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(Is it the same as a bully?)
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{{cquote|We're not bullies. We're kids who have a hard time expressing our emotions in a constructive manner.|[[Rattles]]|"[[D.W., Queen of the Comeback]]"}}
{{Cquote|We're not bullies. We're kids who have a hard time expressing our emotions in a constructive manner.|[[Rattles]]|"[[D.W., Queen of the Comeback]]"}}
[[File:Tough Customers 2.JPG|thumb|250px|Several of the Tough Customers at their cafeteria table.]]
[[File:Tough Customers 2.JPG|thumb|250px|Several of the Tough Customers at their cafeteria table]]
The '''Tough Customers''' are a gang of bullies at [[Lakewood Elementary School]], led by [[Binky Barnes]].
The '''Tough Customers''' are a gang of bullies at [[Lakewood Elementary School]].
==History==
==History==
In "[[Arthur's Big Hit]]," Binky decides to get rid of the club, but in later episodes the club is still there, most likely because of how poorly Binky planned a new, non-violent club. They hang out on the jungle gym (aka: The Tower of Pain), and also have an entire lunch table reserved for themselves. Some of the members are named after baby stuff and children's toys. Despite their tough image, many of them are good at ballet, as seen in "[[Revenge of the Chip]]." The Tough Customers "rebranded" during the episode "[[The Last Tough Customer]]."
===Early history===
[[Binky Barnes]] founded the club sometime before [[Timeline#Arthur's 3rd Grade|Arthur's third grade school year]]. By the time of the group's formal introduction in "[[Arthur, World's Greatest Gleeper]]," the Tough Customers had already gained their infamous reputation. Their general activities were fighting (with each other), looking tough, and possibly even occasional [[gleeping]].
===Binky and Sue Ellen===
When [[Sue Ellen Armstrong|Sue Ellen]] was still a new kid at school, Binky made her lose count on her jump rope, and she demanded that he apologize. After Binky threatened to fight her, she unexpectedly accepted his challenge. Learning that Sue Ellen takes [[Taekwondo]] lessons, Binky wisely decided to instead compete with Sue Ellen as rival musicians.<ref>"[[Bully for Binky]]"</ref>


