History Main / BeanstalkParody

* ''WebAnimation/FiftyWaysToDieInMinecraft'': The Fairy Tale episode involves a few ''Jack and the Beanstalk'' parodies, which involve the giant crushing Jack after falling from the beanstalk and the giant refusing to eat an American because of "too much trans fat".

* In Creator/AbbottAndCostello's ''Jack and the Beanstalk'', Eloise Larkin and her fiancé Arthur's plans to attend the rehearsal of a play are jeopardized because no one will babysit her obnoxious kid brother Donald. Eloise phones the Cosman Employment Agency, where Mr. Dinkel (Bud) and Jack (Lou) just happen to be seeking work. Jack flirts with Cosman employee Polly, but he is thwarted by the arrival of her boyfriend, a towering police officer. Polly sends Dinkle and Jack to babysit, but an attempt to lull the boy to sleep by reading the fairy tale ''Jack and the Beanstalk'' (Jack's "favorite novel") aloud fails when Jack stumbles over the larger words. Bemused by Jack, Donald reads the story instead -- a role-reversal made complete when Jack falls asleep as Donald reads. In his slumber, Jack dreams that he is the young Jack of the fairy tale. HilarityEnsues as he [[AndYouWereThere the people he has met fill the various roles in the story]].

These stories usually follow the original fairytale more or less closely -- characters obtain magic beans, sometimes as part of being swindled, from which a giant beanstalk grows that leads to a castle in the clouds, inhabited by a [[OurGiantsAreBigger giant]]. The giant will often be guarding a DamselInDistress (most commonly a living harp), a goose that can lay golden eggs, a vast amount of treasure, or any combination of the three. Some works may also have the twist that the giant may not actually be that big, and [[CompensatingForSomething is using the castle as compensation for his diminutive size]]. Changes and omissions are relatively rare, but sometimes include replacing the giant for another villain or threat, dropping the beans' origin story, or replacing the beanstalk with another plant or tall structure.

In video games, this trope is used when a level (usually a LevelInTheClouds) takes place on a giant beanstalk. This may often involve fighting [[BigCreepyCrawlies giant insects]] and [[SolidClouds walking across clouds]], and you might even have to fight a giant at the end of the stage.

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''Literature/JackAndTheBeanstalk'' is one of the most iconic fairy tales, and as such, it is [[FracturedFairyTale often parodied in media]]. These works will most often involve a giant beanstalk leading to a castle in the clouds, inhabited by a [[OurGiantsAreBigger giant]]. The giant will often be guarding a DamselInDistress (most commonly, a living harp), a goose that can lay golden eggs, a vast amount of treasure, or any combination of the three. Some works may also have the twist that the giant may not actually be that big, and [[CompensatingForSomething is using the castle as compensation for his diminutive size]]. This trope is more commonly seen in surreal works, but in works more grounded in realism, this will often be used as story being told to the works' characters or used as an ImagineSpot by one of the characters.

* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDramaRama'': In "Beth and the Beanstalk", Beth, Owen, and Izzy climb a magical beanstalk and they find themselves in a parallel dimension inhabitated by giant versions of their friends. In the end, it was [[OrWasItADream left unclear if it was just a dream or not]].

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'':
** In "[[Recap/RugratsS6E8TheMagicBabyDilWeMeetAgain The Magic Baby]]", after Grandpa Lou tells the babies the story of ''Jack and the Beanstalk'', they become convinced that Dil has eaten some magic beans (really some bean-shaped pieces of cereal) and that he now possesses the ability to grant wishes.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/TheAddamsFamily1992'' episode, "Jack and Jill and the Beanstalk", Uncle Fester has trouble sleeping, so Wednesday and Puggsley tell him the story of Jack and Jill and the Beanstalk, with Puggsley in the role of Jack, and Wednesday in the role of Jill. Jack and Jill recieve magic beans from the Big Bad Wolf when they loan him their alligator. When they get to the Giant's castle, the Giant is revealed to have an obsession with underwear, and has Rumpelstiltskin as his prisoner to make him a golden pair.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}} (1993)'':

* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'' episode, "Just Desserts", Arthur eats too much, and has [[AcidRefluxNightmare a fairy tale-esque dream]]. Part of his dream involves D.W. tossing antacid tablets into the ground and a beanstalk growing from them. When Arthur climbs to the top of the beanstalk, he encounters a giant made of eight years worth of food.

