Did you ever give Yakko a kiss? He said he has all his shots

I’ve kissed all of the Warners on the cheek/forehead. The over-the-top helloooo nurse bits were just a joke for the show, but off screen I pretty much just became the closest thing they have to an auntie lol

I bet you don’t know this, but when you and your siblings were still asleep on the couch when the crew started arriving for filming, Dr. Scratchansniff would hush everyone and make sure they didn’t wake or disturb you, especially since they would start setting up so early in the morning.

What WAS it like when you were just out of the water tower?

We all had our little habits, I’d keep my little sibs as close as I could, Wakko stuffed as much food they could in to their cheeks incase that was the last time they ate for another 60 years, dot would throw a tanturm if I got out of her sight. We all REFUSED to sleep in the water tower, the good doctor let us sleep on  his couch, but luckily thanks to people like Scatchy and Hello Nurse things got better...

We’re already having one made up for you!

@ask-the-one-who-yaks @askdotwarner @ask-wakko would you kids do me the honor of being the flower girl and ring bearers at my wedding?

Hi! Aside from the catcalling scenes within the show, how did you and the Warners interact off-set?

We had a lot of fun! We went out for ice cream after filming sometimes. I remember Wakko would always bring their own toppings and it gradually got more and more bizarre— one time he brought fish food and just sprinkled the whole container on his banana split and ate the whole thing, plate and all, in one bite. I know they did that kind of stuff a lot on the show but it’s something else when you see it in real life. You never know what you’ll get with that kid. They also invited me over for game nights with Dr. Scratchansniff every now and then and it was always a lot of fun, but more or less ended in property damage or arson every time.

They were also the first members of the cast and crew who I came out to besides Otto and Minerva, and they were so quick to accept and support me and I think it ultimately drew me closer to them. I kind of felt like they were my little cousins or I was their cool aunt! We already have plans to get together after the pandemic so they can meet my fiancée, Aranya!

Why do you think catcalling doesn't work in a Children's Cartoon like Animaniacs in 2020?

The world is becoming more socially aware. Art and media both inform and reflect popular ideals, and although the objectification of women is and always has been wrong, believing so wasn’t a popular ideal in the 20th century, at the very least in terms of micro-aggressions. And the thing is, it’s kind of a cheap joke that’s been done to death and isn’t very funny anymore without irony, nuance, or some kind of context. Tastes change and what’s thought to be funny and appropriate change. I think to have a female character whose only purpose is having connections to male characters is isolating to women and femme-aligned people and reinforces harmful tropes that are bad for everyone.

Now that does not mean that I regret my time on Animaniacs, I had a great time, met excellent people, and it was just generally a good experience. I also think that the phrase “hello nurse” is the kind of iconic phrase that can be used in all kinds of contexts that can be funny without being a catcall and I have absolutely no problem with it, my fiancée and friends says it to me all the time, and if I ever do a cameo on the new series, I expect that phrase to be the first thing I hear when I enter the scene.

Ultimately, Animaniacs was a product of its time and I certainly don’t blame anyone specifically for the humor rooted in the objectification of women, but I am so so happy that it’s been left behind in the new series.

1. So what's the real reason you didn't show up for the reboot? Other than that Doctors Without Borders thing? 2. What would happen if you did happen to be placed in the 2020 reboot?

I was in Belarus when they were filming and I only found out about the reboot through Dot when she texted me about it, but I wasn’t a main character and they kept the cast pretty compact so I understand. They’re also trying to get away from catcalling and sexual harassment as a form of humor, and to be fair, that’s what a lot of my scenes were based on back in the day. If I was to come back on the show, I think the team will be more inclined to write me how I originally wanted to be written and showcase my background as a doctor in several fields and an award-winning Broadway actress and playwright! Right now I’m pretty busy but if I was invited back to do an episode or a cameo I would be delighted to!

Are you really at that Doctors Without Borders thing like Dr. Scratchinsniff said?

I was! I helped with disaster relief in Thailand after an earthquake in 2014, and then I got transferred to Belarus in 2016. Now I’m back in the US with my fiancée as a traveling nurse helping out understaffed hospitals with COVID.

Here’s a little known Animaniacs fact for ya! The woman who was on a date with Dr. Scratchansniff in “Drive-Insane” is played by my mom, Frau Nerz! Otto and I recommended her for the role when the original actress dropped out and she just happened to be in Burbank visiting me!

