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Looney Tunes antagonistic duos
This is kind of random but I was thinking about antagonistic Looney Tunes pairs recently (for reasons; yes, for Quodo-related reasons...), and then I ended up having a conversation with my partner about various dynamics that ended up kind of blowing my mind, so I thought I would share them here.
The conversation started with this duo because I was rewatching "The Rabbit of Seville" and "What's Opera, Doc?" which I think are two extremely classic shorts that hold up, and I was kind of wondering why Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny work so well as a kind of love/hate antagonistic duo. Personally, I think it's the way that the two of them are willing to flip from a murderous predator/prey relationship to bashful flirting in, like, an instant. It will never not be funny. (Do you see the Quodo connection? XD)
Partner's thoughts: Well, I think it's clear that they both get something out of the relationship. Unlike Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner, for example, Elmer Fudd is clearly doing this as a hobby. Like, a very expensive, lots-of-disposable-income kind of hobby, so if it wasn't fun for him he could just... stop. But he doesn't, because they're both having fun. So that makes it one of the hunter/prey dynamics that is more entertaining to watch.
I then of course asked him to compare/contrast Bugs & Elmer with Bugs & Daffy, because I think Daffy is the other major "classic rival" Bugs Bunny has. (One of my favorite episodes, though, is the one where Bugs and Daffy are arguing about whether it's duck- or rabbit-hunting season, and end up landing on it being Elmer Fudd-hunting season.)
Partner's thoughts: The two dynamics are very different. Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck are both entertainers with a very different attitude toward their craft. Bugs is the kind of person who just likes to make audiences laugh, so he'll tell dumb jokes and then work off the audience reaction, while Daffy considers himself, like, an artiste, and is very high-strung.
This kind of blew my mind because I only just kind of realized that Bugs and Daffy are meant to be two types of Hollywood actors that would be easily recognizable to anyone living in L.A. I never realized that's why Bugs vs. Elmer feels so different from Bugs vs. Daffy, because in the Bugs/Daffy duo, the contrast is that they're both in the same line of work and there's a kind of rivalry to them, more keenly felt on Daffy's side. But none of this is really stated outright and instead it's embedded in like this animal and hunting metaphor?? But now that I think about it, there are SO many Daffy Duck-centric episodes that have him doing things like rehearsing lines, going to his trailer, complaining about the writing of the episode, demanding to get a better role, etc. In essence: being a huge diva, because that is the whole concept of his character!
Partner: The difference between Daffy and Bugs is like Type A personality vs. Type B personality. And I've always been so much closer to Bugs in this sense that I just always think he's right and has the right attitude toward things, and Daffy should just chill out a bit.
Me: OMG you're right! This explains why I always liked Daffy. I'm more of a Daffy type, aren't I?
Partner: *hugs me in a "sweet summer child" kind of way* Oh, it is not even close. You are so Daffy it is not funny.
I don't know, it just gave me a whole new appreciation for the writing, characters, and humor of Looney Tunes. I always just watched it as a kid because it was there and like bright colors moving fast and talking animals and slapstick, but there actually is quite a multilayered concept to the characters that just, like, totally went over my head as a kid because I didn't have enough knowledge of the culture they were referencing to get any of it. I don't know, it's kind of amazing when cartoons can be entertaining on two completely different levels like that!
Partner: I can understand why people confuse Daffy and Donald [he had to ask me which one was which because he can never get the names straight] so much, because they're the same character. Donald is more blue-collar, but in essence, Donald and Daffy are both high-strung ducks who are friends with someone who is much more chill than them.
