this show articulates just how my life would be if I ever start a family, it’s a great example of how not everyone should have a kid or pursue a relationship when they’re clearly not mentally okay
yeah I watched the fist couple episodes and then thougth nothig of it since it seemed like just a really episodic parody. Only later did I learn that I missed out on one of the most excellent villains adult swim had.
i actually really like the early episodes where it's more of a satiric comedy, as well as the dramatic later episodes. they both have their appeal imo.
Watched Moral Orel multiple times but never connected the dots that he “cares” about Orel through his beatings because that was how he was raised and how he interpreted it
4:40 "He has his occasional beer goggles..." "I NEVER...drink beer." - Clay Thanks for pointing out at 12:15 he never does a single nice thing for anyone in the show. Clay Puppington is the only character in media I've ever seen who is more evil than Walter White. (Although Omniman comes close)
@@TeamFriendship8600 Me too. And he can work with the reverend be it putty, if he’s still around, or another, to help get Moralton on track. As I feel that Orel May have helped Rod putty to find genuine faith.
@@bcrunch4232 This genuinely makes me wonder what Clay would think, if he's still alive by that point and his liver hasn't given up. He would either be irrationally angry that his son achieved these things he failed spectacularly at(raising a loving, functional family and becoming a respected political figure)or, although unlikely, actually feel regret for his numerous awful actions which caused him to lose everything-his son, his true love, and his public image. Keep in mind that the big reason why Orel turned out so different to Clay is that he was able to realize how bad of a dad Clay really is, but the same can't be said for Clay and his own father. Either way, it would be nice to see Orel make Moralton actually live up to it's name.
Like a big f*** you, we didn't really went back together. It sad because he praid to God in Christmas and didn't got what he really wanted, and then next cristmast he saw the truth. Genius writing
Yeah, but the irony is that afterwards we learn that Clay is the way he is from nurture; he was never taught how to love and when was finally trying to be happy he got trapped in a marriage with a wife who never loved him and drove him to alcoholism.
@@4rtie of course this experience are what gave him his nature and its too late for him to change. His worst tendencies grew in awfulness and power and dwarfed whatever good aprts of him were left, leaving only a bitter, selfish man. It may not have been his nature originally, but it is now.
@@sarafontanini7051 that's not what the word nature means. One's nature is inherent to who they are, it's natural to them. If you're shaped and molded through experience that's nurture determining who you are. Not nature.
@@4rtie I think the title is meant to evoke the inverse of what it says. So rather than nature, it's nurture. But also they're in the outdoors, so nature also I guess.
I always thought it was interesting that Clay talked about being "not good enough" and "letting the dominant jackals of the world feed on him" despite being the most powerful person in his household and town. This means he wasn't talking about a boss, or group of people, abusing him. He was probably talking about the box he put himself in. The dominant jackals could mean a lot of things; society, his pride, his shortcomings as a father/husband, everything he thinks is forcing him to continue living a life he clearly hates. I felt sorry for Clay, but he clearly deserved every bit of suffering he had coming to him.
Nah he means it exactly as it's said, you guys don't get it, probably don't see reality for what is is, living in some bluepill mindset, or maybe the truth is just to painful and scary.
I actually like the implied ending for Bloberta & Clay in the original show, as much as I feel sorry for both of them, I think it's appropriate they still stayed miserably married while Orel, Shapey & Block moved on to bigger & better things without their influence. That's just usually what happens when toxic & often desperately religious people have a relationship, they stay together simply because they don't know how to be anything else, their pride just won't let them. There's no escape from the prison they built for themselves, they'll die together hand in unlovable hand.
In Before Orel, Clay and his now elderly father talked. Clay for once showed his vulnerable side and asked his father if he was worth it. Clay cried. Arthur was going to try reconcile with Clay, but Clay refused to forgive him. Clay was trying to get Orel to hate him out of spite. Clay only acted like a father towards Orel just to back at his father only for it to backfire on him a few years later. When Arthur left, in a moment, Clay is sad and wanted to patch things up with him, but Clay was too stubborn to forgive him. Clay failed to have Orel to hate Arthur and Orel will never become like Clay.
“Dear Orel, you will always be a prime candidate for brainwashing. But you will never become corrupted, as your heart is too pure.” (Sorry if I messed that up, I forgot exactly how it went).
Arthur was a horrible, abusive father and a big reason why Clay turned up so fucked up. I will never understand why the show treated Arthur like he was a good guy when he was just as terrible to his son as Clay was to his own son.
