Cartoon Physics Are More Logical Than You Think

[@lehashura490]

A rule I've heard a long time ago about cartoon physics is that: "if it's visually possible then it's possible "

[@joshuascholar3220]

The funny thing is that there are video games like that. See that ledge half a mile away? You CAN jump to it!

[@WeirdWimp]

@joshuascholar3220 I am making a cartoon based game and using this video for reference lol

[@Planetmango48]

Dip.

[@IsmaelSantos-xv9qf]

@@joshuascholar3220 In the AVGN episode about Wizard of Oz Dorothy isn't able to jump on top of a shiny thing because its part of the background, so she jumps in front of it, but she can jump on top of an hourglass that is partially hidden behind said background. Same thing happens to some enemies that are clearly at least a yard away in the background, but still make contact damage to you. And landing on objects is very hard because you can only land on them if you drop from top of them. If you try to land at an angle you will go trough them.

[@JoeX92]

On modern days seems like "it's funny until someone gets offended" 🫠

[@armorbearer9702]

I never realized overconfidence is a cardinal sin in cartoons. I have new respect for these classic toons.

[@ΣνεηαΣικδαρ]

So do i. 🤝🤝

[@JamesDavy2009]

It's a part of why pride is the deadliest of sins.

[@lyrimetacurl0]

Funny when Jerry is overconfident 😂

[@izperehoda]

"Overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer." - Buggs Bunny

[@x_MoonlitShade]

@@izperehodaDarkest Dungeon quote lol

[@RezeedTheDataspirit]

To be fair about Tom, there are plenty moments where he isn't even the villain and Jerry is the one antagonising the situation.

[@Purple_Pink_And_Fluff]

True And also he is a cat, that’s literally his job

[@darwinskeeper421]

I agree, that's one reason why I can't watch Tom & Jerry.

[@hydralily1646]

@@darwinskeeper421I so agree. Jerry never fails to make me annoyed.

[@Accrovideogames]

In many stories, Tom is actually friends with Jerry. He's simply forced to pretend doing something about what the homeowners consider a pest. If he refuses, he'll be replaced by another cat. In most movies, they're either friends from the start or enemies turned allies.

[@ahmadmneimneh]

Neither are the bad guys. Tom is just doing his job as a cat and Jerry just wants a place to live. However, sometimes one is just minding their business and the other one provokes them for no reason, and that's when one of them becomes the bad guy

[@Rammkommando]

in fairness to Tom, Tom gave as good as he got he does have wins under his belt

[@codebracker]

Yes, when Jerry gets overconfident

[@mrexists5400]

They both lost in the end... Not counting the modern reboots at least

[@margheritaparacini7729]

​@@mrexists5400modern has more alliances against a third party/the pestering feels friendlier

[@sycho-tech5104]

Theirs a lot of T&J cartoons wear Tom gets the short stick even though Jerry started it. I mean, sure 8of10 Tom’s being a dick, but those 2of10, jetty’s being just plain cruel.

[@taqresu5865]

​@@sycho-tech5104And there are times where Tom was coerced or employed into catching Jerry because of his owner or another party who doesn't want Jerry around.

[@michaelturner2806]

I remember an episode of Tiny Toon Adventures (where the premise is they're studying to become like their Looney Tuned mentors) where they lampshade the gravity bit. They cross a chasm by walking off a cliff and telling each other not to look down. I chalk it up to them being young and inexperienced, not yet learning they should only use that for causing or exacerbating problems, not solving them.

[@KonaKonaKaabisteru]

Toon Bridges, as they called them there. Also on Bonkers, Lucky Piquel was also able to abuse provided he mantra'd how he shouldn't look down over and over.

[@GunSpyEnthusiast]

The Universe also does not want to kill a child.

[@KonaKonaKaabisteru]

@@GunSpyEnthusiast Plucky Duck and other Tiny Toons modeled after the fall guys or villainous Looney Toons would like to have word with you. 😋

[@ninjadragongamer6861]

That appeared in a Guardians of the Galaxy tv show as well. They were in a cartoon logic pocket dimension thing, and Rocket used this exact logic to cross a chasm

[@gandalforb6461]

The real explanation is that the rule only applies to deus ex machina so if it's established before (or even roughly at the same time) it can be valid.

[@ziqi92]

Tom and Jerry episodes were at their peak when the two teamed up to get a common goal accomplished. Not always the funniest episodes, but they genuinely work well together and complement each other in ways that are genuinely wholesome and inspiring.

