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David Van Driessen

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They say great art is difficult to understand but easy to enjoy.

—Mr. Van Driessen, "Butt is it Art?"

"Mm'kay?"
— Van Driessen's catchphrase

David Van Driessen is a major recurring character in Beavis and Butt-Head. He is Beavis and Butt-Head's hippie teacher at Highland High School. He is voiced by Mike Judge.

A kind, peace-loving pacifist, and unlike the other staff at Highland High (and other characters in the series, to another extent), Mr. Van Driessen is very lenient and expresses eternal optimism in Beavis and Butt-Head's potential. He consistently forgives them for their misbehavior, no matter the consequence that it causes him. While he occasionally reprimands the duo for their actions, he rarely punishes them or loses his temper.

He is mostly identified as a science teacher in later episodes, particularly after Mrs. Dickey was retired as a character. However, earlier seasons of the show (as well as the 2022 revival) suggest that he teaches every subject, aside from gym and Spanish. These include English, history, and economics.

Van Driessen often encourages his students to get in touch with their feelings and to "wow" him with their creativity towards their assignments. He believes in non-violent methods, co-operation, and expressing one's feelings. As a result, he and Coach Buzzcut, the brutal gym/health teacher, often clash in their methods of dealing with Beavis and Butt-Head along with their other students. Despite this, Van Driessen once threatened to send Buzzcut in to deal with his rowdy class in "Manners Suck", implying that he relies on him for major discipline.

A running gag in the series is Van Driessen sustaining several injuries, such as falling out of a bus window and into a gorge (as well as being swung into an ambulance and a police car while being lifted by an air ambulance), being mauled by a bear (twice), getting trampled by his terrified students during a bomb threat, falling off his desk and breaking his neck (as well as the chalkboard collapsing on top of him when he came back to work), being attacked by a swarm of wasps, and getting hit in the face by his guitar strings, causing him to tumble down a cliff and get mauled by a mountain lion. In the episode "Life Savers" alone, he gets attacked by an eagle while hang-gliding, which causes him to crash into the forest below and break his leg; Beavis and Butt-Head's attempts to carry him out of the woods results in him getting swept down a creek and nearly drowning, tumbling down a slope and off a cliff, poisoned by a red cap mushroom that he eats out of desperation, and he eventually gets attacked by a bear and dragged away. Van Driessen has since recovered from all of these.

In addition to being a teacher, the episode "Blackout!" shows Van Driessen to be a Highland Civil Defense volunteer. He is also shown working a vendor table at the local farmer's market in "Beekeepers".

In the 2022 revival, he is shown to still be working as a teacher at Highland High. It is unknown how he initially reacted to seeing the duo again after they were presumed dead for 24 years, let alone not having aged a day. This is especially notable considering he was the only teacher heartbroken when they were previously supposed dead back in the original series' finale, "Beavis and Butt-Head Are Dead". He seems to show more exasperation for their antics than he did in the first 8 seasons, but still maintains his positive demeanor for the most part.

Personality[]

Van Driessen is perhaps the only character on the show (besides Stewart) who consistently cares about the duo. Though he is not violent, he does stick up for Beavis and Butt-Head when they are threatened by others in front of him, like when he attacks Mr. Manners after the boys falsely accuse him of sexually assaulting them (though it's more of a mere slap fight). He also expresses genuine grief at the news of the duo's "death" in "Beavis and Butt-Head Are Dead" (while the other teachers feel relief and joy, and his students didn't care less). Despite this, in the episode "Cleaning House" he exhibits one of his only instances of pure anger after the duo destroy his beloved 8-track collection by washing it in the sink, even threatening to kill them. A song of his from the book This Book Sucks, "The Ballad of Beavis and Butt-Head," also hints that he is actually frustrated with the boys, being haunted by their laughter, and considers changing jobs to sell menswear in a mall to get away from them. He was once even driven to a mental breakdown from their laughter in the episode "Breakdown", while the two were showing callous joy in a mentally sick Principal McVicker's plight. In "Graduation Day", during the mock graduation ceremony, he had trouble coming up with positive qualities for the duo, and coldly hands them their diplomas as to imply that he doesn't think too optimistically of them after all. Van Driessen is also notably one of the characters praying to God against the duo in "It's a Miserable Life", expressing his fear of them potentially breeding.

