"Down 'n' Dirty" is the eighth episode of Season 2 of The Powerpuff Girls, and the 32nd episode overall. It first aired on Cartoon Network in the United States on September 10, 1999.
Synopsis[]
Buttercup refuses to take baths after fighting monsters, giving her a stench that leads to increasing feelings of repulsion among the people of Townsville.
Plot[]
On a day when the town is cleaning up, the Powerpuff Girls are in the midst of dispatching a monster made entirely of oil. After slamming into a tank of oil, Buttercup is successful at dispersing the monster, but the Girls are all dirty from the dust and oil they were exposed to. 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. While Blossom and Bubbles are hesitant to get directly in the vicinity of the monster's attacks, Buttercup does not mind getting stinky and dirty if it means she can bring down the monster. Subsequently, as they are flying, Blossom and Bubbles start to notice Buttercup's stench. And just like the previous night, Buttercup refuses to take a bath -- Buttercup feels there's no point in taking baths since they're going to just get dirty again. The Professor tries forcing Buttercup to take a bath when he notices her strengthening stench, but she refuses -- so the Professor ends up forcing her to leave 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. When Buttercup comes to school late, her stench leads to Ms. Keane starting the fire alarm and having everyone (except Buttercup) leave the building. 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 led by the Mayor chases Buttercup 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 remains unenthusiastic, having complied only so she can fight monsters again. Although Buttercup is now clean, Blossom says that her attitude still stinks.
The episode ends with the Narrator making a closing remark: "And so, the day is bathed thanks to the Powerpuff Girls!"
Characters[]
- The Powerpuff Girls (Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup)
- Ms. Keane
- Mayor
- Ms. Bellum
- Professor Utonium
- Various monsters
- Townsville citizens
Trivia[]
- Moral: Taking care of personal hygiene (such as baths or showers) is important for both maintaining an agreeable appearance and one's overall body health.
- This episode marks the first time any of the girls learned a lesson from a monster. The second time would be in "Super Zeroes".
- This episode marks 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 its sister episode "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 would not make sense for Blossom and Bubbles to cover their faces, since they do not have visible 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 gets torn. In the next scene, the dress turns 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]