Message-ID: From: "D.G. Porter" X-Mailer: Mozilla 2.01E-PBWE (Win95; I) MIME-Version: 1.0 Newsgroups: alt.fan.beavis-n-butthead Subject: "BUTT VOTE!!!" Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Lines: 519 Date: Wed, 06 Jan 1999 15:28:15 -0800 NNTP-Posting-Host: 207.214.188.208 X-Complaints-To: [email] X-Trace: typhoon-sf.snfc21.pbi.net 915665211 207.214.188.208 (Wed, 06 Jan 1999 15:26:51 PDT) NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 06 Jan 1999 15:26:51 PDT Organization: SBC Internet Services Path: [address] Xref: 139.134.5.33 alt.fan.beavis-n-butthead:413
BEAVIS & BUTT-HEAD: "BUTT VOTE!!" by David G. Porter, August 23, 1998
[Scene: Beavis & Butt-head are sitting on the curb of a street in Highland. Beavis is playing wih some goo he's found in the gutter on the end of a stick. Butt-head is watching him, chuckling.]
Butt-head: Hey Beavis. What is that crap, anyway?
Beavis: Um, I dunno. I think it's dead.
Butt-head: Beavis, put that stuff back where you found it!
Beavis: Shut up, Butt-head! It's mine! For me to play with, heh!
Butt-head: OK, Beavis.
[They sit for a few more moments. Beavis finally tires of his new "toy" and tooses it over his shoulder. It lands with a mild "splat!" on the card table of a voter registrar (Tom Anderson) set up in front of a store.]
Anderson: HEY! What the hell! [He sees Beavis & Butt-head sitting a few feet away from his table.] Boy, did you throw this crap on my table!?
Beavis: Um, what?
Butt-head: Yeah. What?
Anderson: I said, did you throw this crap on my table!?
Butt-head: Uh-huh-huh-huh-huh! No.
Anderson: [gets up and confronts them] Boy, I KNOW you're lyin' to me! Now get over here and get rid of it! [He grabs Butt-head and yanks him over to the table.] NOW, boy!
[Butt-head stares at the goo. It has landed on a voter registration card. He starts chuckling. Beavis also starts chuckling from the short distance away. Butt-head picks up the card, wads it up and throws it in the gutter.]
Butt-head: It's done.
Anderson: What the hell!?? Ah, DAMMIT! Boy, I'm gonna teach you respect for other peoples' property!
Butt-head: No you're not. [He upends the table so it's contents are scattered on the ground and it is lying between him and Anderson.] Uh-huh-huh-huh! That was cool!
Anderson: WHY YOU SON OF A BITCH! [He punches Butt-head in the stomach.]
Butt-head: UHH! [Falls down.]
[Just then David van Driessen runs over.]
DvD: Now hold on here! What's going on!?
Anderson: This little punk knocked my table over!
DvD: Now wait a second. Butt-head, that was not a very nice thing to do.
Anderson: Son, take your damn hippie crap and get outa here! I'm gonna deal with this son of a bitch MY way!
DvD: Now hold on. That kind of violence never solves anything. Is anything really damaged that badly?
Anderson: Well, I guess not. They're all just blank forms. It's been a real slow day out here, and I suppose if he were to just pick 'em all up it would be all right with me. [He picks up the table.]
DvD: I have an idea on how to turn this into a learning experience. Butt-head, pick up these cards for Mr. Anderson, and then I'm going to teach you why voting and registering is an important part of our society.
Butt-head: This sucks.
DvD: Come on. There's even a way you can make money by participating in the American electoral process.
Butt-head: Uhh, really??
DvD: Yes, it's true. And if you pick up these cards I'll tell you how it's done.
[Beavis runs over.]
Beavis: Hey, wait! Um, I wanna make some money too! Why should Butt-head get it all!??
DvD: Beavis you can *both* make yourself a small amount of money by working for the major political parties when you register people to vote. Now please, if you two pick up Mr. Anderson's materials, I'll take you down to Republican party headquarters and show you what it involves. Come on. 'N-kay?
Anderson: Now hold on. It just ain't right to reward these little punks for their delinquent behavior! Back when I was in the service, a fellow could get shot for this kind of vandalism!
