WHERE TO WATCH: NETFLIX
The realism of Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling lies in its slight exaggerations of progress and regress. It playfully skewers corporate greed, sticking its perspective-tipped point into iniquity without ever taking itself seriously or indulging itself too frequently. It’s a colourful, candid special that sets the bar absurdly high for other ’90s ‘toons itching for revivals. The original series had a penchant for saucy satire, and Static Cling makes sure it never forgets that. From quietly including a slimy carny reading the latest issue of PlaySlug to depicting a mogul as a dismissive booger-miner, the show’s satire covers all its bases and has a blast doing it. So yeah, Static Cling is everything we hoped it would be. And so much more.
Static Cling follows Rocko and company as they transition from cosmic flotsam to reintegrated members of a wildly different society. Fishes out of water on their own planet. Rocko, the only one genuinely appalled by this new world, must drag Heffer, Filburt, and his dog Spunky along with him as he seeks out the creator of an off-air television show. In many ways, Rocko symbolises the laments of those wishing for a simpler world. At the same time, though, he represents the opportunity to embrace progress and accept those who need it in order to feel safe (more on that shortly). Neither of these things is difficult to spot and appreciate. Static Cling isn’t subtle, and it isn’t shy. It knows what it wants to say and says it beautifully. Even more impressively, the special’s insistence on working transgender representation into its world only strengthens the effectiveness of its message.
In some ways, Static Cling emphasises the importance of representation more directly and more powerfully than almost any piece of media currently available for consumption. Its aims and intentions are obvious, and both work unbelievably well in the world that series creator Joe Murray crafts. The special may cause discomfort in some, but it’s the kind of discomfort they need to feel in order for them to hop aboard Rocko’s train of thought. Static Cling is ballsy enough to champion the marginalised and smart enough to accomplish it without abandoning the show’s lovably strange approach. Murray and his team absolutely have a hit on their hands.
Who knew that a talking, TV-obsessed wallaby could heft such a heavy mirror?
