A Sucker for the Suck-O-Matic is episode 8a of Rocko's Modern Life. Rocko buys a Suck-O-Matic vacuum cleaner, but soon it starts to attack. At the end the heroes are sitting and watching T.V. while the outside has been taken over by the Suck-O-Matic.
Plot
Rocko is frustrated with his old vacuum cleaner, which suddenly dies and spews dust all over the house. Rocko and Heffer see a commercial for The Suck-O-Matic (the commercial literally plays with minds of who watch it), and orders it, and it appears drastically different from how it appeared on TV. After trying out some functions, it goes out of control, and they try to shut it off, only to find out it has a mind of its own. Due to this, Rocko attempts to return it for a refund, only for the Suck-O-Matic to suck up his receipt. When they attempt to read how to turn off the Suck-O-Matic, it sucks up the instructions.
The Suck-O-Matic gets choked up after sucking some gunk out of Rocko, Heffer, and Spunky's mouths. Heffer finds a Barbacue Potato Chip from '73 stuck in it's throat. It comes back alive and sucks Heffer into it, eventually taking Rocko, Spunky, and the entire house. Rocko and Heffer are then shown watching the LobotoShop network from inside the Suck-O-Matic. Meanwhile, outside apparently everyone else in the neighborhood has been hypnotized by the Suck-O-Matic commercial, and bought it too.
Characters Present
Trivia
- Creator Joe Murray originally wrote this episode as the pilot, but Nickelodeon thought that Heffer would be too weird a character for test audiences, so instead of removing Heffer from the episode, Murray decided to write Trash-O-Madness as the pilot episode instead.
- The Suck-O-Lux's dying word, "Rosebud", is an obvious reference to Citizen Kane.
- When the news reporter says that the president has been shot in his car this is a reference to when President John F. Kennedy was murdered. in 1963
- This episode is rated PG for taking the Lord's name in vain.
- The Suck-O-Matic is featured as a main part of the VHS "Machine Madness" cover in both of it's versions (being Sony Wonder and Paramount, which doesn't change the cover art aside from some shading and logos.)
Errors
- The announcer for the Suck-O-Matic says the item's price is $99.95, but when the TV screen says "Suck-O-Matic" along with the price, the price is stated to be $99.99.
- In the episode "Keeping Up With The Bigheads", which aired before this episode, a Suck-O-Matic can already be seen in Rocko's garage.
Production Art
Quotes
- Rocko: I've had it with you. You're useless and pathetic. Like a useless and pathetic thing.
- Rocko: Prepare to feel my wrath!
- Rocko: I must cease this senseless sucking. It's stuck in suck!
- Vacuum: (softly, but hoarsely) Rosebud (burps and drools)
- Heffrer: What did he say?
- Rocko: I think he said hose crud. Oy, what the blazes does that mean?
Vacuum spews grey sludge on Rocko and the floor