* WesternAnimation/ClassicDisneyShorts: The 1933 short ''Giantland'' has Mickey Mouse telling a group of mouse children the story with himself in the title role.
* The ''WesternAnimation/CountDuckula'' episode, "Duck and the Broccoli Stalk" provides a variation; Thanks to Dr. Von Goosewing's vegetable grower, Duckula, Igor and Nanny find themselves up a broccoli stalk and into a giant's castle.

* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'': The episode "Jaw$!" opens with Scrooge and his family returning from a treasure hunt that involved climbing and chopping down a giant beanstalk. [[OffscreenMomentOfAwesome We don't get to see the adventure, only its aftermath]], [[HeroInsurance where the felled beanstalk caused property damage throughout the city]].
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheCharlieBrownAndSnoopyShow'' episode "Snoopy and the Giant", a beanstalk grows in the garden that Woodstock has Snoopy make for him. When Snoopy and Woodstock climb the beanstalk, they come to the Giant's castle and find a room full of cookies. The Giant, who [[CreatorCameo resembles Bill Meléndez]], captures Woodstock, and Snoopy has to save him. When Snoopy and Woodstock get back home, Snoopy cuts down the beanstalk with a chainsaw, and when Woodstock tries to plant a new garden, [[WeAreNotGoingThroughThatAgain Snoopy takes the key to his tractor]].
* On ''WesternAnimation/DastardlyAndMuttleyInTheirFlyingMachines'', the ''Magnificent Muttley'' short "What's New, Old Bean?" spoofs "Jack and the Beanstalk". While on garden duty, Muttley imagines himself as Jack, and Dick Dastardly as the giant.
* The ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode "Grimm Job" parodies several fairy tales read by Peter. One story is "Jack and the Beanstalk", where Peter is Jack, Stewie is the golden goose, and Chris is the giant.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' episode "Leela and the Genestalk", Leela has a disease that makes her grow tentacles. A con man sells Fry some "magic beans" to allegedly cure Leela but Farnsworth throws them out the window and they grow a beanstalk. When they get to the top, they meet a giant, along with several other genetically-engineered people. However, there is nothing magical going on; the castle is a laboratory run by [[BigBad Mom]], and the giant is actually a human suffering from severe gigantism who volunteered to try Mom's genetic engineering as a cure. The beans and the resulting beanstalk are also the result of her genetic experiments.
* ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends'': The ''ComicStrip/USAcres'' segment, "[[Recap/GarfieldAndFriendsS5E11 Jack II: The Rest of the Story]]" begins with Orson reading the story of ''Jack and the Beanstalk'' to Booker, Sheldon, Wade, and Roy. The four decide to write their own sequel to the story after questioning the ending of Jack having an unconscious giant in his front yard. In this sequel, Jack is arrested for theft, attempted murder of a giant, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and chopping beanstalks out of season]]. Meanwhile, the giant takes back the Goose that lays golden eggs and uses the gold to turn his castle into a mini-mall.

** The 1943 short ''Jack-Wabbit and the Beanstalk'' has Bugs Bunny going up the beanstalk to get some giant carrots and meeting a dopey giant.

** The 1955 short ''Beanstalk Bunny'' features Daffy Duck in the Jack role, Elmer Fudd as the giant, and Bugs...well, he's just along for the ride.
--->'''Bugs:''' I don't remember any rabbit in "Jack an' da Beanstalk". But dere's gonna be one in ''dis'' one.

* ''WesternAnimation/MadJackThePirate'': The penultimate episode ''Mad Jack and the Beanstalk'', Snuk loses the money Mad Jack gave him to pay off Jack's landlord to a conman, and is left with beans tied to string. Jack throws the beans in the sea resulting in a giant bean stalk growing. Like in the fairy tale, they find a giant's castle on top of the beanstalk, and eventually rob it of a single, gigantic coin which they use to pay off the landlord.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheMagicSchoolBus'': In the episode "Gets Planted", the class does a play of "Jack and the Beanstalk".
* ''WesternAnimation/MaxAndRuby'': The show has a trilogy of episodes parodying fairy tales, titled "Max and Ruby's Bunny Tales". [[ThreeShorts The second segment]] of the first ''Bunny Tales'' episode parodies ''Jack and the Beanstalk'', with a lesson on why green beans are good for you.

