Courage the Cowardly Dog | Anatomy of a Franchise

[@EmmisonMike]

Freaky Fred honestly seems super relevant to kids, not just because of the horror of stranger danger, but because kids are expected to put aside personal boundaries all the time. Relatives demanding smooches or to pinch cheeks, family friends expecting conversation when children don't want to talk. There's something uncanny about someone you're told to trust even though you don't know them, and having them step over a boundary with complete impunity.

[@cjsdizzy]

This is such a well articulated take, you are 100% correct. This is something that people write off as not a big deal but it can have a major effect on a person. We need to think about this stuff especially when it comes to kids who cant always stand up for themselves.

[@cyclos12]

That goes double for what a Childhood Haircut entails.

[@amelialonelyfart8848]

God. I'm 26, and my dads 'best bud' stayed the night a few months ago and even though I was an adult, everyone treated the scenario like that. He just kept... starring at me, man. When I was on my phone, he would stare at what I was doing even though I made it pretty clear I wanted privacy. Kept asking me what I was doing on the phone. It was so uncomforable.

[@folgerkelley2715]

I know its something KND touched on as well but barbers also aren’t extremely uncommon as a childhood fear - particularly for little boys who tend to be taken more often, have scissors closer to their ears, and electric razors which are both loud and can lightly scratch - things that aren’t painful in say the way a needle for a vaccine is, but more so anxiety inducing as it can feel *like* youre about to be cut or nipped, all while being under instruction to sit still in order to prevent it - oxymoronic for a kid in “flight” mode …as well as how often children’s haircuts can be something dictated by parents in terms of timing and means. After all the most utilitarian way to go about a haircut is to let the hair grow as long as you can tolerate and then have it cut as short as you can tolerate, which for a parent can be much different than what a child’s boundaries are.

[@EmmisonMike]

@@folgerkelley2715 I love this. I think we underestimate how much social and technical skill is involved with cutting hair. It's not just sociable people deciding to do a thing that's easy. it's all difficult, doubly so making sure a resistive child feels comfortable: whole lotta gentleness, whole lotta telling a kid what's going to happen so they're prepared. you don't get any of that with the cheapest option though, and most any kid is going to have an experience like that. Tag onto that the parent having this unspoken but rock-solid belief that the condition of their child is always under scrutiny, thus the image of their kid must be controlled as a means to maintaining the parents image. We can be dramatic and say this shows in stories of putting kids in ice-water to hide bruises, but even smaller things like making sure a kid's hair is brushed even though it's painful because we're all running late so we have to do this a little more quick-and-rough is still deeply uncomfortable for a kid. It's one of a series of little compromises from parents that may not have the margin in their own lives to sit down and host a UN conference with their kids on every little thing. It's important, then, to maintain sympathy for the children as well as the parents. both are going through the same imperfect and unsafe world.

[@hobbyhorse5848]

Courage was without a doubt one of my absolute favorite shows growing up as a child, it introduced me to horror in an accessible but still scary way that also made me feel empowered to take on things that scared me like courage did. So glad to see such a long and thorough examination of it.

[@gonzoGnostalgic]

I had never thought about it too much, but almost every episode ending in the family room with Courage on Muriel's lap and Muriel in her rocking chair is a good way to look at life; through all the fear and evil around us at all times, the little moments of rest and peace and love between each fight are what we carry on for, and are always worth it

[@jaywhangmakes]

I took an animation class a year ago, and the instructor was one of the animators of Courage the Cowardly Dog. It was very grateful for me being her student.

[@redx2gaming69]

May I ask where this school was?

[@jaywhangmakes]

@@redx2gaming69 The City College of New York

[@aceandson]

Pilar is the absolute best! You're lucky to have the opportunity to study with her.

[@digitalcthulhu143]

Based

[@pygmalioninvenus6057]

her?

[@Larper64]

For a lot of the screen edge errors, it is worth noting the CRT tvs often distorted or even cut off the edges of the screen. So some of the errors were probably left under the assumption that they would never be seen. This is more apparent in some video games of the late 80s and early 90s where entities would pop in and out visibly near the edge of the screen as the programmers assumed nobody would see those parts of the screen.

