Standee is the third episode of season six and one hundred tenth episode in overall in Malcolm in the Middle it aired on November 21, 2004.
Synopsis[]
When Hal and the garbageman get into a trash-dumping war (which benefits Dewey because the house ends up with a big pile of trash, which means Dewey can't get to school), he enlists Reese's help. Meanwhile, Lois gets her job back at Lucky Aide (on probation) and fights against Malcolm in order to take down an offensive store display of a smiling black janitor holding a mop and a 6-pack of malt liquor. Soon it's an all-out war between mom and son - until Lois encounters a fellow employee who offends her even more than the display does.
Plot[]
When the garbage man Jerry refuses to pick up a large scratching post, Hal gets furious and tries to get back at him by trashing his lawn, which the garbage man counters by dumping a mountain of garbage on his lawn causing Hal and Reese to steal his garbage truck. Malcolm and Lois argue over an offensive advertisement at the drug store, while Lois is trying to get rid of it for prejudice reasons. Malcolm thinks she's just trying to control him, and it leads to a mother vs son battle. As Lois attempts to get rid of the advertisement by taking it out of the store, she meets Shirley, who applauds her. She tells her that she couldn't stand looking at it anymore and had to get rid of it. Lois is soon more offended when Shirley is revealed a racist who doesn't care for having different races at Lucky Aide and puts the advertisement back. Malcolm is soon revealed to hate the display, but also realizes he won't escape from Lois' control.
Cast[]
- Jane Kaczmarek as Lois
- Bryan Cranston as Hal
- Christopher Masterson as Francis
- Justin Berfield as Reese
- Erik Per Sullivan as Dewey
- Frankie Muniz as Malcolm
Guest Stars[]
Recurring[]
- David Anthony Higgins as Craig
- Gary Anthony Williams as Abe Kenarban
- Alex Morris as Trey
- Dan Martin as Malik
- Jonathon Craig Williams as Steve
- Edward James Gage as Brian
Cameos[]
- John DiResta as Jerry
- Jill Basey as Shirley
- Kathy Lamkin as Customer 1
- Carol Mansell as Customer 2
Trivia[]
- Francis does not appear in this episode.
- Lois has been shown to smoke again in this episode after a fight with Malcolm over the standee.
- Jerry was supposed to be the new boss of Craig, Lois and Malcolm at Lucky Aide. His arrogance and racist views clashes with everyone when he brings in the standee of a stereotypical black man as a janitor.
- In an original scene before the ending, Shirley reveals to Lois that she actually hated the standee because of how offensive it was to her son-in-law, their family, her closest friends, co-workers and their customers whom are different races. She was offended over how Jerry ignored her protests, the employees and the customers are protesting against Lucky Aide for his racist views. Lois explains that she understands where Shirley's coming from because she has an older son who's married to a woman of a different race. She gets rid of it much to the relief to the customers and employees. When Malcolm confronts Lois for getting rid of the standee, she mentions that she had her reasons to get rid of it. Shirley successfully convinces him to look at how the standee is encouraging racial discrimination and how uncomfortable it made their customers along with their employees. Immediately Malcolm is horrified and realize how this would affect Stevie and Abe due to them being African American. They are the Wilkerson family's closest friends and to see that in front of Lucky Aide would make them appear racists. Thus, Malcolm helps Lois and Shirley gets revenge on Jerry by strapping the standee on the top of his car with a mix of Saran Wrap, duct tape and super glue. Before sneaking away, Malcolm writes on the windows in red ink and in capital letters "Racist Pig" on it and goes back in the store. Jerry comes out and is forced to drive home with it. Malcolm, Lois and Shirley are smug and watching everyone are jeering at him for his racist views. They throw garbage at him and his car. This ends up humiliating Jerry enough to quit akin to Mr. Pinter.
- The next day has Lois talking about her and Malcolm's night resulting in Jerry quitting his job. The original ending has Shirley promoted to manager and she comes up with creative business idea to help make Lucky Aide a success. Before she can ask why Lois never wanted the promotion, Malcolm explains that with his youngest brother's birth and his father taking overtime at his new company, she is needed at home to help care for him. Hence, Malcolm is working to cover for both his and Lois's shift. Shirley understands very well and asks him not to overwork himself. The ending was changed to having Shirley being revealed as a bigot and Jerry's character being changed to being a garbage man.
- The garbage man whom Hal fights with was originally named Randy and supposed to be played by Jim Jansen.
Quotes[]
- Hal: Well the sanitation department claims our trash man has an air-tight alibi for last night. If I wanna haul this stuff away myself, I need $1200 for a 19-tonne truck, and a classified sanitation license, which I'm pretty sure, I don't have. Honey, I don't want you to worry about this. I will get rid of this crud no matter how long it takes!
- [dogwalker throws litter onto the pile]
- Hal: Hey! What makes you think that's ok?
- [Lois sighs and looks around in resignation]
- Hal: Honey, I am not going to tell you that this is ideal, but if we refuse to fight this fight, then we are really living in garbage, garbage of the spirit! And that's got to be the worst kind. Y'know I feel sorry for our neighbours who have no garbage on their lawns, but we don't want to sound too superior, everyone's doing the best they can!
- [Lois puts her hand up to stop Hal talking, and walks away]
- Hal: You know Lois there are things I don't say. [shouting] Like none of this would have happened, if you'd let us have a cat!
- [Hal and his friends are playing cards and talking]
- Steve: I think it's nice when someone does a lil something extra for Poker Night. I mean a six-tonne pile of trash? That does make a guy feel special!
- Brian: The smell around it actually makes Hal's dip taste good!
- Malik: Man, who dealt me this hand, imma go throw it out on the front yard.
- [laughing]
- Hal: I don't know what I'm gonna do. If I give up now what kind of example does that set for my boys?
- Trey: Yeah that's a tough one Hal. A man keeps chipping away at his authority, the new thing you know he's not the king of his own massive pile of garbage
- [laughing]
- Abe: Come on guys, Hal's suffering, we really should be more sensitive. No, wait, I got one! I see my favourite band out there, a flock of seagulls!
- [laughing]
- [Lois finally commits and goes to remove the cardboard cutout from the store.]
- Shirley: Oh thank the lord you're getting rid of that thing!
- Lois: Oh Shirley, I had to, I couldn't stand it any longer.
- Shirley: Oh believe me, I know. Ever since that thing went up, I swear, we have had so many more black people in here.
- Lois: [pause] What?...
- Shirley: That is not our clientele. We just don't have the personnel to follow them around. Thank you Lois!
- [Shirley walks away, Lois goes and puts it back where it was]
- Malcolm: What are you doing?
- Lois: You know how I've always believe in admitting when I was wrong. There are things about this I hadn't considered. Maybe I was too focussed on controlling you. The point is, I want this to stay. This has to stay!
- [Lois walks away]
- Malcolm: Wow! Now all I wanna do is take it down!
- Dewey: What good is running gonna do? We live here!
- Hal: Nice try little boy!