A/N: Hey readers! Read any rumors or half-truths in the tabloids lately? Well get ready to experience the ups and downs of the power of the press in the newest episode of TooonSchool!
Plot: Vicky, Mindy and Brad of the Snob Squad are kicked of the school paper by Co-Chief Editors Baljeet Tjinder and Lisa Simpson after they continue to bring down it's reputation by writing and spreading bogus stories without checking their facts. So, in retaliation they and the rest of the Snobs start their own paper, the Snob Syndicator. But the paper is based entirely on lies and rumors.
Despite this, the Snob Syndicator becomes immensely popular among the student body. And on top of that the Snobs use their new tabloid-style paper to smear the reputations several people, including Baljeet and Lisa (for firing them) and the ToonSchool gang (just cause they don't like them). The gang must find a way to stop the Snobs, and get the truth out in the open.
Lying and Gossip on Paper: Part 1
It was another day in ToonSchool, the craziest school for toons. In the school newspaper room, the staff (which included most of the gang) was hard at work prepping the newest edition for printing and distribution. Tony and Daryl stood with the co-editors-in-chief, Baljeet Tjinder and Lisa Simpson, watching as they prepared for printing.
"You guys sure are proud of this paper," Tony said.
"Well of course, it's been around for 55 years now," Lisa said. "And I think it's good for a school to keep its newspaper."
"Agreed," Baljeet said. "Even though they have that broadcasted report nowadays, nothing floats one's boat like a good old fashioned newspaper."
"Yeah, the grandfather of TV news and Internet articles," Daryl said. "I'm just glad you're letting us have these temp journalist positions."
"No problem," Lisa said. "Besides, some of our other journalists have become challenged and we may have to let them go."
"Well, we'd be glad to take their places," Tony said.
"Good to hear," Baljeet said as he turned to the staff. "Okay, everyone, let's get moving. We have a deadline. So what's tomorrow's front page?"
"Ferb and I were just finishing up our investigative exposé on the faulty water fountains in Halls 2A, 4D, and 6F," Phineas said. "Some barely give you any water, while others squirt all over you, as Buford will demonstrate."
Phineas then walked out to where Buford was and shouted, "All right Buford, try it now!"
Buford pulled the lever and water squirted from the nozzle all over his face, which Baljeet and Lisa witnessed.
"Excellent," Lisa said. "What about the weather, Bubbles, Lilo, Stitch?"
"Sunny, Thursday through Sunday, with partially cloudy on Monday," Bubbles said.
"And the highs will be in the 70s throughout most of the week," Lilo added.
"Gupa waga, on Monday," Stitch said.
"And about 69 degrees on Monday."
"Good," Baljeet said. "Buttercup, Bloo what about sports?"
"The All-Stars are now 12-1 with Tuesday's victory," Buttercup says.
"Coaches say, with all the All-Star power on their side, this may very well be the team's best season yet," Bloo said.
"Excellent," Lisa said. "How about some big story articles? Anyone?"
Suddenly, Vicky, Mindy, and Brad burst through the door, papers in hand.
"Stop the presses, twerps–I mean fellow staff, for we have the story that will rock ToonSchool to it's core!," Vicky declared as she and the others handed their story to Lisa and Baljeet. "Here it is and don't change a word of it!"
Lisa and Baljeet looked at the paper with caution and worry.
"You guys did remember to check your sources on this, right?," Lisa asked. The Snobs had a habit of not checking the sources and facts on the stories they brought, which had led to scrutiny from Prickley and some teachers.
"Duh, of course we did, spikehead," Brad said. "Four times. Or was it…five times?"
"Well you know the ToonSchool Times motto: True to it's word, wanting to be heard."
"Well, isn't their room for reporting the whole story?," Mindy asked. "Like the truth behind the truth?"
"Yeah, like in our last edition when you said that Mr. Bridges saxophone was his best friend," Tony recalled.
"Come on, we had pictures you know," Vicky said as she showed Tony photo of him with the saxophone in his lap and a rag in his hand.
"Just be cause he was polishing his sax, doesn't necessarily make it his best friend," Daryl retorted.
"Okay everyone, we have a deadline, let us put this paper to bed," Baljeet said. One by one every one of the staff submitted and printed their stories from the paper.
"Hot off the press, folks," Jimmy said. "The latest edition of the ToonSchool Times."
"True to its word, wanting to be heard," said everyone else.
The next day, however, Tony, Daryl, Lisa, Baljeet, and the three Snobs found themselves in VP Prickley's office. With him was Squidward, and neither of them, was happy.
"Now would you kids mind explaining this?," Prickley said as he held up an paper with the Snobs' article on it. "'TENTACLES HEAD OVER HEELS FOR ELDERLY FOSTER. Squidward is dating Madam Foster.'"
"Vicky said she and the others checked their sources," Lisa told him.
"Lis, when are you gonna learn never to trust a word the Snobs say?," Tony said.
