Rachel Bighead (formerly known as Ralph Bighead) is the only child of Ed Bighead and Bev Bighead. The character appears as Ralph in the Rocko's Modern Life episodes "I Have No Son!" and "Wacky Delly".
In the revival special Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling, Rachel Bighead has come out as a transgender woman.
Biography
Before the events of the show, Rachel, then known as Ralph, was disowned by Ed for not wanting to work for Conglom-O like her father, so she went to Hollo-Wood to become a cartoonist, which had always been her dream. She and Ed finally reunite and end their feud after Ralph attends her parents' wedding anniversary.
Rachel rose to fame after creating The Fatheads, a cartoon about a married couple based loosely on her parents. After ending production on the show, Rachel wanted to focus on her next goal of creating the world's largest still-life, but her bosses tell her that she needs to create another show for them. In an attempt to get out of her contract, Rachel hires Rocko, Heffer and Filburt to create an intentionally bad cartoon called Wacky Delly to have it immediately canceled. Instead, the show becomes a runaway hit, much to her dismay. After several attempts at sabotaging the show, such as running an episode showing nothing but a jar of mayonnaise for ten minutes, Rachel finally gets creatively involved in the series after Rocko tells her how much she's accomplished, but it's only then that Wacky Delly is canceled and her wish to leave the studio unintentionally comes true. In the end (sometime before she became a woman), she finally creates her masterpiece, only to find out that it is not as popular as Wacky Delly originally was. At some point after this, she decided to sell Fatheads ice cream.
When she reunites with her parents, her father denies her transition at first as he is dealing with much more changes than just her, but gets over it at the end of the special when he sees that she’s still the same person on the inside and remembers the influence he had on her work. Bev is more accepting of her gender identity than her husband initially was.
Trivia
- Rachel Bighead is the second canon transgender character in a Nickelodeon production as a minor character Dana Dufresne (nee Donnie) from The Loud House had transitioned during season 3.
- Doug Lawrence and Martin Olson convinced Joe Murray to voice Rachel Bighead, a cartoonist character through which Murray satirized himself.
- Rachel could possibly also be based on Murray himself, who is usually calm and quiet, like Rachel. The joke is that unlike Rachel, Murray would never scream.
- Unlike her parents, she has purple hair and a much smaller head.
- Rachel makes a cameo in "Rocko's Modern Christmas!".
- Her famous "NEVER!" quote can be heard on Heffer's television in "Mama's Boy".
- In order to fit with the message of change while being respectful and avoid controversy, the crew collaborated with GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation).
- Rachel's transition arc was based on the discovery that toads and frogs change gender when exposed to atrazine
- Rachel is the second Nicktoons character to be voiced by the show's creator, after Ren Höek from The Ren and Stimpy Show.
Gallery
References
External links
Rocko's Modern Life | |
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Characters | Rocko • Spunky • Heffer Wolfe • Filburt Turtle • Ed Bighead • Bev Bighead • Dr. Paula Hutchison • Mr. Smitty • Chuck and Leon • Mr. Dupette • Really Really Big Man • Rachel Bighead |
Media | Episodes (Seasons: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4) • Video releases • Spunky's Dangerous Day • Marvel comic • Boom! comic • Static Cling |