Take a bow, she's a big girl now, she's the best pooper we know
Bobby is turning four years old. It’s his birthday, and he’s having a party. A clown is coming. It’s 1992.
Also, he’s haunted by foot-tall gremlin named Mr. Penders who watches toddlers using the bathroom.
This is no horror exploitation film (though there is an unexpected handheld shaky cam shot chasing a kid around), but a cheery made-for-children “kidvid” about the joy of being potty trained made by Duke University.
The unintentional comedy in this video is off the charts. It’s an all-timer of so-dumb-it’s-amazing. I’m a simple man, so the rewrites of nursery rhymes to discuss poop and “pushing pants away” is a surefire laugh.
There’s also some original tunes. “Super Dooper Pooper” is a triumphant march that is a straight up banger. This song should have hit the Billboard charts. I want to be as good at anything as this little girl is at pooping.
The video is 20 minutes long and follows Bobby’s birthday party and the many potty-themed misadventures that occur. Occurrences include a bunch of kids following a clown to the bathroom without parental supervision and Mr. Penders rapping about the encroaching urge to pee as if it’s some sort of creeping phantom. (Again, this is not a horror movie.)
I’m not sure we needed a 3 minute Raggedy Ann storytelling cutaway or that bizarre song about playing with balls. (Then again, maybe I underappreciated the unintentional comedy in that one, too…)
Listen, I know I can be a bit of a pretentious film snob. I watch five-hour documentaries by experimental Lithuanian filmmakers. I use words like “diegesis” and “metatextual” without irony.
But I can say with a straight face that I had more fun watching this than plenty of other “films.” Even if Mr. Penders might haunt my dreams.
Is It Good?
Nearly Good (4/8)
Note: This review was originally published elsewhere. Please excuse brevity or inconsistencies in style. If you have questions or feedback, please leave a comment or contact me.
Dan is the founder and head critic of The Goods. Follow Dan on Letterboxd. Join the Discord for updates and discussion.