Summary The analysis of cultural artefacts, such as cartoons and films, provides the potential to gain insights into both the professional identities of teachers and the behaviour and self-concepts of students. This paper suggests that the ostensibly banal animated cartoon characters Beavis and Butt-head offer some utility in this respect. The paper explores aspects of the stereotypes and behaviour represented in the Beavis and Butt-head series and briefly discusses some possible interpretations of these images.