[@poliax7066]

Yeah i really loved those ones, especially the episodes where they both stay buddies after the conflict was resolved

[@SomeGuy-m5f]

Yes

[@kyze8284]

Spike was always my favorite, especially when his son was involved "He's takin a nap, BOTH of yous, be quiet or BOTH of yous is gettin it." *Nod nod nod*

[@infernalone666]

2:02 i love that you used home alone for "if in real life" when that movie operated on looney tunes physics

[@EmilyDugan-re2wg]

Those stunts were real. Not even joking. There's interviews with the stunt actors and everything. It was *_wild_* back in the day. The director even said he was a little scared of them because they'd just actually do those crazy stunts and just get back up like it was nothing.

[@infernalone666]

@@EmilyDugan-re2wg i'm not saying they weren't real. I'm saying marv taking an iron to the face and coming out with an imprint on his face or harry burning his hand on the doorknob and coming out with just an imprint on his hand is cartoon logic.

[@infernalone666]

Everyone makes these videos about how the hell they survive all these traps. And here I am thinking about it and I go "wait a minute! this is all looney tunes!" Once you realize that, everything makes sense.

[@Strideo1]

I cringe every time Daniel Stern takes that clothes iron to the face.

[@orhandalegend]

Ok but watching a guy step on broken ornaments and the other guy getting hit in the head repeatedly with a brick is still mildly uncomfortable.

[@FriskMeemur]

I always thought the rule was "they can do anything, as long as its funny"

[@solaris9426]

That's called the rule of funny. There's also the rule of cool and the rule of awesome. Basically, if something is funny, cool, or awesome, the universe is more likely to allow it to happen.

[@smolse6854]

Well, that WAS said in Roger Rabbit, which is very focused on the world of cartoons. I guess there's multiple ways to see it.

[@pufflepoint]

Well, the purpose of this video, I guess, is to explain what makes these types of gags funny.

[@MrMarinus18]

But usually it's funny when cartoon physics are an exaggeration of real life physics. If it's just ignoring the laws of physics you don't get many laughs. The rule of thumb with cartoon physics is that they are an exaggeration of reality which makes it feel believable despite the technicalities obviously being nonsense.

[@pixelate609]

​@@solaris9426 yea it still applies it's just a supporting aspect of this video's explanation

[@willverschneider1102]

Squidward loses his "butt monkey" status whenever he actually sides with Spongebob.

[@Simpson17866]

Customer: "Where's my drink?" Spongebob: "... But you didn't order a drink."

[@DundG]

and intensifies his status when Spongebob sides with him.

[@coralmaynard4876]

@@Simpson17866 "This pizza is *on the house!* "

[@SpammingY]

Let's also not forget the "Plausible Impossible", the rule that it has to SEEM explainable and be grounded in rules of reality, despite being impossible. "The most hilarious comedy is grounded in reality."

[@solar901]

Laws can be broken only if there are laws. And it is understandable and funny only it those are real-life laws we all know.

[@iamemjarrobinson8713]

Shrek: "Just don't look down." Donkey: "SHREK! I'm looking DOWN!"

[@RichrobArtYT]

He-he, Looks like Shrek knows the rules of the cartoon world the best!

[@Pakistani890]

@@RichrobArtYT lol true...

[@kyze8284]

Do what? THIS? In all seriousness, it's looking down that strips you of confidence. When freerunning we never looked down because we'd realize how high up we were and sometimes would freak even if we weren't scared of heights. Basically, stopping our trust in ourselves and our bodies because of that realization of being that close to serious injury

[@stormythelowcountrykitty7147]

I'm using this in my Grade 8 class as a teaching tool - thank you!!

[@Somefellowhumanbeing]

I love how "physics" in this realm more reflect ethics than actual physics

[@lasercraft32]

There's also the factor of comedy... If the audience expects one thing, only for something completely different to happen, its hilarious.

[@agentzapdos4960]

Then why are so many cartoons still funny on subsequent viewings, even though you know exactly what's going to happen?

[@lasercraft32]

@@agentzapdos4960 I said it was a _factor,_ not the ONLY thing that makes it funny.

[@TheInkPitOx]

In an episode of Tiny Toon Adventures, Granny taught the whole "don't look down" ordeal to the kids.

[@dragonic4239]

It was Elmer Fudd

[@ccricers]

That show in its own way is self-reflecting because of the instances when the classic Looney Tunes characters show up and teach the new generation the rules of being a "toon".

[@ZakZ8915]

Never thought about cartoons in this way, this explains why they are so genius

[@paigemurphy7770]

Looney Toons Loonaversity: General HOGspital “ Amazing how much imitatable cartoon violence they show in the 1940s.” -The Fairly OddParents

[@liam3284]

Reminds me that my grandfather could not stand loony tunes for that reason.

