So, I was watching Lindsay Ellis' (aka the Nostalgia Chick, but she dropped the name when she started this series) Loose Canon, more specifically the episode about the different depictions of Hillary Clinton, and in the episode, she had claimed that in the skit she had showed, Hillary was in the chair, not Bill, and that the footage of that is probably lost to the sands of time.
Post by lilyofthevalley on Feb 2, 2018 4:11:22 GMT
Sorry to unearth an old thread, but I thought I could be the one to give more details on this, and I don't find it necessary to have two threads on this.
So...in 1995 Animaniacs aired "The Presidents Song" singing about all the presidents up to that date.
When it gets to the current president, Bill Clinton, the line goes "But the ones in charge are plain to see: The Clintons, Bill and Hilary." However this version on YouTube may not be the original.
On Sept 25, 2016, Lindsay Ellis, formerly known as The Nostalgia Chick, released a Loose Canon episode on Hilary Clinton, mentioning her portrayal on Animaniacs, specifically "The Presidents Song" around 5:03.
Around 5:10 Lindsey plays what is referred to as the original audio, that has the characters state: "but the one in charge is plain to see, it's Clinton, first name Hilary." (This audio can be found on the CD version shown here.)
Lindsey states at around 5:13-"...and all evidence has appeared to have been erased but I swear it was Hilary alone in the chair who swivels around in the original version. And that's why there's a chair swivel. Because the joke doesn't really work with Bill in the chair. It's not like a reveal. We, we know Bill's president. But unless some prescient enterprising young soul taped it back in the 90s and still has the VHS, that...bit with Hilary in the chair is lost to the sands of time. So just take my word for it."
I'm really fascinated by this. Does anyone remember seeing this?
I checked Myspleen and was lucky enough to find a torrent containing the very first airing of this episode from November 11, 1995, and sure enough... it's Bill in the chair. I suppose it's still possible that there exists some alternate version, but if it isn't on the first airing then I'm not sure when it would have been. Maybe different WB affiliates got different versions of the episode, but personally I'm willing to chalk this up to faulty memory based on hearing the CD version of the song.
Here's the clip - I left in the intro and some of the bumpers before it as proof this is the original airing. They refer to it as an "all-new" episode.
I checked Myspleen and was lucky enough to find a torrent containing the very first airing of this episode from November 11, 1995, and sure enough... it's Bill in the chair. I suppose it's still possible that there exists some alternate version, but if it isn't on the first airing then I'm not sure when it would have been. Maybe different WB affiliates got different versions of the episode, but personally I'm willing to chalk this up to faulty memory based on hearing the CD version of the song.
Here's the clip - I left in the intro and some of the bumpers before it as proof this is the original airing. They refer to it as an "all-new" episode.
Why would different WB affiliates air different versions of the same episode at the same time? Also, why would they make two versions just to tell what is otherwise, a throwaway joke?
Last Edit: Feb 2, 2018 18:55:29 GMT by Terry the Cat
Why would different WB affiliates air different versions of the same episode at the same time? Also, why would they make two versions just to tell what is otherwise, a throwaway joke?
That's my point, they probably wouldn't. I meant that maybe it's POSSIBLE, but very very unlikely
I checked Myspleen and was lucky enough to find a torrent containing the very first airing of this episode from November 11, 1995, and sure enough... it's Bill in the chair. I suppose it's still possible that there exists some alternate version, but if it isn't on the first airing then I'm not sure when it would have been. Maybe different WB affiliates got different versions of the episode, but personally I'm willing to chalk this up to faulty memory based on hearing the CD version of the song.
Here's the clip - I left in the intro and some of the bumpers before it as proof this is the original airing. They refer to it as an "all-new" episode.
Thank you for doing this kobochat. I looked at the Animaniacs Wiki page on this and states: "It is also the 12th track on the album Variety Pack, and contains lyrics that were originally written for the song, but did not end up in the show." (I am aware it doesn't have a source but it's what I could find.)
I'm guessing that they either changed it before animation, or they changed it before broadcasting. The only two people who I think could truly say what happened is writer Randy Rogel and director Al Zegler, and even then we can't demand answers, or expect them.
I also noticed that in the aired version they say JFK "Had camelot" and in the CD version they say "He got shot", which makes a lot more sense! As well as Thomas Jefferson "writing the constitution" on the CD version, that innacuracy was fixed in the aired version (he wrote the Declaration of Independance).
Last Edit: Feb 2, 2018 22:54:43 GMT by nitratenerd
I also noticed that in the aired version they say JFK "Had camelot" and in the CD version they say "He got shot", which makes a lot more sense! As well as Thomas Jefferson "writing the constitution" on the CD version, that innacuracy was fixed in the aired version (he wrote the Declaration of Independance).
I was aware of the JFK thing, but thought my first post was long enough.
Okay. I just spoke with Tom. It was a short conversation, but then again, there wasn't a lot to the story.
If anyone can help me with posting screenshots on the forums, that would be appreciated.
Until then, we can confirm that, yes, the song was originally going to have Hillary in the chair and the lyrics: "The one in charge is plain to see: It's Clinton, first name Hillary". This version was scrapped just prior to broadcast for the version we see today.
Tom also told me that Randy Rogel might sing the original version at Animaniacs Live! events.
Okay. I just spoke with Tom. It was a short conversation, but then again, there wasn't a lot to the story.
If anyone can help me with posting screenshots on the forums, that would be appreciated.
Until then, we can confirm that, yes, the song was originally going to have Hillary in the chair and the lyrics: "The one in charge is plain to see: It's Clinton, first name Hillary". This version was scrapped just prior to broadcast for the version we see today.
Tom also told me that Randy Rogel might sing the original version at Animaniacs Live! events.