Rugrats Writer Recalls Origin of Angelica’s Iconic Catchphrase

screenrant.com:

Rugrats writer Joe Ansolabehere recalls the origin of Angelica's most famous catchphrase. The hit Nickelodeon animated series originally premiered back in 1991 and went on to become one of the network's longest-running shows, airing a total of 172 episodes across nine seasons. Following the day-to-day lives of a group of toddlers, Rugrats observes how life experiences can become adventurous through the imaginative point-of-view of children. After generating praise from critics, as well as popularity among audiences, it spawned three theatrical films, a spin-off titled All Grown Up!, and a Rugrats reboot series thatdebuted on Paramount+ last year.

Fans of the show are familiar with the character of Angelica Pickles, the spoiled older cousin of main protagonist, Tommy. She is oftentimes portrayed as a rival of the babies, constantly manipulating them, and she has become the center of one of series' most compelling fan theories, in which the rest of the Rugrats were all figments of her imagination. Despite the role she played, and that co-creator Arlene Klasky did not not care much for her treatment of others, audiences still enjoyed the character and all of her audacious remarks. The most well known of Angelica Pickles' many catchphrases is "you dumb babies," a line that she repeats frequently and that has gone on to appear in a number of Rugrats merchandise.

Related: Rugrats' Disturbing Angelica Theory Explained

Now, speaking with Slash Film, Ansolabehere reveals that Klasky actually ended up affecting the memorable Angelica quote. He says that the co-creator was concerned about the children watching, including her own, and she was angry with the word "stupid" being used in a script. He adds that even though the word