DvD: Now just let's all calm down and take a constructive approach to this. If these boys could learn that there is an upside to positive behavior, it might have a lasting effect on them. Now, Butt-head, pick up Mr. Anderson's materials.
[Butt-head picks up a handful of cards and drops them unceremoniously on Anderson's now-righted table.]
DvD: Come on, Butt-head, you have to pick them *all* up.
Beavis: Um, I'm picking some up too, sir. [He grabs a handful and plops them onto the table.]
DvD: Very good, Beavis.
Butt-head: Beavis, you wuss!
Beavis: Shut up, fartknocker! I'm gonna make some money!
Butt-head: Uh, oh yeah. [He grabs another handful of the cards and plops them onto the table.]
Beavis: Hey, don't take so many! [He grabs another handful.]
[Soon they have picked up all the cards.]
DvD: Very good, boys. Now follow me and I'll introduce you to the rewards of participation in the electoral system.
Butt-head: Yeah, whatever.
Beavis: Heh-heh, when do we start making money? MONEY!
DvD: All in good time, boys all in good time.
[Fade.]
[Scene: Van Driessen has taken them to the local GOP headquarters. They are standing outside the building. Van Driessen is holding a batch of registration forms in his hands. He is attempting to explain the registration-by-mail procedures to them.]
DvD: Now boys, it's important to remember that you have to allow every person to register in whatever party they choose. But for every potential voter who registers for the Republican party, you can get paid fifty cents, once you're registered with party headquarters as an official registrant. And when we're done here, I'll take you over to Democatic party headquarters and register you with them as well, so you'll get paid for almost every voter you sign up. Won't *that* be fun?
Butt-head: Uhhhh...
DvD: Come on. It's easy. You don't have to do anything but bring the cards back to each party's headquarters. You don't have to write anything down or have anything to do with the cards except bring them in. That's the wonder of our new "Motor Voter" law! It encourages everybody to participate in our representative democracy!
[The boys just stand there.]
DvD: It's easy. When the box is checked here [he indicatewd a place on the card], you drop them off in this building. And when the box is checked here [indicating another place], you drop them off at our next stop. And if it's checked anywhere else, you simply drop them in the mail, but you won't get paid for those.
Butt-head: Uh, what?
Beavis: That sucks!
DvD: Come on, boys, you have to promise to register everybody who wants to register. 'N-kay. Now lets' go over to the Democratic party headquartes and get you registered with them too. Remember, the sooner you start registering voters, the sooner you get paid for your work.
Beavis: Hey, Butt-head. This is almost like working.
Butt-head: Uh, yeah.
DvD: Let's go, boys.
[Fade.]
[Scene: Beavis & Butt-head are sitting at a table much like the one Tom Anderson was using. No one is coming up to their table.]
Beavis: Butt-head, this sucks! We're not going to make any money this way!
Butt-head: [thinks for a while -- a light bulb goes of above his head in a thought balloon] Hey, Beavis! Let's register ourselves!
Beavis: Hey! That's a good idea, Butt-head!
Butt-head: Uhhhh, hm. [He looks at the card.] Uhhhhh.... oh yeah! [He starts to fill it out, following the instructions on the card.] OK, Beavis, just copy what I did but put your own name at the top.
Beavis: Um, Butt-head, you didn't say anything about having to write stuff down.
Butt-head: Beavis, get your whiney ass in gear and just copy what I did!
[Beavis starts to work on the form. Butt-head takes another one and starts to fill it out.]
Butt-head: OK, Beavis, now this time we register in that other group.
Beavis: Um, OK. Heh, this isn't so hard after all!
[Just now a group of four older (fat) ladies come up to the table.]
1st lady: 'Scuse me.
[They ignore her.]
1st lady: 'SCUSE ME!
[They still ignore her.]
1st lady: YOU!!!
Butt-head: Uh, yeah?
1st: We wanna register to vote.
Butt-head: Uh, okay! So like, fill out these forms, or something.
[The ladies each take a form and fill it out. They hand them to Butt-head.]
1st lady: Well?
Butt-head: Well what?
1st: You're s'posed to tear off that tag at the bottom and give it to me.
Butt-head: Uh, why?
1st lady: So if you don't turn it in I can get your ass kicked, that's why!
Butt-head: Uh, okay. [He tears off the four tags.] Here you go, ma'am.
[The ladies leave. Beavis looks at the forms.]
