"The Great Bunny Book Ban" is a Season 3 episode of Johnny Bravo.
Synopsis[]
The Harold and the Fuzzy Bunny Book has been taken off all library shelves by a greedy man named Mr. Blowhart and Suzy must make him change his mind!
Plot Summary[]
At John Merrick Elementary School, in Suzy's class, Raymond is giving a book report on "The Little Engine That Could." It quickly becomes obvious that he did not read or understand the book, as he makes up events and references other media instead of the actual story. Suzy points this out to Miss Winkleman. The teacher suggests that Suzy help Raymond write a new report, to Suzy's disgust and Raymond's joy. The two of them go to the library. Suzy asks the librarian if she has a copy of "Harold and the Fuzzy Bunny" for Raymond to read. Ms. Dewey says that "The Man" has banned the book due to it being "dangerous to young minds." Suzy vows to do something about this. With a plate of brownies, she convinces every student in the school to help her protest the banning of children's books.
Later, in front of the city's capital building, the students, Ms. Dewey, and even Johnny are participating in the protest, holding signs and chanting their love of books (or in Johnny's case, pie). At that moment, a limo pulls up and a portly man steps out. Ms. Dewey says that he is the one who caused "Harold and the Fuzzy Bunny" to be banned. When asked why, Mr. Blowhart says that the book is "fantasy hoo-ha" that will lead children to become card-playing, tofu-eating degenerates. He then provides the kids with other books to read, but the kids find them boring. Mr. Blowhart quickly makes his escape, and Suzy feels it's time to escalate the issue to a higher power.
That night, she appears on Spit-Take Live, a political talk show. The host asks her about the book, but swiftly cuts her off to take a live caller. It's Johnny, trying to order a pizza. This causes Suzy's segment to be cut short by the host. The following day, she tells her woes to Raymond while they play on the see-saw. She's ready to give up, saying that no one will listen to her because she is a kid, and Blowhart is a rich adult. Raymond tries cheering her up by saying that Blowhart probably acts the way he does because he had no friends growing up. After more comments that are more about himself than Blowhart, Raymond says that Suzy probably doesn't want to hear his story. "Hear my story" gives Suzy an idea and she runs off.
In Blowhart's office, he is ordering mergers to cancel and firing people at random. He decides to take a snack break, then opens his desk drawer to get some food. But, out pops Suzy, and she starts reading from "Harold and the Fuzzy Bunny." Blowhart runs to his limo, but Suzy is already there, reading aloud. Blowhart then runs to a nearby restaurant. When the waiter presents him with a covered platter, Suzy appears from under the lid. Blowhart escapes to the harbor, and tries rowing away in a boat. But, a submarine breaches the surface of the water. The hatch opens, and it's Suzy again, having reached the core plot of the book: Fuzzy Bunny didn't have a mom. Hearing this touches Mr. Blowhart's heart, and he listens to the rest of the story. Later, Suzy finishes the book, and Blowhart says that the story is wonderful. Suzy asks if he will overturn the ban, but he says no, not wanting to admit he was wrong. Suzy then uses her trump card: blackmailing Blowhart with photos she found on the internet of him wearing a diaper and bunny ears, frolicking with bunnies.
Later, the book ban has been overturned. Ms. Dewey thanks Suzy for her hard work, and Suzy claims that she is happy she and her friends can read classic books again.
Trivia[]
- The episode was based on an idea that Dave Schwartz had for a spin-off starring Suzy.[1] It is commonly referred to as "The Suzy Show" online, although that was not the final title for the episode.
- The crew was required to include Johnny in the story, hence him only making three brief appearances. He is seen holding a pie sign during the "Books Good, Fire Bad" protest, he mistakenly calls for pizza during Suzy's Spit-Take Live interview, and he appears at the very end, reading a huge pop-up book.
Cultural References[]
- Raymond claims that the Little Engine and his friends "blew up the Death Star," referencing Star Wars.
- He also comments that the engine "[morphed] into a snowmobile and his robot friends [came] to help him," likely referencing Transformers.
- Mr. Blowhart distracts Suzy by pointing behind her and yelling, "Look, Matt Damon!"
Episode Connections[]
- This marks the second time that Suzy was distracted by a fake "celebrity spotting." The first was "Welcome Back, Bravo," in which Johnny lied about spotting Leonardo DiCaprio. This also occurred in "A League Of His Own," albeit with a celebrity name that Johnny just made up.
- When Johnny calls Spit-Take Live, he believes that he is actually calling Spinky's Pizza, the same pizza place mentioned in "Quo Doofus".
Gallery[]
Video[]
References[]
- ↑ The Cartoons Of Kirk Tingblad Facebook, November 16, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2022.