Butt-Head

Last updated
Butt-Head
Beavis and Butt-Head character
Butt-head BevisandButtHead.png
Butt-Head playing air guitar
First appearance Frog Baseball (1992)
Created by Mike Judge
Designed byMike Judge
Voiced byMike Judge
In-universe information
Full nameButt-Head
GenderMale
OccupationStudent
Cashier at Burger World
Honorary ATF agent
FamilyMissy Butt-Head (mother), Mr. Butt-Head (father)
SpouseBeavis

Butt-Head is a fictional character and one of the two protagonists from the MTV/Paramount+ animated series Beavis and Butt-Head . He is voiced by the show's creator, Mike Judge. [1]

Contents

Judge got the name Butt-Head from his university days, when he knew a couple of other students who had the nicknames 'Iron Butt' and 'Butt-Head'. [2]

Characteristics

Compared to his best friend Beavis, Butt-Head appears to be calmer, cockier, and slightly more intelligent and self-aware; however he is oblivious to subtleties, is semi-literate and is still significantly more dimwitted than the other characters in the show. Despite his unintelligence and immaturity, he is usually confident in everything he says and does – no matter how ridiculous or frivolous it is. Dan Tobin of The Boston Phoenix described Butt-head as "ringleader, the devious visionary." [3]

Butt-Head seems to be the lazier and crueler of the two. He never seems to react to things unless they catch his attention, in which case he describes them as 'cool'. Beavis, on the other hand, always has some kind of reaction, although his actions predictably end with bad results.

Butt-Head has a severe overbite, wears dental braces, and has brown hair and squinted eyes. His top gums are often exposed and he speaks with a nasally deep voice and a slight lisp, repeatedly punctuating his speech with his trademark chuckle ("Uh huh huh") and mostly disfluencies before speaking ("Uhhh" or "Ehhhh"). He is usually shown wearing an AC/DC T-shirt. In merchandising appearances, his shirt displays the word 'Skull', to avoid licensing issues. In the episode "Refuse Service" it is revealed that the school psychiatrist has diagnosed Butt-Head as a sociopath. [4] [5] In the 2022 revival, Butt-Head's older self is overweight, balding, and wears a brown shirt jacket and white T-shirt.

Because of inconsistent animation in the television series, Butt-head's height varies, but in the feature film "Beavis and Butt-Head Do America", which featured largely refined animation from the series, Butt-Head is consistently much taller than Beavis throughout the entire film.

Though Butt-Head is physically weak to the point of being unable to lift a bar without weights (Buff n' Stuff) even with help from Beavis, he still seems to win most fights with Beavis. However, the pair were not weak in the first two seasons, in which they are able to overpower on different occasions Stewart, a security guard and some Mexican children playing piñata.

Butt-Head's parents are not seen, except for in Beavis and Butt-head Do America . His father is shown as a former Mötley Crüe roadie voiced by David Letterman (credited as Earl Hofert) and his mother in "This Book Sucks".

In Mike Judge's Beavis and Butt-Head, Beavis and Butt-Head are shown in an alternate timeline as middle-aged adults. The duo live together in an apartment. Butt-Head is now obese, balding, and has visible stubble and hair on his arms and legs. He no longer wears an AC/DC t-shirt; he now wears a white shirt with a brown short sleeved jacket, as well as blue shorts instead of the red he wore in his youth. He no longer wears braces and has to use a mobility scooter or a cane to move around. He lives on disability benefits. His relationship with Beavis is pretty much the same as when they were teenagers.

Relationship with Beavis

The series appears to show both title characters living in the same house. The movie Beavis and Butt-Head Do America gives a quick glimpse of their fathers telling the boys how their mothers got pregnant (both groups failed to make the connection of their kinship). Judge calls the two men 'their dads' on the DVD commentary.

