Original artwork, not a still
Dude, suckin' at somethin' is the first step towards bein' sorta good at somethin'.
— Adventure Time · 2010
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It is Jake's gentle version of a lesson fans pass around when they are learning something: being bad at it is the entry fee. The line is silly in the moment, wrapped in a joke about baby milk, and sincere underneath, which is the show's usual trick. Fans repeat it as a pep talk to anyone whose first attempt at something has gone badly.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Adventure TimeShow the scene
In "His Hero" (Adventure Time, season one, 20 September 2010), Finn and Jake meet the legendary warrior Billy, who tells them that fighting monsters is pointless and that they should help people without violence. They try, and every attempt backfires: stone-skin potions in the free gruel, a cobbler's shop where a magic nail turns a shoe into a weapon, and plastic surgery that leaves Lumpy Space Princess a cyborg. Outside the cobbler's shop Finn admits he is bad at being nonviolent, and Jake comforts him with this line, comparing the pair to "little baby Billys" on their first bottle of nonviolent milk.
Sources (3)
- Adventure Time Wiki: His Hero/TranscriptScene outside the cobbler's shopReference checked
- Adventure Time Wiki: His HeroInfobox and PlotReference checked
- Adventure Time Wiki: Jake/QuotesSeason 1 sectionReference checked
Context reviewed