Van Driessen usually expresses his disapproval with the duo's inattention and crude humor, often coupled with a mild lecture, urging the boys to "be more open to life's experiences" and to be less crude and more sensitive towards women. Needless to say, they don't listen. The duo don't respect Van Driessen very much, and laugh at him for being a hippie. However, on very rare occasions, they do show him a modicum of respect (though one time required being under the influence of medication), and have called him cool once.

Physical appearance[]

Van Driessen has long reddish-blond hair, upward-arching eyebrows, glasses, and a neatly trimmed beard. He has prominent forehead wrinkles and profile views show that he has an overbite that's not as bad as Butt-Head's, but noticeable.

His outfit for most of the original series consists of a purple T-shirt with a yellow peace sign on the front, blue jeans, and brown sandals with white socks. In "Peace, Love and Understanding", his first appearance, he wears a tie-dyed t-shirt. In "Canoe", he wears a white t-shirt that says "I Recycle! Do You?", with olive green shorts and brown shoes.

In the 2022 revival, Van Driessen is drawn to look slightly older, with more wrinkles on his face and neck, darker hair and paler skin. He now usually sports a green baja hoodie/drug rug with a white shirt underneath, along with tan cargo shorts. In "Beekeepers", he wears a purple tank top. He wears his old Peace T-shirt in the episode "Life Savers" and Do the Universe.

Appearances[]

Original run[]

2011 revival (Season 8)[]

2022 revival (Season 9-present)[]

Movies[]

Video Games[]

  • In the Sega Genesis video game he appears to give the duo cryptic hints for finding three of their ticket pieces. He also appears during the game's end credits, playing his guitar for a band of woodland creatures.
  • In the SNES version of the game he appears in the Highland High stage, and stops McVicker from attacking the duo in the hallway.
  • In Beavis and Butt-Head: Virtual Stupidity, he plays his guitar at the Veteran's Hall and tells the duo about the sperm whale fundraiser event at the coffee shop, unlocking that place on the map. He later appears there and can be talked to.
  • In Beavis and Butt-Head: Bunghole in One he appears as both a playable character and a cutout.
  • In Beavis and Butt-Head Do U he takes the class on a field trip to Highland State College; he beckons the duo out of the dean's lecture after they disrupt it, and gives them the sign-off sheet, encouraging them to get the eight sign-offs needed for the party later. He can later be found at the Student Union outside the cafeteria playing his guitar, and can be talked to. He is important for completing many tasks for the sign-offs; the duo have to set up a scam to make him look like a "blind" guitarist so they can get money for the laundromat and vending machine, the former needed to wash the girl's skirt and the latter needed to make Beavis go Cornholio for the long jump. The boys also have to give him the sheet music to "Row Your Boat" for him to play, and broadcast it to trick the music teacher into thinking Beavis was playing it. Once all sign-offs are complete, he appears at the party to give Beavis and Butt-Head their certificates. The duo need to blast music to get him onstage and away from the bleachers so they can escape. While he is playing a song on his guitar, Beavis accidentally knocks him out with a basketball board. He isn't seen again until the post-credits scene at the very end of the game, unharmed and hoping everyone had a positive experience.