Partner's thoughts: Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner work so well because the Roadrunner is so otherworldly that their conflict is almost primal. There are two different ways of reading the Roadrunner and what it's supposed to represent. One read is that the Roadrunner is a force of nature beyond the ability of man to control and this is why Wile E. Coyote inevitably fails [Wile E. Coyote vs. Roadrunner as a Man vs. Nature conflict]. Or another way to think of Roadrunner is that he's a trickster demi-god like Loki or Anansi, who is provoking Wile E. Coyote into trying to catch him as a form of entertainment, and if facing an adversary like that, Wile E. Coyote should really know not to play and just walk away (and if he did, the Roadrunner would leave him be). But he doesn't because he arrogantly always thinks he can pull it off if he's just clever enough [Wile E. Coyote vs. Roadrunner as Man vs. Self, where it's Wile E. Coyote's own hubris that he is struggling against]. Or a third read is just that Roadrunner is just operating on an entirely different level and set of rules and so Coyote's actions don't really register to him at all. I find the cartoons very repetitive and there's this starvation element that makes you feel a bit bad for Coyote, but ultimately what makes the dynamic work is that their conflict feels representative of a more basic struggle, and also it's clear that Wile E. Coyote is ultimately responsible for his own suffering. He really should just find something else to eat but cannot because he's trapped in the samsara.
Partner's thoughts: Hate Tom and Jerry. The setup makes it seem like Jerry is the one who is sympathetic but he is just SO sadistic, and to such an unnecessary degree, that it's impossible to feel sorry for him. Jerry is like the kid in Home Alone. At some point the wanton cruelty is just not justified. The thieves are going to, what, nick a couple of TVs? Just let them take it!
Not really ground-shaking -- the whole Itchy and Scratchy show on The Simpsons wouldn't really exist without people being able to recognize that Jerry is a jerk and Tom is the sympathetic one.
Me: In some cartoons, Jerry has, like, a family he's protecting or something? Does that make it any better or worse?
Partner: Still terrible. I do not feel sorry for him. And now he's just setting a terrible example for his kids.
Me: What about Sylvester and Tweety?
Partner: Similar to Tom and Jerry except I just find both characters insufferable. They're more balanced in terms of their conflict, but I don't enjoy watching them because they're both obnoxious.
There you have it -- my partner's ranking of various Looney Tunes duos. Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner are at the top for him, Tom and Jerry are at the bottom, and the other ones fall somewhere in between, but he acknowledges that Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd have a draw just because they both enjoy each other's company.
Bugs Bunny + Elmer Fudd
The conversation started with this duo because I was rewatching "The Rabbit of Seville" and "What's Opera, Doc?" which I think are two extremely classic shorts that hold up, and I was kind of wondering why Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny work so well as a kind of love/hate antagonistic duo. Personally, I think it's the way that the two of them are willing to flip from a murderous predator/prey relationship to bashful flirting in, like, an instant. It will never not be funny. (Do you see the Quodo connection? XD)
Partner's thoughts: Well, I think it's clear that they both get something out of the relationship. Unlike Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner, for example, Elmer Fudd is clearly doing this as a hobby. Like, a very expensive, lots-of-disposable-income kind of hobby, so if it wasn't fun for him he could just... stop. But he doesn't, because they're both having fun. So that makes it one of the hunter/prey dynamics that is more entertaining to watch.
Bugs Bunny + Daffy Duck
I then of course asked him to compare/contrast Bugs & Elmer with Bugs & Daffy, because I think Daffy is the other major "classic rival" Bugs Bunny has. (One of my favorite episodes, though, is the one where Bugs and Daffy are arguing about whether it's duck- or rabbit-hunting season, and end up landing on it being Elmer Fudd-hunting season.)
Partner's thoughts: The two dynamics are very different. Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck are both entertainers with a very different attitude toward their craft. Bugs is the kind of person who just likes to make audiences laugh, so he'll tell dumb jokes and then work off the audience reaction, while Daffy considers himself, like, an artiste, and is very high-strung.