* In the Creator/NationalFilmBoardOfCanada short "WesternAnimation/TheHouseThatJackBuilt1967", Jack trades his busted car for magic beans that grow into a beanstalk. Jack climbs it and reaches the castle of Mr. Giant, who is not a giant at all (in fact, he's shorter than Jack) but has a "motivational mirror" that makes him think he is. Jack steals the mirror and uses it to become wealthy and successful.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/PegPlusCat'' episode "The Giant Problem", Peg, Cat, the Three Billy Goats Gruff, the Three Bears, and two of the Three Little Pigs are up a beanstalk and the giant and his wife want to have lunch with them, but they think that they want to have ''them'' for lunch, so they escape and cut the beanstalk down, but the giants turn out to be friendly, and they make later appearances in other episodes.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Popeye}}'': The 1943 short ''Ration fer the Duration'' (remade in 1951 as ''Let's Stalk Spinach'') has Popeye dreaming about climbing a giant spinach-stalk that his nephews grew.

* ''WesternAnimation/Rugrats1991'':

* In the ''Series/TheSuperMarioBrosSuperShow'' episode, "Mario and the Beanstalk", Mario sells Princess Toadstool's royal cow to raise money for the Mushroom Kingdom Orphanage. Dealin' Delbert gives them garbanzo bean seeds, which grow into a beanstalk. Inside the Giant's Castle, King Koopa takes on the role of the Giant thanks to a magic spell he cast upon himself, and guards a goose that can lay gold coins. It's up to Mario and his friends to rescue the goose and the Mushroom Kingdom Orphanage.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TalesFromTheCryptKeeper'' episode "Chuck (and Melvin) and the Beanstalker", the titular brothers, returning from "Sleeping Beauty", find themselves in the castle from the tale. After they make off with the golden harp, it turns out to be merely ''painted'' gold. [[spoiler:The harp's ''strings'' on the other hand...]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheTomAndJerryShow'' short "Beanstalk Buddies", Tom and Jerry's last bean falls off their plate, through the floor of their shack and into the ground. While they sleep, the bean grows into a beanstalk. Tom and Jerry's shack is carried with the beanstalk into the sky. The next morning, they encounter a giant whose treasures include a talking harp and a goose that lays golden eggs. After they return home with the treasures and the giant's dog, Tom and Jerry enjoy a seven-course meal, made for them by the harp.

''Literature/JackAndTheBeanstalk'' is one of the most iconic fairy tales, and as such, it is [[FracturedFairyTale often parodied in media]]. These works will most often involve a giant beanstalk leading to a castle in the clouds, inhabited by a giant. The giant will often be guarding a DamselInDistress (most commonly, a living harp), a goose that can lay golden eggs, a vast amount of treasure, or any combination of the three. Some works may also have the twist that the giant may not actually be that big, and [[CompensatingForSomething is using the castle as compensation for his diminutive size]]. This trope is more commonly seen in surreal works, but in works more grounded in realism, this will often be used as story being told to the works' characters or used as an ImagineSpot by one of the characters.

* ''VideoGame/Action52'': Game 43 in the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis version is Magic Bean. In it, you control presumably Jack who has to climb the giant beanstalk while dodging objects thrown at him, like boots, swords, bottles, and horseshoes.

* ''VideoGame/TheSimpsonsBartAndTheBeanstalk'' is a video game for the UsefulNotes/GameBoy that parodies the story of ''Jack and the Beanstalk'', with Bart in the role of Jack, Mr. Burns in the role of the bean dealer, and Homer in the role of the giant.

* ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures: Buster and the Beanstalk'' (also known as ''The Great Beanstalk'') is a video game for the [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation PS1]] and PC where the goal of the game is to get Buster Bunny and Plucky Duck into The Giant's castle by finding pieces of a key. This is done by using hints given by the loudspeaker (by Babs Bunny), and pointing and clicking on objects found in the game. There are a total of three keys to be found on Easy Mode, but changing the difficulty to Hard can give the player a longer adventure. [[AndCallHimGeorge Elmyra Duff]] takes on the role of a magical witch that can capture Buster or Plucky, hindering their quest for a bit.