[@FireyDeath4]

I wanted to make a cartoon with a combination of realistic physics and cartoon physics (from both eastern and western animations, as well as others), both of which have a certain scientifically-tangible order to them, which most of the characters use to their advantage and cleverly optimise for practical outcomes. Then I see this. Great now I'm hopeless Well, since this is about to get 100 likes (at 99), I typed some more detailed thoughts about it in a reply. I've come to a compromise which I wrote at the bottom

[@thekoifishcoyote8762]

Not necessarily. The diskworld series does that with story logic, so you can probably do it with cartoon physics.

[@Tzarina8472]

Remember that humility is the key to success, and you sound like you just looked down. Success is just one strut-of-faith away for you now!

[@machinedramon3532]

A more internally consistent explanation for cartoon physics that you could use from a Watsonian perspective is that it follows whatever the character in question expects to happen, if only temporarily. If you don't know you're in the air, you'll expect to continue moving forward until you realize your situation, delaying your fall. Roadrunner doesn't know there's a painting in his way, so he can continue on down the imaginary road, but Wile E. Coyote, who set up the trap in the first place and therefore expects it to work, runs into the painting as normal. And so on and so forth.

[@Rageisbackman]

Nah you got it bro it don’t really need to make any sense

[@FireyDeath4]

My main problem regarding the insanity of cartoon physics is that really I want my cartoon/animation series to cover lots of topics, including technical/scientific and complex/realistic ones, and if I get too wacky, I'll either have to make the cartoon physics a non-diegetic design choice, which in some cases I don't want since I want the characters to be able to exploit them, or I'll just have to accept that it's the way things are and create a convoluted system of everything, biological and systemic, that attempts to work around it, and even though it might be pretty farfetched, I don't really want it to be _too_ unrealistic, in spite of all the fancy stuff it'll have. I want it to be a decent reflection of troth reality, fantasy and futurism. In particular, here are my thoughts about some points that the video covers: -Emotional truth. I don't need cartoon physics to convey those. In fact, I've imagined how I could communicate extremely intense emotions without thinking about those at all, involving stuff like visceral sound design, expressions, behaviours and visual representations. So the cartoon aspects would just be supplementary, and they'd all be plausible to some degree. -Butt-monkeys. I do want some characters to feel that way, but having a lot of characterisation focused on this would lead to a lot of tropic one-dimensionality with one character being consistently hurt and garnering sympathy. Making it a diegetic mechanic would also substantiate the notion that the world is out to get them, and while I do want to cover this for some characters, I want to have a diverse variety of changing perspectives, including experiences of unbalanced treatment. -Karma. The bad guys need to be capable, generally competent and actually dangerous in some way, because otherwise there's not a credible threat, and there's nothing for us to learn for or from overcoming them, so I'll only apply this when it would realistically make sense with intrinsic consequences that can be reasonably ignored or unforeseen. Also, I do want to communicate the existence and dynamics of unfairness, including cases of systematic oppression, so this is generally something I'll skip. -And overconfidence. There are many adults who suffer from it (and should do in the series), and not many of the characters would be significantly mentally challenged (i.e. total idiots who don't learn when something is unignorably obvious). If the rule applied universally, they would have learnt about the principle when they were a young child and worked with it, either by adopting the appropriate humility and/or caution, or anxiety, paranoia, low self-esteem, and overall poor mental health, which would also lead to the perception that the world is out to get them. Some characters should also be raised with it, fraudulently out of living a childhood of pandered luxury (who can be proven wrong by being introduced to tough situations), or substantially by being critical and competent (who can be proven wrong by being overconfident about the universality of patterns and systems they've identified), in order to foster the perception that everything goes their way if they just persist enough. Not only that, but if it was universally punished, evolution would have disfavoured it, and since it exists, it needs to at least appear substantial to many people. It should be more like a rubber band than a universal bug-patcher, and having it that way would pay off a lot more at the end. So, I decided to make a compromise. I'll make a list of cartoon principles and events, and for the main world I'll include anything that doesn't cause anything significantly outlandish to happen. Those things would include major body transformations and disfigurations (cartoon-wise), sudden unexplained changes of how physical phenomena work based solely on the characters (discriminatory physics), and so on. However, I will make a lot more exceptions in dream sequences, which will be the boundary where wacky cartoon physics and surrealism can shine - though there will be some level of sense, morality and psychological nuances to them, since everything that happens in the foreground of a story must have some relevance. For that reason, many of the dreams will be consciously administered with technology for things like therapy and recreational purposes, so it can serve the characters and the story, rather than just have the natural neural network splutterings you generate in REM sleep :P

[@GamerFromJump]

It’s all tied up in Narrative Causality. Nothing happens unless the author intervenes or the character expects it to happen.

