Scott Pilgrim Takes Off Features A Deep Cut Reference To A Classic Disney Song
The following article contains spoilers for "Scott Pilgrim Takes Off."
In the new Netflix anime, "Scott Pilgrim Takes Off," things don't happen in quite the same manner as they do in the 2010 film "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World," based on the comic series by Bryan Lee O'Malley. The film is a version of the story that happens within the world of the anime, and events wrap up very differently. Ramona (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) doesn't just fight her evil ex Roxie (Mae Whitman). In the show, she actually apologizes for how she treated her college girlfriend. They end up friends, though in one scene in episode 3, Roxie does mention wanting to get back together or at least to become friends with benefits. When Ramona says no, she immediately pivots to asking Kim (Alison Pill), the drummer from Scott's (Michael Cera) band Sex Ba-Bomb, if she would want to hook up. They kiss, but there's no spark. No one is stressed about it, and Roxie leaves the video store they're all in, singing a jaunty tune (around the 21:00 minute mark).
That tune, however, is actually a deep cut to a classic Disney song ... and that's not all it is. I'm going to warn you right now that this is going to be stuck in your head for the rest of the day, and that's not a bad thing. I've been humming it all morning. We're in this together, friends.
It's not just a Disney song, actually
The song Roxie is singing as she walks out the door is "Whistle Stop." It's the theme song from Disney's "Robin Hood," the 1973 animated film based on the legendary story of the character who robbed the rich to give to the poor. "Whistle Stop" came to us from the late singer-songwriter Roger Miller (who also gave us "King of the Road," a song played in many bars at closing time) who scats/whistles it over the opening credits. Miller played Alan-a-Dale, the rooster version of the minstrel from the traditional Robin Hood stories, who narrates the film. It's very, very catchy. That wasn't, however, the only place we've heard that song. If you are of a certain age, you may remember a little Internet bit of silliness from 1998 called "Hamster Dance." If you listen to both songs, you'll notice that "Hamster Dance" is a sped-up version of "Whistle Stop."
To be fair, the version Roxie sings is slower, so it's clearly meant to be "Whistle Stop" and not "Hamster Dance." It's a happy, cheerful song, and it's clearly there to signal that Roxie is cool with the situation between she and Ramona. Hey, an apology can be a great thing.
"Scott Pilgrim Takes Off" is currently streaming on Netflix, as is the film "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World."