Top 10 Things Only Adults Notice in Total Drama
#10: Izzy’s Meltdown
“Total Drama Action” (2009-10)
After “Total Drama Action” wrapped up, Psycho Hose-Beast Izzy begins a successful acting career. However, said career comes to a crashing halt when she loses her cool and angrily berates a director, scaring the lunch out of him. Does Izzy’s tirade sound familiar? It should, as it’s a direct parody of the infamous Christian Bale rant on the set of “Terminator: Salvation” where he also flipped out on a crew member. For obvious reasons, Izzy’s rant was more toned down than Bale’s, but the frustration both actors felt was clear for all to see. The fact that “Total Drama Action” is basically a Hollywood homage makes this parody even more hilarious.
#9: Owen’s Confession
“Total Drama Action” (2009-10)
When it’s Owen’s turn to be interviewed for the Aftermath, he’s prepared to tell the truth and nothing but. However, before he’s even properly asked anything, he breaks down and confesses to every bad deed he’s ever committed. The admission and montage alone are great, but as a bonus, it’s actually an almost word-for-word parody of Chunk’s confession scene from “The Goonies”. While poor Chunk admitted all this in the midst of a harsh interrogation, Owen panicked before he could even be asked anything, which only added more fuel to the funny fire. Hopefully, this parody will encourage anyone who hasn’t seen “The Goonies” to check it out for themselves.
#8: Owen Sneaks a Peek
“Total Drama Action” (2009-10)
The Killer Grips are confronting Gwen about Trent throwing challenges for her all the while, Owen, Lindsay, and Beth are only wearing bath towels. The conversation gets tense… but pay close attention to Owen at one point. You’ll notice his eyes wander towards Lindsay’s chest, and then he smiles to himself. Not only is ogling one of your friends bad enough, but he picked this horrible, tense moment to do it too. If you’re not really looking for it, you’ll probably miss it but keen-eyed viewers get a little more insight into Owen’s character in this brief moment.
#7: Zee Flying High
“Total Drama Island” (2023)
Top 10 Things Only Adults Notice in Hey Arnold
During the reboot’s catapult slingshot challenge, Zee is flung into the air and loves every minute of it. He claims he’s “never been this high before”. Given Zee’s laid-back personality, surfer-dude dialect, and strong appetite, the phrase could also take on a double meaning. If you’re thinking this is a bit of stretch, just wait ‘til Zee gets struck by lightning and has a trippy, psychedelic hallucination. We’re not sure if it was intentional, but it definitely got a small chuckle out of us, especially when Zee’s freakout ended up winning his team the challenge.
#6: The Sinking Island
“Total Drama All-Stars” (2014)
Top 10 Things Only Adults Notice in Scooby Doo
Thanks to Chris’ blunder, Camp Wawanakwa is sinking into the ocean. As the island collapses, a lone butler is seen mournfully playing the violin as he tragically accepts his fate. It’s a surprisingly grim scene, more so when you realize what it’s parodying. The butler’s actions are a direct reference to the violinists from the RMS Titanic -and by extension, its film adaptation. As the ship sank into the icy ocean, these brave musicians played one last solemn tune as they went down with it. It’s fitting that this homage would be used for Wawanakwa’s destruction given how much of a staple to “Total Drama” it was.
#5: AC/DC Tributes
“Total Drama Action” (2009-10)
Top 10 Things Only Adults Understand About Phineas and Ferb
As a tribute to the Rock and Roll film genre, season two’s “Rock n’ Rule” treated longtime music fans to a smorgasbord of references to some of our favorite rock musicians. Already off the bat, the first challenge of the day featured not one, not two, but THREE references to the Australian rock band, AC/DC. Owen spends this part of the challenge dressed in Angus Young’s schoolboy outfit (minus a shirt). Meanwhile, Harold proudly references both “Thunderstruck” and “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)” before the challenge even starts. For an episode dedicated to the genre, we couldn’t think of a better band for them to pay homage to.
#4: Heather Roasts Courtney
“Total Drama World Tour” (2010-11)
During the Newfoundland swimming challenge, Courtney is - yet again - boasting about her history as a C.I.T. (Gee, haven’t heard that one a thousand times.) Heather retaliates with “more like a B-I-T-C-” before being conveniently cut off by Gwen. While younger viewers might not grasp the punchline, older fans have a hard time believing that even made it to air. Not only is it hilarious wordplay, but it’s also arguably one of the most savage comebacks in “Total Drama” history. Heather just about won their whole rivalry with this line alone.
#3: Noah’s Zinger
“Total Drama World Tour” (2010-11)
Top 10 Funniest Trevor Noah Moments
Who doesn’t love a double entendre? To set the scene, the three teams are in Germany assembling oversized sausages to sled down the mountain. Unfortunately, Cody’s team’s sausage isn’t quite big enough - as Noah points out by laughing at Cody’s quote: “tiny sausage.” Without context, the joke takes on a whole new meaning. Was he really talking about Cody’s makeshift sled…or a “different” piece of equipment? But, even WITH context, it’s a funny innuendo made better by Noah’s dry sarcasm. Of course, Cody gets one up on Noah with his retort.
#2: Horrifying Implications
“Total Drama All-Stars” (2014)
The Horrifying True Story of Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey
“Revenge of the Island” introduced us to Larry, Chris’ pet mutant Venus flytrap, and probably the only thing Chris cares about more than himself…. We’re just as shocked about that as you are. However, in “All-Stars,” Chris and Larry’s relationship is taken to a disturbing new level when Mike and Zoey steal Larry’s egg for a challenge. It hatches and a bundle of mutant plant babies swarm out… including one that resembles Chris. While the moment was brief, it raised too many questions that shouldn’t be answered. Younger viewers might laugh at how absurd it is, but older fans will be struggling not to think about all the disturbing implications.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Jo Shaving, “Total Drama Revenge of the Island” (2012)
Jo Pulls Out a Razor, but We Don’t See What’s Being Shaved
5318008, “Total Drama Island” (2023)
It’s a Juvenile Joke, but It’s a Classic
Gordon, “Total Drama Action” (2009-10)
A Chef With a Bad Attitude Reminds Us of the Famously Volatile Gordon Ramsay
Izzy’s Film Career, “Total Drama Action” (2009-10)
Izzy’s Filmography Looks Pretty Familiar
#1: Alejandro Destroys Heather
“Total Drama World Tour” (2010-11)
In the penultimate episode of “World Tour,” Heather and Alejandro are arguing over their walkie-talkies. Heather remarks that she can just turn Alejandro off - referring to the walkie-talkies - but Alejandro roasts her back saying how she’s an “expert” at turning people off. Kids might miss the joke, but more mature viewers will appreciate just how savage Al’s comeback really was. And yet, Al is still hopelessly in love with her, so he doesn’t have a ton of room to talk. Savage comebacks and innuendoes like this are what make “Total Drama” a treat for teens and adults.
What “Total Drama” joke or reference did you miss? Let us know in the comments.