Decent video. One thing that always bothers me about any discussion of the show is that everyone seems to sweep all the bad stuff Coach Stop Frame has done under the rug. I would argue that he is as evil as Clay. Think about it. He manipulated a married woman into having an affair with him with the intent of getting her knocked up. All as a ploy to somehow get closer to a guy he likes who she is married to. He never even gives them money to help raise the bastard child. Liberta just wanted love. Couch just wanted a basterd child and manipulated her. He could have used a condom if he only wanted sex but it's made very very clear that he only wanted a basterd child and did this evil thing in order to get it.
@@Lechgang I really like the Coach character, but till this day I get surprised and taken aback when I remember all the effed up things he did just to get closer to Clay
@@paperbagboi3185 It does make me wonder if Coach would have underwent character development if the series went on for longer. He did all those bad things only to realize Clay isn't worth it in the end. I also don't think he's as evil because he draws the line at Clay's abuse of Orel. Though I guess in a place like Moralton where empathy is at an all time low, Stopframe seems like an upstanding citizen.
I just realized that Bloberta made clay into the image of her father which is the only person who loved her then so maybe clay would love her (with alcohol glasses) but in the end alcohol affects everyone differently and he became this person
Bloberta deeply regretted doing it to Clay but she refused to do anything about it because she is afraid what others will think. She realize she failed to become better than her mother and her marriage was an utter failure. She never told orel the truth about it because she is ashamed and also denial.
Yeah, I definitely see Bloberta projecting some sort of an Electra Complex (like the Oedipus Complex, but between the father and daughter, rather than the mother and son) onto Clay when they first start dating.
Clay is a horrible person. But in the bar rant episode his sorrow and regret is so apparent. And that doctor was so awful, using others pain to get off on. Then when Clay was calling him out on it everyone got upset with him but the doctor was so evil for what he was doing. Clay admits to feeling remorse for hurting people that he loves and no one seems to care or understand his genuiness in the moment. I think clay deserves some credit for not being a completely horrible person and trying to desperately express his sadness and sorrow for what he’s become and his situation.
That's the best part about Clay, he might seem like the worst person on the surface but he's not even bottom of the barrel when it comes to how depraved the citizens of Moralton can be, arguably he's not even the top three worst individuals on the show.
his tragic backstory isn't there to excuse him, it's there to explain him always a big difference It's one of the reasons he's like this but it still doesn't excuse his actions in any way
@@mediamementosofficial both are very messed up people. They loved each other but I don’t believe they are a good match. Both are very messed up and their relationship could become just like Clay and Bloberta’s. I believe Danielle did the right call by leaving Clay.
I slightly disagree with the take that Clay was bad from the start. Yes, the prank ended with his mother's death, but there's no way he could have known that. He was just a kid. His father, for his part, took his frustrations out on Clay. He only recognized Clay's existence long enough to backhand him, and Clay took any "recognition" as love. When Clay was given the gun, it wasn't a part of the Puppington "coming of age ceremony" where he'd be recognized as a man. It was just handed to him, without celebration or value. Clay was never seen as a capable man by anyone he valued the opinion of, mostly his father. So everything he does is so that others think highly of him. He has a family, a well-paying job, he goes to church. But it's all without genuine care or feelings of accomplishment. He sees his family as leeches, he complains about his "dead-end" job, and he never has any respect for the reverend or the church, constantly showing up "drunk and late." It's all about appearance, which is why he is his own worst enemy. He's honest with no one, not even himself and what he wants. If there's one episode that sums up his character the best, it's "Passing." It shows what started him down the path that led to his personal hell. The lesson to take from it, in my mind, is this: Everyone is the way they are for a reason, even the worst of us. And if you can't love the good in them, you can at least pity what they could have been.
Where did he say that Clay was bad from the start? Are you talking about him saying he wasn't a considerate kid? I mean that's true, the show makes a point of that. That doesn't mean he was a bad kid from the start, just not a considerate one. It's normal for kids to be a bit self centered, but this part of himself was rewarded by his mother which reinforced that behavior and made him generally more inconsiderate than a lot of children his age would have been otherwise. Unless you're talking about a different part I missed, but I don't remember seeing him say that Clay was always bad.
@@KalinTheZola It's pretty much that part. I don't think Clay would have been as inconsiderate if his mother hadn't fed into his self-absorbed attitude as much. Though, in the same way I wouldn't blame his father for holding a grudge, I wouldn't blame his mother for doting over him in the wake of so many failed pregnancies. It's actually what I love about this show. The environment influences the actions of the characters, and so their actions are understandable, if not necessarily agreeable.
Honestly when clays dad stopped hitting him because he's "not worth it", that was a real gut punch for me. He sought out pain because he didn't have the constant and unconditional love from his mother and all he had left was pain. He fetishized his agony. He reveled in it.
