Frogs – Episode 5
Gerry shakes Larry. “Get up! We’ll be late.” Larry slowly wakes up in reality. Gerry hectically looks for something: “They have my cell phone!” Larry becomes confused: “Who?” Gerry replies, annoyed: “Nevermind. It’s just gone.” Larry goes on: “But the battery was dead anyway.” Gerry shakes Larry: “You can recharge it.”
They wander through Central Park and meet Emma. Gerry straight up says, “Have you seen my phone?” Emma replies, “You must have left it at one of your meetings.” Larry looks down in shame. Gerry continues: “Emma, tell me, what’s the fastest way to Radio City Music Hall?” Emma points silently in the right direction. Gerry leads the way, and Larry follows and looks at Emma with an apologizing look.
Both arrive at Rockefeller Plaza. They stand behind the barrier on the open air area next to the NBC Today Show Studio. Gerry is constantly ready. Al Roker, the nice weather frog, presents right next to Gerry and Larry. “That’s what’s going on in the country.” He speaks to Gerry live on TV: “What’s going on in your neck of the woods?” and holds the microphone to him. Gerry spontaneously says: “I’m Gerry from Frogtown, and I’m here to become an Animal Star.”
The storks sit on the couch in their base, eat cornflakes, and watch the morning show. They suddenly look at each other as if they want to ask something. Both answer: “No.”
Al Roker smiles and pats Gerry on the shoulder: “Little man, casting is over there.” He points to 50th Street. A colorful bunch of animals stand there in an endless line. Gerry sneaks away, intimidated. Al Roker calls after him: “Good luck my friend.” Then continues: “Let’s go straight over to Tom at the Radio City Music Hall.” Gerry and Larry disappear in the huge bunch of animals.
Tom, a sly hyena who has grown far too small for his huge ego, reports live: “Ladies and gentlemen, a rush of talents from around the world has arrived to convince our top-class jury. Our head juror can hardly wait…” Tom takes a breath: “…he once came to this city and did not let the neon lights distract him because he is a real predator. He knows exactly what it takes to rock the music business. Ladies and gentlemen, the one and only: Pale Male!” Tom takes a deep breath as the director switches live to Pale Male at the jury desk. The famous New York red-tailed buzzard sits in his chair and makes a phone call. The production assistant, a vixen who constantly talks into her headset, waves to him excitedly. Pale overlooks her, just like the red light on the camera.
In front of Radio City Music Hall, Tom waves aggressively. He pushes the microphone to the side and shouts: “I’m talking to you, you old bird.” Even more aggressive: “Damn! Look at me when I talk to you. You’re only here because you have something to prove to your daughter.” He yells that his toupee is shaking: “Hello!”
In the studio, Pale is startled when he sees the red light on the camera. He quickly puts the phone away and smiles.
Tom also switches back to his professional mode and says: “Yes, he is our friend and role model Pale Male.” He blinks ironically and continues: “Let’s have a look at some of the promising talents.”
A donkey, dressed as a unicorn, with a party hat and rainbow mane, jostles into the picture. He throws glitter confetti and shouts: “Hui!” Tom walks on to a chicken with an egg and shakes the glitter out of its fur. The chicken announces: “A star is born.” Tom looks at her with disgust. She points to the egg that she is carrying in front of her chest and “beep,” there is a knocking in the egg. Mama chicken is moved. Tom walks on, bored. The shell breaks, and as in an old rock song, the chicken sounds loud and in a full voice: “Mama!” Tom is not interested in all this. Josef, a stinking plumber rat is standing in front of Tom, who tells him: “The delivery entrance is back there. Tom goes to Ramona, a real hippo diva with Pascal on her shoulder, a submissive maggot hacker. Her relationship status can be described with: “It’s complicated.” Tom: “Oh, a real lady. What will you perform for us today, my dearest?” Pascal screams: “Mine!” Ramona hammers a clichéd soul sound into the microphone. Tom’s hair is waved through, confetti remains are blown out, and the microphone cracks and scratches. A bat covers its ears, its eyes swell up and it falls over. Absolute silence takes over. More bats fall from the facades of the surrounding skyscrapers. Tom points his hair, taps on the microphone. “One, two. Test. Very nice. Very nice. Thank you.” He tries to get away from her.
A beatboxing sloth hangs and chills in a microphone cable on the barrier. Tom rears up in front of him within his possibilities and it falls asleep. Next to him are Carl and Heinz, two quarrelsome but inseparable turtles. Tom addresses them: “And who are you guys?” Both say their names in a delayed way but at the same time. Carl complains directly to Heinz: “He asked me.” Carl interjects: “But you are always too slow.” “Too slow? Me?” Tom can’t take it in anymore: “It’s okay. What do you do?” Carl tells Heinz, “Turn around.” Carl replies, “Why is it always me?” “Because I’m always too slow for you.” Tom tears his fur out and grits his teeth furiously. Carl pulls drumsticks out of the shell, stands on his hind legs, and drums on Heinz like on a hand pan. An elephant standing next to him trumpets and comes dangerously close to the two. Heinz drops the sticks and they retreat into their shells. The elephant looks down in horror: “Sorry!” Tom shouts: “Cowabunga,” and goes to Gerry and Larry.