The Controversial Beavis And Butt-Head Episode That Was Blamed For A Tragedy

In the "Beavis and Butt-Head" episode "Comedians" (September 6, 1993), the two titular wastoids (both played by Mike Judge) witness Andrew "Dice" Clay on TV, and are impressed by his wealth. So inspired, they travel to their local comedy club's open mic night to try out some material. They, of course, have no material. Beavis, imitating an act he also saw on TV, decides he'll try out juggling flaming newspapers. Beavis cannot juggle. He gets as far as setting the newspapers on fire, but then drops them and accidentally sets the comedy club on fire. The final shot of the episode is Beavis and Butt-Head standing outside the burning club, laughing and convincing themselves that they are cool. 

This, it should be immediately noted, wasn't Beavis' only run-in with fire. He was also a confessed pyromaniac who, when witnessing flames, would often fall into a fugue state, only able to enthusiastically shriek the word "FIRE!" He often talked about going to friends' houses and lighting things on fire, or going out into open fields and lighting things on fire. Beavis, of course, had many undiagnosed mental issues, but his poverty, lack of supervision, and persistent stupidity prevented him from seeking help. Fire is cool, and that's all he needed to know. 

Then, partway through the third season of "Beavis and Butt-Head," Beavis was seemingly cured. He never talked about fire again, nor did he suggest acts of arson. Also, rather suddenly, "Beavis and Butt-Head" moved from its 7:00 p.m. timeslot to 10:30 p.m. 

Gen-Xers watching the show at the time knew why, as the story spread, well, like fire. It seems there was a tragedy in Moraine, Ohio, a month after the episode aired, when a five-year-old boy, playing with a cigarette lighter, accidentally lit his family's trailer aflame. His two-year-old sister, Jessica Messner, perished in the ensuing fire. After the accident, the boy's mother said that he was deliberately imitating Beavis, specifically as Beavis behaved in "Comedians." The story was covered by the New York Times.  

Jessica's older brother, Austin, set the fire, and his mother, Darcy, put the blame squarely on Judge's show. In the New York Times article, she was quoted as saying: 

"When you take a child in the formative years and you get these cartoon characters saying it's fun to play with fire. This is going to stick in that kid's mind and it's going to be with him for a long time."

And, indeed, Beavis did play with fire a lot. "Beavis and Butt-Head" was definitely not for little kids, but with a 7 p.m. timeslot, it's possible that a lightly supervised child could still see it. It seems, though, that there was some controversy to Darcy Messner's claim. In a 1994 issue of Rolling Stone, her neighbors pointed out that the Messners were incredibly impoverished and couldn't afford to pay for MTV, the station "Beavis and Butt-Head" aired on. Some reports (unsubstantiated) say that Austin himself came forward many years after the tragedy to say that, no, Beavis had nothing to do with the tragic accident, and that his addict mother couldn't afford cable TV. 

Regardless, the writers of "Beavis and Butt-Head" ceased writing fire jokes, and MTV did indeed move it to a later timeslot. MTV also insisted on a disclaimer, although they put it forth in a pretty cheeky way. It read that:

"Beavis and Butt-Head are not role models. They're not even human. They're cartoons. Some of the things they do would cause a person to get hurt, expelled, atrrested, possibly deported. To put it another way: Don't try this at home." 

MTV clearly didn't feel that Beavis' behavior had any direct link to any real-world tragedies and took on something of a dismissive attitude. Of course, at the time, MTV was dismissive of everything. 

In the Los Angeles Times, Carole Robinson, the senior vice president of MTV at the time of the controversy, issued the following statement: 

"'Beavis and Butt-Head' is made for teenagers and young adults, who make up the overwhelming majority of its audience. [...] These viewers see the cartoon for what it is — an exaggerated parody of two teenage misfits whose antics take place in a cartoon world, antics they know are obviously unacceptable and not to be emulated in real life." 

Robinson also said that MTV decided to "bend over backwards as responsible programmers." Despite Robinson's dismissal, MTV was extra careful moving forward. They even went back to a few older episodes and edited out Beavis' firebug scenes. 

When "Beavis and Butt-Head Do America" was released in theaters in 1996, the film's PG-13 rating allowed the filmmakers to get away with more. And, sure enough, Beavis was once again obsessed with fire. When the show was rebooted on Paramount+ in 2022, Beavis was not only a pyromaniac, but — in the episode "The Special One" — saw a human face in a dumpster fire, and became eager to take its instructions. The instructions, however, aren't insidious at all. The Fire told Beavis to do more running, pick up recycling, and do his schoolwork. Beavis didn't like that and had the fire put out.

The fire controversy sparked a conversation about the influence of media on the youth, a debate that has been raging for as long as there has been media. Whether or not Beavis inspired a kid to start a deadly fire, though, it shouldn't need to be said that a child requires proper supervision, and parents should know what their five-year-olds are doing and watching as often as possible. It's the best way to avoid tragic accidents.