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • Mike Judge stated that Van Driessen was inspired by a reporter he encountered while playing in a band with Sam Myers.
  • Van Driessen attended Highland State College before becoming a teacher at Highland High, as mentioned by Dean Longfellow in Do U.
  • Van Driessen has been shown with various women throughout the series, usually hippies just like him. Each episode he is seen with a woman, the duo humiliate him and/or ruin things for them. Van Driessen's girlfriends (or "lady friends" as he calls them) have been:
    • The woman in "Tired" (possibly Tanya, the gifted class teacher from "Young, Gifted, & Crude"), who witnesses David getting crushed by a giant tire Beavis was riding while he was filming a butterfly, leaving her horrified.
    • Joan in "Date Watchers", whose date with David at his house was interrupted by the duo stalking them, under the impression that they were going to "do it". When she and David agree to continue the date at her house, the boys end up following them there too.
    • Megan in "Time Machine", who was convinced by the duo that David had a grandson and was "lying" to her, causing her to slap him and leave in a huff, ruining his chance at hooking up with her.
    • Ellen in "Beekeepers", who was, along with David, attacked by a swarm of angry wasps he accidentally brought home instead of their vegetables they got from the Highland Farmer's Market, while the boys got their box of vegetables.
    • A segment introduced in Season 11 called "Swipe Right with David Van Driessen" gives the viewers a glimpse into David's "love life", with the first one showing his date ditching him at a restaurant.
  • Van Driessen is a skilled guitarist and singer/songwriter. His songs featured on the show include "Men" and "Touch a mountain." Every time he tries to play a song, however, he is severely injured, or something else bad happens to him. This was a running gag on the show, continued in Beavis and Butt-Head Do America when he sings "Lesbian Seagull" to his students and is then arrested by ATF agents.
  • In his song "Chopping Wood with My Father" from the book This Book Sucks, Van Driessen reveals that he had a difficult relationship with his conservative father, who was dying from Alzheimer's at the time. He also had a brother named Tom, who died serving in the Gulf War.
  • Van Driessen doesn't like to carry money around with him as it makes him feel "materialistic", as mentioned in Do U.
  • Van Driessen frequently ends his sentences with "m'kay", like Mr. Mackey from the Comedy Central series South Park. Trey Parker and Matt Stone have confirmed this was a tribute to Mr. Van Driessen, whose tendency to say "m'kay" directly inspired Mr. Mackey's now famous catchphrase.
  • Van Driessen was fired by Principal McVicker in "School Test" for threatening to report him for cheating, with McVicker blaming him for the boys' stupidity. However, due to the events of Do The Universe, Season 8 is considered non-canon.
  • Van Driessen's appearance, voice and mannerisms would later be used for Gerald Goode from Judge's later-released short-lived series The Goode Family, in a similar vein to Tom Anderson for Hank Hill from Judge's other later-released, long-lived series King of the Hill.
  • Van Driessen can be heard at the end of the track "Handle with Care" on the 2015 Kid Cudi album Speedin' Bullet 2 Heaven, in which he encourages Beavis and Butt-Head to take hallucinogens and meditate.
  • In "Are You There God? It's Me, Beavis", Van Driessen mentions being a late bloomer, but before he could say what age he went through puberty, he is interrupted by the rabid skunk getting thrown at the window.
  • As of now, Van Driessen and Tom Anderson are the only recurring characters to return as major characters in the 2022 revival. As a result, both characters have their own segments shown in between some episodes.
    • Van Driessen is the first character to have more than one original segment of his own, those being "Swipe Right With David Van Driessen" in "Too Big To Fail" and "Songs of Nature" in "Ear".

Sources[]

Protagonists: Beavis / Cornholio / Old · Butt-Head / Old

Recurring Characters: Tom Anderson · Marcie Anderson · Stewart Stevenson · Todd · Mrs. Stevenson · Mr. Stevenson · Lolita and Tanqueray · Maxi-Mart Clerk · Burger World Manager (2022)

