Futurama, Alcohol, Cigars

[on:]

Has anyone else noticed Bender hasn't had any alcohol or smoked in the new episodes? There are a lot of times when his debauchery seemed missing to me. For example in the first scene of Rebirth when Bender says "We're back" wouldn't a Cigar have seemed more natural than a nail file? None of the characters in the past three episodes has actually drank anything alcoholic. The new episodes seem to be almost devoid of alcohol in general. Originally an empty beer can in the background was a normal sight but it doesn't seem like it anymore. Also, nobody on the dance floor at Club 122133 had anything resembling a drink, Leela had what appeared to be a wine glass but didn't drink from it. Zapp in the second episode said he had went looking for Brandy but apparently what he found was a minibar full of sparking water and some product placement(s) which felt out of place to me-- if Leela packed a minibar I'm pretty sure she'd stock it with the clean crisp taste of bold Canadian beer. The moment I noticed the lack of alcohol was when Bender came out of the resurrecting machine flat lining. I thought for sure he'd drink something, maybe like in the Honking, but no. Cigar's are actually in Futurama, Zapp smokes one and Sal and Petunia were smoking cigarettes, but I still haven't seen Bender smoke one outside of Zapp's Transcredible Exploits.

I just wonder if I'm noticing something little that will change or if this really is something Futurama is trying to get away from. What do you guys think? Am I a paranoid alcoholic or is there something to my rambling? Maybe I just missed something entirely. Thanks! 

[Reply #1 on:]

Hmm, it is odd that Bender doesn't drink and smoke at some point in Rebirth given his partying subplot, but I wouldn't look into it particularly.
Especially not the nail file bit, that was supposed to show how little Bender cared. A cigar wouldn't have fit there as well.

[Reply #2 on:]

You're a paranoid alcoholic and there's nothing to your rambling.

/thread.

[Reply #3 on:]

Forums are for paranoid rambling alcoholics, aren't they? And yeah I'm sure my examples are obtuse and overly specific I really just want to see more drinking.

[Reply #4 on:]

I'm sure we'll get to see more drinking as the series goes on. After all, now that they're on Comedy Central and can get away with more stuff than when they were on FOX they're hardly gonna try and move away from the whole drinking/smoking thing.

[Reply #5 on:]

I'm really just upset upset my Match the Robot Drink for Drink game is ineffective so far.

[Reply #6 on:]

I don't think that Bender's debauchery has been toned down or cleaned up in these new episodes. I think that there haven't been opportunities for him to drink and smoke thus far. I suppose he could've drank and smoked at the night club in "Rebirth", but he was too busy dancing.

I don't think that the writers have forgotten about Bender's vices; they just haven't been able to show them off yet. I'm sure we'll see Bender smoking and drinking and stealing again soon.

[Reply #7 on:]

there is a little bit of this in rebirth, when the crew go to some planet to feed leela to that monster, bender steals money out her wallet and he is holding a beer bottle while dancing, but yeah, he doesn't drink from it.

[Reply #8 on:]

I don't care much about alcohol/smoking dependency in Futurama, though it'd be a bit odd if Bender stopped doing it.
In rebirth I actually thought he'd be resuscitated with a few gallons of beer, but seeing as he came back to life with the old dooms day device, it was understandable why he didn't drink the rest of the episode, with him being busy partying so he wouldn't explode (though I thought part of his partying meant drinking).
I think it just hasn't been important to show Bender's vices in the last episodes. If the time comes when it is important to know how addicted he is, it will be there for us to watch. 
just my 2 cents

[Reply #9 on:]

there was at least one scene in Rebirth where bender has a beer at leela's funeral

[Reply #10 on:]

I seriously doubt they've made a conscious attempt to cut back on Bender's drinking or smoking; it's what gives his character added edge.  He's an amoral whoremongering drinking & smoking machine... and that's why I love him.

[Reply #11 on:]

I'm sure Bender will start drinking and smoking again.   The writers haven't doped down his character, he's still the same lovable Bender we all know.   After all, he did drink in Rebirth, so that's a start. 

[Reply #12 on:]

There is one thing that CC is great at:  Political Corectness and safety.  It's Okay to take shots at conservatives, yet not safe to take shots at liberals.  (Please don't give me the occasional Jon Stewart slamming of the occasional liberal who strays "off-message" - that happens once for every 1,000 Conservative trashings he delivers.)  Also, anything less than the kindess things said about Islam and Mohammad are not allowed (as the censoring of the Southpark episode shows), yet cowardly start producing a animated show that will be disrepectful to Jesus and his followers.