On many occasions, Butt-Head is depicted as being abusive towards Beavis, usually slapping, punching or insulting Beavis. In several episodes Butt-Head shows no concern for Beavis, whether Beavis is being severely beaten (Teen Talk, Tired and Do America), abandoned (B&B vs the Vending Machine) or deported to Mexico (Vaya Con Cornholio). The feeling appears to be mutual, as seen in Water Safety when Butt-Head nearly drowns in a pool and Beavis remains indifferent to Butt-Head's near-death experience, and in Choke when Butt-Head chokes on a chicken nugget and Beavis takes his time attempting to help him as if it were nothing serious. Beavis tells the 9-1-1 operator "He's not really my friend". When Butt-Head is in a situation when he may need Beavis' help, Beavis' reluctance to help him may be due to a failure to realize that Butt-Head needs help. In Choke, when Butt-Head tries to demonstrate that he is choking Beavis says "I hate this stupid game", as if Butt-Head were playing a game of charades. When Beavis gets a nosebleed (caused by Butt-Head punching him in the face), Butt-Head "tries" to help him, resulting in Beavis losing a great deal of blood (Nosebleed). In The Final Judgement of Beavis, after Beavis knocks himself out by crashing into a wall of the house (imitating a maneuver by RoboCop on television), Butt-Head revives him by dumping a bucket of cold water on him.

The two characters spend almost all of their time with each other, if not all of it. They share the same occupation, and usually compliment each other when one makes any sort of endeavor, especially if it involves their lifelong goal to 'score with chicks'. It can be inferred that, despite their abusive relationship, the duo are still best friends, considering their shared activities, residency, interests, and simply for their lack of any other friends.

Relationship with other characters

Butt-Head is especially scornful of Stewart Stevenson, a nerdy short overweight schoomate who wants to be friends with the duo. He greatly admires Todd, an older bully who takes advantage of the duo and pushes them around. He and Beavis aspire to be in Todd's gang, sometimes subjecting themselves to considerable abuse in vain attempts to be accepted. Although he shows disdain for Daria (derisively calling her "Diarrhea"), Butt-head appears to respect her advice. He is generally a thorn in the side of both the Maxi Mart owner and his neighbor Tom Anderson. The duo spend a lot of time loitering in and around Maxi Mart, annoying both the owner and the customers (especially women, with their weak pick-up lines). Mr. Anderson continually hires the two to do chores and asks favors of them, despite disastrous results each time. He does not seem to recall who they are from one encounter to the next, apparently due to poor sight and/or senility. He has been seen talking to other students in the classroom such as an overweight teen who was telling them about Jurassic Park and he seemed to be getting along with him and listening.

Mr. Van Driessen is alone among teachers at Highland High in that he sees potential in the duo and he tries to reach out to them and encourage them. He makes several attempts to teach them life lessons, to no avail. Conversely, Coach Buzzcut takes every opportunity to embarrass them, exposing both their stupidity and their lack of manliness. Though he shares a mutual hatred for Buzzcut like Beavis, Butt-head also has shown a little respect for him unlike for Van Driessen. Principal McVicker has no idea what to do with them, as virtually every attempt he makes to instill discipline in them fails miserably. He has however been able to exploit Beavis and Butt-head's fear of expulsion and being forced to attend Hope High School (a delinquent school) once in No Laughing episode. Ms. Dickey is among the rest of the teachers who despises the duo, especially when Butt-head laughs when he mentioned sperms in class. Mr. Herrera has shown mutual dislike for the boys, especially when they mispronounce his name and their inability to speak proper Spanish in his class.

Cultural impact

U.S. Senator Fritz Hollings misidentified Butt-head with the name "Buffcoat" during the 1993 Senate hearings into violence on television, saying "We've got this – what is it – Buffcoat and Beaver or Beaver and something else... I haven't seen it, I don't watch it, but whatever it is, it was at 7 o'clock – Buffcoat – and they put it on now at 10:30, I think." [6] [7] Secondary characters in the show frequently mistake both of their names for others ridiculously far from the originals, perhaps trying to mock the senator.

