WKRP: Venus Explains the Atom

[OhJaniceWhyOhWhy]

See what can happen when you hold someone's attention? Vote for SMALLER class sizes!

[96drummer96]

@MrRozzyRoo RozzyRoo

[ShadowDib]

@MrRozzyRoo I LOVE DAT PART 2 :D

[RAIDERS58th]

A classic moment from a classic show. I haven't seen this scene since 1983.

[relg007]

This is so brilliant and outstanding. There is nothing on TV now days that compares to this quality of writing and the transformative two minutes that this is.

[austbalitos]

@MrRozzyRoo You UGLY!

[scampynoXP]

My science teacher showed me this :L

[austbalitos]

@scampynoXP LOL me too

[skosk27]

why do the pros and the electives ones hate each other. in a real atom protons attract electrons because of there positive and negative charges.

[NegativeNanase]

@skosk27 He says they hate each other to prove the point of having the same number of pros and electives. It has nothing to do with their attraction for each other.

[1alien2]

I remember this when it originally first aired, never forgot it.

[MirtaGevFett]

my sciance teacher showed us this

[thaformatteam]

It's been decades since I saw this but out of the blue, I just though of it now and searched it. To be as relevant and memorable now as it was then is incredible. The fact that i thought of finding two minutes of television over twenty years later is crazy, i was tutoring a young at risk high school kid this eve on my way home from a community development meeting. And this guy finally understood how to solve his math he went on to open up to me about a lot of personal dilemmas he was having and

[PJScheider]

This one moment on the show made me want to be a teacher.

[k0sta5]

Incredible scene...this stayed with me for LIFE

[capitalmindz]

@k0sta5 Yeah I remember this from when I was about 10. Glad someone had it up on Youtube.

[bluevirgo19]

WATCH THE ONE FROM "FUNFLICKS" GUYS-THE WHOLE 9 MINUTES IS IN THERE. Only 482 views but it's the BETTER one.

[evad41]

10 people still can't explain the atom

[hankaaron1961]

What happens when a gang member from the Pho's comes into the neighborhood? Or when the Pros and Newboys decide to split ways?

[supereece9000]

@hankaaron1961 all hell breaks loose

[hankaaron1961]

@supereece9000 Actually, I was thinking someone would say "There goes the neighborhood!"

[snaykskin]

I was thinking about this scene the other day and doubted anyone would have posted it on youtube. Thanks!!!!

[LonelyVagabond]

I think Arnold is in an adult education program

[Aviyaytor]

I remember watching this episode as a kid, and still remember it to this day. Venus fly trap the coolest dj there was. Behind Johnnie Fever of course!

[MaTchBoOkPoEt]

venus used to teach university but djing was better pay

[supereece9000]

@MaTchBoOkPoEt i thought he was drafted but didn't want to go so he went into hiding with a different name a job (idk for sure, i just remember reading it something like that on wikipedia)

[MaTchBoOkPoEt]

@supereece9000 i was joking.. but cool thanks for the info

[WiVaBo]

Dude's got some circle drawing skills!

[gradunza]

@WiVaBo I'm more impressed with his circles than his explanation!

[missblackcrusader]

@gradunza I was thinking the same thing! Dude can draw a cirle!

[bagelofthefuture]

8 people belong to the gang "the Elective ones"

[flmae46]

The gangster just seemed gay.....

[bustkill]

You troll somebody into knowing something new?!

That's a Whole New Dimension MAN!

[doublehelices]

8 peope didn't have two minutes!

[applefreak711]

I showed my teacher this and she taught it to the whole class, word for word..

[rollirollmops]

Hey Gangmember. Look at the Atom! Now back to me! Now back to the Atom! Now back to Me! Now go back to school and finish the year.

[toolboxolio]

That student has to be pushing 40 years of age

[keltarking]

@toolboxolio That's the gag. Venus is expecting to see a little kid, and there's this big tough guy. When Arnold leaves you see Venus pushing a GIANT sigh of relief because he was hella scared of him.