[@Mohamad-m7md]

I always wanted Wile E. Coyote to at least SUCCEED ONCE because it’s annoying how the physics only work in favour of roadrunner

[@solaris9426]

If I recall correctly, Wile E. Coyote did catch the Road Runner once, but he didn't have any idea on what to do next because he never thought he'd ever do it.

[@DragoSonicMile]

@@solaris9426 ... in a Family Guy cutaway gag.

[@michaelturner2806]

​​@@solaris9426 I think it was a time where the Roadrunner grew to Godzilla size or Wile E was reduced to mouse size. I remember him going like Aha! and grabbing the bird's ankle, looking up, maybe Roadrunner looking down unfazed, then holding up signs like "Well I finally caught him" "Now what do you want me to do with him?" Edit: 1980 Merrie Melody cartoon "Soup or Sonic", ends with the signs, "Okay, wise guys, you always wanted me to catch him." and "Now what do I do?"

[@Celeviii]

He probably would have won his court case if that movie ever got released

[@MeepChangeling]

@@monke7919 Coyote wins in a total of 5 episodes across the entirety of Roadrunner cartoons. So, no. Everything resets as always. The show is episodic, not serialized.

[@Frozen_Death_Knight]

A pretty good video! Also, I would like to add that another aspect that determines cartoon logic is the attitude that a character has about their lot in life, which also influences how many negative things will happen to them. Donald Duck becomes a butt-monkey because of his short temper and being prone to brute force problems that cause his notorious bad luck. Tom becomes one when he wants to enjoy his life in bliss all the time, but gets constantly interrupted by annoyances done by Jerry which culminates in him wrecking the peace he could have had by simply not making it an issue (though that depends on the cartoon since he sometimes gets forced into it). A character like Bugs Bunny doesn't often become a butt-monkey because he is the most self-aware toon that can adapt to what is going on in the moment, so he understands how to bend reality to his will. Sometimes characters that are completely clueless about what's going on around them like Mr. Magoo don't even get affected by the cartoon world since they are too detached and naive to be affected by it. In a way it's a bit of a reflection of reality, since your personality can vastly change the outcome of what happens in your life. The difference being that cartoons exaggerate those in several ways to make the feelings more bombastic and by making people laugh at others' and possibly their own shortcomings.

[@TheSTEMAlchemist]

the road runner is the ultimate example of clueless protagonist lol

[@Skibster-w9l]

@@TheSTEMAlchemistHe’s just minding his own business

[@rrrandom1348]

I was expecting a physics lesson but instead got a psychology lesson

[@jakariashafin8685]

Ethics

[@Kirkaman_hex]

You know, I never thought it that way 😅 You sure deserve thousands of views

[@taublix315]

The clip shown at 8:10 was literally the first thing I thought about when you said "As soon as a cartoon character feels like they are going to win, it comes back around to bite them, every single time."

[@MrRobot-xs5jf]

07:58 No matter how many times I see this, it's absolute comedy gold Every Time

[@ThreeEarRabbit]

Not gonna lie when I saw the title I thought you were going to talk about some crazy theoretical physics on why gravity only works when we look at it.

[@GriffinForte]

Me to

[@advosreactionroom8416]

Yeah no shith, I legit thought this video is gonna blow my mind

[@WilliamAaronTheYapmaster]

There are some philosophical ideas that state that things only exist because we agree they exist. Theoretically, under such a system,gravity would only work if you believe you SHOULD be effected by gravity

[@lunyxappocalypse7071]

@@WilliamAaronTheYapmaster So like the Elder Scrolls, they have this very system. Any creature on Mundus that did not believe fell off long ago.

[@WilliamAaronTheYapmaster]

@@lunyxappocalypse7071 Makes sense to me

[@wasdwazd]

So the exception to the gravity rule is, as long as you think to yourself "I fucked up" you are able to get back onto solid ground?

[@solaris9426]

Alternatively, since gravity only seems to assert itself when a character looks down, they could theoretically walk across a gap by just not looking down.

[@GunSpyEnthusiast]

@@solaris9426 Thats how bridges are made, by confident jackass's who think " I'm so good at this 'humidity' thing, I don't even need this bridge, but I'm building it because my jackass friends need it! "

[@Simpson17866]

"you are able to get back onto solid ground?" That part will happen pretty definitely :D

[@liam3284]

So long as the audience expects you to fall, you won't, but if you subvert the audience's expectations, convince them that falling doesn't apply to you, you come crashing down. The road runner for example. Coyote sets up a trap where the road runner will surely fall. Cartoon physics disallows it. But when Coyote tries to follow road runner, the audience and Coyote has no idea what to expect, so he falls.