Well,does "Golden child syndrome" count? Think about it,his mother would DEFINITELY spoil the crap outta him while this sibling is either abused (whether even by Clay's mother and/or Clay himself,Arthur/Pa Puppington would've PROBABLY actually like that kid,but since he hates Clay,Kid #2 or so wouldn't have the chance with THAT for a sibling,mind you-of course,really-so,apparently..?) or flat-out ignored by their/Ma and Pa Puppington,really... _Heh,imagine the situation of _*_if his son Orel found about his father's long-lost brother or sister and would try to make amends with them_*_ ,even if Clay disapproves otherwise,so honestly!_
Moral Orel is considered to be a cold gem on Adult Swim. It deserves a comeback someday, since of how much the show handled darkness after another, gained the viewer's chance to swallow their pride, and prove that shows with mature themes on AS need to handle them without entirely for shock value, but respect these issues altogether.
4:37 I actually thought Clay was trying to mold Orel into someone just as horrible and corrupt as he is, and ultimately fails. I think it's the perfect karma that Orel gets everything his father never had while Clay suffers for his actions and actually reflects on everything he did wrong. Clay is such an interesting character because on one hand, I feel kind of bad for him since he's a great example of how childhood abuse and neglect can destroy someone. On the other, he's an irredeemable monster who likes to complain about how miserable he is but is ignorant to the fact his suffering is a result of his own actions. I both pity and hate him at the same time. Clay isn't a loveable or comedic jerk like you'd see in many other adult cartoons. He's a far more realistic and heinous asshole who causes misery for himself and those unlucky enough to be around him.
he had a very self-absorbed mother who kept killing babies and a very uncaring father who beat him and neglected him as a child, and you're expecting him to understand the meaning of this action! I think his parents are to blame. They are the root of the problem.
I would like to preface that I've never really watched this show, but have consumed a bunch of analysis videos on it. But from what I gather about people like Clay, is that they are miserable and self loathing but extremely narcissistic. Because of that, they can't reconcile that there's something wrong with them so they try their darndest to bring those around them down to their level. That way they can look at those around them and convince themselves everyone is terrible and live in perpetual denial. Which in Clay's case manifests in how he tries to corrupt his son to be terrible. That's why narcissists float from relationship to relationships, friendships to friendships. Because they either are cast away by others tired of being around them (which seems to be the case for Clay by the end), or they decide to leave when they realize they can't corrupt everyone. The latter is more of annoyance to them because pure souls, like Orel, are a reminder that they themselves are responsible for their unhappiness. They're also a glimpse into what a pure, happy person can be if they're just honest with themselves. And people like Clay just can't stand that because he continues to live in denial. That's probably why he has no qualms about torturing Orel, even if he knows his grip on him is slipping.
@@Kaboomboo I think Clay has some awareness of his own flaws, but in order to be actually happy, he'd have to risk his reputation in Moralton. Yes, he could divorce Bloberta, but that wouldn't really do any favors for his political career. Narcissism combined with low self-esteem, trauma, and having close-minded beliefs drilled into him since childhood has made him into a complete mess. Also, the corruption thing you mentioned might be partially why he doesn't just get a divorce. In "Sacrifice" he even admits that he poisons everyone around him, and it's the one rare moment he seems to express any kind of remorse. Divorcing Bloberta would not only damage his image, he also blew his chance with Daniel, so he wouldn't have anyone left to corrupt. People like Clay like being able to control others, perhaps to compensate for feeling like their own lives are out of control. From his point of view, getting rid of Bloberta would deprive him of that control. He doesn't see Orel as a son as much as someone to mold into his own image.
Always thought it was unfair for the Coach to treat Clay the way he did when he finally admitted his feelings. Coach spent all his time trying to selfishly ruin Clay's relationship with his wife/family, even going so far as to have a kid with Clay's wife, that I don't think Coach *gets* to be mad at Clay for being selfish himself and taking too long to "come out." It's played up like Clay betrayed Coach when, throughout the season, Coach has been doing everything he could to sabotage Clay's life so Clay would run to him.
i totally agree! i feel like coachs character arc was cut too soon, there should've been a few more consequences to his actions. he manipulated bloberta just to get to clay and acted as if he didnt do anything wrong towards the end.
The things the Coach did were very fucked up. I was just under the impression that he knew Clay and Bloberta’s marriage was a sham. I bet that with a couple of years if Clay wanted to he could have had left Bloberta in order to rebuild a new and better life, but either his society or his pride were stopping him from doing that. I think the coach was bending his time and trying to get to Clay to realize that and then after getting no results he did all of that messed up things he did. It doesn’t justify it by any means though. This is a case of the three of them Clay, bloberta and the Coach just trying to find happiness in their own messed up way.
