Hey, check your watch. Yeah, it's time for another episode of The Five where we list stuff in groups of five, and you throw down some more in the comments. It's both fun and educational. Today we're talking about the best fictional corporations on television, so let's get into it:
Acme: Are you a coyote who has devoted his life to catching a single bird? If so, the Acme Corporation has everything you need from anvils to rocket sleds to exploding birdseed. Of course, none of these things come with any guarantee, but I'm sure they'll work out just fine for you. According to Wikipedia, Acme was part of the Warner Bros. cartoon universe early on, having first appeared in "Buddy's Bug Hunt" in 1935.
GloboChem (Mr. Show): GloboChem was essentially the company that owned and ran everything in the Mr. Show universe. Some segments were about GloboChem specifically while others merely alluded to the fictional company. The company was a satire of huge corporations like Wal-Mart and Viacom which seemed to have way more control over us than they should.
Spacely's Sprockets (The Jetsons): When George Jetson wasn't pushing buttons at home, he was pushing buttons at Spacely's Sprockets, maker of high-quality sprockets and the bane of Cogswell's Cogs. Mr. Spacely's voice was provided by Mel Blanc. I actually don't recall George making any actual sprockets, I think he just sat around talking to his computer all day. I guess that's one thing he and I have in common.
Wesayso Corporation (Dinosaurs): Besides being quite amusing, Dinosaurs had a very clear environmental message built into it. The Wesayso Corporation for which Earl worked as a "tree pusher" was built on the idea that there are plenty of natural resources for everyone, so there's really no point in trying to conserve anything.
Slate's Construction (The Flintstones): I'm curious, was Fred's job really to just lift and lower the same boulder over and over again? Despite his bombastic exterior, was he actually trapped in some kind of perpetual, Sisyphean nightmare? This could change the way I watch The Flintstones forever.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-19-2006 @ 12:07PM
Joel Keller said...
DrugCo, where Lewis worked on The Drew Carey Show. They did some weird, scary shit at that company.
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5-22-2006 @ 8:42AM
Elliott said...
VanDelay Industries. It's twice as fake as the others listed.
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5-22-2006 @ 9:10AM
xbxtv said...
DUNDER MIFFLIN and it's counterpart WERNHAM HOGG of The Office(s). They are like a character themselves.
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5-22-2006 @ 9:12AM
Aaron M said...
Conglom-O, from Rocko's Modern Life. Slogan: "We own you."
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5-22-2006 @ 9:19AM
Mr. Mayor said...
Acme was also found in the 3 Stoogers shorts.
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5-22-2006 @ 9:25AM
Samuel McConnell said...
I'll second Aaron's Conglom-O, I was going to say the same thing!
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5-22-2006 @ 9:39AM
reb said...
Krebstar from The Adventures of Pete and Pete. Any company that makes everything from Lady KrebStick to the Krebstar Eviscerator 3000 (the most bitchen electric guitar ever!)deserves a mention!
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5-22-2006 @ 9:58AM
Dani said...
How about Home Improvements Binford Tools. I work with a guy who dscribes the perfect offic machine as a Binford copy shred. Not only will it copy but it will shred the copies and for good measure set them on fire.
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5-22-2006 @ 10:21AM
Chris W said...
It's early yet to know if it will be long-remembered, but "Lost" has the DHARMA, a subsidiary of the Hanso Foundation, as well as Oceanic Airlines.
But I'd like to second DrugCo and Conglom-O. Also, anyone remember Log? From Blamo!!
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5-22-2006 @ 11:31AM
dvddesign said...
Without knowing which corporation makes it's products, but I remember that everything in cans that was seen on Roseanne was labeled with a completely white label that had a name of what it simply was on over white. "Soda" and "Beer" stand out as two of the greatest products ever to hit the scene.
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5-22-2006 @ 11:35AM
Glenn said...
Bluth Company from Arrested Development.
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5-22-2006 @ 11:50AM
Heather said...
I've always been partial to Mom's Friendly Robot Company on 'Futurama'.
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5-22-2006 @ 11:58AM
Lacey said...
my top 5 would be
Bluth Company
Conglom-O
Mom's Friendly Robot Company
Dunder Mifflin
and
DrugCo
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5-22-2006 @ 12:53PM
Leto2 said...
Gracen & Gracen in Profit
Pickering Industries in Andy Richter Controls The Universe... OK, i admit I had to google that one to find the name.
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5-22-2006 @ 1:17PM
Vince said...
there's also "The Company" from Prison Break
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5-22-2006 @ 1:52PM
Bex said...
Damn it! 3 and 4 beat me to the two I was going to put down. Okay, my 3rd choice is The New York Yankees for George Costanza, George Steinbrenner's favorite monkey boy. Don't tell me that's not an evil empire.
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5-22-2006 @ 2:37PM
emily. said...
I'm a cartoon fan. Acme is at the top of my list too, but I think Wayne Enterprises deserves a mention.
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5-22-2006 @ 6:20PM
jeff said...
this one goes waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back.. The Continental Flange Co. is where Herschel Bernardi's Arnie worked from 1970-72 on CBS. He wenr from loading dock foreman to upper management.
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5-23-2006 @ 5:22PM
Zarquon said...
I have to add The Krusty Corporation (I think that's right) and especially Krusty-lu Studios
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