Beavis and Butthead is an American adult animated series created by Mike Judge for MTV (seasons 1–8) and later Paramount+ (season 9–present, as Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butt-Head). The series follows Beavis and Butthead, both voiced by Judge, a pair of teenage slackers characterized by their apathy, lack of intelligence, lowbrow humor, and love for hard rock and heavy metal.
The characters originated in Judge’s 1992 short film Frog Baseball with the second film being called Peace, Love and Understanding, which was broadcast by MTV’s animation showcase Liquid Television. After MTV commissioned a full series, Beavis and Butthead ran for seven seasons from 1993 to 1997. It was revived with an eighth season aired on MTV in 2011. A second revival, consisting of an initial two-season order, premiered on Paramount+ in 2022.
During its initial run, Beavis and Butthead received critical acclaim for its satirical, scathing commentary on society, as well as criticism for its alleged influence on adolescents. They spend time watching television, drinking unhealthy beverages, eating, and embarking on “mundane, sordid” adventures, which often involve vandalism, abuse, violence, or animal cruelty. Most episodes integrate sequences where Beavis and Butt-Head watch music videos and offer commentary, that often goes not much further than to say “it sucks”.
In episode first aired on 13 July 1994, the duo watched the music video for Love And Anger, and naturally they said “it sucked”. They thought the opening scene looked like one of those Christmas glass snowballs, the kind they like to smash.
References
- Beavis and Butt-Head. Wikipedia, retrieved 21 February 2024.
- PDFM, ‘News’. Homeground 53, Autumn 1994