"Hey we did check our sources," Vicky protested. "We asked Madam Foster several about why Mr. Tentacles was visiting her so often, and she said, 'He's a very special guy.'"
"Yeah, she said that each and everytime," Brad said.
"So that gave obvious clear proof that they are dating," Mindy finished.
"I do not have a relationship with Madame Foster!," Squidward shouted at Tony, Lisa and Baljeet. "I was giving her music lessons!"
"I don't like this one bit," Prickley said. "You kids retract this, and then think about exactly what kind of paper you're running!"
Back in the ToonSchool Times room, Lisa and Baljeet scolded, Vicky, Mindy, and Brad for not checking their facts on the story.
"I cannot believe you gave us another story without checking the facts!," Lisa snapped.
"Yeah, and it is not the first time either," Baljeet agreed. "This is the eighth occurrence this has happened. Such as back when you reported on the cafeteria's mystery meat being made of cow and pig guts."
"Or when you reported that Mickey had an addiction to cheese."
"Or that story you made about Dennis wearing he gym sock at ever game without washing them?"
"We were just giving the people what they wanna hear," Mindy protested.
"Yeah, and they don't wanna hear all that boring junk you guys are writing," Brad said.
"Yeah, they want to read big, juicy stories that they can really sink their teeth into," Vicky finished.
"Dude, those kinds of stories are for tabloids," Tony said over from his desk. "This is a school newspaper."
"A newspaper that has stood proudly with reporting with facts," Baljeet reiterated.
"And you are bringing it down with these false, inaccurate stories," Lisa added. "Well enough is enough. I'm sorry, but you have left us no choice but to kick you off the school paper."
"Excuse me?," Vicky said.
"In the short, but well-known words of Donald Trump, 'You're fired!' You have 30 minutes to pack your desks."
Vicky could only shriek in anger as the three left to pack their things.
"This isn't over, we'll get even for this," she screamed. "You'll be sorry for this, all of you."
Later on, Vicky, Mindy and Brad, were back with Dash, Princess and Eustace, and they (well, mostly Vicky) were all still fuming about being fired.
"How could they fire us?," Mindy ranted. "Us?! They have no idea who they've just done!"
"So they think they can just get rid of us that easy," Vicky said. "Well think again!"
"Well what are we gonna do about it?," Brad asked.
"We could stick poisonous snakes in their backpacks," Princess suggested.
"Or we can glue their hands to desks," Eustace suggested.
"Or we can start our own paper, smear them with stories, and drive the ToonSchool Times out of business," Dash suggested. Everyone looked at him astonished at his idea. "What?"
"Dash, you are a genius!," Vicky said. "There's room for more than one publication in this school, and the Times could use some unfriendly competition!"
"And I suppose we are the ones to give it that?," Eustace said with a sly grin.
"You bet. We just need a room and the equipment."
"Leave the equipment to me."
"And me," Princess added in.
"And the room to me," Mindy said.
"Excellent," Vicky snickered evilly.
Later on, in the school boiler room, the Snobs, who had gotten permission to set up shop there (and were not afraid of the horrors down there) had gotten set up and were ready to take on the school's paper.
"Excellent," Vicky said. "This paper will give the students what the Times will not: the truth behind the truth. Staff ready?"
"Ready!," the other Snobs said together.
"Princess, Dash, Eustace you guys provide the pictures, while Brad, Mindy and I write the stories to go with them."
"You can count on us," Princess said.
"And the first thing you can do I start typing the obituary for a certain long-running school paper, along with it's editors and staff!"
Vicky cackled evilly as the Snobs got to work on their debut edition.
The next day at lunch, the gang, along with Lisa and Baljeet were passing out the latest editions of the ToonSchool Tribune.
"Well, guys I think this might be the Tribune's best issue yet," Tony said to Daryl, Baljeet, and Lisa.
Just then the Snobs entered the lunchroom shouting as Princess shouts, "Extra, EXTRA! Read all about it! Baljeet secretly likes wearing dresses! Only in the Snob Syndicator! A nickel per paper!"
Students clamored around the Snobs as the gang and the Tribune's staff looked on in shock.
"Those guys have a paper?," Danny gasped.
"They charging a nickel per copy?," Jake added.
"Baljeet is a cross-dresser?," Bloo gasped, earning him smacks from June and Mac.
"Extra, EXTRA! Hot off the press!," Vicky cried as she continued to pass out papers and collect money. "Baljeet loves girl's clothing! Read all about it!"
"I do not cross-dress!," Baljeet said angrily.
"What in the world are they talking about?," Lisa asked.
"I dunno but whatever it is it's selling like hotcakes," June said. True to her word, the students continued swarm and pay for the papers as the gang plus Lisa and Baljeet look on in shock.
Meanwhile, the gang and some of the Times staff were gathered in an emergency meeting about the Snobs and their new publication.