I think it’s the fact that he thought he knew clay, and thought that he really cared for him. Stopframe wanted to do things with clay like he did with Orel in the Christmas episode, but that wasn’t what Stopframe was to clay. Stopframe isn’t excused, but he sees what clay is and knows that he could never have the moments he had with Orel, because he was nothing but a resourceful clay just like everyone else is.
Clay is incredibly realistic. I have met families with this same exact dynamic and you are bound to find them in America, especially in little Church towns. Down to the alcoholism, repressed bisexuality, and blinding narcissism. Amazingly deep look into real people by the writers.
I dunno, that sounds like the role of the villain; the bad influences on the rest of the world, and Orel is like that tiny spark of innocence that's challenged by it.
It's simultaneously both funny yet kinda heartbreaking. Orel goes though so much shit in this show, that I'm just really glad he came out with it not just okay, but with something Clay could never get; a happy family.
@@tsnophaljakarax9963 Given what a horrible father and husband Clay was, he kind of deserved to end up alone and miserable. And it was wonderful that Orel got his happy ending. It goes to show that a terrible childhood doesn't mean that you can't be better
@@christinelee4780 tbh his wife is more horrible than he is. She basically ruined his life and turned clay into the monster he is. She is frankenstein and clay frankenstein's monster
Yeah, especially considering she basically drugged him (well, with alcohol) and then gaslit him, it's sad that she didn't even love him and just used him to get married so she wouldn't be laughed at.
I think he was so mean to Orel to keep him from wanting to be like him...thus breaking the cycle of abuse. You can see Clay do things that on the surface seem monstrous like not giving Orel the heirloom gun, but I think that was his way of trying to break that abusive cycle. If this is true then I think you have to say that sacrificing your relationship, respect, and love of your only child just so they will have a better life is pretty admirable in a twisted way. I don't think Clay was evil, I think he did not know how else to make sure his son did not end up like him.
@@mattb.4333After Nature, I think he actually gave up on Orel. His entire reasoning for caring about him was that he could try and make another person like him due to his narcissism. Problem is that Orel truly is incorruptible and naturally good, that Clay fundamentally can't make Orel into a "mini me" so he stops talking to Orel all together until his job is in jeopardy
He’s really a huge study on society and the physiology of a lot of men. He, in a way reminds me of my father, a man who had emotional issues and valued peoples perception of him to a detrimental extent to me and my mother. He was a far better man than clay, but the mentality is commonplace. I think a lot of people have grown up in or witnessed similar situations that can relate.
What makes Clay an interesting character is that he’s a “real” person. He’s not an exaggerated for cartoonish kind of evil, he acts like a real (and horrible) person would by trying to manipulate his family and being a horrible man.
Miss Censordoll to me is the most evil. Granted, Clay is up there. But demons tend to be puppet masters. And the episode that showed her, the nurse (very tragic story), and Orel's teacher, showed she has a metaphysical influence on the town of Joplin. Yes Joplin. Moralton is where Joplin is in real life.
Honestly, I'm glad someone else brings her up. She is another character that never did anything good and is highly manipulative. Yea yea, she had a bad childhood, but she is still a shitty, bitter person
@@spaghetti5914 I still like her for how over-the-top evil she is. It wouldv'e been interesting to dive deep into her messed up god complex, but I guess we're not gonna get that, unless the creators make a comeback from the show's sudden resurgence in popularity and somehow retcon the last few episodes of Season 3 to extend it into two more seasons.
I read that it was intended to show Censordoll involved in Voodoo/black occult magic. All along she was a literal witch. She feels permitted to control others while tell them everything they do is Satanic blasphemy. Which is so befitting her kind of pompous fake religious hypocrisy.
One thing I noticed towards the end of the show, while Clay and some of the other charcters are in the bar and Clay starts verbally attacking each one of them, they all instinctly get mad and want to beat him up, but in the end, they give him a look that mirrors what Clay's dad told him "youre not even worth it" and they all leave him. It is sad. And the way Clay wants them all to stay so he can keep abusing them is pathetic.
Good vid. One incredibly minor point though: "Strapped for cash" Ah, no. He's the literal mayor and judging by the very, very long armory stocked with firearms, swords and other melee weapons, and literal suits of armor, altogether likely worth likely several thousand dollars, he gets paid pretty well for it. Not to mention the comical supply of power tools bloberta buys.
@@mediamementosofficial plus him hating pretty much the entire family would definitely make spending money on them seem like a burden. “Oh no I got to feed another one of you?”
