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Squirrels are the new monkeys. Just as movies throw monkeys into the mix for comic relief, squirrels appear frequently in pop-culture, based on the premise that their very presence is funny. Before long, we’ll see squirrels in tuxedos starring alongside Jason Alexander as his career slides closer to doing small-town ribbon cutting ceremonies. Until then, we have Foamy the squirrel at Illwillpress.com.
This Web site takes advantage of all the comedy inherent to squirrels: they move fast. That’s it. Foamy is a cartoon squirrel, so he also talks fast, has a high voice, and has a shifty and neurotic disposition.
Foamy also hates things – understandable, considering he is on a Web site with a link to HotTopic.com. Foamy hates things so much that he gets hopping mad and threatens to kill anyone he doesn’t like.
You’ve seen all these jokes before. Canned jokes aren’t bad when there is some variety, but Illwillpress.com gives you the same high-pitched ranting with every cartoon. The animation is that “Johnny the Homicidal Maniac/ Invader Zim” style that Goth kids love.
One of the reasons people visit Illwillpress.com is the Goth aspect; A sad Goth girl owns Foamy. It’s hard to tell if we’re supposed to somehow relate to her or laugh at her awful poetry, which I’ll admit is kind of funny.
The funniest thing about the site is Foamy’s fan mail. If you’ve ever wondered what kind of bored person writes fan mail to a cartoon squirrel, this is the place. Lots of people write asking to see the Goth girl naked. As Foamy points out, she’s a cartoon and these writers are losers.
Unfortunately, the fan mail is also shown in cartoon form, which makes it impossible to easily click on the letters and read them at your leisure
This site isn’t for everyone, but people who think high voices are funny might love it. When one fan criticizes the latest few cartoons, Foamy likens him to Roger Ebert and urges him by saying, “here’s what you do with your two thumbs up- you stick them up your ass and die.”
I don’t think every Web site has to be ground-breaking, but these jokes have been done much better. If you want a good, offensive rant, check out George Carlin or David Cross. If you want zany cartoons and funny voices, watch Looney Tunes reruns. If you want both at the same time, I guess you’ll have to settle for Illwillpress.com.
