Scientific Stuff
Scientific Stuff is an episode of Beavis and Butt-head which aired on May 17, 1993. It is the very first speaking appearance of Daria Morgendorffer on Beavis and Butthead. It was written by David Felton.
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Synopsis
Science teacher Mrs. Dickie is unimpressed with Beavis and Butt-head's science project -- a recreation of the Challenger space shuttle disaster -- and asks Butt-head could so such a thing. "Beavis helped me," he replies, as the two air guitar. She forces the two to do another report:
- Mrs. Dickie: And this time I want you to work with Daria Morgendorffer, our straight-A student who won the science award last year.
- Daria: But Mrs. Dickie, Beavis and Butt-head are complete imbeciles!
- Beavis: Yeah, she's right!
Butt-head is disgruntled that they're going to have to work with "Diarrhea".
Daria heads over to Beavis and Butt-head's "home".
- Butt-head: It's her.
- [Daria enters]
- Daria: Hey, Butt-head.
- Butt-head: Hey, Dia ... I mean, Daria.
- [As Daria walks in past the pair she looks heavenward with exasperation]
- Daria: You guys think of any new science projects?
- Beavis: Yeah. If you pour salt on a snail a lot of scientific stuff happens!
- Butt-head: [holding a magnifying glass] We could burn some ants!
- Beavis: We could have Butt-head sit on a big glass jar and then fart!
- Daria: What's scientific about that?
- Beavis: Nothing, until you light it!
- Daria: How does a person learn a skill like that?
- Butt-head: Everything I know, I learned from my dad.
- Beavis: Yeah, me too!
- Daria: Really? You both have the same dad?
- Butt-head: Er, we're not sure. It's possible!
- Daria: [thinking; a glowing light bulb appears] Hmmm ... I think I have an idea for a science report!
- Beavis and Butt-head: [thinking; matches fail to light]
Daria finally figures out a way for Beavis and Butt-head to contribute...as guinea pigs in her presentation "Idiocy -- Genetic or Environmental?"
- Beavis: By changing the shape of my mouth I create different vibrators ...
- Daria: [whispering behind her hand] Vibrations!
- Beavis: Uh, vibrations ... that can be used to play a song. My uncle taught me this trick, only he used a bat!
- [Everyone applauds, including Daria]
- Beavis: Thank you.
- Butt-head: Here's something my dad taught me. If you, like, take three deep breaths and then you blow on your thumb, sometimes you pass out.
- [Butt-head begins to demonstrate, while Beavis resumes his "song"]
- Daria: And so we raise an age-old question: Idiocy - Genetic or Environmental? I think our examples of Beavis and Butt-head indicate that both are contributing factors.
- [Butt-head passes out]
- Daria: I rest my case!
Daria returns to Beavis and Butt-head's home afterward:
- Daria: You guys were great! I don't know anyone else who'd be willing to make such fools of themselves.
- Butt-head: Hey, Diarrhea!
- Daria: [cautiously] Yeah?
- Butt-head: Do you, like, get periods?
- Daria: Butt-head, why don't you try this experiment? Analyze the friction caused by digitally oscillating your wiener!
- [Beavis and Butt-head laugh]
- Butt-head: That was cool!
Timeline headaches
Daria winning "the science award last year" implies that she's been at Highland for more than one year - the events of Daria indicate that she was in ninth grade for most or all of Beavis and Butt-head. "The science award" has to be something she got outside of Highland High.
Trivia
- This episode has not been collected on DVD, and likely never will be.
- At the beginning of the episode - where Daria is first introduced - Grandstaff's voice for Daria is in a higher register. It almost sounds as if acted by a different voice actor.
- This was the first B&B episode where we saw more of their house than just the couch: the two meet up with Daria in Beavis' bedroom. The full explaination of what's in and around that room is described in "This Book Sucks" where disturbingly, Butt-Head refers the pillow on the bed as "Beavis' girlfriend".
- Scientific Stuff is the only episode of Beavis and Butt-head where Daria has a major plot contribution. In other episodes where Daria has a speaking role, she does not play a central role in the plot and merely provides observation.
- Daria is wearing what essayist CF calls "Outfit #2": Yellow jacket, tan skirt, gray shirt, black leggings, brown boots, and a small necklace. This was her first outfit on the show and quickly changed, but she'd wear it throughout the run of the comics.
External Links
Beavis and Butt-head and Daria by CF: Essay on Outpost Daria
