my MADtv reel.

the song that got me emmy® nominated.

my favorite sketch i ever wrote.

my most hated sketch i ever wrote.

my favorite collaboration.

my

Meet HoppyPotty!

My first recurring characters were my take on a pan-Scandinavian pop supergroup modeled after the Vengaboys, an obscure Dutch-dancepop group. Somehow our executive producer knew who the Vengaboys were because of his teenage daughter and I got the sketch on the air.  I guess “We Like To Party” was a big enough hit at the time, and who doesn’t love Scandi-hoovian humor?  The cast all really got the goofiness I was going for and had fun rehearsing and shooting it.  I was never so proud of myself!
Inga, Elka, Gunnar, Jarl, and Shtang returned in the Halloween themed “HoppyPotty SchpookyPotty”!

HoppyPotty is even featured in the book Rocklopedia Fakebandica!

MEET HOPPYPOTTY

INT. OUTSIDE MAD TV DRESSING ROOM - DAY

A HAND HELD CAMERA FOLLOWS ALEX (HERSELF) AS SHE WALKS DOWN THE HALLWAY TOWARDS THE GUEST DRESSING ROOM. 

ALEX

Hi, everybody!  Boy are you in for a treat!  We're very lucky to have as our special guests, th e latestScandinavian supergroup to top the international pop charts: HoppyPotty.  They're making their North American television debut right here on MADtv.  But first let's peek into their dressing room and find out what HoppyPotty is all about.  Come on!

ALEX OPENS THE DOOR.

ALEX (CONT'D)

Knock, knock?

THE DOOR OPENS TO REVEAL GUNNAR (WILL), INGA (NICOLE), ELKA (MO), JARL (MICHAEL) AND SHTANG (PAT) ALL GETTING READY TO PERFORM.  THEY ALL WEAR COORDINATED FLASHY OUTFITS AND HEADSET MICROPHONES, HAVE PLATINUM BLONDE HAIR AND EXCESSIVE MAKEUP, AND GUNNAR IS BALD BUT HAS ONE TUFT OF HAIR ON THE TOP OF HIS HEAD GELLED UP INTO AN EXCLAMATION POINT.  

ALEX (CONT'D)

Hi, everybody!

HOPPYPOTTY

Hello!  Güten Tag!  Hiya!

ALEX

Welcome to Mad TV, guys.  Introduce yourselves to America.

INGA

Hello, States!  My self has Inga.

ELKA

My self has Elka!

GUNNAR

Mine has Gunnar.

JARL

Mine Jarl, and this there is Shtang.

BROODING SHTANG SITS BY HIMSELF WRITING AT A PORTABLE KEYBOARD LISTENING TO HEADPHONES.

SHTANG

Vass?

JARL

We say hello to people, Shtang.

SHTANG

Vass?

JARL

Spaakin hisen to da people, Shtang.

SHTANG

Faak daat.

SHTANG RETURNS TO HIS COMPOSING.

JARL

Shtang say he not like interviews he only like music.

INGA

Ja, Shtang write all the song HoppyPotty sing, make all the music HoppyPotty dance. 

ALEX

And what do you do?

INGA

Inga make move lips while song is playing.

ALEX

So where did you guys get the name: HoppyPotty?

GUNNAR

Well, it mean we are never sad people, and we like to potty.  Don't all people like to potty?

ALEX

Potty?

ELKA

Ja!  I love birthday potty, Christmas potty, hot tub potty, all fun potty.  And this is how we call our song, "Anybody Want Fun Potty?"  

ALEX

Oh, PAR-ty!  Happy PAR-ty. Anybody want fun PAR-ty.  I thought you were saying "potty", as in toilet, bathroom.

HOPPYPOTTY LOOKS BEWILDERED, THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN TOLD THIS BEFORE.

JARL

Eeeck, no.  HoppyPotty not toilet songers.

INGA

No, that is yuck.

ALEX

So how did you all become members of HoppyPotty?

ELKA

Before I am married with Jarl, and now I married with Gunnar.

