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Marshie
Is there a marshmallow in the world that Homestar Runner wouldn't like? Surprisingly, the answer is yes. And a quick glance at the marshmallow in question leaves one hardly doubting the justification of Homestar's resentment.
Fluffy Puff Marshmallows are Homestar's favourite snack, and he was considered the perfect commercial spokesman. Unfortunately, his thorough (if hilarious) botching of the commercial spelled the end of his advertising career. Homestar's job was given to Marshie, Fluffy Puff's corporate mascot (who was only previously seen on a bag of marshmallows). While Marshie is indeed more photogenic and professional than Homestar, and obviously is a big hit with the public, there are more than a few facets of his identity that makes one question his legitimacy.
Visually, Marshie is a simple character - a marshmallow with a face. The lines of his face are thick and broad, his contours are rounded, and his palette is a series of soft pastel hues. This presumably is intended to make his visage appealing to children. Belying this gentle persona, however, are some rather unsettling details. Marshie's face has a constant expression of self-satisfied smugness that never wavers, no matter what happens. This facial expression seems to have been specifically designed to provoke audience irritation. As well, one corner of Marshie's head has been bitten clean off, leaving a jagged hole in its wake and giving Marshie something of a deranged aspect, as though his mind is "not all there". What really make Marshie a repellent individual, however, are his words. Marshie's sniveling, complacent voice perfectly underscores his every self-promoting statement, effectively removing any sort of empathy the viewer could ever possibly forge with him.
Marshie's commercials are surreal, to say the least. To Marshie, selling Fluffy Puff Marshmallows seems secondary to promoting Marshie himself. Marshie gives lip service to his benefactors, but he seems to have free reign to say virtually anything he wants over the course of the commercial. Marshie delivers every line with the utmost confidence that he is the singular greatest being in the universe, and that the world is benefiting by hearing his proclamations. Marshie is patronizing and arrogant to the extreme, totally oblivious to how gratingly foolish he really comes across. As the commercials lurch through their random, Dadaist components towards their bizarre conclusion, Marshie's ardor becomes more and more frenzied, until he ultimately goes berserk with self-generated enthusiasm, overwhelming his audience with sheer manic energy. Marshie's alleged appeal with children is tenuous, as well; he spends much of his commercial tormenting and abusing two emaciated waifs (who have appeared in other cartoons and met similarly gruesome fates), and generally insulting the intelligence of his audience. One idly wonders if Marshie was inspired in part by William Shatner's infamous Priceline commercials, which are similarly driven by ego, over-the-top delivery, and a spokesman who is missing a certain part of his head.
Marshie is not likable on any human level, but his commercials are certainly entertaining, even as they delve into bizarre, random and slightly disturbing tangents. His rivalry with Homestar provides fuel for the likelihood of continued appearances, and he allows the animators to poke fun at various aspects of intrusive advertising. As ludicrous as Marshie is, he is not very far from reality.
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