Ask Ashley is a regular sketch on All That, introduced during the third season and featured until the sixth season.
The sketch stars Amanda Bynes as a little girl named Ashley, who offers advice from her bedroom via a public access television show. Each sketch sees Ashley opening the show while portraying herself as sweet and friendly, until she read letters to her sent in by clueless viewers. After reading a letter, Ashley will go on an angry rant against the letter's author (although in one sketch, Ashley does act normal, sweet and friendly after she reads a letter from a girl who asked why she was always being ignored, which obviously prompts Ashley to ignore her), after which she calms downs and returns to her usual, happy self. There is usually a total of three letters per sketch.
Her catch phrase, "Thaaaaat's me!" (which she would say as she started reading each letter) would become the sketch's main trademark. Beginning in Season 4 and beyond, children in the audience could be heard saying the phrase along with her.
Ashley's show apparently airs on the same television channel as Cooking with Randy.
In the original sketch, the first letter that Ashley reads is written by a kid who has no idea how to turn their peanut butter and jelly sandwich over (her mother put the jelly on the wrong side). Ashley promptly yells "TURN THE STINKING SANDWICH OVER!!!!".
In another memorable sketch, Dr. Joyce Brothers makes an appearance to talk to Ashley about her tirades and even reads one of the letters. Much like Ashley (who is Dr. Brothers' biggest fan), she also launches into a angry tirade about a kid who doesn't know how to use a light switch and is constantly stumbling around in the dark.
Another sketch has Danny Tamberelli playing a boy named Robert Freeman who arrives in Ashley's room and reads her a letter asking how he can get his letter to Ashley. Ashley tells him to use the mail, before angrily ordering him to get out of her room.
The final letter read by Ashley (in the sketch's last appearance in Season 6) is from a kid who asks Ashley why she is always so mean to everyone who sends her letters.
In one episode of The Amanda Show, a reference to the sketch was made when Amanda opens a letter on stage. She reads the greeting ("Dear Amanda...") and the crowd promptly responds with "Thaaaaaat's me!". Amanda responds to the audience with "No, no. Different show."
In one sketch during Season 5, Stuart (Mark Saul) takes over Ashley's show, but is eventually taken away by two cops once Ashley busts him. Stuart insults everyone except the camera lady who "helped" him.
During the "10th Anniversary Reunion Special", when Nick Cannon is introduced via satellite, he responds with, "THAAAAT'S ME! Wait, that's not my sketch."
Episodes featuring Ask Ashley[]
| Season | Episode | Guest | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Episode 5 | Tyra Banks / Blackstreet | First sketch appearance: The adorable Ashley (Amanda) reads letters and gives advice to their writers. Unfortunately, everyone asking for advice is completely stupid. One girl doesn't even know how to turn over a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Ashley goes on angry rants against everyone that sends her a letter. |
| Episode 9 | Tony! Toni! Toné! | ||
| Episode 12 | Sherman Hemsley / Nas | ||
| Episode 13 | John Leguizamo / Mona Lisa | Ashley introduces musical guest "Mona Lisa". | |
| Episode 16 | Dr. Joyce Brothers & Sherman Hemsley / Heavy D. | Ashley is once again infuriated by a foolish letter. But after her tirade, none other than famed anger management psychiatrist Dr. Joyce Brothers appears. She teaches Ashley some anger management techniques, and tries to read a letter herself. Unfortunately, the letter is from a boy who doesn't know how to turn the lights on in his house, and Dr. Joyce goes on a tirade of her own. | |
| Episode 19 | Monica | ||
| 4 | Episode 1 | Mase | |
| Episode 5 | Dru Hill | Ashley reads a quick letter and introduces the musical guest: Dru Hill. | |
| Episode 7 | Immature | Ashley has one of her letter-writers (Danny) actually arrive in her bedroom to deliver his letter, asking her advice on how to get a letter to her easier. Ashley responds by telling him to use the mail before violently shoving him out of her room. | |
| Episode 8 | Spice Girls | The cast (Josh, Lori Beth and Danny) can't find Amanda when it comes time for "Ask Ashley". They soon discover Amanda sitting in the audience watching the show....or is she? | |
| Episode 12 | Missy Elliott | ||
| Episode 16 | Jermaine Dupri & Da Brat | ||
| Episode 17 | Salt-N-Pepa | ||
| 5 | Episode 1 | Blackstreet & Mýa | |
| Episode 6 | Faith Evans | ||
| Episode 7 | Mýa | Ashley Introduces Musical Guest Mýa. | |
| Episodes 8-9 | All That Live (100th Episode) | Ashley begins using a fax machine so she can receive live letters from viewers. However, it turns out that the viewers have no idea how a live show works. | |
| Episode 11 | 112 | ||
| Episode 15 | Joey McIntyre | ||
| 6 | Episode 1 | B*Witched | |
| Episode 8 | Sammie | Stuart (Mark) takes over "Ask Ashley" and poses as her, having tied up the real Ashley. Eventually, Ashley breaks free and brings two cops with her to take Stuart away. | |
| Episode 13 | IMx | Final regular sketch appearance of "Ask Ashley", due to Bynes leaving the show. | |
| 7 | Episode 8 | Amanda Bynes / City High | Amanda shows the relaunch cast a flashback of an "Ask Ashley" sketch where a robber appears and interrupts the show. Ashley attacks the robber, and two police officers arrest him. The robber convinces Ashley to give him an autograph and escapes, while the two police officers each get autographs of their own. |