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GO TO THE LIST Birth of a Salesman TRANSCRIPT
Birth of a Salesman
Birth of a Salesman (Title Card)
The title card for "Birth of a Salesman".
Episode 2B
Season 1
Airdate (US) September 6, 2002
Airdate (CA) September 12, 2002
Invention(s) Willie Loman 3000
Book Gum
Previous Normal Boy
Next Brobot (episode)

Birth of a Salesman is the second segment in the second episode in The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.

Plot[]

The Next Day, Jimmy showing his new invention, book gum, to Carl, Sheen, Cindy, and Libby. He explains that the book gum gives you knowledge of an entire book just by chewing a piece of gum. His friends then try out the new invention. When Carl attempts to take six pieces, Jimmy explains that it is very dangerous to chew more than one piece at a time.

The scene then changes to Ms. Fowl teaching their class while they are inside the classroom. She tells the students about a candy selling contest that the school will have in order to raise money. The class is uninterested until she mentions that the prize will be a free V.I.P. trip to Retroland, at which the students cheer.

Unfortunately, Carl, Sheen, and Jimmy are then seen walking down the street. They discussed who they would bring with them to the theme park if they won, and all of them said that they would bring one another. Then, they met up with Cindy and Libby, at which point Cindy claimed that she would win the competition easily. Jimmy then retorts that he will win the contest, and they argue. Then, the two bet on who of the two of them will win, each thinking that they-themselves-will win.

The scene then changes to Jimmy eating dinner with his family while attempting to scientifically gather information that will help him sell candy. Hugh then notices that Jimmy will be selling candy, and begins to give him “advice,” which Jimmy finds very unhelpful. Meanwhile, Cindy is encouraging herself to work hard and beat Jimmy in the competition.

The next day, Jimmy attempts to sell candy, using many different facts about chocolate, as he had done research on it. He does not do well with selling the candy, as people are uninterested in his facts and do not wish to buy candy. Cindy, however, is doing very well, as she is using manipulative tactics in order to sell candy. Jimmy then realizes that selling "isn't about superior intellect, it’s all about manipulating emotions".

Then, Jimmy asks Goddard for an opinion on what he should do next. Goddard gives him several opinions, but the one he chooses is for him to "build a better salesman". Jimmy accepts this idea and does so at once. He then tells Carl and Sheen about his new robot, Willie Loman 3000, and his plan to let him do all the selling. They then sit on Jimmy’s front lawn and watch as the new invention makes sales.

Just as Jimmy programmed his robot, the Willie Loman 3000 doesn’t take no for an answer. Because of this, he ends up selling a lot of candy for Jimmy. Although, the robot has been giving away Jimmy’s other inventions, such as Goddard, in order to convince people to buy candy. Because Jimmy does not know this, he then goes and brags about his lead in the competition to Cindy, who was expecting to win easily at that point.

However, once Jimmy left, the new invention began selling more of his inventions, such as his rocket, which was sold to Carl and Sheen. When Cindy notices, she tells Jimmy who immediately runs across the street to stop the robot from selling the entire contents of his lab.

Once Jimmy confronts the robot, it attempts to auction him off. Cindy offers a starting bid, but Sheen outbids her. His parents are horrified and attempt to buy him too, but Cindy outbids them. Just as he is about to be sold to Cindy, Jimmy has a brain blast. He then gives six pieces of book gum to the Willie Loman 3000, offering it to him as free gum. The robot takes it and suffers and overload from chewing more than one piece at a time.

Then, the scene changes to show them in class once again. Ms. Fowl announces that the candy-selling contest was a tie, and that both Cindy and Jimmy won. They then were told that they would go to Retroland together, which they do begrudgingly. The final scene of the episode is Jimmy and Cindy at Retroland, complaining about how horrible of a time they are having together. Jimmy then offers Cindy some gum, but she declines it harshly, and the episode ends.

Home Media[]

VHS[]

  • The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius: When Pants Attack

DVD[]

iTunes[]

  • The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius: Season 1

Quotes[]

  • Sheen: Tastes... fishy. (starts quoting Moby-Dick) "Call me Ishmael! Starbuck, it's the great white whale! I'll get you, Moby-Dick!"
  • Cindy: Give me a piece of that. (Takes a piece and chews) Hmm... It tastes like fried chicken. (starts quoting Gone with the Wind) "Oh, Ashley, Oh, Rhett. I don't know nothing' about birthing' no babies."
  • Jimmy: Careful, Carl. It would be very dangerous to eat more than one at a time.
  • Carl: Mm. William Shakespeare.
  • Jimmy: Um, that might be just a little strong for you, Carl.
  • Carl: (starts quoting Romeo and Juliet) But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east and Juliet is the sun. See how she leans her cheek upon her hand. Oh, that I were a glove upon that hand that I might touch that cheek.