"Those Snobs made that whole story up and pasted some pictures together," Baljeet said, as he held up a Snob Syndicator copy with a clearly fake picture of Baljeet wearing a ballerina dress headline: BALJEET THE BEAUTY!
"Well I think that dress looks cute on you," Bubbles said as everybody looked at her. "Well it does. Don't judge me!"
"And check out this headline they did of me!," Lisa said as he held a copy up as well with another clearly fake pic of Lisa eating a hamburger and the headline: LISA SIMPSON: VEGAN OR FRAUD?!
"I stopped eating meat a long time ago and I'm not going back now!"
"Calm down, Lis," Bart said. "Everyone knows it's all lies. This'll blow over."
"Yeah, it ain't worth getting mad about," Jake agreed.
The two of them would eat those words the next day when they and the others saw theSyndicator's latest issue.
"What the?," they said together as they saw fake pasted-together photos of them with dolls in their hands and the headline: LONG AND SIMPSON PLAY WITH LITTLE SISTER'S DOLLS.
"What is this?," Bart snapped.
"Relax guys, it'll blow over," Lisa said.
"Yes, it is not worth getting upset about," Baljeet said echoing what the former two had just said the previous day.
"Well you should see what they wrote about Tony and Daryl," Buttercup said, hold her own copy. "They said that–"
"Stop! Don't wanna hear it!," Tony said, interrupting her.
"Okay, we have got to do something about this!," Daryl said upset.
"Like what?," Lisa asked.
"Don't worry, I have an idea!," Blossom said
"And so do I," Bart said as he pulled out his cell phone and made a phone call.
In the boys bathroom, Sheldon Lee was washing his hands, when he got a call. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and answered it.
"Hello," he said as the voice on the other end talked. "Uh-huh, I see. Right. Yeah, okay. I'll be right over."
Later on, the ToonSchool Times room, the staff had finished the next issue and were leaving it for the next day. Tony, Daryl, Lisa, and Baljeet were the last ones to go and were cleaning and packing up.
"Just wait until tomorrow's edition comes out," Tony said. "We're gonna beat those Snobs bogus stories, with the truth."
"Yeah, I got the feeling this'll be our best issue yet, with the true stories shining," Lisa agreed.
"Yeah, not those cocka-baby phony articles in the Snob Syndicator," Daryl said.
"Amen," Baljeet put in as the four finish and left. Unknown to them as soon as they left, the Snobs, who'd been hiding in the storage closet, slipped out and started rummaging through their paper looking for their article.
"Alright, find their new article, and see what our competition has cooked up," Vicky snickered.
"Well isn't this, um… what's the word…unethical?," Dash said.
"Who cares about ethics? As long as we outdo these twerps, I could care less."
"Hey I found it!," Brad shouted as he held up a paper.
"Give it to me!," she said as she snatch the paper and read the article. "NEW JUNGLEGYM SMASHING HIT! Hmm…"
The next day in the cafeteria, as the gang, Lisa, and Baljeet, were about to pass out their papers, the Snobs burst in with their own.
"Extra, EXTRA! Read all about it! NEW JUNGLEGYM IS CHEAP, RUSTY AND UNSAFE FOR ALL! Only in the Snob Syndicator! A nickel per paper!," Eustace shouted.
"What?," Blossom gasped as the others looked on in shock. "The junglegym's our story!"
"Yeah, but how did they–," Tommy said, wondering how they got the Times's story.
"Extra, EXTRA! Read all about it!," Princess shouted. "POWERPUFFS STOP TAKING BATHS!"
At that, Bloo, who was next to the PowerPuffs, stepped back several feet, which the girls saw.
"It's not true, Bloo," Bubbles said.
"Well didn't you once say Buttercup stop taking baths once?," Daryl asked.
"That was a long time ago, and it didn't work out for me!," Buttercup said. Suddenly, Eddy (Ed, Edd, 'n' Eddy) came by hold his nose.
"It's not true," Blossom said.
"If it's in the paper, and we had to pay a nickel to read about, it has to be," he said as he walked off.
"And you losers aren't the only thing that stinks," Dash said as he and the other Snobs walked up.
"Indeed, that sorry excuse for a paper yours is becoming quite malodorous itself," Eustace added in.
"You guys can't keep doing this with your lies," Jimmy snapped.
"Sure we can," Mindy said. "It called the First Amendment. For once, paying attention in class paid off."
"We have the superior paper now, twerps. That'll show you to fire us," Vicky cackled as the Snobs left, with the gang Lisa and Baljeet staring at them.
Baljeet then looked at the copy of the Snob Syndicator and said with an angry look, "Of course, you realize this means war."
"Don't worry," Bart said. "We'll get our revenge, and a whole lot more soon enough."
"Bart, what do you have planned?," Lisa asked suspiciously.
"Oh don't worry, you'll see."
A/N: Let's hope so Bart! Will his plan be able to help the gang bring down the Snobs and their crooked Syndicator once and for all? Find out next time!
Read and review, everybody!