Highland High School: David Van Driessen · Daria Morgendorffer · Coach Buzzcut · Principal McVicker · Mrs. Dickey · Ben · Spanish Teacher · Earl · Gina · Ms. Tress · Unnamed Female Teacher (Citizen Butt-Head) · Lunch Lady · Tanya · Wilbur Sanchez · Una · Martin (gifted student) · JD · Punk Girl · Dean Zunker · Cassandra · Martin (thin) · School Nurse · Dreama · Kimberly · Mr. Spelling · Librarian · Goth Girl · "Spare Me" Girls · Ryan · Tommy · Bus Driver (Bus Trip) · Jim the Substitute · Woodshop Teacher · Dick Gaylord · Ms. Jenkins · Amy Asskowitz · School Psychologist · Biology Teacher · Paige · Mrs. Ortiz · Cody · Security Guard · Glennis · Gym Teacher · Audrey · Audrey's Friend

Minor Characters: Frog · Mrs. Higgins' Poodle · Sterculius, the Roman God of Feces · Mistress Cora Anthrax · Bloodmobile Nurse · Tiffany the Rubber Band Lady · Fork Injury Guy · Female Doctor · Dave · Billy Bob · Tiffany Lou · Biker Lady · Dick Leakey · Corvair Owner · Old Woman (Couch-Fishing) · Cop (Couch-Fishing) · Donna · Gas Station Attendant · Inmate 1545976 · Warden · Dr. Rod Johnson · Nurse (Sperm Bank) · Bill Clinton · Hank · Michael Jordan · Female Judge · Slade · Psycho · Hiro · Clark Cobb · Harry Buddisker · Killer · Picasso Guy · Crazy Farmer · Urologist · Dr. Fisk · Sam Gluckman · Receptionist (Pumping Iron) · Redneck Lady · Redneck Lady's Son · St. Peter · Madame Blavatsky · Ric Aaron Joseph · Christine · Michael · Gus Baker · Mr. Manners · Cop (Pipe of Doom) · Trish Burbee · Captain Dick Jackman · Ken Alder · Rabid Ron · 8th Grade Girl · Principal Brown · Mall Girls · Leroy · Leroy's Gang · Snake Woman · Concert Girls · Ticket Scalper · Ross and Harlan · Hairdresser · Homeless Man · Betsy Wiener · Copy Store Clerk · Bill (Steamroller) · Bud · Screaming Guy · Cop (Screamers) · Sam (mechanic) · Beatnik Woman · Omar · Feminist Teaching Assistant · Sam (criminal) · Joe Adler · Max Graham · Linda · Joan · Charlie the Angel · McVicker's Family · "Vidiots" Woman · Harry Sachz · Vet Receptionist · Veterinarian · Dennis · Suspicious Chick · Jasmine · Second Killer · Debra Shea · Peter Small · Wrong Mr. Anderson · Katya · Slob · Dr. Leibowitz · Dan Silver · Doctor (Butt Flambe) · Unnamed Police Officers · Hamid · Crystal · Sapphire · Gary · Jim Baxley · Black Female Cop · Maya Kanigher · Megan · Victoria's Dad · Elevator Chick · Ava and Eloise · Fire · Ellen · Keith · Case Worker · Lydia · Lucas · Priest · Rabbi · Jesus Christ · Ganesha · Buddha · Zeus · Bill Gates · Shawna · Beavis' Imaginary Children · Butt-Head's Imaginary Children · Hot Teacher · Philena · Kaitlyn Stevenson · Landlady · Lidia · Police Chief

Movie Characters: Muddy Grimes · Dallas Grimes · ATF Agent Flemming · ATF Agent Bork · FBI Agent Hurly · Old Woman · Bus Driver (Beavis and Butt-Head Do America) · Motley Crue Roadies · Judge · Serena Ryan · Jim Hartson · Phil Mattison · Empress Beavis · Emperor Butt-Head

Smart Characters: Smart Beavis · Smart Butt-Head · Smart Daria · Smart McVicker · Smart Buzzcut · Smart Van Driessen · Smart Todd · Smart Judge · Smart Mrs. Stevenson · Smart Stewart

Mentioned Characters: Shirley Beavis · Tom Anderson's Son · Tom Anderson's Father

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