With their leader now pursuing personal interests ([[The Chips are Down|ballet]], [[D.W.'s Library Card (episode)|books]], [[Binky Barnes, Wingman|butterflies]], etc.), many of the Tough Customers stopped regularly hanging out with the club. Most of them, however, joined Binky in a ballet on [[Revenge of the Chip|one occasion]].
===De-founding and revival===
The remaining three Tough Customers, eager to restore the organization to its former status, took the opportunity to force their leader to hit someone. After doing so, however, Binky instead decided to "de-found" the club, since it was he who had founded it in the first place. Binky then founded a new club, devoid of any "dumb hitting rules."<ref>"[[Arthur's Big Hit]]"</ref> But the "new" Tough Customers continued to quietly fade away, with [[4th Grade Male Dog|one more member]] leaving the club. However, it was around this time that [[Slink]] transferred from [[Mighty Mountain Elementary School|Mighty Mountain]] and joined the Tough Customers.
Binky's final major act as leader was a far-fetched plan to eliminate all music around the world, titled "[[Silence is Golden]]".<ref>"[[Brother, Can You Spare a Clarinet?]]"</ref> His plan failed, Binky left the group once again to continue his career in music. At this point, [[Molly MacDonald|Molly]], who had been the interim head of the group during Binky's absences, was officially established as the new leader of the Tough Customers.
===Molly as leader===
During the changing of powers, the Tough Customers also shifted their primary headquarters to the playground jungle gym, which they had dubbed as the "[[Tower of Pain]]". After [[Muffy Crosswire|Muffy]] unwittingly "freed" the Tower of Pain for anyone to use, the gang spent a brief time looking for a new headquarters, until Muffy and Molly agreed to let the Tough Customers once again "own" the jungle gym.<ref>"[[The Law of the Jungle Gym]]"</ref>
Molly soon developed a friendship with [[Arthur Read|Arthur]].<ref>"[[Arthur Makes Waves]]"</ref> Both groups of each one's friends (Arthur's friends and the Tough Customers) feared that their friend would become like the other group, leading them to put an end to the friendship, or so they believed they had.
After some time, Muffy again unintentionally caused trouble by distracting everyone with her [[mySmartPhoney]] and not "letting" the Tough Customers have anyone to menace.<ref>"[[The Play's the Thing]]"</ref> The Tough Customers allied with Muffy to restore the playground, but she took over the project and took it too far, forcing [[Mr. Haney]] to shut it down. Eventually, however, Muffy's friends became uninterested in the device and went back to playing the "old-fashioned" way.
By this point, the school had become practically "bully-proofed," leaving the Tough Customers with nothing to do for fun. Despite Molly's desire to remain bullies for the respect that came from it, her three teammates led the group in finding a new image for themselves. After short attempts at exercising, singing, and enforcing the law, they settled on critiquing the healthiness of food<ref>"[[The Last Tough Customer]]"</ref> and savagely consuming it in large proportions.<ref>"[[So Funny I Forgot to Laugh]]"</ref> Molly appears to still be the leader, and has finally given up bullying, having seen the copycat effect it had on her own [[James MacDonald|brother]].
==Members==
==Members==
===Leader/Founder===
*[[Binky Barnes]]
===Current members===
===Current members===
*[[Molly MacDonald]]
*[[Binky Barnes]] (Founder; former leader)
*[[Molly MacDonald]] (Current leader)
*[[Rattles]]
*[[Rattles]]
*[[Slink]]
*[[Slink]]
===Status unknown===
===Status unknown===
*[[Billy]]
*[[Billy]]
Line 22: Line 35:
*''[[4th Grade Female Aardvark]]''
*''[[4th Grade Female Aardvark]]''
===Temporary===
===Temporary===
*[[Arthur Read]] ("[[Arthur, World's Greatest Gleeper]]")
*[[George Lundgren]] ("[[The Boy with His Head in the Clouds]]")
*[[George Lundgren]] ("[[The Boy with His Head in the Clouds]]")
*[[Arthur Read]] ("[[Arthur, World's Greatest Gleeper]]")
==Alternate names==
The Tough Customers have a tendency to rename themselves, often temporarily, when they change their interests.
*"'''Bully Ballet'''" - when they danced a ballet about green potato chips in "[[The Chips are Down]]"
*"'''Tough Costumers'''" - unofficially; when they tried to get kids interested in playing outside in "[[The Play's the Thing]]"
*"'''Buff Customers'''" - when they tried working out in "[[The Last Tough Customer]]"
*"'''Muffy Crosswire's 4 Open Hearts Tough Customers''' ('''MCTC''')" - when they tried singing in "The Last Tough Customer"
*"'''Shush Customers'''" - when they tried to enforce the library's "no talking rule in "The Last Tough Customer"
*"'''Tough Consumers'''" - current name; when they inform people about the nutrition of food
==Trivia==
*Some of the members are named after baby stuff and children's toys.
==Episodes featured==
==Episodes featured==
''Episodes with enough of them together to be recognized as the Tough Customers. Ones that specifically focus on them are '''bolded'''.''
Episodes with enough of them together to be recognized as the Tough Customers. Ones that specifically focus on them are in '''bold'''.
*''Season 1''
*''Season 1''
**'''[[Arthur, World's Greatest Gleeper]]'''
**10602 [[Arthur Accused! (episode)|Arthur Accused!]]
**'''[[Bully for Binky]]'''
**10701 '''[[Arthur Goes to Camp (episode)|Arthur Goes to Camp]]'''
**'''[[Arthur Goes to Camp]]'''
**11201 [[Arthur Writes a Story (episode)|Arthur Writes a Story]]
**[[Arthur Writes a Story]]
**11702 '''[[Arthur, World's Greatest Gleeper]]'''
**[[Arthur Accused!]]
**12301 '''[[Bully for Binky]]'''
*''Season 2''
*''Season 2''
**'''[[Buster and the Daredevils]]''' ([[Slink]]'s debut)
**20101 [[Arthur Meets Mister Rogers]]
**[[Love Notes for Muffy]]
**20302 '''[[Buster and the Daredevils]]''' ([[Slink]]'s debut)
**[[Arthur Meets Mister Rogers]]
**21002 [[Arthur's Mystery Envelope (episode)|Arthur's Mystery Envelope]]
**21202 [[Arthur and the Square Dance]]
**21601 [[Love Notes for Muffy]]
*''Season 3''
*''Season 3''
**[[Revenge of the Chip]]
**30502 [[Revenge of the Chip]]
**30801 [[Popular Girls]]
*''Season 4''
*''Season 4''
**'''[[Arthur's Big Hit]]'''
**40102 '''[[Arthur's Big Hit]]'''
*''Season 5''
**50702 [[Pet Peeved]]
*''Season 6''
*''Season 6''
**'''[[Brother Can You Spare a Clarinet?]]'''
**60402 '''[[Brother Can You Spare a Clarinet?]]'''
*''Season 7''
*''Season 7''
**[[Prunella Sees the Light]] (cameo)
**70901 [[Prunella Sees the Light]] (cameo)
*''Season 8''
*''Season 8''
**'''[[Thanks a Lot, Binky]]'''
**80202 '''[[Thanks a Lot, Binky]]'''
**'''[[D.W., Dancing Queen]]'''
**80402 '''[[D.W., Dancing Queen]]'''
*''Season 9''
*''Season 9''
**'''[[The Law of the Jungle Gym]]'''
**90302 '''[[The Law of the Jungle Gym]]'''
**'''[[Arthur Makes Waves]]'''
**90601 '''[[Arthur Makes Waves]]'''
**[[D.W. Beats All]] (cameo)
**90901 [[D.W. Beats All]] (cameo)
*''Season 14''
*''Season 14''
**'''[[The Play's the Thing]]'''
**140302 '''[[The Play's the Thing]]'''
**[[Arthur Unravels]]
**140801 [[Arthur Unravels]]
**[[D.W., Queen of the Comeback]]
**140901 [[D.W., Queen of the Comeback]]
*''Season 15''
*''Season 15''
**'''[[I Wanna Hold Your Hand]]'''
**150201 '''[[I Wanna Hold Your Hand]]'''
*''Season 16''
*''Season 16''
**[[Based on a True Story]]
**1601 [[Based on a True Story]]
**[[Flippity Francine]] (cameo)
**160201 [[Flippity Francine]] (cameo)
**'''[[The Last Tough Customer]]'''
**160601 '''[[The Last Tough Customer]]'''
**[[So Funny I Forgot to Laugh]]
**160702 [[Brain's Biggest Blunder]]
 
