but comes up with a new idea...based on an invention he had seen earlier at the invention show. He is told he should lay off the weed.
and The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special – In 3-D! On Ice!.
Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
gave the episode a positive review, and especially praised Cleveland Jr.'s storyline, writing "there are times when I'll laugh at something Cleveland, Jr., says just because of the delivery of the line. It's a great voice, for one, but it's also coming from the one character the show seems to have completely thought out". Jason Hughes of TV Squad wrote that Jane Lynch was "woefully under-utilized", but praised Cleveland Jr.'s song. Ahsan Haque of IGN
wrote that the storyline with Roberta and Cleveland Jr. "could have been handled in a crude lowbrow fashion" but instead it took "a nice heartwarming turn" He called the "Balls Deep" song "the strongest and catchiest musical number we've seen on the show so far" and rated the episode 8.6 out of 10.
Parents Television Council
, a frequent critic of Seth MacFarlane
-produced programs (including The Cleveland Show), named "Love Rollercoaster" its "Worst TV Show of the Week", based on a double-entendre
-laden song Cleveland Jr. sings to his father to explain his feelings for Tyra:
The PTC also cited the interpretative lyric in its critique, which was as follows:
The PTC drew comparisons of Cleveland Jr.'s ode of love to Britney Spears
' song "If U Seek Amy
", which generated controversy in 2009 due to the double-entendre title lyric. Both songs, the PTC stated, had clumsy double-entendres, with The Cleveland Show incorporating former NBA superstar Scottie Pippen
slam-dunking a basketball at the end of the song (to illustrate Cleveland Jr.'s infatuation with Tyra).
The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show is an American animated television series that premiered on September 27, 2009, as a part of the "Animation Domination" lineup on Fox in the United States...
. It aired on January 10, 2010 on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
. In this episode, Roberta learns a lesson about looks.
The episode was written by Kirker Butler
Kirker Butler
Kirker Butler is an American animation writer. Butler is most notably known for writing and producing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy, as well as serving as co-executive producer of The Cleveland Show, another series by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane.-Career:Butler joined...
, and directed by Ron Rubio.
Plot
Cleveland Jr. is building a model rocket for the school science fair. Roberta's new teacher, Ms. Eck (voiced by Jane LynchJane Lynch
Jane Marie Lynch is an American comedian, actress and singer. She gained fame in Christopher Guest's improv mockumentary pictures such as Best in Show and is currently best known for playing the role of Sue Sylvester in the television series Glee...
) challenges Roberta to prove she can get by without her looks and has her alter her appearance by wearing a 'fat suit'. Her first day as 'Tyra' gets off in an inauspicious start when she is rejected by Federline and the teachers she previously had wrapped around her finger. Cleveland Jr. sees her alone in the cafeteria and warms up to her. When he shows her his model rocket, which is not only failing but is being outmatched by the geeks who are translating Klingon, she helps him with the design flaw. They win the science fair - probably because of the TIE fighters the rocket deployed to attack the geeks - and Ms. Eck gives Roberta and A Grade for proving she more than just looks. However, Cleveland Jr. falls in love with Roberta and when he tricks her into meeting the family while disguised as Tyra she has to admit her actions. Cleveland tells her she has to figure a way out of her predicament. She invents a story about moving to Alaska to avoid breaking Cleveland Jr.'s heart.
Meanwhile, Cleveland and the guys impressed by Holt's new 'Nasal Laser', set out to invent the next infomercial product. After bouncing ideas around they decide that a movable coaster for beers is just the item they need. The guys try to shut Cleveland out of his preferred name of the 'Roller Coaster' in favor of the 'Brew-Choo Train'. Cleveland decides to make their booth sign at the invention show using the name he prefers and is kicked out of the group. The guys show up they tell him the invention already exists and they are being sued. It turns out he saw an ad on late night television while high and had forgotten about it. He gloats at first about the guys getting stuck with the lawsuit until they reveal they never took his name off the invention and HE is the one being sued. He gets off due to some legal maneuvering but comes up with a new idea...based on an invention he had seen earlier at the invention show. He is told he should lay off the weed.
