Teletoon air date: 4/13/2003 (produced in 2002)
MTV air date: 8/2016
Written by: Erica Rivinoja
It's the all-inclusive, non-religious Snowflake Day, and Joan is saltier than ever. Can a suspiciously photogenic homeless woman who may or may not be Mandy Moore teach her the true meaning of the season? Meanwhile, Gandhi and Abe try to make a quick fortune with their half knife, half fork invention the Knork.
Tropes present in this episode
- Art Shift: The Snowflake Jake Saves Snowflake Day TV special, animated in stop motion à la Rankin/Bass Productions.
- As Himself: The ambiguity of Mandy Moore's character being either the actual teen singer or just a homeless person who just happens to look exactly like her is Played for Laughs, to the point that she's credited as "Herself?" (yes, with the question mark).
- Bloody Hilarious: Poor Abe just can't avoid getting his mouth cut open during this whole episode.
- Brick Joke: Among the ways that Joan sabotages Cleo's Snowflake Day party is peeing in the punch (offscreen). Then during her epiphany speech, she takes a moment to tell everyone not to drink the punch. Seconds later, JFK can be heard exclaiming, "This punch is amazing!"
- Did Not Think This Through: Gandhi and Abe's half knife, half fork utensil may sound like a good idea, but its design (read: a knife and fork accidentally twisted together via garbage disposal) ignores the practicality of the fork needing to hold the food in place while the knife cuts it, while the knife is too dangerous to put in one's mouth along with a fork. Their solution? A ton of add-ons for safety and convenience until it becomes an unsightly, coal-powered monstrosity which not only doesn't do its intended job, but nearly slices Abe to death.
- Exposed to the Elements: Cleo and Joan still wear their regular outfits in the snow, only adding on a scarf.
- Gift-Giving Gaffe: After trying and failing to earn some money to buy Cleo an expensive Snowflake Day present, Abe gives Cleo a kitschy arts-and-crafts project, a "love coupon book." Cleo dismisses it immediately and rewards Abe with his failed invention, which she had obviously dug out of the garbage.
- The Grinch: Joan takes up this role, going out of her way to try and ruin Snowflake Day for everyone due to her distaste for the holiday.
- Mall Santa: Snowflake Jake rather than Santa, but Joan works for one during the holiday, much to her chagrin.
- Medicine Show: How Gandhi and Abe attempt to sell their knork... in a modern-day shopping mall.
- Political Overcorrectness: The origin of Snowflake Day. The United Nations abolished all religious holidays in favor of secular ones. The Snowflake Day animated special has Snowflake Jake about to make Santa Claus, Dreidelstein and King Kwanzaa walk the plank. Not because their beliefs are wrong, but because they're specific, and "specificity is the enemy of unity".
- Pun: Abe and Gandhi's Bad Boss at the food court is the clone of Napoleon, whom Abe remarks "has some kind of complex."
- Running Gag
- Abe's mouth getting cut up.
- The greeting card company trying to take out Joan.
- Mandy Moore's character constantly being asked (and denying) if she's Mandy Moore.
- Shout-Out: The opening pan of the city, followed by the truck-in to Scudworth's house, mirrors the opening of Pinocchio.
- Slut-Shaming: Joan snarks to Abe that he should buy Cleo "a clamp to keep her legs shut" for Snowflake Day.
- Take That!: JFK's Snowflake Day album includes "A Jeff Foxworthy Redneck Snowflake Day," which consists of him just stomping around in a hunting cap singing "It's a Jeff Foxworthy redneck Snowflake Day!" with no music, satirizing both Foxworthy's trademark lowbrow "redneck" jokes and the numerous "songs" released under his name (namely "Redneck Stomp") which mostly just insert snippets of his standup into generic instrumental country music.
- What the Hell, Hero?:
- Toots calls out Joan for trying to sabotage Cleo's Snowflake Day party by tampering with the food and paraphernalia.
- Abe is livid when Cleo gives him the failed knork and lies she got it at Sharper Image.
- You Mean "Xmas": In the Clone High universe, all religious holidays, such as Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, have been banned in favor of the non-denominational Snowflake Day. Traditions include lamb tacos, cabbage patch dances and the holiday's figurehead, a pirate named Snowflake Jake, who brings children spices upon spices if they threaten him just right.