It's a type of financial abuse. Keep a household under your thumb by being the only one with money, and whenever they want something, refuse it by either saying they're being punished, or that there's a 'tight budget'. Clay is either drinking his salary away, or it's going into his weapon collection. They SHOULD have enough money for five people, otherwise.
@[HDLM] Scruffee my dad had a tight budget too, could buy himself literally ANYTHING he wanted for himself , the nicest truck all the guns and motorcycles that he wanted but if I needed a calculator for class nope , wouldn't buy my mom anything either he was super cheap but would splurge on him self whenever he wanted . He's gotten better now and we have a decent relationship but I really used to resent him for being selfish growing up. He would always pay for all the maintenance on any of his vehicles but I had to change moms oil. And one time he made my mom shovel the snow in the driveway alone during a blizzard when I wasnt there, instead of paying $20 to the neighbor kid who had a snow blower he made my mom do it by hand.
I saw I comment mentioning that the 1950’s ideal lifestyle is toxic, which I disagree to an extent as that’s more or less just the nuclear family in general and it’s fine to have that kinda family as long as it’s not forced. If you start a family and it just naturally sorta fits the bill of the nuclear family, that’s fine. The part that makes this particular family toxic is Clay sorta forcing his family to maintain this perfect image of a family for no other sake then image itself. And I think clay while definitely adopting the ‘stereotypical America dad’ archetype, I believe he’s meant to demonstrate a more broad message of just... don’t make the mistakes of this man. Don’t do things especially if they make you and others around you miserable.
I feel about Moral Orel the same way I feel about BoJack Horseman (funny given a couple people worked on both) Objectively speaking it’s a fantastic, well written show, but especially in the later seasons, I find myself asking “why am I doing this to myself” whenever I watch it.
I feel we benefit from seeing these realistic depictions of the darker side of life. It reminds me to never repeat what happened to me, and that I’m not alone.
It's funny, when everyone kept pawning Orel off on other townsfolk when he came to them for advice in "Nesting" and he was finally directed to seek the mayor, I was sitting there thinking "Okay, this town is an absolute trainwreck, but this is the mayor. We're finally going to see the shitheel that runs and feeds the dark heart of Moralton, the leader of this false, cowardly, poisonous community.". Then that chair turns around and everything suddenly makes so much more sense.
my mom had multiple miscarriages before I was born too. I attribute that to how fucked up the first several years of my life were. except by the time I could walk, talk, and form coherent memories my parents were already apart and she was screaming on the phone telling my father to go to hell… Good times.
Funny that Orel becomes a better person and father despite everything. He got to have his own kids and is forever happy that he never has to be involved with his father again.
It could be said the hunting trip itself was benevolent in intent, an attempt to give Orel the fun experience he was intentionally denied as a child, and it's only because of his lack of experience that Clay fails utterly and ends up exposing his true nature to Orel. The fact that his guard was down and his drunk speech to Orel does at least suggest he did have his heart in the right place, but of course he fails to overcome his own traumas and winds up inflicting worse trauma, both physical and mental, on to Orel in the process.
I think is kind of unfair that Bloberta gets a happy ending and Clay gets nothing, they are both horrible people and certainly deserve what they got. If he ends up alone at the end, I would rather it made him look inward for once in his miserable life and realize what he truly is and maybe his ending is more about redemption than damnation.
the problem is he does. nobody hates Clay puppington more than he does, he's just not willing to change. he takes all criticism as proof that he's a terrible person, so any will to improve gets metamorphosized into idle self hatred
Maybe Clay exists to be a cautionary tale of what happens to us when we let our insecurities rule our character. And never truely learn to take responsibility for our actions. He doesn't get a happy ending because that is where that lifestyle leads. Misery.
They should've him sent him off with him not having to worry about the expectations of an entire town, he would be relaxed for once in his life, maybe learn to let go, and in true moral orel black comedy fashion, he offs himself. That's just my headcanon anything else is prolly better.
As sad as it is that this show was cancelled, I’m happy the show ended the way it did. They’re both terrible and honestly deserve each other to suffer together, alone. They don’t deserve happy endings.
“no children” by the mountain goats was such a perfect song that they used for both clay and bloberta that i’m convinced it was partially written for it
I hated bloberta in the best Christmas ever and felt really bad clay but now they're both terrible people also I don't think Clay's more evil I think they're both about the same
Clay is a product of zealotism, abuse, manipulation and society itself. But he had all the chances in the world to change but never did. He’s the best kind of villain, an interesting and relatable villain.
it's not that he associated getting slapped with affection, it's that he wanted attention of any kind, good or bad. when he's ignored that stings more than being hit. hince why he cries when everyone walks out of the bar and leaves him alone.