This kind of blew my mind because I only just kind of realized that Bugs and Daffy are meant to be two types of Hollywood actors that would be easily recognizable to anyone living in L.A. I never realized that's why Bugs vs. Elmer feels so different from Bugs vs. Daffy, because in the Bugs/Daffy duo, the contrast is that they're both in the same line of work and there's a kind of rivalry to them, more keenly felt on Daffy's side. But none of this is really stated outright and instead it's embedded in like this animal and hunting metaphor?? But now that I think about it, there are SO many Daffy Duck-centric episodes that have him doing things like rehearsing lines, going to his trailer, complaining about the writing of the episode, demanding to get a better role, etc. In essence: being a huge diva, because that is the whole concept of his character!
Partner: The difference between Daffy and Bugs is like Type A personality vs. Type B personality. And I've always been so much closer to Bugs in this sense that I just always think he's right and has the right attitude toward things, and Daffy should just chill out a bit.
Me: OMG you're right! This explains why I always liked Daffy. I'm more of a Daffy type, aren't I?
Partner: *hugs me in a "sweet summer child" kind of way* Oh, it is not even close. You are so Daffy it is not funny.
I don't know, it just gave me a whole new appreciation for the writing, characters, and humor of Looney Tunes. I always just watched it as a kid because it was there and like bright colors moving fast and talking animals and slapstick, but there actually is quite a multilayered concept to the characters that just, like, totally went over my head as a kid because I didn't have enough knowledge of the culture they were referencing to get any of it. I don't know, it's kind of amazing when cartoons can be entertaining on two completely different levels like that!
Bonus: Bugs Bunny + Daffy Duck vs. Mickey Mouse + Donald Duck
Partner: I can understand why people confuse Daffy and Donald [he had to ask me which one was which because he can never get the names straight] so much, because they're the same character. Donald is more blue-collar, but in essence, Donald and Daffy are both high-strung ducks who are friends with someone who is much more chill than them.
Wile E. Coyote + Roadrunner
Partner's thoughts: Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner work so well because the Roadrunner is so otherworldly that their conflict is almost primal. There are two different ways of reading the Roadrunner and what it's supposed to represent. One read is that the Roadrunner is a force of nature beyond the ability of man to control and this is why Wile E. Coyote inevitably fails [Wile E. Coyote vs. Roadrunner as a Man vs. Nature conflict]. Or another way to think of Roadrunner is that he's a trickster demi-god like Loki or Anansi, who is provoking Wile E. Coyote into trying to catch him as a form of entertainment, and if facing an adversary like that, Wile E. Coyote should really know not to play and just walk away (and if he did, the Roadrunner would leave him be). But he doesn't because he arrogantly always thinks he can pull it off if he's just clever enough [Wile E. Coyote vs. Roadrunner as Man vs. Self, where it's Wile E. Coyote's own hubris that he is struggling against]. Or a third read is just that Roadrunner is just operating on an entirely different level and set of rules and so Coyote's actions don't really register to him at all. I find the cartoons very repetitive and there's this starvation element that makes you feel a bit bad for Coyote, but ultimately what makes the dynamic work is that their conflict feels representative of a more basic struggle, and also it's clear that Wile E. Coyote is ultimately responsible for his own suffering. He really should just find something else to eat but cannot because he's trapped in the samsara.
Tom + Jerry
Partner's thoughts: Hate Tom and Jerry. The setup makes it seem like Jerry is the one who is sympathetic but he is just SO sadistic, and to such an unnecessary degree, that it's impossible to feel sorry for him. Jerry is like the kid in Home Alone. At some point the wanton cruelty is just not justified. The thieves are going to, what, nick a couple of TVs? Just let them take it!
Not really ground-shaking -- the whole Itchy and Scratchy show on The Simpsons wouldn't really exist without people being able to recognize that Jerry is a jerk and Tom is the sympathetic one.
Me: In some cartoons, Jerry has, like, a family he's protecting or something? Does that make it any better or worse?
Partner: Still terrible. I do not feel sorry for him. And now he's just setting a terrible example for his kids.
Sylvester + Tweety
Me: What about Sylvester and Tweety?
Partner: Similar to Tom and Jerry except I just find both characters insufferable. They're more balanced in terms of their conflict, but I don't enjoy watching them because they're both obnoxious.
