Total Drama Island

TOTAL DRAMA ISLAND

I remember the good old days of Cartoon Network. Back when you could watch the classics: Scooby Doo, Johnny Qwest, Captain Planet (GO PLANET!), and anime every afternoon. Now, it’s much different. Toonami rules Saturday nights (until Adult Swim takes over), and many of the former shows we all loved haven’t been aired for years (except for Scooby Doo). In this day and age, it’s all about cartoons with easily forgettable names, with recyclable plots you saw over five years ago. Total Drama Island brings something somewhat new to the table. It uses the classic elimination method of shows such as The Bachelor/Bachelorette (Example: “If you do not receive a *insert symbolic object here* then you must leave.”), some stereotypical elements, a bit of crude humor at the characters’ expense, and combines it all with American animation. It is rated PG- D (D meaning suggestive dialogue), which would cover all the stuff they say in the show. Let’s begin with the description.

“DESCRIPTION!” :D

Total Drama Island takes somewhere in Wiscoca (sp?), Ontario, (Canada) at Camp Wawanakwa. The host is Chris McClain, a wise-cracking narcissist that delights in coming up with a challenge every three days to torture the 22 campers that are present at the beginning of the show for a full eight weeks. The campers are divided into two teams- The Screaming Gophers and the Killer Bass. They must work together with their teammates in order to win a challenge- and whichever team doesn’t win must vote off one of their teammates (which is often the camper they dislike the least at the time). A way for the campers to voice their thoughts would be in the bathroom stalls, where they often complain or ponder current events (or just the people they don’t like). This is often a time where their true feelings come out. Anyway, the symbols of their freedom are marshmallows, which they get to roast at the campfire if they receive one. As Chris says, “whoever does not receive a marshmallow must immediately go to the Dock of Shame, catch the Boat of Losers, and get the heck out of here! And you can’t come back. EVER.” This is a phrase you will hear every episode. The one person who manages to make it through all the challenges will be rewarded with fame and $100,000. Who knows who will get that far? With crazy challenges like jumping off a 1000 foot cliff into shark-infested waters to complete, it could be a complete mystery… (Or not. Just don’t go on YouTube- they’ll spoil it for you D: )

LINKS TO THE FIRST EPISODE:
Part 1- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1j8Db4WHEFk
Part 2- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rR5B4Au7xqg
Part 3- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmJwdjoQMzI

Here are short descriptions of the characters (in the order of who appears first in the video above and what team they will be on):
Beth- a friendly girl who follows the commands of the other, more confident characters (mostly Heather). [SCREAMING GOPHERS]
D.J. - fun teen who happens to love animals, an all-around team player. [KILLER BASS]
Gwen- nicknamed “Goth Girl” by Heather, a girl who likes her space and tends to make sarcastic remarks. [SCREAMING GOPHERS]
Geoff- nice guy, says “man” a lot, and tends to hang out around his male teammates-turned friends D.J. and Duncan. [KILLER BASS]
Lindsay- not the brightest crayon in the box, but nice regardless. [SCREAMING GOPHERS]
Heather- a bossy, conniving female who is always looking out for herself and only herself, which gets on other campers nerves. [SCREAMING GOPHERS]
Duncan- a delinquent who has a penchant for getting in trouble or causing trouble. [KILLER BASS]
Tyler- goofy athletic guy who likes Lindsay. And fears chickens. [KILLER BASS]
Harold- a Napoleon Dynamite impersonator [in personality] that has a few surprising secrets. [KILLER BASS]
Trent- musician that hits it off with Gwen and is usually the unfortunate receiver of many painful accidents. [SCREAMING GOPHERS]
Bridgette- a girl who likes to surf and swim with the dolphins, an overall nice person. [KILLER BASS]
Noah- the know-it-all, non-athletic guy as we perceive him. [SCREAMING GOPHERS]
Leshawna- team player, tough girl who is also friendly at the same time. [SCREAMING GOPHERS]
Katie & Sadie- two girls who can’t be apart, “BFFFL”s (Best Female Friends for Life O.o), who even dress alike. [KILLER BASS]
Ezekiel- not a very bright young man, who is disliked by most of his teammates once he says a very sexist comment. [KILLER BASS]
Cody- somewhat of a dork, yet a nice guy who tends to get himself in trouble as well. [SCREAMING GOPHERS]
Eva- a girl with a very violent personality and anger management problems. [KILLER BASS]
Owen- the main source of comic relief, who tends to say too much or do the wrong thing unintentionally. [SCREAMING GOPHERS]
Courtney- also bossy, but means well, and a CIT. [KILLER BASS]
Justin- the residential good-looking guy who doesn’t need to say much in order to get the girls to fawn over him. [SCREAMING GOPHERS]
Izzy- a strange and hyper girl who is often affectionately called “crazy girl” by her fellow campers. [SCREAMING GOPHERS]
Chef Hatchet- he’s the man who cooks all the meals and helps Chris out with the challenges, and can be intimidating at times.

ANALYSIS

In Total Drama Island, there are several patterns that can be spotted throughout the episodes as well as several movie or tv show references. Just to name a few references that I spotted, it would be Napoleon Dynamite, The Bachelor/Bachelorette, and Fear Factor. There may be more, but that is what I found.
As for the patterns, first of all would be the ongoing pairing up of certain people. For some, it isn’t obvious, but it becomes apparent as the episodes pass. One of the most obvious pairings would be of Gwen and Trent. Another pattern would be the repeating betrayals. Early on in the show, Heather convinces Beth and Lindsay to join her in an alliance where she has total control over them and they must do as she says, because “she’s going to take them to the final three.” They were gullible enough to believe her, and she treated them badly even though they had done nothing wrong to her. But if they dare show any defiance, she will find some way to make their lives miserable. The same goes for Duncan and his other chums, D.J. and Geoff as they continue to make fun of and prank Harold throughout the series. He gets his revenge later, and continuing dissent is generated because of this. While at the same time there is intense dislike between some teammates, there is also friendship. In the Screaming Gophers, Leshana sticks up for the other girls being controlled or abused by Heather’s tyranny, like Gwen and Beth. In the Killer Bass, Courtney and Bridget stick together when taking on challenges. And most notable is the friendship of Katie and Sadie, which is a little extreme if you ask me- yet it’s almost sweet how they are so devoted to each other. With so many different people of so many different backgrounds and personalities, Total Drama Island is in a way a unique experience for those who watch it. It shows me some of the elements you can see happening with young people in junior high/high school, such as romance, betrayal, friendship, alliances/groups/cliques, bullying, and making decisions on who you hang out with. With those elements, it feels a little bit more familiar to those who watch it (even if you may or may not have been to junior high/high school, you can sense the feeling of that atmosphere). Also, it seems to be one of the first shows displayed on Cartoon Network that is actually geared towards young teens and preteens, instead of the usual younger audience (seven year olds and up). From watching it at my brothers’ insistence, I have come to see some of the reasons why they like it so much. Total Drama Island has scored a viewing from many people so far, and they like what they see. I will be awaiting the conclusion of the first season when it’s over!

Total Drama Island is copyright to FreshTV.