  • (After Miss Fowl announces that Jimmy and Cindy are tied for the grand prize)
  • Jimmy: I demand a re-count!
  • Cindy: I demand a transfer to another school!

  • Jimmy: I am not having fun.
  • Cindy: Neither am I, Nerd-tron!
  • Jimmy: Want some gum?
  • Cindy: No!

  • Carl: HUZZAH!!
  • Jimmy and Sheen: What?
  • Carl: Huzzah is some goofy way to say: cool!

  • Hugh: I'll give you one dollar!
  • Cindy: Two dollars!
  • The Willy Loman 3000: Two dollars! Going once, going twice....
  • Hugh: Eh, too rich for my blood. See ya, Jimmy.
  • Judy: Hugh Neutron, you buy our son this instant!
  • Hugh: But I only have a dollar!
  • Judy: Oh!

  • Sheen: Come on! Come on! We need more money!
  • Cindy: Neutron is mine!
  • Jimmy: Think, think, think! It would be very dangerous to eat more than one at a time. Brain blast! Might I interest you in some (offers some gum pieces) free gum?
  • Willy: Did you say free-ee? (Chews on more than piece, causing him to act weird, before setting Jimmy down) Once upon a time, (quotes A Tale of Two Cities) It was the best of times. It was the worst of t-t-times. (quotes Sherlock Holmes) Elementary, my dear Watson. (quotes Hop on Pop) Hop on pop! (quotes Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone) You're a Sorcerer-Sorc-Sorcerer, Harry! I'm telling you to stay away from that! Huck-Finn. Danger! (quotes Alice In Wonderland) I followed the White-White Rabbit down the hole. Men are from M-M-Mars! Danger! Jimmy Neutron! (quotes To Kill A Mockingbird) That's Boo Radley! Danger! Literature overload! Lit-Lit-Literature overload! (quotes The Three Musketeers) One for all and all for one! Danger! Jimmy Neutron! Danger! Goodnight, Moon. (On the verge of overheating) Danger! Danger! Danger, Danger, Danger-Danger! Dan-- (Falls over)

  • Cindy: (singing tauntingly to herself) I'm gonna have so much fun at Retroland. And Neutron won't, 'cause he is lame, and I am not.

  • Cindy:  Hey Larry, Moe, and Shorty. Forget it I'm winning this contest.
  • Libby: Yeah, Cindy won the girl club cookie selling contest three years in a row.
  • Cindy: And I could've won three more times, but they forced me to retire! Those merit badge bubble cookie loving'!!!

Gallery[]

Click HERE to view the Gallery

Trivia[]

  • The title is a reference to the play and movie Death of a Salesman. Also, the robot that Jimmy builds is a reference to the play and movie's main protagonist, Willy Loman.
  • The book gums that Sheen, Cindy, and Carl chew are:
  • The books that Willy recites lines from are A Tale of Two Cities, Sherlock Holmes, Hop On Pop, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, and more.
  • The book Chew on This! shares a similar plot and several elements from this episode, only it revolves around Sheen trying to win a new Ultra Lord action figure for a reading contest. 
  • In recent years, this episode has become infamous for the "Gone with the Wind" gag, due to the movie/book being criticized for it's outdated portrayals of slavery and how the gum tastes like fried chicken, which is often stereotyped for African Americans, primarily ones living in the Deep South.
  • This episode marks the first appearance of Maggie, who is later often seen around town and also e.g. appears as part of the angry mob in "Sorry, Wrong Era".
  • Tom Kenny voices WL-3000.
  • This episode aired before the premiere of The Fairly OddParents episodes "Mighty Mom and Dyno Dad" and "Knighty Knight" on September 6, 2002.[1]
  • Cindy refers to Jimmy, Carl and Sheen as "Larry, Moe and Shorty", making a reference to The Three Stooges, with Shorty replacing Curly.

Animation Errors[]

  • At the dinner table, when Hugh says, "Welcome to the Hugh Neutron-School of Salesmanship!", his torso can be seen running through the tabletop. Later, when Hugh makes the fork "talk", the same thing can be seen again.

Sources[]

The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius Season 1 episodes
When Pants Attack | Normal Boy | Birth of a Salesman | Brobot | The Big Pinch | Granny Baby | Time is Money | Raise the Oozy Scab | I Dream of Jimmy | Jimmy on Ice | Battle of the Band | See Jimmy Run | Trading Faces | The Phantom of Retroland | My Son, the Hamster | Hall Monster | Hypno-Birthday To You | Krunch Time | Substitute Creature | Safety First | Crime Sheen Investigation | Journey to the Center of Carl | Aaughh!! Wilderness!! | Party at Neutron's | Ultra Sheen | Broadcast Blues | Professor Calamitous, I Presume | The Eggpire Strikes Back | Maximum Hugh | Sleepless in Retroville | Make Room for Daddy-O | Beach Party Mummy
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