(NOTE:  I hate the brainwashed followers of any antiquated religion equally.  I just point this out because CC has shown that it plays "favorites" when it comes to what is Politically Correct and what is not.)

The same with "non-acceptable vices" - smoking and drinking are very politically incorrect, hense that part of Bender's personna will be downplayed.

So, what will be acceptable?  I can imagine an episode where Leela, Fry and Bender are doing lines of coke or hanging out stoned in a third-world opium den or sharing a roach on the PE ship would be acceptable.

 Hell, I'm sure the three things I just listed would be very funny.  Imagaine a stoned Fry trying to seduce a stoned Leela.  Underpants would quickly become optional!

At least I've come up with the plotline for the next horrible fan fic to be written by doo rag.

[Reply #13 on:]

None of the new episodes have really revolved around Bender, so we really haven't seen much of his vices.

And it's not like CC is the Disney channel... I mean, we've had orgy references.

[Reply #14 on:]

Bender is seen smoking in "Attack of the Killer App."  And, as others have pointed out, drinking in "Rebirth."

Let's complain about things that we aren't just totally making up, kthx.

[Reply #15 on:]

No I don't think they should make Futurama branded alcohol or cigars, that seems a little...

Oh wait, this isn't the stockroom...

Yeah, I'm sure he'll get back into his normal habits soon. Tomorrow's ep is fairly Bender centric, so expect both then.

[Reply #16 on:]

Plenty of debauchery in Proposition Infinity. Don't worry your precious smut is still alive and well.

[Reply #17 on:]

It's not the smut we want, it's the booze!

Personally, I would drink Bender Beer. Not sure I'd take up smoking just so I could enjoy a Bender Cigar though.

[Reply #18 on:]

[Reply #19 on:]

So... what do "natural robot flavorings" taste like, John?

[Reply #20 on:]

Probably like Platinum, Zinc, Iron and Chromium.  Bender is 30% of each.

[Reply #21 on:]

also dolomite

[Reply #22 on:]

Amazing how that works out...

[Reply #23 on:]

Bender runs on alcohol and smoking makes you look like a badass so these things, as well as robbery (the coolest of all crimes) will always be a big part of Bender's existence.

Here's a random fact that fits in this thread: I Second That Emotion won The Black Lung award from some college students against tobacco group.

[Reply #24 on:]

Hurray! A 1½ year old thread!

No, wait...

Hurray! Drinking, smoking, and debaucheries!

I don't think that Bender's debauchery has been toned down or cleaned up in these new episodes. I think that there haven't been opportunities for him to drink and smoke thus far. I suppose he could've drank and smoked at the night club in "Rebirth", but he was too busy dancing.

I don't think that the writers have forgotten about Bender's vices; they just haven't been able to show them off yet. I'm sure we'll see Bender smoking and drinking and stealing again soon.

Bender does not need an opportunity to drink, my good chum! That's kind of the point.



Seriously, though. It'd be really interesting to analyze how much/little drinking takes place in the new episodes (seeing as this thread was started in early July, after only a small portion of the 26 new episodes we've seen). Obviously, we have Benderama, which is conceptually alcoholic. There was also the party as well as the short scene at the speakeasy in All the Presidents' Heads, though I'm not sure if we actually saw any alcohol being consumed. And "Oooooh, the vast emptiness!" from TLPJF, though that was more "Let's relax and watch the end of existence" and "we love alcohol and smoking." Any other examples?

[Reply #25 on:]

There's been plenty of alcohol consumed in the last two half-seasons of Futurama. What's odd is that there haven't been any references to crack recently. Does anybody remember the crack vending machine and the crack mansion from Seasons 2 and 4 ?

Even-numbered seasons have previously had at least one reference to crack. I'm very surprised that the writers chose to omit it from Season 6. It was one of their best hidden jokes, the implication that crack is perfectly legal and no big deal (when cannabis obviously is not).

[Reply #26 on:]

Come on!

[Reply #27 on:]

Does anybody remember the crack vending machine and the crack mansion from Seasons 2 and 4 ?

I remember the crack mansion from Season 4 but I'm afraid I don't remember the crack vending maching from season 2. I do, however, remember the crack vending machine from Season 1.

[Reply #28 on:]

Ah, my mistake. So they'll likely bring it back for Season 7 then, based on that frequency of usage.