[@lanluhylrean1122]

7:27 when something comes up that gets the better of what you thought you were the best at... is pride before the fall.

[@JohnSmith-mf3dh]

AfterDark had a screensaver about the rules of Cartoon Laws of Physics. -Anything falls faster than an ANVIL. -You won't fall unless you look down. etc.

[@bork6996]

"i know this defies the laws of gravity, but you see, i never studied law" such a perfect line

[@RipplyAnemone67]

I think the classic roadrunner tunnel gag is probably simillar to how flash can move so fast he phases through matter and I guess road runner runs at that speed.

[@klas-6]

The overconfidence is a nice way to view the cartoon physics though the earlier part of the video didn't answer much. Some cartoons didn't have butt-monkeys or were full of them and the cartoon physics can just occur without teaching the characters anything (like "Have you got any Castles"). Also there's a Wile E Coyote gag where he goed through the painting but not the roadrunner

[@matityaloran9157]

In How a Mosquito Operates, the Mosquito becomes the cause of his own downfall when he drinks more from the human’s body than he actually needs

[@malorika]

I thought this was going to be about scenarios where cartoon physics is actually similar to real life physics, but honestly this is better.

[@terrancedixon248]

My favorite cartoon physic gags might have to be the painting gags and the bait and switch

[@montywh]

I remember an episode of Tiny Toons. A rare moment of the cast attending class at the school the intro alludes to taking place. Porky was teaching the phenomenon of walking off a ledge and they would stay in midair until looking down, demonstrating as he walked off his desk, looked down, and fell about 2 1/2 feet to the ground

[@viperx27]

Law of story physics number five: I am in complete agreement with this one. Used to see this happen a lot in Richie Rich. Dollar would always think of a scenario, but during its execution, it never turns out how he thought. Like, why would an animator animate the same thing twice in a row?

[@metal87power]

Falling after looking down is actually quite logical conclusion deduced from idealism.

[@strangelaw6384]

This video has some oddly terrifying cosmic implications

[@mihaleben6051]

0:06 this is newton s second law, and also looking down makes you travel down.

[@Mohamad-m7md]

To me that was the golden age of cartoons

[@sonicfanboy3375]

Most people agree the golden age of cartoons was during the 30's-60's

[@fictionalmediabully9830]

@@sonicfanboy3375 '40s and '50s. The '30s was a growing period, and the '60s saw animation experience severe budget cuts.

[@JamesDavy2009]

@@fictionalmediabully9830 Those cuts resulted in more choppy animation and sometimes characters being painted in the wrong colours.

[@dcincco]

I know one wile e coyote where he caught the roadrunner in the “impenetrable box” But when he tried to eat the roadrunner, he realized: the road runner is in the impenetrable box. So he opens it, and somehow falls in getting stuck. Well he caught it, but couldn’t rly do anything about it after the fact.

[@markwrede8878]

The man in the moon looked down one day ... and the moon plunged to Earth. The physics of hubris.

[@Beyondthe5thPanel]

I’m glad you made this video! As I look back on my own experiences in the last decade, I know that the spiritual side of this very thing has come to fruition ten times over. This video may be focusing on cartoons, but the choice we’ve made absolutely affect our lives in these very same ways, just usually it’s internal and not physical. The cartoons describe how we feel as if it were physically observable.

[@tonytins]

When I was a kid, I had a dream where I jumped into the air and was floating until I looked down.

[@diztend8414]

I think cartoon physics are a metaphor for "shit happens" in life. Cartoon physics is unpredictable, and so are many things in life like the natural environment and public opinion that we can't control. These things are inherently neutral, they may push you forward, and they may set you back, but our attitude to these factors will ultimately determine what they are. If someone overestimates themselves, and think they can control the uncontrollable, they will inevitably find the natural world to be against them in everything they do.

[@ThatsSoGiorgio]

This is wild, the fact that there’s actually structure to the cartoons. I can appreciate this as an adult and I will definitely view cartoons with a different perspective now. Great video.

[@Sorain1]

Road Runner cartoons had a literal set of rules about how they were to be written. They broke from that exactly once that I'm aware of, because that was to establish the gag being "Well, now I caught the Road Runner, what now?" as an acknowledgement of the rule that Wile E can't catch the Road Runner. Among others I remember are: The Road Runner can only cause harm to Wile E by saying 'Meep Meep' and the results there of. (Thus limiting the Road Runner while keeping a running gag going.) Wile E fails either because of Acme products backfiring or his own bad decisions, barring the above. (Thus keeping the fault for failure from being pure luck.) It must always be clear that Wile E Coyote could stop at any time, he is always the one keeping the chase going. (Thus ensuring it is his fault.)