Beavis: This sucks, Butt-head! They checked off a different box!
Butt-head: Uh, which one did they pick?
Beavis: [reading] Re--, ree--fer, heh-heh, "reefer."
Butt-head: Beavis, gimme that! Uh, they checked off the Reform party. They want to vote for that Ross Perot dude.
Beavis: That sucks! We don't get paid for those!
Butt-head: Uh, Beavis, I got another idea. Let's just cross that out and mark them Republican.
Beavis: Hey, that's a good idea, Butt-head! You're pretty smart!
Butt-head: Seize the day, Beavis!
[Fade.]
[Scene: Later that day. Beavis and Butt-head are walking down the street. Each of them is holding two dollars.]
Butt-head: You see, Beavis? We each got two dollars for that.
Beavis: Cool! Let's go get some nachos!
[Fade.]
[Scene: The Registrar's office.]
1st clerk (young man): Ma'am? We have some contradictory forms here for a "Buff-coat" and "Beaver." One pair of cards is marked Republican and one is marked Democrat.
2nd clerk (older Texas woman): Well, they probably changed their minds after they heard somethin' on TV. Tell ya what, mark 'em down as "Republican," and if they wanna change it back they can always change it ag'in.
1st clerk: Uh, isn't it a little risky or presumptuous deciding for them what they want to be?
2nd clerk: Hey! This is a Republican district! The party needs out support! Didn't you hear what Rush said this mornin'? Bein' a Democrat is close to bein' unpatriotic! Now the party needs our coopertion if it's gonna keep an eye on that draft-dodger in the White House! Now just do as yer told! I'm the boss here! I set the policy!
1st clerk: Uh, okay....
2nd clerk: Ya know we wouldn't-a had this problem 'cept that draft-dodgin' marijoowanna-smoking hippie signed that damned "Motor voter" law in the first place! If'n George Bush had been re-elected as he was s'posed t' be, none of this would be makin' all this extra work fer us! [Aside:] Honestly....
[Fade.]
[Scene: Election day. We see the inside of the Republican headquarters. A party volunteer is working the phones.]
Volunteer: Hello, Mr. Head? Hi, my name is Tanquerey. Have you voted yet today?
Butt-head: [listening on the line at the other end, sitting on the couch with Beavis] Uh, no.
Volunteer: Well, would you like someone to come to your house and drive you to the polling place, hon?
Butt-head: [laughing] You said "poling"!
Volunteer: Um, yes. Now, we can have someone out there to pick you up in a few minutes. Will that be all right, sugar?
Butt-head: Uh, I guess. [Hangs up the phone.] Uh, Beavis? Someone is gonna, like, take us to a "poling" place, or something.
Beavis: Heh-heh! "Poling"!
Butt-head: Yeah. "Our poles are rising."
[They continue to watch some noisy TV. There is a knock at the door.]
Butt-head: Beavis, go see who that is.
[Beavis goes to the door and opens it.]
Beavis: Um, hello?
Driver: Yes, I'm here to pick up a Mr. Head?
Beavis: Oh. OK. Butt-head! It's for you!
Butt-head: [comes over to the dor] Uhhh, hello?
Driver: Yes, can we get going? I have a lot of work to do today.
Beavis: Can I come too?
Driver: Whatever.
[All three get into the driver's car and they take off down the street.]
[Scene: The polling place.]
[The boys walk up to the first clerk at the table, a middle-aged lady.]
Butt-head: Uh, like, we were brought here for "poling."
Clerk: Oh, okay. You boys got any I.D.?
Butt-head: Uh, no.
Clerk: Well, what's yer name?
Butt-head: Uh, Butt-head.
Clerk: [looking through the roster] Oh! Here y'are. Here's yer ballot. [To Beavis] What's yer name?
Beavis: Beavis, heh!
Clerk: Yep, here you are two. My oh my, it sure is heartenin' t' see our young people makin' the right choice when it comes to pickin' a party affiliation! Here's your ballot. Now just go on over to the booth and vote yer conciences.
Beavis: [to Butt-head] Um, Butt-head? They didn't say anything about having to take a test....
Butt-head: Don't worry about it, Beavis, just do what we always do on a test.
Beavis: Okay. [pause] Um, Butt-head? What did we do that last time we took a test?
