All animation is black magic. This article contains information on a subject that is not considered canon in the Gravity Falls universe.
Gravity Falls – Tug-n’-Talk Shmebulock is a special infomercial and ad made to promote Gravity Falls: Lost Legends, that was released online by Disney's Oh My Disney YouTube channel on June 20, 2018.
The commercial is disguised as an ad for a Shmebulock toy in which a group of kids discover his ability to talk. The ad is edited with a VHS and dated effect to make it look like a grainy old toy advert from the 1980's.
The infomercial begins with 3 children sitting on some grass and bored. A woodpecker then says "Is he home?" followed by a deer which says "Our favorite gnome?" A cloud of dust appears on a log and reveals Tug-n’-Talk Shmebulock!
The Tug-n’-Talk Shmebulock song begins with the kids playing with him. The infomercial's narrator (Alex Hirsch) then begins describing the various features of Tug-n’-Talk Shmebulock, "the most talkative and lovable gnome in Gravity Falls." The kids ask him various questions like what his favorite color is or what they will be when they grow up, with the doll responding to each with the phrase "Shmebulock." The narrator talks about the 25 unique phrases that the doll has, including "Shmebulock," "Shmebulock," and of course, "Shmebulock."
The narrator then mentions how grown ups just don't understand him, cutting to a scene with a man reading a newspaper. It is then revealed that the man is Alex Hirsch dressed as a parent. He expresses confusion given all the doll says is Shmebulock, at which point he starts shaking his head in disappointment as big red text saying lame appears.
The narrator then says that kids do understand, cutting back to the kids talking about how he's saying Shmebulock. One of the kids asks him if it ever gets lonely in the forest, to which Shmebulock responds by saying, "We are born alone and alone we die."
The kids are shocked to hear Shmebulock talk. He then mentions that although he is cursed to speak only his name, once every thousand years he is granted the gift of speech and that the hour is nigh. Another kid says that he must be very old, to which Shmebulock responds by saying he is from an age of blood and steel, where beasts spoke as men and riddles whispered in the trees.
The final kid says that he must have a lot of stories to tell. Shmebulock then mentions that he has four stories...four lost tales, forbidden adventures from the past that have yet to be told. He then says to summon the graphic novel before blowing on a trumpet.
Lost Legends then appears being held by a hand, followed by all the kids magically receiving a copy of their own and being surrounded by them. The narrator then sings "Shmebulock is a talkative guy. He wrote a book that you should buy." A close up shot of several copies of Lost Legends are then seen as the kids are playing with Shmebulock in the backgrounds while Alex then narrates the final part of the video's ad by saying,
"Gravity Falls Lost Legends," four all new adventures coming to a store near you."
One of the kids then says that she loves Shmebulock, to which he responds by saying, "I love Capitalism!" The kid, confused at what he said, hugs him anyways.
After that, the video shows the kids asking Shmebulock more questions, now that they know he can talk. One of the kids ask if he can be his new step dad, to which Shmebulock responds to with a "no!" The kid then looks at the camera in disappointment.
The narrator then mentions how owners of Tug-n’-Talk Shmebulock can feed him his bottle, to which Shmebulock begs not to as he finds it humiliating.
The narrator then shows all the things that Tug-n’-Talk Shmebulock comes with, showing the doll next to an empty silver plate that is spinning on a table.
The video ends with the narrator saying that Tug-n’-Talk Shmebulock comes with absolutely nothing as this product isn't real...nothing is real!
Tug-n’-Talk Shmebulock then disappears in a cloud of smoke off a deer it is sitting on.
Credits[]
The infomercial has no credits, but the cast is the following.
Cast
Alex Hirsch as a the narrator, woodpecker, deer and parent.
An Unknown person as the voice of Shmebulock.
3 Unknown kids as the 3 children who meet and play with Tug-n’-Talk Shmebulock.
Gravity Falls "Tug-n’-Talk Shmebulock" Lyric Video - Oh My Disney
Oh My Disney released a Lyric Video of the Tug-n’-Talk Shmebulock song on July 9, 2018.[3] The video contains more footage of with the children, of Alex Hirsch and also new video of them all dancing and Alex, as the confused parent, even hugging the Tug-n’-Talk Shmebulock doll. The video ends again with promotion for Lost Legends.
The Lyrics to the song are...
Tug-n’-Talk Shmebulock
He just loves to talk, talk, talk
Time to chase your cares away
Shmebulock knows what to say!
(Instrumental break)
Tug-n’-Talk Shmebulock
He just loves to talk, talk, talk
Time to chase your cares away
Shmebulock knows what to say!
(Dance break)
Shmebulock is a talkative guy (thanks Shmebulock)
He wrote a book that you should buy
Trivia[]
The videos were released several weeks before Lost Legends was.
Shmebulock mentioning that he had 4 stories and that he wrote the book were true as Lost Legends was written in a way to make it feel like Shmebulock was telling us the 4 stories that were in it.
The real life Tug-n’-Talk Shmebulock Doll
One of the kids in the ad wore a similar looking vest to Dipper's, but it was orange like his in show shirt rather than his in show vest which was blue.
This was part of the promotional content made for Lost Legends, being released the same week that Alex Hirsch revealed the bonus features in the Gravity Falls box set that was releasing the same day.
The Oregon Parks Dept., a Twitter account owned by Alex Hirsch, tweeted a photo of an actual Tug-n’-Talk Shmebulock doll in its packaging being stored in a building. The tweet read, "Every summer season, campers leave behind valuable possessions. If we find them intact, we keep them safe in our Lost-n’-Found. #LostLegends"[4]
Although there was fan demand for one, no Tug-n’-Talk Shmebulock doll will ever be made for real.