Hello Nurse your thoughts on Yakko,Wakko and Dot?

Some of the sweetest kids I know! I had a blast working with them on set, and it was a little tradition of ours to go out for ice cream after filming and having monthly game nights at the water tower.

Dot is one of the most ambitious young people I know and I always enjoyed talking with her about everything from neuroscience to Cosmo. Yakko and Wakko always made me laugh, to the point that I became notorious for ruining takes by being unable to contain my laughter. That line in the Hello Nurse song, “she never laughs at dirty jokes,” was more of a rib at me than a truth.

I wasn’t always a fan of the scripts we got but the Warners are some of the coolest kids I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.

Do you have any thoughts on the way you were portrayed on the original show?

Thanks for the question! And I absolutely do! I wasn’t a big fan of how I was portrayed as the “dumb blonde” in some of the Slappy skits, I found it really demeaning and stereotypical. But, I was in a contract so I had to do it. I knew right off the bat that the main point of my character was to illicit an over-the-top reaction from Yakko and Wakko for the sake of comedy, and as much as I think that’s a harmful trope now, it was the norm in the 90s. I’m glad that they were at least respectful behind the scenes, and it wasn’t their fault that that’s how the show was written. I fought for years with the writers to showcase some other aspects of my life, but it was ultimately @ask-the-one-who-yaks and @ask-wakko who pitched the Hello Nurse song after they saw how frustrated I was with being the “sexy lamp” character! And then I think my performance in Wakko’s Wish kind of tied the whole thing together!

I think I remember seeing Dr. Scratchansniff try to teach you with flash cards and hypnosis when I was in the office once? Did that not work? I do remember him getting a little frustrated haha!

Your siblings said you can’t do math but you had a multiplication song in the 90s. Can you do math?

If  I can memorize all the countries of the world I can memories a 2 minute song. Also no I can’t do math

@ask-the-one-who-yaks @askdotwarner @ask-wakko would you kids do me the honor of being the flower girl and ring bearers at my wedding?

Of course! I can’t wait to see you kids when I come visit Burbank!

Do you and wakko go skirt shopping sometimes?

sure!

i know all of the best places that sell skirts. so we always shop together!

edit: looks like i read this wrong the first time! my mistake

Have any of the kids.... well... come out.... to u yet? And if so? Was everyone supportive? (If anyone wasnt I need their name and address for completly unrelated reasons.)

Right before we started filming the first season, Dot came out as a trans girl and I was so honored to be the first person to take her shopping to help her pick out a new wardrobe! It’s a memory I’ll cherish forever and I am so proud of the young lady she’s become!

After the kids found out that I’m a lesbian around the filming of last season or so of the original series, Yakko started confiding in me about how he liked boys in the same way he liked girls and was confused and didn’t know how to rationalize his feelings. That’s a lot for a teenager to go through, and I tried to be as helpful and supportive as I could be! He officially came out by dropping a massive anvil painted like the bi pride flag on everyone at a Christmas party! I was so proud of him, even though it did leave me with a bit of a migraine for a few days.

Wakko came out as nonbinary in a similar way not too long ago, by using a NB pride flag mallet to pummel bestselling author JK Rowling into the ground, repeatedly! I thought that was such a fun way to come out and I am so proud of them. I did get permission from all of the kids to share these stories, so don’t worry!

Pleased to announce that Dr. Scratchansniff will be officiating Aranya and I’s wedding!

Aw I miss going skirt shopping with you guys! We have to get together soon!

Do you and wakko go skirt shopping sometimes?

sure!

i know all of the best places that sell skirts. so we always shop together!

edit: looks like i read this wrong the first time! my mistake

Have you met any interesting people while working with doctors without boarders? And do you miss the warners and or doctor scratchansniff?

Absolutely! I met so many wonderful people when I was working with Doctors Without Borders and was incredibly humbled by my experience. I might be biased, but my favorite person I met was my fiancée, Aranya, who I worked with on a medical project in Thailand!

And of course I miss the old gang! Otto and I reconnected earlier this year and started having monthly zoom meetings, and I’m on Snapchat with the Warner kids! I keep saying we have to have a little reuonion after the pandemic. Thank you for the question and I hope you have a lovely day!