Butt-head: Uh, I just made a bunch of marks on the paper and you copied it. And we failed! Uh-huh-huh-huh!
Beavis: Oh yeah. Heh, that was pretty cool!
Butt-head: Yeah.
They both go into a single booth. We see them inside the booth, marking the ballots. They come out and go back to the clerk.]
Butt-head: Uh, we're done.
Clerk: OK, just give it to the man over there and he'll drop it in the box. By the way, save yer stubs, as some places are givin' out free coffee for people who voted.
[They give the man at the othr end of the table their ballots. He tears off the stubs and gives them to the boys.]
2nd Clerk: Thank y'all fer votin' t'day. Hmm, say you boys look a little young. Are you sure you're over 18?
Butt-head: Uh-huh-huh-huh, huh-huh-huh-huh! "Yes."
Beavis: Hm-meh-hm-meh-heh! Yeah. What he said.
2nd clerk: Well, you boys have a nice day now!
[They leave the polling place just as one of the four women from before is arguing with the 1st clerk.]
1st lady: I did NOT register as a Republican, I registered in the Reform party!
1st clerk: Well, seein' as how this is a general election it don't make no difference which ballot you get! Now just go vote and then you can re-register later! Damn! Some people don't appreciate how fortunate they are t' live in a democracy!
[Cut to outside. David van Driessen meets Beavis and Butt-head outside the polling place.]
DvD: Well, it's nice to see you boys active in civic affairs. Are you helping out the volunteers today?
Butt-head: Uh, we just took a test, and stuff.
Beavis: Yeah. I don't think I got a lot of the answers right.
DvD: Really? What kind of a test was it?
Butt-head: Uh, it was, like, a bunch of cards with places for us to mark.
DvD: [horrified] Boys, you didn't VOTE, did you??
But-head: Uh, yeah.
DvD: Boys, you aren't OLD enough to vote! This is voter fraud, and that's a very SERIOUS breach of the federal law!
Butt-head: Uh, so what? Nobody said anything to us about it.
Beavis: Yeah! They even drove us here!
DvD: Boys, this is not good. [realizing:] You didn't REGISTER youselves to vote, did you?
Butt-head: Uhhhh.... huh?
DvD: Boys, when you were filling out peoples' cards back then, did you fill out cards yourselves?
Beavis: Heh, I did! I got two bucks!
DvD: Oh no! Oh dear, I could be held accountable a an accomplice for this! Boys, I don't want you to tell anyone what you've done, and I want you to PROMISE me you won't vote again until you're 18 years old, 'n-kay?
Butt-head: Uh, okay. I didn't like taking a stupid test anyway. [They leave.]
DvD: Oh dear, what have I done? I've committed an indirect election fraud. I wonder if I still have the moral authority to cast my own vote now....
[Fade.]
[Scene: Beavis and Butt-head are sitting on the couch watching TV and channel-surfing. Every station is covering the election result.]
Butt-head: Dammit, I hate it when everything on TV sucks!
TV announcer: And among the results of today's voting in Highland, a complete route of all environmental laws was passed by a mere two votes in a stunning victory for backers of a "fair use" initiative that has been hotly contested for the last three months.
Beavis: Hey! BUTT-HEAD! CHECK IT OUT! I GOT THAT ONE RIGHT! I ACTUALLY GOT A RIGHT ANSWER ON A TEST!
Butt-head: Yeah! Uh, I think I did too! Life is pretty cool sometimes, Beavis.
Annoncer: And in another vote, by a similar two-vote margin, an active member of the notorious Knights of the Ku Klux Klan was elected to the state legislature. He is expected to assume a major post in the new body following this major realignment along party lines in state and local government.
Butt-head: Hey Beavis, I think we both got that answer right too! Life doesn't get any better than this, Beavis.
[Music. Fade.]
[Author's note: In 1982 my wife and I moved to a different city and were aproached by two young boys (aged 12 or so) who registered us to vote at our new address with postcard registration. (In California we have had this system for years, long before "Motor voter" became law.) A week later we were told that our original party choice had been scratchd out and that we had been registered as Republicans. After we changed our affiliation, we pursued this matter at the county level and then at the state level. No action was taken. In fact, all governmental officials (mostly Republicans but one Democrat too) seemed quite put out that we were even pursuing the matter. Just a thought for today.]