[@shadowfirethesarcastic9517]

I still remember a Bugs Bunny cartoon where he was having a flashback to the first encounter he ever had with Elmer Fudd. Elmer ran out off the edge of a cliff, and Bugs explained that he was defining the law of gravity, and Elmer said, "That's okay. We haven't studied gravity yet." Frustrated, Bugs gave him a book on gravity, which he read as he walked along. Sure enough, he walked off the edge of the same cliff, but this time when he looked down, he fell. As he pulled himself off the bottom of the cliff, he said, "Ignorance is bliss, I always say."

[@demongamer_IX]

4:21 “We enjoy their suffering.” - BigBlueBackpack 2023

[@MemeMeme-e5l]

Thats true ... sadly

[@stavrosboi]

Luffy gear 5 got me here

[@cortspadet]

Same lol

[@KanjiasDev]

"I know this defies the law of gravity, but you see, I never studied law." got me laughing 😅 The fun thing is there are people in real history who were like "I make the law and if I need to I'll also make the law of physics the way I need it!" and of course - they failed 😅

[@Madbird95]

I love the values that are implied with how the cartoons are designed. Really neat! Thanks for pointing that out.

[@macsnafu]

Bugs Bunny's excuse for defying the law of gravity always cracks me up. "...I never studied law!"

[@friend_trilobot]

Another common feature of a cartoon antagonist is that they intend to kill and eat the good guy, so that's a very appropriate karmic mark against them imo

[@erickaguirre4888]

Amazing video, wish it was a little longer. I've never thought about the fact that cartoons NEED to exaggerate their actions in order to help the viewer empathize and understand the feelings of the character.

[@Oparmy069]

You explained it perfectly and answered many of my childhood questions

[@blacklight683]

"so let's talk for a while-" (*Me nervously looking at how long the video is*) PHEW just 10m I didn't stick myself in the next 5h video

[@leonardodavinchi7693]

One could say that... "Overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer"

[@willo7734]

This was a very nostalgic video for me. It brought back memories of so many Saturday mornings during the 80’s. I don’t think I’ve had many times in my life as happy as those Saturday mornings were.

[@ZomboidMania]

I thought this video was gonna be talking about quantum mechanics or something like that to explain how the walking on air trope is technically scientific but i was pleasantly surprised with the direction this video took and i loved it, also got a few good laughs out of me, especially the "Jack-Ass" bit near the end hahaha

[@Hyowatta]

You should watch the original Tiny Toon Adventures series. They explain a lot about cartoon mechanics as they learn at the Looniversity. Also, it is usually the underdog who has the advantage. The Prey has the advantage over the predator; the cute one has the advantage over the scary one. The best ones will still lose sometimes, like Bugs Bunny & Mickey Mouse. The worst ones never loose, like Screwy Squirrel & Slap Happy Slappy.

[@FutureGroupsofRufus]

I think there was a Tiny Toon Adventures episode that talked about toon physics.

[@AegixDrakan]

Yup, there was! I remember that episode. :P They used the "You only fall when you look down" to escape "wackyland" I think.

[@rangerzickle3350]

This also returns in the tiny toon university reboot.

[@RichrobArtYT]

It's just so funny and creative of what happens next in this world! You expect one thing... but you get another! And that twists everything around!🤣

[@cloud6060]

Original creators of the cartoons: This is so dumb and outlandish that I bet people will love it! Original watchers: HAHA THE RABBIT WACKED THE DUCK WITH A HAMMER! People today: Let me tell you about the deep philosophy of Looney Toons

[@RamblingPin-Chikken]

One of the best narrative analysis I've ever seen

[@xandervampire195]

The reason we sympathise more with Tom as we get older is because we have a greater understanding of the situation. As young children, we just accept that Jerry is the hero because that's what the cartoons want us to think. Then we get older and see the characters for what they really are. Jerry is a rodent who steals food, causes property damage and spreads filth/disease. Nobody wants wild mice or rats in their house and neither does Tom's owner who often threatens Tom with consequences if he doesn't do his job and get rid of Jerry. Plus, for Tom, Jerry is food. Tom's goal is to protect his owner, defend himself and eat his natural prey. He is completely justified and there is nothing wrong with him trying to catch and kill Jerry. In real life, Tom would be the hero and as we get older, we come to realise that. This causes us to sympathise with him more.

