"Down 'n' Dirty" is the eighth episode of Season 2 (and the 32nd episode overall). It first aired on Cartoon Network in the United States on September 10, 1999.
Plot[]
On a day when the town is cleaning up, the girls are charged with dispatching a monster made entirely of oil. After slamming into a tank of oil, Buttercup is successful at dispersing the monster, but they are all dirty from the dust and oil to which they were exposed. Later that night as the girls check in at home, the Professor runs a bath for them, which Buttercup detests; in her defense, she states that only big, fat sissies take baths.
The next day, a large mammoth-like creature spreads thick mucus all throughout the town, but Buttercup doesn't mind getting stinky and dirty if it means she can bring down the monster. As they are flying, Blossom and Bubbles start to take notice of the stench, and later that night, she refuses to take a bath once again, stating that they'll just get dirty again the next day. Upon noticing Buttercup's strengthening stench, the Professor orders Buttercup to take a bath but she refuses, only to get thrown out of the house.
The following day, Buttercup fights another monster and gets even dirtier and stinkier while her sisters head to school; the battle sees her getting doused with sewage this time. When Buttercup comes to school late, her stench leads to Ms. Keane starting the fire alarm and everyone leaves her alone. All around Townsville that night, Buttercup offends everyone with her stench, and so many complaints get to the Mayor that he personally tells her that her stench is a menace to the whole town. He then orders her to either take a bath or take a hike. With Buttercup refusing to comply with the Mayor's directive, an angry mob he leads chases her into the woods and far from Townsville proper.
Even with the entire city against her, Buttercup questions the importance of hygiene, but she vows to never come clean for as long as she could fight monsters. Not long after her declaration, another monster rises from the water and sucks her into his nose, only to blow her out upon smelling her. The monster then retreats, informing Buttercup that she stinks. At this point, broken by a monster's surrender, Buttercup finally agrees to take a bath, much to her sisters' satisfaction, but only to fight monsters again. Although Buttercup is now all squeaky clean, Blossom says that her attitude still stinks.
And so the day is bathed thanks to the Powerpuff Girls!
Characters[]
- The Powerpuff Girls (Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup)
- Ms. Keane
- Mayor
- Ms. Bellum (non-speaking)
- Professor Utonium
- Various monsters
- Townsville citizens
Trivia[]
- Morals:
- Personal hygiene is important.
- It is important to take baths or showers to keep one's body clean and to prevent potential infection.
- This is the first time the girls learned a lesson from a monster (technically Buttercup). The second time was Super Zeroes.
- This is the first time the Girls have been naked onscreen. The second time would be in "Nano of the North".
- This episode was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program along with "Beat Your Greens".
- The bath scenes are the first time Blossom and Bubbles appear without their trademark hairstyles, the second being in "Princess Buttercup".
- This episode has a DVD named after it, with the episodes "Dream Scheme" and "Birthday Bash".
- TOM of Toonami found this episode surprisingly relatable to him, while Swayzak just liked the monsters Buttercup fought and her being thrown out of the house.
- Running Gag: Buttercup saying "Who needs 'em?".
Goofs[]
- It wouldn't make sense for Blossom and Bubbles to cover their mouths since they logically don't have noses.
- In the scene where Bubbles does her impersonation of a giant water monster, she comes out from under the water with her pigtails. When it cuts to the next scene, her pigtails have vanished and she is wearing her hair down.
- When Buttercup is complaining about her personal hygiene while Blossom and Bubbles are watching, Blossom can be seen with her clothes on.
- While being chased by Townsville, Buttercup suddenly hits a tree and her dress got torn, but in the next scene, the dress is back to normal.
Production Notes[]
- Although this episode and "Beat Your Greens" were produced after "Dream Scheme" and "You Snooze, You Lose", they aired first.
- This episode was finished in April of 1999.[1]