[@wraithgames]

This right here

[@TheGeoshark]

I played the original Ratchet and Clank for the first time recently and there was a part where a character started to move off screen and then froze when they were like 90% gone. They were visibly frozen for like 3 seconds before the camera angle changed. Is that the same thing?

[@Larper64]

@@TheGeoshark That sounds like it. The PS2 was part of the last generation of consoles made with standard definition TV's in mind and many companies were still using the old entity storage trick. While I don't know definitively about Ratchet and Clank, I know other games from that era were still using that trick, basically storing entities "behind the camera" with some literally just past the edge of intended vision.

[@srijanmallick98]

Absolutely love how you summarised 'The Hunchback of Nowhere' - "People come and people go, and we rarely learn if they end up being okay, and a lot of them don't." I feel like Courage the Cowardly Dog has been a gateway to the macabre and horror for a generation of people growing up, and I feel glad that it has been getting more and more love and recognition over the years. Kudos to your research and hard work, Zane. Being a huge fan of horror, I'm overjoyed at how many of my favourites in the genre are getting the video essay treatment at your hands. Even getting one video in 1 or 2 months' time feels like a gift when it's so well researched and edited. Will keep looking forward to your next video!

[@rollingvice]

his research is subpar. most of this video just streching to pander his fans with pointless analysis. just like his newest slander video. pointless analysis and waste of time.

[@detectivemb4649]

wendigoon

[@goncalves4269]

I think the "lack of continuity" in a couple of jokes (such as Muriel mentioning she should add vinager to all of her recipes) aren't really a problem, I've always interpreted those as jokes specifically on the fact that those characters were oblivious to such common actions of theirs. That's the joke, it's that they're so immersed in that tradition that it doesn't even strike them as out of the ordinary anymore. Also, the animation problems of lines on the borders of the screens need to be visualized considering these were aired on CRTs, which had a different ratio and didn't easily allow for those errors to be seen because of the curvature of the screen and the reflection of its own borders

[@99sins]

I grew up in a somewhat similar backwater malaise-vibe of nothing happening and I could totally understand things like the Muriel thing. It becomes such an automatic response that people just become broken record players. Every family get together was/is just the same exact sentences and jokes and "remember when"s being repeated over and over again ad nauseum.

[@dubvuchyea502]

This guy is a hack fraud

[@melissahourihan2344]

I just noticed the pink tint to Muriel's glasses, maybe insinuating she sees the world with rose tinted glasses?

[@rollingvice]

maybe if zane wore those glasses he won't be that spiteful and jealous towards wendigoon.

[@Spookybluelights]

The shirt is giving. The mustache is giving. The four hour runtime on one of my most favorite shows ever is giving. Thank you so much for all your hard work.

[@nobodysanything2330]

👨

[@Spookybluelights]

@@iamme25yago You have that backwards. It's queer slang that Tiktok took from us.

[@cannibalisticrequiem]

​@@Spookybluelights If we're being completely honest and accurate, it's slang that was taken from black and latine/latinx ballroom culture by white gay cis men and was further appropriated by young often white Zoomers because it "sounded cool".

[@krispywhisper8276]

At 2:22:24 I believe Di long says "you no good as dog" which is his broken english equivalent to "you're not good at being a dog

[@mcrmy119]

Part of the base gag of Di Lung is that he's a parody of Tom Vu, who most people knew back then as "that Asian guy who took out infomercial space to abrasively call people poor". Family Guy also did a bit based on him. As a child, I didn't know who Tom Vu was but I recognized parodies of him because they were all so distinctly *that guy*. It's a bit like Matthew Lesko, the Question Mark Suit author guy. Most people don't know his name but they recognize his gimmick.

[@lainiwakura1776]

He just likes to read too much into things, it's kinda sad.