Cultural references
- The JokerJoker (comics)The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
was seen in this episode. - Roberta's fat alter ego was named Tyra Obama coming from Tyra BanksTyra BanksTyra Lynne Banks is an American model, media personality, actress, occasional singer, author and businesswoman. She first became famous as a model, but television appearances were her commercial breakthrough...
and Michelle ObamaMichelle ObamaMichelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...
. - The name of the episode references the song "Love RollercoasterLove Rollercoaster"Love Rollercoaster" is a song by American funk/R&B band The Ohio Players, originally featured on their 1975 album Honey. The song was a hit upon its initial release, reaching the top of both the R&B and pop charts. It still sees wide airplay on classic funk and R&B stations...
" by the Ohio PlayersOhio PlayersThe Ohio Players were an American funk and R&B band, most popular in the 1970s. They are best known for their double #1 hit songs "Fire" and "Love Rollercoaster".- Biography :...
. - Cleveland Jr. mentions that he buries himself deep in the ball pit at Cheesy Charlie's, a possible parody of Chuck E. Cheese'sChuck E. Cheese'sChuck E. Cheese's is a chain of family entertainment centers. Chuck E...
. - When Cleveland asks Roberta what kind of crazy comedy high school she goes to, Teen WolfTeen WolfTeen Wolf is a 1985 American fantasy comedy film released by Atlantic Releasing Corporation starring Michael J. Fox as Scott Howard, a high school student who discovers that his family has an unusual pedigree when he finds himself transforming into a werewolf...
walks past in the background. - In the pilot episode, Rallo comments that the Browns and Tubbses became "the black Brady Bunch", so it makes sense that Cleveland Junior would fall for Roberta even though it was her persona he loved.
Reception
The episode was viewed by 8.549 million viewers with an 18–49 rating of 4.2/10, making it the second most-viewed episode in its timeslot, but least viewed episode on FOX that night after The SimpsonsThe Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
and The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special – In 3-D! On Ice!.
Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
gave the episode a positive review, and especially praised Cleveland Jr.'s storyline, writing "there are times when I'll laugh at something Cleveland, Jr., says just because of the delivery of the line. It's a great voice, for one, but it's also coming from the one character the show seems to have completely thought out". Jason Hughes of TV Squad wrote that Jane Lynch was "woefully under-utilized", but praised Cleveland Jr.'s song. Ahsan Haque of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
wrote that the storyline with Roberta and Cleveland Jr. "could have been handled in a crude lowbrow fashion" but instead it took "a nice heartwarming turn" He called the "Balls Deep" song "the strongest and catchiest musical number we've seen on the show so far" and rated the episode 8.6 out of 10.
Parents Television Council
Parents Television Council
The Parents Television Council is a U.S. based advocacy group founded by conservative activist L. Brent Bozell III in 1995 using the National Legion of Decency as a model...
, a frequent critic of Seth MacFarlane
Seth MacFarlane
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American animator, writer, comedian, producer, actor, singer, voice actor, and director best known for creating the animated sitcoms Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show, for which he also voices many of the shows' various characters.A native of Kent,...
-produced programs (including The Cleveland Show), named "Love Rollercoaster" its "Worst TV Show of the Week", based on a double-entendre
Double entendre
A double entendre or adianoeta is a figure of speech in which a spoken phrase is devised to be understood in either of two ways. Often the first meaning is straightforward, while the second meaning is less so: often risqué or ironic....
-laden song Cleveland Jr. sings to his father to explain his feelings for Tyra:
The PTC also cited the interpretative lyric in its critique, which was as follows:
The PTC drew comparisons of Cleveland Jr.'s ode of love to Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
' song "If U Seek Amy
If U Seek Amy
"If U Seek Amy" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her sixth studio album, Circus. It was released on March 13, 2009 by Jive Records as the third single of the album, and was chosen by a poll on Spears's official website. "If U Seek Amy" was co-written and produced by Max...
", which generated controversy in 2009 due to the double-entendre title lyric. Both songs, the PTC stated, had clumsy double-entendres, with The Cleveland Show incorporating former NBA superstar Scottie Pippen
Scottie Pippen
Scottie Maurice Pippen is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association . He is most remembered for his time with the Chicago Bulls, with whom he was instrumental in six NBA Championships and their record 1995–96 season of 72 wins...
slam-dunking a basketball at the end of the song (to illustrate Cleveland Jr.'s infatuation with Tyra).