[@NaaLaughMuzik]

I’m more impressed by how This man successfully justified cartoon logic

[@latexu95]

8:14 "When I do something selfish, it's funny. When you do it, it's evil."🤔 -Emperor Kuzco

[@littlejohndvlogger7050]

I... literally just searched up for Gear 5 Luffy 💀💀💀

[@cedriclacomblez9827]

Considering what ot does, close enough I guess ?

[@littlejohndvlogger7050]

@@cedriclacomblez9827 I mean, Toon Force I guess 💀

[@krealyesitisbeta5642]

Works for the last rule, Luffy takes his opponents overconfidence and proceeds to put all his foes into their place

[@littlejohndvlogger7050]

@@krealyesitisbeta5642 *Tom* = (Any of his major enemies like Enel, Lucci, Doffy, or Kaido.) *Jerry* = Luffy (The mouse who his enemies think of as an annoying "rat")

[@lonio9794]

​@@littlejohndvlogger7050 more like an annoying "monkey" yohohohoho

[@Speed001]

Finally, an analysis of Gear 5 Luffy

[@tomato_sauce98]

"Gravity does not work until you look down" -Newtom

[@mohawho8251]

you truly deserve the sub, immaculate work, truly inspiring and uplifting seeing small creators make such awesome and well produced content, gives me the boost of hope i need

[@NoOffenseAnimation]

how does this not have more views?

[@yassinesafraoui]

I think the point they're trying to emphasize is that one can never outplay the system, it happens in real life as well, once you think you're COMPLETELY winning in a chess game or clash royale or whatever, BAD THINGS happen, sometimes you make it out after realizing you're wrong and admitting it, but if you don't, most of the times you'll lose, for example in chess one of the things players do when they're winning and they suddenly blunder, they have to calm down and admit they made a mistake, and accept a draw if the position is a draw, if they don't and keep looking for a win in a drawish position, chances of them losing are suddenly much much higher

[@rtyuik7]

this video made me realize a lot of things i "already knew" (but 'didnt know i knew them')...like how if a Plan is revealed to the audience, then it Wont Work (the characters basically Set Up the viewers' expectations, by explaining Which Points are open to a subversive failure) whereas if the Plan is a 'secret' to the audience, then it will Succeed (which is also just the story's way of using "Show, Dont Tell"-- why Describe how the plan will work? instead, show the plan, Working)

[@JamesDavy2009]

My thoughts went to the running joke of a musical instrument rigged to explode if a certain note is played from _Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms._ Every time bar one the mark plays a sour note when the rigged note comes up.

[@realtimiksomg]

"we enjoy their suffer" 💀what is this phrase

[@sohopedeco]

I clicked on this video expecting to learn about some bizarre real life physical phenomena, not about cartoon semiotics.😊

[@SuperCartoonist]

5:26 For me it was different, when I was younger I always rooted for the protagonist/aka butt monkey in that term.

[@totallyauniquehandle]

I have seen/read comic and cartoons where the "antagonist" didn't even start it. I also remember watching a bugs bunny cartoon where he lost. So, most of the time, but not always.

[@tylertichoc7330]

Okay, that last line was pretty perfect. Side note though, it is amusing that in real life there are some instances of the Predator and Prey Animals trope where the Predator is actually a big sensitive softie and gets bullied or pushed around by a now emboldened scrappy little animal. Like some cats that are practically terrified of any rodent much to the rodent's confusion as to how it's not dead when the thing it's afraid of is right there. Ya see this every now and then with some cats and dogs with low prey drives or little survival instincts. Ironically in cartoon portrayal the story featuring these oddbslls tends to revolve around them learning or being actively trained by the prey animal how to have courage and become more assertive or confident.. sometimes with mixed results. An example being like a vaguely Generic Mountain Dog who's incredibly skittish but learns from tiny prey animal being chased around all the time to stick up for themselves as I recall multiple instances in Tom and Jerry. What I really like that brings my some comfort for those instances like Whil.E Coyote and us wanting him to at least win at something else worth value to him is that usually the characters are themselves self aware to some extent outside of what the plot demands from their power dynamics and roles they play. And thus sometimes actually are quite casual in interactions with their adversary. A good example again being Tom and Jerry multiple times throughout the years being seen breaking the fourth wall to just awkwardly process what just happened or what they did. In a sense being a case of "It's all an act but we gotta make it look convincing, nothing personal, just business between us characters on screen. Ya wanna just sit back and relax after we finish this episode?" They'll be fine, they know what they're doing, that's why they're the characters in the first place. I never really quite grasped just how entertaining this was in of itself when I was little but I was always smarter than most my age and when this happened on screen I knew it was a sort of rare break and exception that was something to be enjoyed as it was rare and usually significant to how I viewed the characters. And I always believed that those "Meta Instances" were more telling of the actual extent of the abuse both physically painful and fearfully traumatizing it was for the Antagonist but occasionally the protagonist when they were gettin to big for their britches like ya mentioned. Ironically I feel like Whil .E is actually more of a steak kinda guy and would be found eating it at a restaurant and just be like "What? Ya don't seriously expect me to go through all that trouble and blunt force trauma just to starve or even to get a single bird thats more if a skiny line then I am when this place is only a ten minute drive from the studio right? I make a living if ya couldn't tell, I'm just ordering off the menue like anybody else." 😅🐺

