Adventure Time is a popular animated TV show that aired on Cartoon Network from 2010 to 2018, One of the intriguing mysteries in the show is what the crab said to Betty in the episode “You Forgot Your Floaties,” Let’s take a deep dive into this scene and analyze what’s going on
Background on Betty’s Character
First, some background on Betty She is the fiancée of Simon Petrikov, who becomes the Ice King after wearing a magical crown Betty gets transported to the Land of Ooo (where Adventure Time is set) through a time portal. Her goal is to find a way to cure Simon and return him to normal.
In the episode “You Forgot Your Floaties,” Betty teams up with Magic Man, an unstable wizard, to try to gain magic powers Her plan is to take Magic Man’s magic and then use it to help Simon. However, the magic ritual doesn’t go as planned
The Mysterious Crab Scene
At the climax of the episode, Betty steals Magic Man’s powers, leaving him powerless. After the ritual, Betty has a vision of a crab emerging from a pool. The crab morphs into Simon, who says something to Betty that is muted in the scene.
This scene is key because immediately after, Betty starts laughing maniacally, indicating the magic has corrupted her. But what did Simon/the crab actually say to provoke this reaction?
Deciphering the Crab’s Message
Fans have endlessly speculated about the crab’s muted message to Betty. Some theorize that the crab revealed something evil about Simon’s condition. Others think the crab said something to drive Betty insane.
The most compelling theory is that the crab said, “You forgot your floaties.” This ties back to the episode’s title and suggests that Betty was in over her head meddling with dangerous magic.
“Floaties” refers to floatation devices used by weak swimmers. Simon mutely warning Betty that she “forgot her floaties” implies she underestimated the ocean of magic she was diving into. She wasn’t prepared or equipped to handle it.
Foreshadowing Betty’s Corruption
This warning from the Simon-crab foreshadows Betty becoming corrupted and intoxicated by the magic she has absorbed from Magic Man.
It’s a clever use of the episode’s title line. Betty forgot to take the proper precautions before delving into powerful magic. And as a result, the magic consumes her, just as it did Simon when he first wore the magic crown.
The muted crab warning Betty about her “floaties” explains why she starts laughing maniacally right after. She has become corrupted and mentally unhinged due to the unstable magic now within her.
Significance of the Crab Imagery
In addition to the textual warning, the crab imagery itself foreshadows Betty’s corruption. Crabs tend to symbolize something unhealthy clinging on and not letting go.
Seeing Simon emerge from the pool as a crab predicts the magic sinking its claws into Betty’s psyche, overtaking her rationality. The mutation of Simon into a crab represents the madness of magic clinging onto both of them.
While the crab’s message is muted, careful analysis of Adventure Time lore strongly points to it saying “You forgot your floaties.” This ties back to the episode title and effectively conveys that Betty underestimated the ocean of magic she was meddling with.
The crab morphing into Simon predicts Betty’s imminent corruption. Its clawing motion evokes how the magic has trapped both of them in madness. This dramatic scene provides a pivotal character moment for Betty, foreshadowing her tragic corruption by magic.
Synopsis[]
Finn and Jake storm Magic Mans house to rescue his new apprentice.[3]
Cultural references[]
- This is most likely what Tiny Manticore means when he tells Magic Man, “You gave me some kind of hostage syndrome.”
- The Philosophers Stone is a legendary alchemical substance that Betty talks about. It is said to be able to turn lead into gold or give people eternal life.
- The magic trick that was used to turn Magic Man into Betty is the same one that was used in The Holy Mountain by Jodorowski.
- When Betty/M. A. R. G. L. E. S. morphs into Mars’ defense system, they take on a shape resembling Typhon, a giant serpent in Greek and Roman mythology, and Baphomet, an occultist figure in Thelema’s worldview.
- The picture of Simon getting out of the pool with crab-like hands full of small balls looks a lot like the crab on the Moon card in Camoin-Jodorowsky’s Tarot of Marseille.
What does the crab say
FAQ
What did Crab Simon say to Betty?
Why did Betty go crazy in Adventure Time?
What is the meaning of “you forgot your floaties”?
What was Magic Man trying to do with Betty?
What happens when Betty sees a crab in a pool?
Betty sees a dark vision of a crab in a pool emerging as Simon, who mouths the words Betty then screams which turns into an evil laugh and uses her new magic powers to disappear. Magic Man says his sadness is gone, as Finn asks Magic Man to turn them back. He cannot as he lost his powers, causing Finn to hit for the trouble he caused.
Why does Betty scream when he sees a crab?
He does manage to stumble around into the equipment, disrupting the transmutation and fugue state. As the dust clears, Betty stands up and proclaims that she sees a crab emerging from a dark pool, an image from earlier, and screams after it mouths the episode’s title, “You forgot your floaties.”
What does Betty see at the end of ‘brought down to normal’?
Near the end of the episode, after Betty absorbs Magic Man’s powers, she sees a vision of a crab with Simon’s face climbing out of a swimming pool. Brought Down to Normal: Finn disrupts Magic Man’s transmutation process, transferring his magic to Betty and leaving him a normie. It also relieves him of his sadness and insanity.
How did Betty become a wizard?
As a result of Finn and Jake’s intervention during the process of the experiment, Betty ended up receiving all of Magic Man’s magic powers (and, presumably, his madness and sadness, as well,) thus becoming a Wizard in the process. She was last seen disappearing through magic yelling, “Laters!”