Animation Damnation: Jem and the Holograms - "Intrigue at the Indy 500"
Added 2025-04-24 10:00:43 +0000 UTCOn this episode of Animation Damnation, we're talking about a totally insane and wildly entertaining episode of Jem and the Holograms.
The episode in question, "Intrigue at the Indy 500," originally aired back on February 1, 1987, this episode features the titular cartoon band making an appearance at the Indy 500, only to have Jem hop in the driver's seat at the last second to win it all! It also features Pizzaz of The Misfits attempting vehicular homicide at a swank reception, Eric Raymond getting in too deep with the gambling, and two really solid music videos from our animated musicians!
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Original cover art by Felipe Sobreiro.
Comments
Also as that same child of the late 80’s, this is EXACTLY how I would imagine Rainbow Brite’s late teen-early to mid 20’s to go. After that. She joins the X-Men
RJ Cunningham
2025-04-26 20:03:46 +0000 UTCThe theme song at 00:10 seconds in gave me a jolt of energy (it got my blood going) to open the window on the same wall my tv’s power cord is attached to, and caught my foot on a wire for something connected to my tv and nearly knocked it over, I grabbed it with half my hand hitting the screen. When I caught it and had it set back down with no screen issues, and that song still blaring, made me feel like I was living in the world I imagined as a child in the late 80s. Just everything proving a win
RJ Cunningham
2025-04-26 19:28:45 +0000 UTCThere is a plot that runs over a few Jem episodes where one of the Starlight Girls - who is a Vietnamese Orphan, struggles with meeting her father for the first time, an American GI - this is part of a cartoon that ran on saturday morning with lucky charms commercials.
Michael Credle
2025-04-26 18:53:45 +0000 UTCWow how fucking pissed was I when Back in Shape wasn’t on Spotify!!!!!! As a first time viewer, this shit ruuuuuuled
RJ Cunningham
2025-04-26 18:06:56 +0000 UTCI loved how much all four of you were in for the ride that is Jem and the Holograms. The show is a ton of fun. The Misfits is always a good team name if anyone is ever in the market for one.
Christine J
2025-04-25 03:15:09 +0000 UTCI was all about Jem when I was growing up. I had the dolls & I still remember getting the Rio doll with my dad saying that he was "Rio ugly" LOL Highly recommend falling down the rabbit hole and watching more episodes. They are banana pants with catchy music.
Maria Laramore
2025-04-25 02:43:18 +0000 UTCHad the shock of my life when Steve started singing the theme song and I remembered that I used to watch a *ton* of this show. I think it was in regular rotation on Teletoon (the Canadian equivalent of Cartoon Network), and I'd be glued to the screen whenever it came on.
John Edwards
2025-04-25 01:31:07 +0000 UTCAnother fun episode I watched this all the time as a child. I had the dolls and they had a stage that was a guitar. Yes it’s crazy about Rio. He was with Jerrica and then when she because Jem she would throw herself at Rio all the time and he said no for a minute then he would go all in. Then it was silly that jerrica would get jealous that Rio would go on and on about Jem. When I was younger I was so mad at Rio for how he treats jerrica. When I watched as an adult I was like it’s your fault you are throwing yourself at him all the time. And Rio is the dummy because he couldn’t figure out that he was kissing the same girl.
Dawn Elicia Billings
2025-04-24 22:40:49 +0000 UTCThis is the best day ever! Jem is truly truly truly outrageous! My sister and I watched this on Saturday mornings and before school.
Rashida Douglas
2025-04-24 21:53:43 +0000 UTCI was team misfits they were so fun. I was just amazed that in every episode they committed multiple felonies. Then was never held responsible. I still crack up when I see the meme of Pizzazz slapping the reporter.
Dawn Elicia Billings
2025-04-24 21:52:27 +0000 UTCThey deserved for that movie to bombed they alienated the entire fan base. They made it instead about a business woman running a home for girls to some girl becoming a star because of YouTube. I don’t watch but I read comments. I mean in the first trailer people complained about the lack of star earrings. They had to edit it.
Dawn Elicia Billings
2025-04-24 21:50:19 +0000 UTCThere was a guy with an upsettingly guttural deep voice who would speak all the dialogue over an episode available on YouTube, and I think he called Jem “ Jizz” instead….. it was funny ….
Catboyslim
2025-04-24 20:07:37 +0000 UTCSo excited you guys are watching Jem and the holograms. I have been requesting their cartoons for years during listeners request month. Can’t wait to listen. This is one of my all time favorite cartoons along with Garfield and friends
Dawn Elicia Billings
2025-04-24 20:06:59 +0000 UTCEverything Pizzazz does in this episode (as well as the rest of the series) makes a little more sense if you assume that she's on a shit-ton of coke.
Justine Prudhomme
2025-04-24 19:49:52 +0000 UTCMarvel and Hasbro originated Jem together in a deal structured like G.l. Joes', according to creator Christy Marx. Stan Lee used a method similar to to Marvel method for animation too. (Sorry, gentlemen, l’m taken.)
Boots Century
2025-04-24 18:27:35 +0000 UTChttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08PMyE7xpNY
Boots Century
2025-04-24 17:16:37 +0000 UTCThe most unintentionally hilarious bit about the 2015 movie is the post credit tease introducing the Misfits for a sequel that had a snowball's chance in hell of getting made.
CharlesGrodin'sToupee
2025-04-24 17:06:58 +0000 UTCYou could give me a million chances and I still would never have guessed that Britta Phillips was the singer for Jem and the Holograms. I kind of love the randomness of that bit of casting.
David Shook
2025-04-24 14:56:40 +0000 UTCHow could it have been the end of the 30 min toy commercial when as you point out TMNT dropped the next year, arguably the most successful version of the cartoon toy commercial of all time?
Winson Paine
2025-04-24 14:52:33 +0000 UTCJem is noteworthy for basically being the exact end of the "30 minute toy commercial" being the dominant cartoon template. (Also when I aged out on Saturday morning cartoons as a ritual.) The very next year: TMNT and Ducktales kicked off the last golden age of broadcast TV cartoons. Jem alternated on an anthology series with Robotix and a series based on Bigfoot, the Monster Truck. Jem kind of took over the whole thing within a year, but it would explain the half hearted appealing to boys when they tuned in for giant robot dinosaurs and monster trucks and instead got singing fake Barbie. Finally (shut up old man,) to counter the aggressive challenge of the Jem dolls, Mattel quickly threw together a "Barbie and the Rockers" line and stomped out the challenger. (Sorry ladies, I'm taken. 🤓)
MarkNM
2025-04-24 13:07:36 +0000 UTC