**161001 [[So Funny I Forgot to Laugh]]
**161002 [[The Best Day Ever]] (mentioned)
==Gallery==
==Gallery==
<gallery widths="180">
<gallery>
1x17b.png
Tough Customers.jpg|The Tough Customers, plus Arthur.
Tough Customers.jpg|The Tough Customers, plus Arthur.
Binky8.jpg|Binky stops pea-shooting to admire a butterfly.
Binky8.jpg|Binky stops pea-shooting to admire a butterfly.
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tough customers.png|The members of the "Bully Ballet" perform ''Don't Eat the Green Ones''.
tough customers.png|The members of the "Bully Ballet" perform ''Don't Eat the Green Ones''.
Tough_customers_watch_henry_skreever_in_prunella_sees_the_light.jpg|Reserved a whole row to watch a ''[[Henry Skreever (book series)|Henry Skreever]]'' movie.
Tough_customers_watch_henry_skreever_in_prunella_sees_the_light.jpg|Reserved a whole row to watch a ''[[Henry Skreever (book series)|Henry Skreever]]'' movie.
The_Law_of_the_Jungle_Gym.JPG
</gallery>
</gallery>
==References==
<references/>
[[Category:Clubs]]
[[Category:Clubs]]
[[Category:Bullies]]
[[Category:Bullies]]
[[Category:Tough Customers]]
[[Category:Tough Customers]]

Revision as of 09:09, 30 July 2013

“ We're not bullies. We're kids who have a hard time expressing our emotions in a constructive manner. ”

—Rattles, "D.W., Queen of the Comeback"

Several of the Tough Customers at their cafeteria table

The Tough Customers are a gang of bullies at Lakewood Elementary School.

History

Early history

Binky Barnes founded the club sometime before Arthur's third grade school year. By the time of the group's formal introduction in "Arthur, World's Greatest Gleeper," the Tough Customers had already gained their infamous reputation. Their general activities were fighting (with each other), looking tough, and possibly even occasional gleeping.

