Serious Business/Western Animation: Difference between revisions

* Parodied in ''[[Futurama]]'', when the Harlem Globetrotters show up to challenge Earth to a game of basketball. When asked what happens if Earth loses, the Globetrotters reply... "NOTHING! There is nothing at stake, and no threat!" After Earth loses the game, further [[Lampshade Hanging]] is done by the commentator, who states that "This is a dark day for humanity. Earth... has been beaten... ''at basketball''." In the DVD Commentary, the creators admit that the entire plot was a jab at the network, [[Executive Meddling|who always wanted the stakes to be as high as possible]].

** However, in another ''[[Futurama]]'' episode, the Omicronians are so angered by [[Aliens Steal Cable|not being able to finish watching the finale]] of ''[[Ally McBeal|Single Female Lawyer]]'' - they attack the Earth, demanding to see the rest of the episode. Talk about [[Serious Business]] taken to extremes! Fortunately, Fry's [[Someday This Will Come in Handy|knowledge of 20th Century television]] helps save the day.

** Then, of course, ''[[Star Trek]]'' has actually become a [[Intellectual Property Religion|religion]] in ''[[Futurama]]''. As explained by Nichols: "As country after country fell under its influence, world leaders became threatened by the movement's power." Since then, all the episodes and movies have been dumped on Omega 3 (a forbidden world) - and it became forbidden to use the words "Star" and "Trek" in the same sentence.

* ''[[South Park]]'': Really, at this point making a list of episodes that DOESN'T feature this trope would be much, much shorter.

* ''[[Dexters Laboratory]]'' typically had Dad being the progenitor of Serious Business. In one episode he goes to insane lengths to get at his wife's fresh-baked muffins as quickly as possible. In another, he insists that Dexter be able to defeat Dee Dee at a snowball fight because Dad used to be a snowball god until he was defeated by...Mom, who explains that she just playfully lobbed a little snow at him one day and he [[Freak Out|freaked out]], at which point Dad realizes he ''was'' making a big deal over nothing.

{{quote| '''Dad:''' Dexter, since the dawn of time man has gone fishing. And not just for our little aquatic friends, but fishing for answers! For understanding! ''For meaning!'' So awake, my son, and ''join your old man in the quest... for KNOWLEDGE!'''}}

** And in "Green Isn't Your Color", we see that secret keeping is Serious Business to Pinkie Pie, so much so, that she will break the laws of physics to enforce it.

*** On that note, "The Last Roundup" is a stark reminder that if you value your continued existence, you never ever EVER '''EVER''' '''''EVER''''' break a Pinkie-Promise.