[MoonBHAA]

it's all in the teacher. A good teacher can change the world.

[picard714]

@MoonBHAA Truer words never spoken.

[simio1337]

Looks like Downey Jr from Tropic Thunder if he was really black

[kyleshiin]

wouldn't they be called protrons then?? checkmate

[Homerspy]

@kyleshiin get the heck out of my neighborhood melvin! checkmate illegal...my rook is facing your king...you can't move that bishop anywhere.

[TheToeminator]

He still lost the bet. It took him 2 Minutes and 25 seconds.

[websnarf]

Best 4 minutes of television ever broadcast.

[LOLitsJono]

Howdy, PAHT-NA!

[hankaaron1961]

@LOLitsJono Birdy Num Nums?

[larukulunaseas]

dumb black people

[xridethelightningx]

more like the elected ones are prowling around the neighborhood all the time until someone decides to hunt one of them down.

[ErichoTTA]

Where's the redneck version?

[LavLTC]

@ErichoTTA Adam, Eve and a tree, I presume. :-/

[kangaimRoo]

No better explanation exists.

[blah11blah]

Technically, electrons move all around the outside of the nucleus in 3 dimensional space depending up the number of electrons, but good job.

[WARof77]

@blah11blah Im sure if he could draw in 3d space he would have, then the neighborhood analogy wouldnt have worked so well, it works good enough for him though.

[micoulton]

@blah11blah electrons form a energy field where electrons dont actually rotate around the nucleus

[incisorcist]

@blah11blah and technically, they jump in sub-orbitals, based on energy. SPDF.

[berni1245]

All it ever takes is a teacher who has figured out how to talk to their students.

[zaran08]

do this for magnets!

[kab1972]

@zaran08 I love Johnny's question to Venus "can you teach me about magnets?" LOL! Funny and very educational scene! Love WKRP......best sitcom EVER!!!!

[fr3d420]

Every kid i went to school with.

[GuideGuyJDurr]

yay no more grade ten science, thanks.

[LHTML]

People used to look at their fingers before Phones came along ;p

[chaoslab]

Epic win! :-)

[badjer1785]

epic



[RoieTRS]

70,000 of these views are from me.

[franklanguage]

God, I miss this show!

[ludiavolo]

And I guess an ion would be when one of the Pros kills one of the Elected Ones in a drive-by.

[Holysoldier000]

@ludiavolo Nah it's when another neighborhood somehow comes to their neighborhood and starts kidnapping some elected ones to be in the new neighborhood.

[d3ng]

you see thats the real tough words its LATIN hahaha

[51516]

Shouldn't they be called 'Protrons'?

[evilclown99]

Why is OJ learning about the atom?

[HangingOff]

@evilclown99 It makes him a more effective killer...

[dadoctah]

Listen for the laugh track. First kicks in when Venus mentions the Elected Ones "circling round and round" and comes in full strength when he gets to "nucleus". That's your studio audience catching on to what he's up to. I wonder how much later the laughs would show up if they shot this same scene today?

[sellbullion]

a perfect fucin scene.

[jqs1943]

The atom is a very simple subdivision of matter that does not need to have protons, neutron, electrons, neutrinos, positrons, kaons, quarks, mesons, pions leptons nor gluons.

An atom has an average diameter of 90 trillionths of one millimeter that is formed within a cycle of evolution which is representative of a time period of slightly less or more than one second. Two categories have EMERS field around them that binds other atoms and produce molecules; the third category does not have EMERS.

[giasams]

he explains that he made up the part about it being Swahili to connect to the boy and tron meaning dude. surely everyone knows that part was just to get the boy"s attention. (my only problem with this episode was the grown man playing a boy - didn't they have any young actors back then)

[machtanger]

Can you teach me about magnets?

