MovieChat Forums > Arthur (1996) Discussion > The worst character on this show is...

The worst character on this show is...

posted 9 years ago by ExplorerDS6789
14 replies | jump to latest

Muffy.

And yes, I'm aware I'm a grown man talking about a children's show. Well, guess what? I was a kid when this first aired and I used to watch it.

Anyhoo, Muffy is hands down the WORST Arthur character as she's your stereotypical rich kid... which makes me wonder, if she's so rich, why does she go to public school?
She is greedy, vain, stuck-up, cocky, a diva, and a straight-up BEE-OTCH.
I've disliked her from Day 1, and how she treated Francine in the school picture episode.
And speaking of her treatment of Francine, remember in "Prunella Gets it Twice", Francine is trying to get money to buy Prunella that doll, so she goes to her "friend" Muffy who has more than enough to spare, but she outright refuses. She practically dangles the money in front of Francine and then pulls it away.
Let's also not forget Muffy showing her anti-semetic side in Arthur's Perfect Christmas, saying Hanukkah wasn't as important as Christmas and then giving away Francine's gift.

This character is insufferable. And worse yet, I heard a rumor they were going to give her her own show. How would you even build a series around a character like Muffy? They couldn't build one around Buster, and he had more character development than Muffy... though, Buster's show was really nothing more than home videos of different locations sandwiched between a few animated scenes of Buster and his dad... but how could they do a Muffy show? Unless maybe it's a riches to rags story of her family going broke and she has to live like a normal person?

I realize not EVERY character in a children's show needs to be a rolemodel, as there are always those people among us who never learn their lesson, and Arthur's answer to that is Muffy. And I know she's just a third grader and mostly influenced by her parents, so I'd cut her a little slack.

[–] For-the-Overwind 9 years ago

Posts like yours are the exact reason why Muffy is the best character on the show. I'd might as well be watching Barney if she weren't on it.

She is greedy, vain, stuck-up, cocky, a diva, and a straight-up BEE-OTCH.

Isn't that the whole point?

And speaking of her treatment of Francine, remember in "Prunella Gets it Twice", Francine is trying to get money to buy Prunella that doll, so she goes to her "friend" Muffy who has more than enough to spare, but she outright refuses.

Well, it wouldn't be much of a story if Francine just borrowed money, now would it? I mean going to mooch off of Muffy was the very first thing she tries to do after seeing that doll in the store. Plus we can't teach kids watching at home that borrowing money is the go-to solution to any problem, that's the main reason the world economy is in shambles; too much borrowing and not enough paying it back.

Although Francine does borrow money at the end and becomes a slave (indentured servant, actually) to her sister Catherine. How come the episode doesn't make a big deal about that?

Let's also not forget Muffy showing her anti-semetic side in Arthur's Perfect Christmas, saying Hanukkah wasn't as important as Christmas and then giving away Francine's gift.

To be fair-- and this is coming from someone who was raised in a Jewish family-- Hanukkah isn't even that important of a holiday on our calendar. Ironically it got a huge push in America because Christmas is such a big deal here. I gotta be honest though, me and my sister used to laugh at Francine for making a huge deal out of Hanukkah. Then we remembered it was Goyim writers who made the episode.

Since when did Francine become Jewish anyway? In the first Arthur's Christmas book she can be seen sitting on Santa Claus' lap.

[–] ExplorerDS6789 9 years ago

Posts like yours are the exact reason why Muffy is the best character on the show. I'd might as well be watching Barney if she weren't on it.

Yeah, I know, and Lady Elaine Fairchilde was a similar character on Mister Rogers Neighborhood, and she was one of my favorites, as was Schemer from Shining Time Station, and of course, Oscar the Grouch. I know kids' shows need that one character who always causes trouble and never learns their lesson, but at the same time, the character is funny and entertaining to watch. Muffy is just a boorish brat.

Well, it wouldn't be much of a story if Francine just borrowed money, now would it? I mean going to mooch off of Muffy was the very first thing she tries to do after seeing that doll in the store.

They could have said Muffy was on vacation.

Although Francine does borrow money at the end and becomes a slave (indentured servant, actually) to her sister Catherine. How come the episode doesn't make a big deal about that?

I guess that episode wasn't very well written. Maybe of the writers' let their kid pen an episode.

[–] In_Correct 9 years ago

Lol ... Jews don't eat pork, do they? And so The Crosswires are very ignorant about such things. I remember Arthur's Perfect Christmas Ed was trying to patch things up with Oliver decided to give Oliver a gift. Ed brought over A HAM!!

But anyways I remember having a spoiled rich classmate who could have afforded to go to private school. He never enrolled.

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[–] In_Correct 9 years ago

Since when did Francine become Jewish anyway? In the first Arthur's Christmas book she can be seen sitting on Santa Claus' lap.

I think it is just to throw as much diversity as possible into the show. Diversity is EVERYWHERE in The Arthur Show. The Frensky's are considerably darker skinned (or perhaps fur), and also Mrs. MacGrady is from India. Mrs. Bryan, Mrs. Krasney, and Nurse Flynn are all African Americans. I am not complaining about that but The Brain was Black but became biracial when they changed the colour of his parents: He now has a Black-African father and a White-African mother. Or it could be that they are a biracial American family but they make a big deal about Africa and celebrate Kwanzaa. (Why did they change Mrs. Powers anyways?) George is Norwegian, Emily is French, The Ratburns are American Indian. And Mei-Lin is chinese, but she is adopted. And then you have very nice dark skin / fur people bringing "diversity" from Louisiana. but I am pretty sure that they got the accents wrong. I heard that accent from some parts of Texas; It is different in Louisiana.

And of course when all of this isn't enough, they add The Molinas. You cannot possibly get any more diverse than them.

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[–] In_Correct 9 years ago

I guess that episode wasn't very well written. Maybe of the writers' let their kid pen an episode.

I am pretty sure that this happens quite often lol. They even deliberately had kids submit episode ideas to form "The Contest" episode.

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[–] ExplorerDS6789 9 years ago

They even deliberately had kids submit episode ideas to form "The Contest" episode.

Is that the one where they do spoofs of adult-themed shows? I would certainly be skeptical of those kids' parents.

[–] TrueLoveWays 9 years ago

To be honest, a lot of the characters have flaws.

[–] meisterburger23 9 years ago

DW was worse though

[–] ZakkWyldeMyLittlePony 9 years ago

Muffy strikes me as a spoiled brat. I never really liked her either.

"Metallica loves Ponyville!"

[–] ExplorerDS6789 9 years ago

And something else I've been thinking about: her name. Who names their child 'Muffy'?

[–] asugaraddict 8 years ago

Her real name is Mary Alice. 😜

[–] freebird1987 9 years ago

I hate Muffy and I hate DW.

I wish Arthur punched Muffy.

[–] ExplorerDS6789 9 years ago

I hate Muffy and I hate DW.

Yeah, I don't like Muffy either, but D.W. makes me laugh sometimes. She may be bratty, but at least she can be funny now and then.

[–] dopecat5 (8) 7 years ago

I can see how Muffy comes off as a complete snobby and spoiled bitch but she does have good sides to her. It's done on purpose to show that people with shitty traits can have good aspects to them.

I dislike George the most, he is a wuss, a mope and has dyslexia. I'm pretty sure that he has other mental issues.