INGA

Before I am married with Gunnar, and now I married with Jarl.

ALEX

Oh, and what about Shtang?

JARL

Shtang make music, not make wife-sex with Inga and Elka.

ALEX

Wow, so you guys really have quite a history together.

GUNNAR

Ja, ja, about two week.

INGA

But our song has been number one in Europe for three week!

ALEX

What do you think makes your music so popular?

HOPPYPOTTY LOOK TO EACH OTHER FOR AN ANSWER BUT ARE CLUELESS.   SHTANG STANDS.

SHTANG

Music is truth.   The truth of the soul.  HoppyPotty music speak the truth of the soul.

ELKA

And it potty music!

HOPPYPOTTY LAUGHS.  SHTANG RETURNS TO COMPOSING.

ALEX

So where in Europe are you all from?

GUNNAR

Gunnar was Danish, Elka for Sweden, Inga do Norway, Shtang for Dutch, and Jarl is Finnish.

ALEX

Finnish, from Finland?

JARL

No, I am finnish with my reindeer jerky so now we can go sing.

HOPPYPOTTY ALL LAUGH AND POINT AT ALEX AS THIS IS THEIR BIG JOKE.

CUT TO:

INT. HOME BASE - DAY

ALEX

And now, in their North American television debut...  Singing their hit "Anybody Want Fun Potty", please put your hands together for: HoppyPotty!

MUSIC: (SOT) "ANYBODY WANT FUN POTTY?"

A THUMPING TRACK OF PURE EURO-DANCE-TRASH, IN THE VEIN OF "BARBIE GIRL", "WE LIKE TO PARTY!", "TARZAN & JANE", ETC.

HOPPYPOTTY BURSTS ONTO THE STAGE WITH FLASHPOTS.*

LIGHT CUE: CRAZY COLORED LIGHTING EFFECTS THAT CHANGE EVERY TWO SECONDS AND CONTINUE FOR THE ENTIRE PERFORMANCE.

SHTANG, JARL, AND GUNNAR ALL HAVE MATCHING STRAP-ON KEYBOARDS WHICH JARL AND GUNNAR BANG ON WITH ONE HAND ALMOST AS IF THEY KNOW HOW TO PLAY, WHILE SHTANG VERY INTENTLY PLAYS THE SONG ON HIS KEYBOARD.  ELKA AND INGA DO CHOREOGRAPHED MOVES SOMEWHERE BETWEEN AEROBICS AND "THE MONKEY".

ELKA

Come on, everybody!

INGA

Put your clap together!

THE SONG IS TOTALLY LIP-SYNCED FROM HERE ON OUT.  EVERYONE SINGS BUT SHTANG.

ELKA

Here we go!

INGA

Let's go! 

GUNNAR

Can we go?

JARL

I don't know!

JARL MIMES PULLING A TRAIN WHISTLE.

MUSIC: (SOT) TRAIN WHISTLE

HOPPYPOTTY

HO! HO! SAY I AM HOPPY!/

HO! HO! SAY I LIKE POTTY!/

HO! HO! SAY EVERYBOTTY!/

SHTANG

(SPOKEN IN DEEP VOICE) Anybody Want Fun Potty?/

GUNNAR

Up...

JARL

--and down!

INGA

In...

ELKA

--and out!

JARL

Front...

GUNNAR

--and down!

GUNNAR & JARL

I want to find a smörgasbord when going to the town.

HOPPYPOTTY

HO! HO! SAY I AM HOPPY!/

HO! HO! SAY I LIKE POTTY!/

HO! HO! SAY EVERYBOTTY!/

SHTANG

(SPOKEN IN DEEP VOICE) Anybody Want Fun Potty?/

THE CHORUS REPEATS AND THE MUSIC FADES WHILE THEY ARE STILL LIP-SYNCING.

HOPPYPOTTY

Good night, States!  Bye Bye!  See you!  Next time!  HoppyPotty love us!

FADE OUT.

*one of the most exciting things ever to write and have realized