Beavis and Butt-Head are featured as audience members in an April 2024 Saturday Night Live skit, with Ryan Gosling as Beavis, and Mikey Day as Butt-Head. [8]

See also

Beavis

Related Research Articles

Beavis and Butt-Head is an American adult animated sitcom created by Mike Judge. The series follows Beavis and Butt-Head, both voiced by Judge, a pair of teenage slackers characterized by their apathy, lack of intelligence, lowbrow humor and love for hard rock and heavy metal. The original series juxtaposes slice-of-life short subjects—in which the teens embark on low-minded misadventures in their Texas town—with the pair watching and commenting on music videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hank Hill</span> Fictional character

Hank Rutherford Hill is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Fox animated television series King of the Hill. He lives in the fictional town of Arlen, Texas, with his family and works as the assistant manager of a local branch of Strickland Propane. He likes to drink beer, typically Alamo brand, in the alley behind his house with his friends. He is voiced by series creator Mike Judge. The Economist described Hank Hill as one of the wisest people on television, and in 1997 Texas Monthly included him on its annual list of the most influential Texans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Judge</span> American actor, animator, and filmmaker (born 1962)

Michael Craig Judge is an American actor, animator, writer, producer, director, and musician. He is best known for being the creator of the animated television series Beavis and Butt-Head He also co-created the television series King of the Hill (1997–2010), The Goode Family (2009), Silicon Valley (2014–2019), and Mike Judge Presents: Tales from the Tour Bus (2017–2018). He wrote and directed the films Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1996), Office Space (1999), Idiocracy (2006), and Extract (2009), and co-wrote the screenplay to Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daria Morgendorffer</span> Fictional character in MTV animated series

Daria Morgendorffer is a fictional character and the eponymous main protagonist of the MTV adult animated series Daria, which originally aired from March 1997 to January 2002. She was initially designed and created by Beavis and Butt-Head staff writer David Felton as a supporting character, serving as an intelligent foil to the two main characters. Eventually, MTV sought to make an animated show catered more to female viewers, and thus Glenn Eichler and Susie Lewis Lynn co-developed Daria. She was voiced in both productions by Tracy Grandstaff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beavis</span> Fictional character

Beavis is a fictional character who serves as one of two protagonists from the MTV/Paramount+ animated series Beavis and Butt-Head. He is voiced by the show's creator, Mike Judge. In the movie Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe, Beavis' mother is referred to as "Shirley Beavis", implying that Beavis is actually the character's last name. His father is a former Mötley Crüe roadie.

<i>Beavis and Butt-Head Do America</i> 1996 film by Mike Judge

Beavis and Butt-Head Do America is a 1996 American adult animated comedy road film based on the MTV animated television series Beavis and Butt-Head. The film was co-written and directed by series creator Mike Judge, who also reprises his roles from the series; Demi Moore, Bruce Willis, Robert Stack and Cloris Leachman star in supporting roles. The film follows Beavis and Butt-Head, two teen slackers who travel the US and unknowingly become fugitives.

<i>Beavis and Butt-Head: The Mike Judge Collection</i> Episodes handpicked by series creator

Beavis and Butt-Head: The Mike Judge Collection is a series of three DVD box sets from MTV and Paramount Home Entertainment, each containing 40 Beavis and Butt-Head episodes chosen by series creator Mike Judge and special features such as interviews and music videos. The first entry in the series was released on November 8, 2005, while the final two volumes were released in 2006.

<i>The Goode Family</i> American animated television series

The Goode Family is an American animated sitcom that originally aired on ABC from May 27 to August 7, 2009. The series was created by Mike Judge, the creator of MTV's Beavis and Butt-Head and Fox's King of the Hill, and follows the life of an environmentally responsible but obsessive family. The series takes a comic look at contemporary society, this time focusing on a liberal family instead of King of the Hill's conservative family. Judge created the show along with former King of the Hill writers John Altschuler and David Krinsky. The show was cancelled after its first season on August 8, 2009.

<i>Frog Baseball</i> 1992 film by Mike Judge

Frog Baseball is an animated short film created by Mike Judge in 1992, which marks the first appearance of the Beavis and Butt-Head characters. It premiered in The Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Werewolves of Highland</span> 1st episode of the 8th season of Beavis and Butt-Head

"Werewolves of Highland" is the first episode of season 8 and 201st episode overall of the American animated television sitcom Beavis and Butt-Head, as well as the first episode of the series' revival after its initial cancellation in 1997. It aired alongside "Crying" on October 27, 2011, on MTV.

