Jimmy Neutron Takes Place in Texas
Note:
This was originally written on May 6, 2023, and was posted on DeviantART on May 7, 2023. Unlike the other things I've reposted from DeviantART, this wasn't originally posted a journal, but as a status update. This is probably the shortest thing I've ever posted on this blog. In fact, this note that you're reading now will be longer than the main text. It's only like three sentences long, and it's talking about this fun fact that I learn about the Jimmy Neutron franchise. And it's that Retroville is located in Texas. I don't exactly remember how I learned that, it might've been on the Wikipedia page for The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius, or it might've been in a YouTube video or something. But, I was completely shocked and surprised that this show that I loved as a kid took place in Texas.
There was nothing in the show really that indicated that it was set in Texas, other than like I said in the main text, the episode where Jimmy, Carl, Sheen, and the rest of their class go to a rodeo 🐂, and Jimmy, Carl, and Sheen develop a crush 😍 on this rodeo girl ♀︎, and they each try to impress her by doing rodeo stuff. Jimmy literally builds a mechanical bull 🐂 in order to try and impress her, and like nearly all of his inventions, it goes wrong, and the mechanical bull 🐂 starts going on rampage, and it's up to Ms. Fowl to destroy it because she used to be a horse rider 🏇 in the rodeo. She even copies a shot from The Matrix Reloaded after she destroys the robot bull 🐂. Oh, and there was one sheriff or warden who wore a cowboy hat 🤠 and talked with Texan accent, and tried to frame Jimmy, Carl, and Sheen for burglary and bank robbery I believe, but I could be misremembering it a little bit. His name was Buford Stormshuckle BTW.
But, besides that, there was nothing in the show that really indicated that it was set in Texas. There were no Texan flags waving everywhere on flag poles or in classrooms of the Lindbergh School, and characters don't have Texan accents, and weren't talking about how much they love Texas, and how much Texas pride they have. Because we all know how Texans love to talk about how much they love their state, and brag about being from Texas. Even Sandy Cheeks 🐿️ from SpongeBob 🧽 does that, she wears her Texas identity on her sleeve.
Speaking of which, since The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron and the Jimmy Neutron movie both take place in Texas, and Jimmy is a Texan, Nickelodeon technically has two genius characters who are from Texas, Jimmy and Sandy 🐿️. Now, I'm obviously not from Texas, I'm from New Mexico, and it's fun to me that a show I grew up, a childhood favorite of mine is set in a state that has apparently had a rivalry from over a century, since Texas and New Mexico both became states. Texas became a state first before New Mexico did.
I was completely unaware of this, that Texas and New Mexico had a sort of bitter rivalry with each other, until I saw that video by the Cynical Historian talking about it. But, knowing that The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron took place in Texas, makes me wish even more that we had a cartoon that took place in my home state, New Mexico. I mean, if we could have a successful live-action TV show for adults, Breaking Bad (and it's prequel spin-off, Better Call Saul) that takes place in New Mexico, I don't see why we can't have a cartoon TV show for kids (or for adults too) that takes place in New Mexico either.
New Mexico always tends to get ignored or overlooked in the media, in favor other states like Texas, California, New York, Florida, Colorado, and Arizona especially. Arizona gets way more exposure than New Mexico does, and is usually used as the setting for any movie or TV show that's set in the Southwest. That's where Wes Anderson decided to set his historical sci-fi comedy film, Asteroid City ☄️ in, even if he didn't actually film it in Arizona. Thor, Breaking Bad, and Better Call Saul are really the only ones in recent times that have gone against the grain and have been set in New Mexico. Not just use New Mexico as a filming location, but as the actual setting in the movie.
So, I hope one day, we'll get an actual cartoon show that's set in New Mexico, that showcases the unique culture and character of New Mexico, and makes New Mexico seem like an attractive place to visit or live. Extra points if it's set in the city I partially grew up in, Albuquerque. But, I'd take Alamogordo, or Roswell, or Santa Fe too. Those towns would make great locations for cartoons. If no one else makes it, then I might have to be the one to step in and do it if I manage to get into the animation industry.
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