Our famous historical figures constantly hold a solemn expression in our history books. Imagine turning them into literal animations with an entirely different persona and then making a show out of it. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller must have thought this would make a great show, but the same cannot be said for the audience.
An American animated series titled Clone High stirred up so much controversy over one particular character that the producers and the broadcasting network had to part from the journey only sometime after it began. The show was aired on November 2nd, 2002, with refreshing humor not meant for the general public.
Clone High followed a high school setting where the students were played by clones of figures of historical significance like Lincoln, Joan of Arc, John F. Kennedy, Cleopatra, and one infamous character, Gandhi. The show represented an alternate universe, with the makers wanting to focus more on the figures’ changed characteristic traits rather than the sci-fi animation’s visuals.
The show plays with its characters and the screenplay skillfully, which is visible in how each character completely contrasts with the essential traits we associate with them. The show took on serious risks, especially for that time, while almost gambling with the people’s response to the show’s concept.
Clone High finds its humor in the fact that these characters are a parody of the actual figures and are supposed to show traits opposite to the ones they portrayed in real life. But then, humor is subjective, and India does not rank all that high when it comes to taking jokes as just jokes.
Clone High: The Plot of the Show
When you look at things closely enough, you see wit everywhere in the show. It takes us to the imaginary town of Exclamation in the United States. We already know that all of the main clones and the supporting clones attend the high school in the town, but the secret is that the school is being run by a secret government organization called “the Secret Board of Shadowy Figures.”
The United States military is looking after the school, with the government hatching some evil-to-the-core plans for the clones. The principal of the school Cinnamon J. Scudworth, a part-time devil of a scientist and father of all the clones, has sinister motives for them. Though, his motives are far from satanic compared to what the government wants from the clones.
Abe Lincoln, the lead guy, struggles with human interaction and is awkwardly in love with the wild and free-spirited Cleopatra. The gothic and emo Joan of Arc is in love with Lincoln and is still progressive. Cleopatra is a cheerleader who is too proud of her looks and loves to date around, keeping men wrapped around her pinky.
Clone High: The Controversy that Led to the End of the Show
While some may say that show was way ahead of its time and that the subtle commentary on some real-life events and people was too witty and hilarious, others may disagree, to the point of going on a hunger strike. The show was strange in its concept, but it was also ridiculously clever.
But there was one character that managed to bring the show to its knees, that being the clone of Gandhi. He was an important character who struggled to follow in his father’s footsteps, the real Gandhi. There was no way he could come close to the legacy his father left behind, which caused him to act out and be rebellious.
He was more of a comic relief character who loved partying and was wild. This Gandhi was stressed but also knew how to enjoy his life and party occasionally, and India took offense to that. A real-life model to many was being depicted as a guy obsessed with women and an overall loser jerk; it was obviously, not going to go down well with India.
The country protested heavily, came onto the streets, and politicians and Gandhi’s grandson went on a hunger strike not just to get the character removed from the show but shut it entirely. It got to the point where the people threatened MTV India’s broadcast license.
The show’s makers, Miller and Lord, tried to devise different ways to save the show, offering to either change the character’s name to that of some different figure or even remove Gandhi from the show completely. But MTV, under great pressure from a country with such a large television audience, did not wish to compromise and instead canceled the show.
The show got to air only its first season but is now back in the game with Miller and Lord going for a reboot of their original idea. With the current scenario of the country, surely the Indian public would not mind Americans making fun of Gandhi, but even so, no comment has been made on this twenty-one-year-old controversy, and there is no update regarding Gandhi’s character in the show.
Fans of the show wait for more updates regarding the show, hoping this time it gets to air at least one full season.
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