One of my favorite TV tropes is when two characters who have spent tons of time together in a band realize they have nothing to say to each other when it’s just them. It happened in the episode “The Dog” of Seinfeld after Jerry pulls out of seeing a movie and George and Elaine (“Just Me and George?”) awkwardly realize the only thing they have in common is making fun of their friend, and it happened in the second episode of Atlanta season three.
After Earn (Donald Glover) wakes up late in Copenhagen, he asks Darius (LaKeith Stanfield) to pick up Van (Zazie Beetz) in Amsterdam for him. They jump into a van together and the uncomfortably tense chatter begins. “And you and Earn?” Are you going to… release another baby? Darius asks Van, who replies that she has a boyfriend. When she asks him the same question, he replies, “I can’t procreate. I had my balls crushed when I was a kid in Nigeria. After a few moments of interminable silence, Darius (who would later admit that he is not “good” at small talk) asks: “Have you already seen the film Food fight!Check out the trailer, he insists. “It’s intense.”
Something tells me Van won’t be watching the trailer, but you should.
If you listen to enough bad movie podcasts, you already know Food fight! (I recommend The house of the flopthe episode). But just in case: It’s a 2012 animated movie with a budget of $65 million – even though it looks like it costs $65 – that earned $73,706 at the box office. Look, I’m no financial expert, but that sounds bad.
The plot follows Dex Dogtective, voiced by Charlie Sheen, a canine detective (in case you weren’t sure of his name) who rounds up trademark product mascots, like Charlie Tuna and the Twinkie kid, to stop the evil Brand X . Food fight! is essentially “what if toy story was about product placement… and also it sucked. The voiceover cast includes Wayne Brady as a squirrel, Hilary Duff as a cat named Sunshine Goodness, and Christopher Lloyd in his most famous role, “Mr. Clipboard.”
From a 2013 audiovisual club writing :
Food fight! was apparently designed for a very weird and very specific audience of young children, scoring super freaks, furries, perverts and people who have always fantasized about fucking Mrs. Butterworth. It would be scary and ogling even if the parties involved weren’t of different species. It’s a testament to the shockingly lascivious and sexual way Food fight! is that an actor synonymous with violent, cocaine-fueled orgies with high-end prostitutes chosen as its dashing hero actually represents one of its least sketchy and offensive aspects.
As Darius said, “it’s intense”. Enjoy!
Oh my god there’s a Foodfight! reference in the new episode of Atlanta. This show knows exactly what I want
— Ajay Madala (@AjayMadala15) March 25, 2022
It was cool that they mentioned Foodfight! in Atlanta in the 2nd episode
—Jim Gisriel (@JimmFORCE) March 25, 2022
No, Foodfight is one of the weirdest and worst movies I’ve ever seen in my life lmao #AtlantaFX
— Black Swordsman Shakoichi (@ShakExcellence) March 25, 2022
New Atlanta episode references Foodfight, which is the worst movie I’ve ever seen and caught me off guard
— Danny Casillas (@Danny_Casillas_) March 25, 2022
they didn’t just make a reference to the food fight in atlanta
– carol (@doinyamom_) March 25, 2022
If you don’t watch the Foodfight trailer after this Atlanta episode, you’re a fool.
— Ross Bonaime (@rbonaime) March 25, 2022
It’s good to see you again, Atlanta.