Mickey Mouse Short: Flipperboobootosis

Season 1, Episode 15: “Flipperboobootosis” 1/3/14
Starring: Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse and Goofy
Co-starring: Humphrey the Bear(?)
Setting: Generic suburban setting

Plot:
Mickey and Goofy are barbecuing in Mickey’s backyard when a gimpy Donald joins the party.  Poor Donald has a pulsating booboo on his flipper which Mickey immediately recognizes as “Flipperboobootosis.” 

When Goofy suggests he sees a doctor, Donald’s intense reluctance results in Mickey promising him they’ll find him a doctor-less cure.  After trying and failing with various home and holistic remedies, Mickey and Goofy resign themselves to the fact that they must take Donald to see the doctor.  Donald, of course, rejects this notion and runs far, far away but Mickey and Goofy still manage to take his bum flipper to the hospital. 

Once Donald snaps back to reality and rejoins his flipper in the hospital, he awakens to find that his Flipperboobootosis has been cured.  How was it cured?  His doctor, a bear, ate it clean off his flipper.    

Short Stuff:

The remedies Mickey and Goofy try to heel Donald’s flipper are: honey, a foot massage and a holistic diamond ritual.

This may or may not have actually been Humphrey the Bear as, first, the bear who attacks Donald in Mickey’s kitchen and then, later, as the doctor bear who heals his flipper by eating the sore. 

Humphrey the Bear was one of seven characters to be given his own series of shorts.  The other six?  Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Pluto, Chip & Dale and Figaro.

Humphrey, whose shorts were directed by Jack Hanna, also served as one of the inspirations for Hanna-Barbera legend Yogi Bear.

During his career, Humphrey would often serve as a foil for Donald Duck; lending credence to his identity in this episode. 

The plot from this short somewhat resembles that of SpongeBob SquarePants episode, “The Splinter” (2008).

Final Grade: B-
I’ve been squawking nonstop about getting a more Donald-centric short and, when we finally get one, I’m underwhelmed.  I’m just not a big fan of a whole episode revolving around graphic gross-out/pain humour.  Plus, this one just felt uninspired and is definitely lacking in the details. The only thing I could really write about was Humphrey whose identity is ambiguous at best.  However, I must admit, the holistic healing scene was legitimately funny.