Binky and Sue Ellen

When Sue Ellen was still a new kid at school, Binky made her lose count on her jump rope, and she demanded that he apologize. After Binky threatened to fight her, she unexpectedly accepted his challenge. Learning that Sue Ellen takes Taekwondo lessons, Binky wisely decided to instead compete with Sue Ellen as rival musicians.[1]

With their leader now pursuing personal interests (ballet, books, butterflies, etc.), many of the Tough Customers stopped regularly hanging out with the club. Most of them, however, joined Binky in a ballet on one occasion.

De-founding and revival

The remaining three Tough Customers, eager to restore the organization to its former status, took the opportunity to force their leader to hit someone. After doing so, however, Binky instead decided to "de-found" the club, since it was he who had founded it in the first place. Binky then founded a new club, devoid of any "dumb hitting rules."[2] But the "new" Tough Customers continued to quietly fade away, with one more member leaving the club. However, it was around this time that Slink transferred from Mighty Mountain and joined the Tough Customers.

Binky's final major act as leader was a far-fetched plan to eliminate all music around the world, titled "Silence is Golden".[3] His plan failed, Binky left the group once again to continue his career in music. At this point, Molly, who had been the interim head of the group during Binky's absences, was officially established as the new leader of the Tough Customers.

Molly as leader

During the changing of powers, the Tough Customers also shifted their primary headquarters to the playground jungle gym, which they had dubbed as the "Tower of Pain". After Muffy unwittingly "freed" the Tower of Pain for anyone to use, the gang spent a brief time looking for a new headquarters, until Muffy and Molly agreed to let the Tough Customers once again "own" the jungle gym.[4]

Molly soon developed a friendship with Arthur.[5] Both groups of each one's friends (Arthur's friends and the Tough Customers) feared that their friend would become like the other group, leading them to put an end to the friendship, or so they believed they had.

After some time, Muffy again unintentionally caused trouble by distracting everyone with her mySmartPhoney and not "letting" the Tough Customers have anyone to menace.[6] The Tough Customers allied with Muffy to restore the playground, but she took over the project and took it too far, forcing Mr. Haney to shut it down. Eventually, however, Muffy's friends became uninterested in the device and went back to playing the "old-fashioned" way.

By this point, the school had become practically "bully-proofed," leaving the Tough Customers with nothing to do for fun. Despite Molly's desire to remain bullies for the respect that came from it, her three teammates led the group in finding a new image for themselves. After short attempts at exercising, singing, and enforcing the law, they settled on critiquing the healthiness of food[7] and savagely consuming it in large proportions.[8] Molly appears to still be the leader, and has finally given up bullying, having seen the copycat effect it had on her own brother.

Members

Current members

Status unknown

Temporary

Alternate names

The Tough Customers have a tendency to rename themselves, often temporarily, when they change their interests.

  • "Bully Ballet" - when they danced a ballet about green potato chips in "The Chips are Down"
  • "Tough Costumers" - unofficially; when they tried to get kids interested in playing outside in "The Play's the Thing"
  • "Buff Customers" - when they tried working out in "The Last Tough Customer"
  • "Muffy Crosswire's 4 Open Hearts Tough Customers (MCTC)" - when they tried singing in "The Last Tough Customer"
  • "Shush Customers" - when they tried to enforce the library's "no talking rule in "The Last Tough Customer"
  • "Tough Consumers" - current name; when they inform people about the nutrition of food

Trivia

  • Some of the members are named after baby stuff and children's toys.

Episodes featured

Episodes with enough of them together to be recognized as the Tough Customers. Ones that specifically focus on them are in bold.

Gallery

  • 1x17b.png

  • The Tough Customers, plus Arthur.

  • Binky stops pea-shooting to admire a butterfly.

  • The Tough Customers helping out in the park (rare occasion).

  • Some Tough Customers seen at Camp Horsewater

  • The members of the "Bully Ballet" perform Don't Eat the Green Ones.

  • Reserved a whole row to watch a Henry Skreever movie.

  • The Law of the Jungle Gym.JPG

References

  1. ↑ "Bully for Binky"
  2. ↑ "Arthur's Big Hit"
  3. ↑ "Brother, Can You Spare a Clarinet?"
  4. ↑ "The Law of the Jungle Gym"
  5. ↑ "Arthur Makes Waves"
  6. ↑ "The Play's the Thing"
  7. ↑ "The Last Tough Customer"
  8. ↑ "So Funny I Forgot to Laugh"
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