I don't see Clay as an irredeemable monster. I feel like he needs to learn a harsh lesson, quit drinking and get actual therapy when he can vent. Yes, he will have to start from square one like before Bloberta Clay sees his position as a father as a role, an act and does the bare minimum to fulfill that role as you can see, is an awful thing to see fatherhood as if you don't like doing it. Clay is a bit of a board to Orel before Nature. He does actually care about Orel because Orel is actually a good product from playing the role of father (sadly he holds the bottle before his son)(this is seen in Orel's recap episode). Even tho Orel gets into actually bad things that do get a spanking or more, Clay gives him half assed advice that doesn't avoid Orel getting beaten again (even though sometimes he does actually admit his advice was half assed and doesn't beat him) and then sends him on his way. He doesn't seem to do things because of his image since everyone knows his relationship with Stopframe (you referenced the episode where Orel bonded with Stopframe, Reverend Putty knew RIGHT AWAY before sending Oral to him and he has displays in the bar). He stays with his family because thats what he feels he has to do even tho he hates it. Saying Clay is just irredeemable is like making a monster, then hating the monster for being one when it didn't get a chance to be anything else.
To each their own, but Clay does half of the terrible things he does when he’s sober. At this point, he really is irredeemable. That’s kind of the point of the show. It’s that Orel learns that his Dad is too far gone. That’s the message of the final episode. And he totally does care about his image. He says as much when running for mayor and when telling Orel that he isn’t divorcing Bloberta. Yeah he cares about Orel, but he’s still a hopeless wreck.
I'd say it's tough to consider Clay evil and irredeemable because....He's evil as compared to what? Who IS good? Bloberta is absolutely awful who manipulated and trapped Clay in this marriage to begin with and cheats on him, Coach is terrible and sabotaged and manipulated his way into Clay's life, i don't believe he was entitled to any good or positive ending, the reverend is a racist with an estranged daughter, It's clearly implied that the doctor murdered his wife in the bar confrontation.... Selfishness rules ALL their lives, and i don't really know how you start to redeem...a single one of these people, so Clay being evil is REALLY difficult to assess, given his company.
I think one defense about Clay is that he was never really taught properly otherwise, his mother spoiled him stupid and his father abused and neglected him in an almost childish spite war. Everything in his life was 'abuse or BE abused', he was never really taught compassion. He is at heart still that spoiled brat taught by his mother to think the entire world must be damaged and wrong if it isn't revolving around him, never getting a real wake up call because most of the people around him are selfish too.
@@e-122psi3 can I pile on, that poetic justice wise, in the episode, Presents for God, that the sores on Clay's mouth was proof, that he returned a wrong, that Bloberta did on to him,
Gotta admit he is one of my favorite tv scumbags. His character gives an amazing view into the development of a narcissist. Everybody should get familiar with him because everybody has at least 1 in their personal life and that is an unwinnable situation.
I actually never saw Clay as being truly bisexual. I think it's more that he's so desperate for anyone to love him the way he can't love himself, that he'll latch onto them regardless of what gender they are. It's not so much that Clay is attracted to other men. Stopframe validates Clay, and that's what draws him in.
I would think he was just a gay man that doesn’t like women as he never got attracted to his wife but then i remember he phone called pimp Orel to get him a lady and yeah he is bi
@@blabla187 The person underneath made a good point, clay called up Orell and slept with a prostitute. During the episode where Orell brought those prostitutes to town.
He's so deeply reprehensible. There are many horrible parental figures in all kinds of media, but something about Clay makes him so much worse than any other figure
I think when oral had the religious vision it was oral coming to the realization that he doesn’t need the church to have security and that he can be his own “church” by taking solace in the person he is
Moral Orel stands out to me for how well it depicts the narcissistic pathologies that were picked up in American conservative families in the 1950s/60s. Bloberta is the shining image of a refrigerator mother and Clay is a borderline sociopath, and the only thing preventing their kids from turning out the same way (or worse, permanently depressed and damaged) is the blessing that Orel is smarter than them and has a genuine religious connection to fall back on.
It can even be said that Coach Stopframe is more of a father to Orel than Clay ever acted in this series in that last episode. The two acted more as a family than Orel’s family ever did, and he even pointed that out when comparing the Christmas from the previous year to S3Ep13. There is something more to the relationship between the two that bloomed too quickly, but also respectfully due to an early cancelation.
As a teen, this was just a silly comedy series I've enjoyed (granted Ive never finished the series), I never expected the show to have this much lore, seriousness, and feels, lol. For Christ's sake, I thought this show was supposed to be a silly parody of "Davy and Goliath".