[greymattersblog]

"Tron" means "Dude"? That gives you a whole new perspective on Jeff Bridges' movies!

[TheButtonLady]

@greymattersblog ROFL!!!!! Great point!

[msm2you]

@greymattersblog you, my dear, are brilliant. Hilarious.

[bored1ca]

@greymattersblog Awwww, you didn't think that was a coincidence did you? LOL!!

[ThePolecatz]

@greymattersblog well, he si the dude

[menotellname]

Good science lesson.

Now...does anybody have another WKRP science lesson. You know...the show where Johnny Fever and Venus Flytrap are drinking in the D.J. booth while trying to prove the negative affects of alcohol on the motor skills...only during the tests...Venus Flytraps reaction times and motor skills get better the more he drinks.

[pocobull]

@menotellname It was Johnny's reaction times that got better. Venus was comatose by the end of it :). Very funny episode.

[lovescry]

@menotellname actually it's johnny that gets better and better, venus gets hammered hahahahaa.

[sallyjosie]

@menotellname actually its johnny fevors motor skills that get better the more he drinks. Venus is practically falling over by the end of the test.

[wlbaz]

I wonder if Tim Reid wrote this episode...impressive lesson about the atom. :)

[PinkOld]

@wlbaz

I'm a big Tim Reid fan, but the credits make it clear that the show's creator, Hugh Wilson, wrote it.

Tim sure was good in this one, though.

[dupoland34567]

Those two guys remind me of the dudes Jared Lamm goes down on.

[elmsbetty]

As fantastic as this scene is, and as well-written and clever as it is, there is one tiny flaw: he says they're all "trons", so to be consistent the "pros" would've been would've been "pro-trons". Venus manages to slip in that it's "protons".

Didn't notice it till the second time though, so I am being ridiculously anal. Still a great scene.

[websnarf]

The best 4 minutes on television. There is no close second.

[PrOdIgAlTiMmEh]

Watched this in chemistry last year. It actually explained a lot! =D

[MrSimonGirty]

Man twenty years ago some lib in Hollywood sat around trying to brainwash the rest of the country that these people would be educated someday. Better yet they tried to brainwash the rest of the country these people wanted to be educated. Well like they old timers used to say "time will tell"! And it has. The Black sector of the population is worse off than ever. They only succeed in bringing the white population down to their level. Thats what you get for listen to a lib.

[isaiah77721]

@MrSimonGirty You, sir, are an idiot.

[MrMagsimus]

Thnx Venus u just educated me.

[theGhoulman]

btw, I just realized Venus (incredible actor Tim Reid!) just drew two nearly perfect circles. The other outside the first! That's damn impressive. Really... Artists everywhere are losing it.

[theGhoulman]

Still one of the best bits on TV ever. Carl Sagan would be proud. I remember seeing this in my youth and it's still just as brilliant today. WKRP was a smart show. Well written. All the really good shows are, after all.

[SvalbardJanMayen1976]

Shit I just learned more about atomic energy than I did in all my years, and I went to feckin' Oxford a year. Thanks Venus!

[hairspeaks]

i did not know that  am i retarded?

[Reverendjim1]

This sucks; where's Bailey???

[Trund27]

This is where I learned about the atom, too!

[WesMantooth73]

This is one of the most memorable and classic scenes from WKRP. 

[Marlinnightwalker]

Just Played it for my kid. He understands........

[FtRapture]

This episode helped me in my Biology test.. I remembered this episode during a test.. Thanks Venus~

[michalchik]

I still remeber this seen 30 years after i first saw it. I am a teacher and it reminds me that there is always a way to reach a kid if you have enough time, patience and creativity, Unfortunately the time isn't there, the patience is taxed by BS like No child left behind, and the creativity is often discouraged.

[michalchik]

@michalchik Sorry, for the spelling and grammar errors. I did not proof read.

[rosrychaplet]

His character was originally a teacher. I loved this show.