Crying (<i>Beavis and Butt-Head</i>) 2nd episode of the 8th season of Beavis and Butt-Head

"Crying" is the second episode of season 8 and 202nd episode overall of the American animated television sitcom Beavis and Butt-Head. It aired alongside "Werewolves of Highland" on October 27, 2011, on MTV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy Cornholio</span> 6th episode of the 8th season of Beavis and Butt-Head

"Holy Cornholio" is the sixth episode of season 8 and 206th episode overall of the American animated television series Beavis and Butt-Head. It is an extended episode. It aired on MTV on November 10, 2011, along with "Drones", another extended episode.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daughter's Hand</span> 3rd episode of the 8th season of Beavis and Butt-Head

"Daughter's Hand" is the third episode of season 8 and 203rd episode overall of the American animated television series Beavis and Butt-Head. It aired alongside "Tech Support" on November 3, 2011 on MTV.

Tech Support (<i>Beavis and Butt-Head</i>) 4th episode of the 8th season of Beavis and Butt-Head

"Tech Support" is the fourth episode of season 8 and 204th episode overall of the American animated television series Beavis and Butt-Head. It aired alongside "Daughter's Hand" on November 3, 2011 on MTV.

Drones (<i>Beavis and Butt-Head</i>) 5th episode of the 8th season of Beavis and Butt-Head

"Drones" is the fifth episode of season 8 and 205th episode overall of the American animated television series Beavis and Butt-Head. It is an extended episode. It aired on MTV on November 10, 2011, along with "Holy Cornholio", another extended episode.

Supersize Me (<i>Beavis and Butt-Head</i>) 7th episode of the 8th season of Beavis and Butt-Head

"Supersize Me" is the seventh episode of season 8 and 207th episode overall of the American animated television series Beavis and Butt-Head. It aired on MTV on November 17, 2011, along with "Bathroom Break".

<i>Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe</i> 2022 animated film

Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe is a 2022 American adult animated science fiction comedy film directed by John Rice and Albert Calleros and written by Mike Judge, Lew Morton, Guy Maxtone-Graham and Ian Maxtone-Graham. It is the second film based on the animated television series Beavis and Butt-Head after Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1996). The film follows teenage delinquents Beavis and Butt-Head, who are transported 24 years from 1998 to 2022, encounter parallel-universe versions of themselves and are hunted by the US government.

"The Special One" is the first episode of season 1 and 1st episode overall of the American animated television series Beavis and Butt-Head. It is the second episode of the 2022 revival of the show, debuting on Paramount+ on August 4, 2022, along with the episodes "Escape Room", "Boxed In" and "Beekeepers", the first of which is this episode's sister episode.

"Boxed In" is the third episode of season 9 and 223rd episode overall of the American animated television series Beavis and Butt-Head. It is the third episode of the 2022 revival of the show, debuting on Paramount+ on August 4, 2022, along with the episodes "Escape Room", "The Special One", and "Beekeepers", the latter of which is this episode's sister episode.

References

  1. ↑ "Butt-head, We Hardly Knew Ye". Los Angeles Times . November 26, 1997. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
  2. ↑ "Mike Judge Interviewed by John Kricfalusi". Wild Cartoon Kingdom . July 1995.
  3. ↑ "Butting out Archived February 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine ," The Boston Phoenix
  4. ↑ "Beavis and Butt-head" . Retrieved 2014-05-14.
  5. ↑ Cooper, Gael Fashingbauer; Bellmont, Brian (2013). The Totally Sweet 90s. Penguin. ISBN   978-1101623992 . Retrieved 2014-05-14.
  6. ↑ Heath, James (14 December 2017). To Face Down Dixie: South Carolina's War on the Supreme Court in the Age of Civil Rights. LSU Press. p. 304. ISBN   9780807168387 . Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  7. ↑ "On Senate TV: 'Buffcoat and Beaver?'". Los Angeles Times. 21 October 1993. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  8. ↑ Saturday Night Live (2024-04-13). Beavis and Butt-Head - SNL . Retrieved 2024-09-04– via YouTube.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.