In Support of

Pepper Ann
"In Support of"

Season 1

Number 9A

Episode information

Production code

109-A (package)
4346-012 (production)^[1]

Written by

Matthew Negrete & Nahnatchka Khan

Directed by

Sherie Pollack

Original airdate

January 24, 1998^[2]

*Pepper Ann* Episodes
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"The Environ-Mentals"	"Nicky Gone Bad"

"In Support of" is the first segment of the ninth episode of Pepper Ann. It aired on January 24, 1998, serving as the season's finale.

Plot[]

When Coach Doogan announces that the next gym class will focus on the trampoline and that the girls need a support, Pepper Ann takes it as a sign that she needs a bra (despite looking flat-chested) and must endure a humiliating day of bra-shopping with her mother.

Synopsis[]

Coach Doogan tells the students that on Monday they will be trying the trampoline and adds that because there will be a lot of bouncing that they will need "support". After Trinket makes a suggestive joke, Pepper Ann believes that by "support", Doogan was referring to wearing a bra. She becomes nervous about it and Nicky deduces Pepper Ann's insecurity. While she claims she will help her, she has other matters to attend to leaving Pepper Ann to her own devices. She stops by the library where Milo finds her reading about bra support and he backs up her decision. Feeling even more embarrassed, Pepper Ann realizes that the only person she can turn to is her mother.

Pepper Ann returns home and talks to Lydia who joyously announces her intention to help her talk about getting the best bra. Pepper Ann imagines being a superhero called Supportra who defeats evil doers. They head to the mall and go to Veronica's Treasures where the employees happily proclaim their intent to help Pepper Ann get a bra, much to her embarrassment. She ultimately decides to have Moose try the bras for her so that she can decide which ends up annoying Lydia. Pepper Ann finally picks a bra and prepares for Monday.

Pepper Ann arrives at school to be the first to try the trampoline. However, when Coach Doogan asks where Pepper Ann's support is, she tries to explain to her that she has it. She gets irritated and ends up flashing everyone her bra which gets her in trouble. Principal Hickey nervously deduces that Pepper Ann mistook "support" for bra when Doogan actually meant a spotting partner, though Lydia defends Pepper Ann in her usual embarrassing way. Nicky and Milo comfort Pepper Ann with the mention of another incident in fifth grade when a friend of theirs, Davy Baden, had a similar moment. The three walk home together and decide to all be open with each other, resulting in Milo telling Pepper Ann and Nicky that his coach wanted him to get "their own version of support"; scaring them away.

Cast[]

Main cast[]

Kathleen Wilhoite as Pepper Ann Pearson/Supportra, Additional voices
Jeff Bennett* (uncredited) as Boy, Fruit Stand Owner, Employee, Dieter Liederhosen (no lines)
Danny Cooksey as Milo Kamalani
Clea Lewis as Nicky Little, Additional voices
Pamela Segall as Moose Pearson
April Winchell as Lydia Pearson

Additional voices[]

Don Adams as Principal Hickey/Detention-ator
Paddi Edwards as Vera Groober-Schwartz
Kathy Najimy as Coach Doogan, Margot LeSandre, Debbie (no lines)*, Employees*
Kath Soucie as Mrs. Little, Cissy Rooney* (no lines), Additional voices
Jenna von Oÿ as Trinket St. Blair

*Marks an uncredited voice role

Non-speaking appearances[]

Cissy Rooney (no lines)
Dieter Liederhosen (no lines)
Tessa and Vanessa James (do not speak)
Alf (miscolored; cameo)
Janie Diggity (mentioned)
Davy Baden (mentioned)

Goofs[]

Jeff Bennett is uncredited for his incidental voices in this episode.

Trivia[]

For its ABC premiere, this episode was paired with "Crush & Burn" instead of its sister segment.^[2]
- This episode was originally set to premiere alongside its sister segment on November 1, 1997^[3]^[4], but was pulled and replaced with "Romeo & Juliet" due to Disney execs taking issue with a scene. The episode would be delayed until airing as the season's final segment.
- After its premiere on ABC, this episode was pulled from the channel and would not air until the show went into syndication on UPN in 1999.
For UPN broadcasts, this episode segment and "Nicky Gone Bad" were swapped in order.^[5]
- This episode is also the twenty-third segment in broadcast order, and the final segment of the first season to air.
  - This episode also aired on Toon Disney for a few years but was eventually removed from syndication along with its sister episode.
The indistinct screaming heard in the fantasy sequence was likely provided by Kathleen Wilhoite.
As mentioned by Sue Rose and Overseas Animation Supervisor Brad Goodchild, Milo was originally going to try on the bras when the Pearsons went bra shopping. The scene was originally passed by Standards & Practices and was fully animated before Disney executives ordered it changed last-minute. Sue Rose still has a cel from the cut scene.^[6]
- Milo's line, "I'm glad you listened to me and went with the daisies," from after Pepper Ann flashes the class is a remnant of this early idea.
  - Moose's comments on the daisy-patterned bra, "The only miracle here is that someone would buy this," are ironically complimented as Milo implies that they did indeed choose that bra.
This episode earned a lot of controversy due to its sensitive topic, its mildly lewd jokes and suggestive visuals. As a result, the episode was rated TV-Y7 rather than TV-Y, and aired only once on ABC.
This episode marks the first instance in which an actor (Jeff Bennett) is completely uncredited in an episode.

Continuity[]

This episode marks:
- The first appearance of Coach Doogan, who will become a major recurring character in the series.
- The first appearance of Margot LeSandre. Strangely, she and Lydia seem to have no history together (as Margot introduces herself) and seem to get along just fine, contrary to what we learn about their relationship in "Moose in Love".
Nicky reveals that she has had support for 2 1/2 years (since she was nine).
- Moose is also shown to be aware of support, fleeing once Pepper Ann brings it up. The joke is paid off at the end of the episode when Peper Ann and Nicky run from Milo after revealing he needs "support" of his own.
A running gag from Ziterella is reused, in which Nicky's mother calls her over for Taekwon Do lessons (in the latter episode, it was for violin lessons).

Allusions[]

Nicky mentions painters Claude Monet (the founder of Impressionism) and Henri Matisse while trying to comfort Pepper Ann, revealing that she once mistook the two during a presentation.