[@faizfakhri9563]

Great piece! Adding to that, i also thought that you can always continue when you're high above the ground, but when you look down, that's when fear kicks in and ruin everything

[@rubykaylaandogie3334]

I'm just gonna live in a cartoon now Can't fall if I never look down

[@StaK_1980]

Then i am probably an exception because i always felt sorry for Tom. Even as a child.

[@VinniePaz]

6:18 That Shotgun sound 🤣

[@MugiwaraNoDeji]

This was an analysis I didnt know I needed. I learned so much, great video!!!

[@craigkdillon]

BTW -- Roadrunner is ALWAYS over-confident, and NEVER suffers any consequences. I HATE the road-runner. - signed, Wile E. Coyote

[@mouselover1403]

4:15 you missed the golden opportunity to say "seeing Goofy being goofy"

[@dennisR78]

Tom is not always the villain; it depends on the episode, as Jerry messes up sometimes too. In some episodes, Tom starts the conflict, while in others, Jerry does. It's not like the case of the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote. There are episodes where Jerry is downright malicious, and Tom suffers because of Jerry, but in the end, the one who is the positive character of that episode wins. However, sometimes both can lose or both can win.

[@benkpeltz]

Goofy is almost an anti-butt-monkey... He constantly brings trouble on himself but somehow the crazy sequence of coincidences that ensues ends up working out in his favour.

[@pickleshanks]

Just discovered the reason for my fear of waffles

[@rafaelalexie2417]

Can we take a moment to appreciate how wonderfully animated these cartoons were and how imaginative the gags were?

[@ImmortalAbsol]

I love how this became a video game mechanic known as coyote time.

[@Т1000-м1и]

My immediate thought is why did it take us so many years

[@Nintendude.]

Great video. But I was thinking what others already said here "they can do anything, as long as its funny"

[@SimplyCody]

A popular theory states that Tom and Jerry are actually best friends, and Tom’s owner wants him to catch and kill mice, so Tom pretends to try his best, but he is actually letting Jerry get away. But why is Tom not catching Jerry? Well, they’re best friends, and best friends protect each other. If Tom visibly never tried, he would be replaced with a cat that would actually WANT to kill Jerry.

[@terrancedixon248]

Well that depends.Considering the cartoon is not episodic.Most would have Tom and/or jerry actively trying to kill each other even if Tom's owner told them.A main example is Hatch up your troubles.If chopping up your buddy with a axe is friendly,The shooting their nephew is just plain good will.Again these shorts can change/depnend and that's just a theory

[@RoderickEtheria]

Elmer Fudd may be the Butt-Monkey against Bugs, but this doesn't mean cartoon physics is always against him. For instance, there was one cartoon where Elmer was fooled into wandering off a cliff by Bugs, and looking down was like: "It's alright. I haven't been taught about gravity yet." Physics in a cartoon depends on whether the character understands the physics or not a lot of the time.

[@ravick007]

"Donald Duck always loses every conflict he is in." > That footage is from a cartoon in wich he punches the shark in the face after it damages Dolnad's hat, isn't it? :D

[@Masonicon]

I can explains Cartoon Physics as non-newtonian Physics that doesn't requires exotic matter or magical energy to work

[@JamesDavy2009]

Even Einstein points out that space and time can stretch.

[@cernolgluestick5561]

So the asdf movie song “real man” while funny, actually hits me emotionally at the end when he pushes through the pain. And now after watching this video. The part where his eyes are “on fire” after your explanation of cartoon representation. It makes it so much worse. Well better but you know what I mean. So in the words of a great scientist, thank you and curse you.

[@anotheruser133]

Yoo that “take one step on that rope and I’ll cut it” scene always takes me out

[@mingthan7028]

I KNEWWW It. I told my friends and they called me 'a Mad Man'