Honestly I prefer that it would be Bloberta and Clay just staying together despite everything cause honestly they’re both terrible people that deserve each other and in someway I do feel that it’s kinda that they make peace with it if we take that by the end you see both of them still having a photo frame together in Orel’s home.
What is sad about clay is if his wife didn't trap him He might have been happy. Think about it. Bloberta would have married anyone. So at some point she would have probably gotten with the one. So Clay would have had the freedom to explore himself. He would have even been sober. At some point he might have met The coach and the two would have left the town because they clearly loved each other. enough to blind him from clay's bad traits.
i literally was thinking ab that, but clay still has the past of his dad making him feel worthless and shit, like he had a pretty fucking awful childhood, even without bloberta he still probably would've been a piece of shit
Was he confirmed to be a good guy when they met. Like I know he didn't drink but wouldn't he still be a narcissist like when he was a kid or did I miss a part explaining it.
He reminds me a lot of my father. Now my father, for all his faults and shitty behavior over the years, is by no means as evil as Clay by any means, I can confidently say that despite how awful he has treated me, my mom, and my sister, I know he still loves us. I know he feels guilty about the way he has acted, and part of that only reinforces the self hatred and depression that causes his bad behavior. While he isn't as cruel and hateful as clay, he has many of the same issues, the parental issues that cause him to be a shitty parent ( much less consistently awful as clay), the alcoholism to numb the pain, the fact they both feel trapped and lash out because of it (in my father's case his terrible health and disabilities make life very painful and difficult). It's both incredibly depressing, yet also sobering refreshing to see a show so accurately portray this kind of father. Makes me feel like someone can understand my situation as the son of this kind of man. A much less hateful version of this man, who never physically abused me or my family in anyway like clay did, but still hurt me in ways I am still kind of coming to terms with myself.
@@imethdup5050 my dad is about to get surgery for cancer and the fucked up part is that some small angry desperate part of hopes he will die, because it means I’ll be free of the negative influence he has over me and my family, he has been making my family and me miserable for years and I don’t think he has either the desire or the capability to change. I don’t really want him to die I just want him out of my life and I don’t know how else that could happen, he has latched into me and my family like a parasite so he can feed off any happiness we have.
@@imethdup5050 I can certainly understand the despising him part on the one hand I hate him on the other I don’t hate him enough to fully cut him out of my life I guess some small part of me still pities him and wants to see him get better even though I know that’s not possible.
@@jacobgraham8363 last time i saw hin was march 2021 at my baby sisters wedding, where i was informed he sold the car id been workin on out from under me, and destroyed everything i har peft over from childhood, all in all 100k+ worth of damages
I think Clay wanted Orel to hate him so Orel would not want to be anything like him, thus breaking the cycle of abuse that Clay was victim of and not strong enough to break himself. I think Clay is misunderstood.
I think it's a bit myopic to consider him bisexual. Clay was the paradigm of a closeted gay man living in a repressive society that would have condemned him had he been true to himself.
*This is going to be a long comment but hear me out or should I say read me out.* Is Clay a bad person? For me and what I just heard no. Clay is person who made some pretty terrible decisions that affected everyone's relationship. His son's, his wife, his lover, even himself. But I believe that everyone could be redeemed or be given a second chance to do good. We saw his story, his past. And it was a toxic cycle. But there's always that way to break that cycle. I believe that he can change for the better. He's just a man who's been through a traumatic past and hasn't moved on from that past and did the mistakes that his father did. I'm trying to understand why he did this. Be in his shoes. What he did was disgusting and almost unforgivable. But the key here is almost. Everyone could be redeemed and change for the better. To be the better version of themselves. Clay can change for the better if he just tried. I believe so, I know so. This guy definitely needs therapy. And I think his wife, his sons and his lover has the right to distance themselves from him. But distancing themselves from him ain't going to heal the wounds in their hearts or the emotional and mental scars. Clay even turn to drinking to numb that pain for the short term but, not the long-term. He did a lot of things like abusing his children, abusing and isolating his wife, caring about his image then caring about his family, having an affair with his lover, lying and hurting other people for his own gain, and so many other things that hurt so many people. But even with all those things I still think people can be redeemed. I believe there's good in his heart if he just tried and get help. And I think apologizing to his family and take responsibility is also the best thing to do. I believe in change, I believe in hope, I believe in people for the better. Even people who did acts like him if he only gotten help. I'm still going to believe that he can change and do better. I believe in change and, I believe in hope.
I never watch Moral Orel because the Puddington family is the worst family 1. Clay is terrible person and I hate him 2. Bloberta needs to divorce her husband 3. Orel deserves a better family
Great show. So few animated (or claymated, claymotioned, whatever) programs deliver like Morel Oral an a range of satisfying levels. It deserved more episodes and seasons.
