Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Episode 1.63: Sonic is Running

Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Episode 1.63: Sonic is Running

Original Air Date: November 23rd, 1993

"Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog" was rarely a political show, at least purposefully. Despite that, and probably because the title made for an easy pun, the show decided to try its hand at presidential satire. "Sonic is Running" begins with Momma Robotnik paying her son an unexpected visit. She's jealous that the son of a cohort was recently elected president of his gardening club. She demands Robotnik run for president and, despite opposing the idea of a fair election, he agrees to the ploy. Wes Weasly is hired as his campaign manager and soon cooks up ads that hypnotize people into voting for Robotnik. Sonic's eyes are too fast to be hypnotized. He quickly decides to run against Robotnik, humiliating him every chance he gets. 

"Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog" was made back in the blissfully naïve days of the Clinton administration, back when a president getting a blowjob was enough to nearly derail his entire career. In the smoking wreckage of the Trump years, "Sonic is Running" plays entirely differently than it did back in 1993. A sociopathic wannabe dictator with ridiculous hair running for president is no longer possible solely within the realm of cartoons. Once again, I can't help but notice eerie parallels between this twenty-year-old cartoon and our recent present. Robotnik's ad campaigns promise to return Mobius to simpler, more traditional times. He wants to Make Mobius Great Again. He fetishizes the Mobian flag, without ever engaging with what these things actually mean. Despite constantly doing terrible things, people are compelled to pay attention to him. In fact, he develops a devoted cult following despite being awful at every opportunity. 

Of course, noting similarities between Trump appealing to the worst instincts of the American condition and Robotnik literally hypnotizing people into loving him is a stretch, even for me. The biggest difference between this crude parody of a presidential campaign and the crude parody of reality that was 2016 is that Wes Weasly tries to reshape Robotnik into a wholesome, all-American family man. He designs a loyal wife for him, a smiling June Cleaver. (I can't find a meaningful connection between a custom-built android wife and a purchased European supermodel but I feel like there's a comparison to make there.) Wes also insists Robotnik has a lovable dog, saying voters won't accept their president not having a pet. The biggest difference between fiction and reality is that, every time Robotnik does something terrible, it breaks the spell and people turn on him. Robotnik's campaign fails. I guess the idea of some voters embracing an objectively dreadful human being to "own the libs" was beyond the writers of a cartoon show back in 1993. 

Of course, the fact that American politics became more grotesquely cartoonish in the last two decades really isn't a credit to this show. "Sonic is Running" is, as you'd expect, not cutting-edge political satire. It's mostly underachieving slapstick. Robotnik's dog bites his heel every time he says heel. This show continues to operate under the assumption that all television is live and Robotnik's campaign commercial is full of mishaps. Sonic tricks the doctor into repeatedly eating garbage in one scene. The episode ends with its various running gags piling up and Robotnik being crushed by a stage light. Never once does the show state what Mobian voters actually like, as Sonic's only stated political position is his stance against Robotnik. As soon as he wins, he resigns and gives the presidency to Henry Walrus, a candidate that is stated to be wholesome but we learn literally nothing about. 

None of the jokes are all that funny but there is an incredibly bizarre gag that I must mention. At one point, Sonic dresses up as a "sexy" women and attempts to seduce Robotnik. He is seemingly successfully tempted but must delay the rendezvous because his robo-wife is in the next room. RoboWife immediately discovers the quasi-infidelity and is immediately enraged. But the question must be asked: What was Sonic's endgame here? What if the wife hadn't noticed sooner? What if Robotnik had been more eager? Would our hedgehog hero had to, uh, follow through? Not to mention the casual homoeroticism of Robotnik, once again, being attracted to his enemy in drag. Moreover, why was there a joke about politicians wanting to fuck the first pretty female they see in this cartoon? It's a really weird moment, is the point. 

Moving on from that subject... We are nearing the end of "AoStH" run, in both production and airing order. It's interesting that this show without almost zero continuity did manage to build up a unique supporting cast of sorts. Momma Robotnik is not the focus of the episode but she does motivate its plot. Wes Wesley, with his ability to sell people all sorts of terrible bullshit, proves adapt at the job of campaign manager. Bert Whoo and Roxy from "Untouchable Sonic" show up for a scene. So does the aghast polar bear that has shown up previously for one-off gags. Even the news reporter Collie Chang has previously appeared, in "Zoobotnik." 

Only Wes really contributed anything to the episode, his slimy conman antics providing a vague commentary on the American political process. Momma is just there to yell and humiliate Robotnik. Bert and Roxy appear just to show how even good people are susceptible to Robotnik's brainwashing. Chang provides inappropriate cleavage. (This show did have a weird habit of sexualizing its female characters, didn't it?) I sort of wish Breezie and Junior could've shown up, just to bring back some more familiar faces. This show's unique characters did have their own weird charm, I'm aghast to admit. 

Oh, also: Even though the moral of the episode is obviously about how you should never trust political ads, the "Sonic Sez" segment instead reminds kids to brush their damn teeth. Anyway, "Sonic is Running" is not really a funny episode but it can't help but be kind of an interesting one. Even if that was mostly on accident. [6/10]