There you have it -- my partner's ranking of various Looney Tunes duos. Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner are at the top for him, Tom and Jerry are at the bottom, and the other ones fall somewhere in between, but he acknowledges that Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd have a draw just because they both enjoy each other's company.
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(I too am more of a Daffy, if we're considering Bugs as a Type B, who wants to be more like Bugs *lol*)
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Trufax, Looney Tunes was how I learnt who Humphrey Bogart was. Whilst Bogie has remained culturally relevant thanks to Casablanca, there are probably a number of people who remember him as the tough guy harassing Elmer Fudd and demanding to know why he slapped him in the face with a coconut custard pie with whipped cream. (Some hollywood stars now are probably only looked up by people who see these old cartoons; Deanna Durbin got parodied more than Judy Garland but the latter has remained more culturally relevant, W.C.Fields was a constant parody but I still have never seen any of his films and plenty of popular comediens and personalities of the 30s are almost lost to time as their shows and films haven't been watched for generations.)
I admit despite once being an animation nerd, I never properly studied up much on the production history of the Looney Tunes or the MGM cartoons produced by Hanna Barbera prior to their independent studio. (Tom & Jerry are possibly the only original MGM properties still in active use thanks to their cartoon status though their studio never quite rivalled Disney in terms of animation quality. If you watch Jerry's number with Gene Kelly in Anchors Aweigh it lacks the synchronisation or smoothness of Disney's live-action/animation material. Esther William's number with Tom and Jerry in Dangerous When Wet is a little better from what I remember, though part of that was because they put Esther against a painted background and didn't have direct interaction.)
Fun fact: back in ye olde days when I went on an introduction to character design course, one of the assignments they gave us was to design an antagonistic anthropomorphic animal duo. The intent was to develop strong contrasts but they didn't emphasise personality much, plus the tutor kept using expensive letraset markers to write with :|
Daffy Duck is a superior character to short!Donald Duck by a country mile but Donald Duck the comic book character is a very different beast sadly not appreciated in the anglosphere (despite it being americans creating the best material for him), nonetheless the core is indeed the same: a highly frustrated loser doomed to be the butt of the joke thanks to the world around him. Both Daffy and Donald are designed to be comedic second fiddles with more vices than their more successful foils although Looney Tunes is far more violent and surreal in its approach, Disney preferring a more grounded and safe style. I also notice that both characters are often allowed to be the voice of scathing wit in their respective groups, likely because Bugs and Mickey are meant to be more successful/aspirational while Goofy and Porky (if he's around) are meant to be too sweet-natured to acknowledge the cynical side of the world. They are the prime tsukkomi in their respective universes and I'd argue enjoy some of the greatest popularity thanks to this quality.
What's fascinating about Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner is they don't have actual chemistry as they never truly share a scene; Coyote is in permanent pursuit of Roadrunner but his onscreen chemisty is with his own misfortune (typically in the form of an Acme product). Roadrunner on his own is a boring character because he is a concept, something for Coyote to pursue but never attain. But Roadrunner has to be blessed with ridiculous luck for Wile E. Coyote's failures to shine; the cosmos itself is against Coyote and curses him in the form of this forever fortunate, unflappable bird and the humour is derived from the obscene levels of effort Coyote goes to in order to achieve his goal. If there were ever a chance of success, there'd be no comedy. We know Coyote is doomed to suffer, we know it is a foregone conclusion. Nonetheless we love to see how he will suffer. What chaos will unfold from his attempt? What nonsense will be inflicted upon him in his efforts to challenge the status quo? We don't want Coyote to ever follow logic and realise he's creative and resourceful enough to some alternative means of procuring food, we want him to embrace the absurdity and order a bigger crate of TNT, a more powerful locomotive, 10'000 tons of bricks etc. It's satisfying because the bird is a god and that poor Coyote's skills will never be enough. No words ever needed beyond a placard that says 'OW' and an obnoxious 'MEEP-MEEP'. Genius.