[theivory1]

Thats priceless. This show should have lasted years. The network really screwed the pooch with this one.

[firebird403]

Another show I really miss watching..it was funny..classy and just amazing to watch!

[lastmiles]

I recall this. Awesome writers. They won a stack of awards for this.

[LonelyVagabond]

They left out the best part when Johnny Fever woke up at the end.

[2ericmyers2]

Booooggeerrrrr!

[TheBabzilla]

This probably would have helped me in school.

[goddessmelania]

Its all in the teacher..

Great video.

~ Melania

[o0DaftPunk0o]

I tried explaining the atom to my dad using a similar metaphor, but It kinda fell apart with "valence rugby teams"

[tripjet999]

Then, there was the Amos 'N Andy bit with the proton, neutrons and morons! (LOL!)

By the way, Venus took longer than his agreed-upon two minutes, but it was still great!

[SuperMagnumpi]

I wish all teachers were like Venus.

[RHMETAL]

This helped.

[Groome007]

I always remembered this clip ... you should have played the next few seconds where Johnny Fever wakes up after sleeping behind those boxes and says: "Wow man that Atom stuff was great!"

[gtz1975]

My science teacher actually played this clip to us in class!

[shannonferguson]

This scene was one of the reasons I became a teacher. Venus made teaching cool. Long live WKRP!

[wookie72]

i always wanted to start a gang called the Elected Ones.

[Aestros909]

That was beautiful. Now explain string theory.

[wookie72]

I think you'd need Johnny to do that. Or maybe Les.

[covmeister]

heheh pretty awesome

[mauramcfly]

buttonlady, this is one of my favourite scenes too! i still remember it though i was really little when i saw it, and it taught me about the atom!!! now i'm a teacher and i know stuff like this works sooo well!!! :)

[LonelyVagabond]

Arnold is supposed to be in highschool, yet he looks like he's in his 30's

[kdraper2007]

Ever watch MST3k? a lot of the movies they make fun of were made in the 1950's, & A LOT of the actors playing teenagers looked to be in their 30's. LOL!

[dadoctah]

Now I just need someone to teach me about magnets.

[SolidArch]

@ReaperAHHH ass hole

[ReaperAHHH]

dude im so cool

[edmonton67]

You need your mouth sewn shut or your teeth knocked out!

[ReaperAHHH]

well at least i understand physics

[KBlackeagle]

Kenny Long was really good in this role, he was pretty great in Midnight Madness too, of course no lines :(

[Mysterwright]

now that is all there is. :P

[brucejpetrie]

win

[vlcupper]

I'd be getting high off the marker fumes.

[rabbisilentbob]

Wow, that was really good. Great originality in the education, superb acting on both of their parts. Really well done.

[bubbly384]

haha, i have a sciene test coming up--this helps so much :-)

[PinkOld]

Definitely top shelf episode.

Tim Reid is a great actor, too.

[sunnchilde]

What a great scene.

[JimSting]

Man, thankyou SOOOO much for posting this!!! I haven't seen this for over a decade! This is absolute, pure genius. You will not find a better explanation of the atom anywhere!

[buckyrea]

As God is my witness... I thought Neutrons could fly.

WKRP was a great show. But surely they could have found an actor under the age of 30 to play a high school aged thug.

[isaiah77721]

@buckyrea ...and one that could actually act

[level242]

Well written and good acting...oh yeah and I learned something.

[Lennon4life1968]

I was 12 I believe when this aired and it was the exact moment that I was taught the atom

Thank you Venus!

[Sakimonk]

LOL!! This FTW!

[sunhuts]

Argh why didnt I come across this while I was doing physics? :(

[Sommeil22]

I'm only 18, so I missed the original footage, but I just love this "lesson"!

[jenniferpalmer18]

that is awesome! SO helped me!!

[bshaun2]

lol they shoulda showed johnny climbing out of the pile of boxes,,