Honestly with Moral Orel getting more popular I would like to see if Adult Swim would be willing to continue with the series. Though I do like the ending with Orel actually building a happy family free from the abuse his parents put him through.
Clay isn't my favorite character but I get your point. To me him and Bloberta represent the 1950's ideal family lifestyle which is inherently toxic. I even considered that the show took place in that time period while watching it. But if I have to say what my real favorite character is I'd have to say Stephanie Foamwire-Putty. She's just this badass looking character but in reality is deeply troubled, and I find myself caring for her everytime she's back on the show.
That sounds a bit harsh. I don’t think the 1950’s ideal family is inherently toxic but just the general idea of trying to force yourself to have an ideal image of a family to and unrealistically high standard is the toxic part.
I think the shows takes place in 80s but has the elements of family of 1950s because the show aired in 2000s and i think i am considering that in the future of 2000s Oral became a father that his grandpa's and father don't have.
Everyone is banging on Clay but I think if the show would have continued to develop the characters then we would see that however flawed he was, there was reason for it. He was abusive to Orel because that is the only way received love from his father so that is the father he became. Even though not right, the abuse he gave to Orel was in a bizarre way, actually love. Not saying all the abuse was out of love but I think a good amount was, like the spankings in the study. Also, he mentions how he sacrifices a number of times throughout the show but we see him on the surface as being totally self-centered. However, at the end when we see he is the mayor and he has to get with Miss Censordoll to stop her from taking over the town, he literally saved the town. His sacrifice in hooking up with Censordoll cost him his last chance with his true love but he did what he had to do for the greater good. Clay was a very damaged person but I don't think he was a total monster. He was a product of life tearing a human down. HIs father, his wife introducing him to alcohol because she only knew love from men though her alcoholic father, and having to live a lie regarding his homosexuality. There were moments that seem like he is torturing people but it is his way of helping. Even in the bar where he confronts all the lies people were living, I think he was trying to bring truth to the people because it was the lies that destroyed everyone's lives in the town. Orel escaped the cycle because he knew more truth than anyone in the show, largely thanks to Clay's drunken rants. That was the common thread in the show, lies were destructive to everyone. Moment that seemed cruel may not have been so like when he did not give the family heirloom gun to Orel which was symbolic that he recognized the cycle of abuse and did not want it to continue. It is easy to call him a monster but I think you are missing the subtle character development the writers put into his story to make him a very complex and outwardly evil person that was at the core, pure just like Orel...only he could not stop the cycle himself because he could not face truth.
Your video certainly made me look at him differently. Yeah, Clay is a fascinating character. Down right evil if anything. He also seems like someone who is trapped in a prison of his own making. His job, his marriage, his warped religious beliefs, his public reputation, his own mind, he is kept trapped in Moralton by those things. If he is trapped by all those things, I hate to imagine him with nothing holding him back. Ngl, I have had a few times where I wonder what would happen to Clay if he left Moralton, and by extension everything that keeps him trapped in that prison of his own making? Honestly, I could see him going to a big city to do missionary work, only to end up as a homeless male prostitute with more addictions besides alcohol in less than a week. What do you all think?
Actually I watched this. He wasn't upset about having a little brother, he was upset that she *tried* to have other kids before him Edit: Sorry if this sounds like an "Well actually" moment. I just wanted to point out how clay's reason for being pulling his "prank" to be much worse than stated
I think if the show had gone on, you could write a dissertation on generational trauma with Moral Orel. Almost every character's problems seem to begin with their parents and that includes the 'original parent', God.
I spent a long time trying to remember this shows name. I never got to sit down and watch it. There was one scene I caught in passing at a friend house. Clay stood up in the den, after lecturing his son, and says "It's time to drink your dinner". Orel looks at his dad confused and asks "Don't you mean eat?" From which Clay just says "Whatever" while unzipping his pants. I'm glad I can finally know the name of the show.
8:34 Okay, this has been bothering me, so I'm just gonna say it. Clay wasn't "opening up" to Orel. He was venting about his adult problems and dumping them onto his child, emotionally burdening (and scaring the shit out of) Orel with his own personal baggage. This is called parentification, in which the roles between a parent and child are reversed. Orel is not Clay's therapist, he's his son, and a 12 year-old at that. He shouldn't have had to witness his dad's outbursts of violence or him screaming like a maniac. He shouldn't have had to try and babysit his drunk dad. He should NOT have had to TRY TO TALK HIS DAD OUT OF POINTING A RIFLE AT HIM. Considering that was the big epiphanous moment & the turning point in the series, I feel that you seriously glossed over it. Anywho, my favorite character has always been Joe.
