# Is Mr. Hanky the Christmas Poo a jab at Tom Hanks **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 11, 2017, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mr-hanky-the-christmas-poo-a-jab-at-tom-hanks/793355 "2017-08-11T19:01:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mr-hanky-the-christmas-poo-a-jab-at-tom-hanks/793355/1 "2017-08-11T19:01:27Z")
A co-worker of mine is currently floating a theory I’ve never heard before. Apparently, the character “Mr. Hanky” was a specific jab at Tom Hanks, because when the show was in its infancy, Hanks went around to the Powers That Be in Hollywood and tried to get the show yanked off the air. (He felt it wasn’t an appropriate show for his “precious little babies.”) I have never, ever, EVER heard this before. I am incredibly skeptical about it. I checked snopes, but didn’t find any info about it either way. (I can only assume they thought that was too stupid a topic to do an article on.) But my coworker is insisting on it. Anybody know anything about it? ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mr-hanky-the-christmas-poo-a-jab-at-tom-hanks/793355/2 "2017-08-11T19:20:32Z")
I’ve never heard that, which of course doesn’t mean it’s not true. But that goes against everything I’ve ever heard about Tom Hanks. He’s always been regarded as being one of the nicest, most laid-back guys working in the industry. It just doesn’t sound like something he’d do. Which, again, certainly isn’t proof that it’s not true, but I’d need to see even a slim amount of evidence to even start to believe it. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mr-hanky-the-christmas-poo-a-jab-at-tom-hanks/793355/3 "2017-08-11T19:23:08Z")
All I can do is remind you the burden of proof is on the person making the claim. It’s your coworker’s job to prove it, not yours. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mr-hanky-the-christmas-poo-a-jab-at-tom-hanks/793355/4 "2017-08-11T19:24:33Z")
Never heard of that before. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mr-hanky-the-christmas-poo-a-jab-at-tom-hanks/793355/5 "2017-08-11T19:26:47Z")
For what it’s worth, according to [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Hankey%2C_the_Christmas_Poo#cite_note-Time0323-2), the concept and name Mr. Hankey come from Trey Parker’s childhood. ---
**Author:** ![Trancephalic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trancephalic/32/380_2.png) [@Trancephalic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trancephalic)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mr-hanky-the-christmas-poo-a-jab-at-tom-hanks/793355/6 "2017-08-11T19:27:59Z")
iirc, “mr. hanky” was the name of a bogeyman that either Stone or Parker’s father made up to scare him into flushing the toilet. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mr-hanky-the-christmas-poo-a-jab-at-tom-hanks/793355/7 "2017-08-11T19:28:07Z")
If only facts were available where someone could find them… > [@](#): > > According to “Goin Down To South Park”, Mr. Hankey was inspired by an event that happened to Trey Parker - as a child, he had the habit of not flushing the toilet; because of this, Trey’s dad told him that if he didn’t flush the toilet, Mr. Hankey would come out and eat him. He and Matt Stone originally conceived a South Park-like show, where Mr. Hankey was going to be the main protagonist, with Stan, Kyle, Kenny and Cartman being secondary characters, which was called The Mr. Hankey Show. They pitched it to Fox Broadcasting Company executive Brian Graden, but he rejected it and said, according to Stone, “I’m not putting poo on my network”. Parker and Stone later adapted their original idea into South Park. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mr-hanky-the-christmas-poo-a-jab-at-tom-hanks/793355/8 "2017-08-11T19:32:35Z")
This sounds very weak to me. South Park never shied away from going directly after Hollywood Stars, politicians or even religions. If they had it in for Hanks they would have went after him directly. I also find it hard to believe Hanks would have tried to get the show pulled or thought he had the influence to try anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mr-hanky-the-christmas-poo-a-jab-at-tom-hanks/793355/9 "2017-08-11T20:03:15Z")
> [@Don\_Draper](#): > > A co-worker of mine is currently floating a theory I’ve never heard before. Does this coworker have a habit of coming up with wacky theories? ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mr-hanky-the-christmas-poo-a-jab-at-tom-hanks/793355/10 "2017-08-11T20:06:48Z")
The word ‘floating’, and the topic of the theory itself, might suggest one way to view it. ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mr-hanky-the-christmas-poo-a-jab-at-tom-hanks/793355/11 "2017-08-11T21:25:24Z")
Tom Hanks also starred in the film Me and Mr. Hankey, which premiered at the [South Park film festival.](http://wiki.southpark.cc.com/wiki/Tom_Hanks) ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mr-hanky-the-christmas-poo-a-jab-at-tom-hanks/793355/12 "2017-08-11T23:10:33Z")
> [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](#): > > Tom Hanks also starred in the film Me and Mr. Hankey, which premiered at the [South Park film festival.](http://wiki.southpark.cc.com/wiki/Tom_Hanks) “Who casted Tom Hanks in this? Tom Hanks can’t act his way out of a nutsack!” ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mr-hanky-the-christmas-poo-a-jab-at-tom-hanks/793355/13 "2017-08-11T23:26:35Z")
From what I know of South Park, while there are some celebrities, such as Barbra Streisand or Phil Collins, who don’t appreciate being lampooned, none have tried to get it taken off the air. Some go along with the joke, some ignore it, and some, such as George Clooney, are big fans and have appeared in the show and in the movie, “Bigger, Longer, and Uncut.” ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2017, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mr-hanky-the-christmas-poo-a-jab-at-tom-hanks/793355/14 "2017-08-12T00:12:59Z")
> [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](#): > > Tom Hanks also starred in the film Me and Mr. Hankey, which premiered at the [South Park film festival.](http://wiki.southpark.cc.com/wiki/Tom_Hanks) I’m probably thinking of this, but didn’t they credit Tom Hanks as playing Mr. Hanky when he first appeared? I drink a lot and might not remember clearly, but I seem to think I said, “That wasn’t Tom Hanks!” after seeing his name. Mrs. Hanky, by the way, seems pretty frisky. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2017, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mr-hanky-the-christmas-poo-a-jab-at-tom-hanks/793355/15 "2017-08-12T04:07:34Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Does this coworker have a habit of coming up with wacky theories? Not especially wacky theories, but she does have a tendency towards inane chatter about stupid things. There’s one in every office.:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2017, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mr-hanky-the-christmas-poo-a-jab-at-tom-hanks/793355/16 "2017-08-19T18:27:11Z")
> [@Don\_Draper](#): > > Not especially wacky theories, but she does have a tendency towards inane chatter about stupid things. There’s one in every office.:rolleyes: And if you can’t spot him, it’s YOU!