[@codyxvasco592]

Yeah like I've never heard of the origin but I recognize Kahn from King of the Hill wearing a suit of quarters and doing infomercials as a reference to something. 😂

[@Oneiros1919]

​@@lainiwakura1776Yeah,that line he said " A phalic looking pancake " he really is looking for something that is just not there

[@MealDealSupreme]

@@Oneiros1919 also the stuff about animation errors, like, every animated show has them regardless of budget, and a lot of things aren't errors, they're just things you don't do because they don't matter (e.g. animating characters in mirrors or the edge problems)

[@Chdonga]

@@Oneiros1919 Also in the Mecha-Courage episode, Di Lung doesn't say "You no good-ass dog". He says "As dog, you no good" which you can still harp on for being a racist joke about Asian people who speak in broken English. Also the line in the velvet vic episode the radio host is saying "Johnny and the Dil-tones", like the Deftones. Hopefully Todd simply misheard those lines and isn't deliberately giving out nuggets of misinfo so smug guys like myself will correct him in the comments and give him a crumb of extra engagement.

[@Vassilinia]

I loved the Asian guy, he dunked on absolutely anyone and everyone. I hope the guy who voiced him knows he is loved.

[@Nicholasmcmath-cr1xl]

Same

[@jessehcreative]

Tim Chi Ly! He did a lot of animation work and voiced Di Lung here. As far as the stereotypes portrayed on the show, they were more often than not good natured ribbing and parody. The artists used to draw unsavory caricatures of each other. It was all in good fun. I feel like Vindaloo is not representative of his race, he’s just a really bad doctor. His placard even says “quack”!

[@nullakjg767]

For real, he was always my favorite side character. Only problem is he doesnt show up enough.

[@GameAlicornLuna]

@@jessehcreativeactually, I think Vindaloo was a pretty good doctor. He’s just not versed in dealing with unnatural situations.

[@DeyvinFelt]

Di Lung?

[@winfieldwinfield5450]

Honestly, I never saw homophobic queer-coding in Courage villains. Maybe they were also really subtle, but even with characters like Fred, I didn't see it. Like his high shoes could just be an aspect of a predator alone, because predators make themselves appear "larger" or more powerful to the victim than they actually are. And his dance just makes him unsettling because of how much he enjoys tormenting people, like Alex in "A Clockwork Orange" singing "Singin' in the Rain."

[@tekkencentre]

Not to mention he tells the story of how he shaved his girlfriend’s hair. So, there’s even evidence to the contrary. I think a lot of the uploader’s analysis is very much influenced by current-day perspectives that didn’t really exist back when the show aired. In some cases it’s a retroactive injection of present-day talking points. The only time the show evidently tackled homosexuality was in the Mask.

[@xoxdid]

@@tekkencentre I did get the impression of queer coding when I was a kid. I've always known, in a way, that I was gay myself, and could even get the vibe from adults who, after growing up more, found out that they were in fact gay. And I kind of got those "vague vibes" from these characters as well. Not saying that that was definately the intention tho, I just think that I did find them...effeminate? Yeah, not really gay, but just off from the rest of the cast in mannerisms and such I guess

[@Dirpman42]

I definitely agree in regards to Zolost hugging. It far more reads as someone doing something that used to make you feel better that doesn't help anymore. Honestly the sex interpretation was a little to much. I understand the subtle adult jokes in the show but that was completely jumping the shark.

[@glumsulk]

​@@xoxdidthats bc youre literally gay and people want to relate to other people. Not only that but if you were actually a child in the 90s, then you were probably aware of the stigma around being gay, even if it was only subconsciously. So, either you were trying to see characters you enjoyed as similar to you, or you internalized the homophobia and superimposed it onto the villians, bc gay=bad back then, generally speaking, and i can totally see a child struggling with their sexuality to do something like that.

[@bradyryan5105]

​@@glumsulkthat explains why so many picked up on the subliminal portrayal of Kitty and Bunny; they were totally in a relationship with each other

[@365daysof18]

Something that you should consider when talking about the animation errors and effects on the sides of the frames is that they wouldn’t be seen on a standard television in the 2000’s. You can see this kind of “bad framing” in a lot of tv shows, the one that’s coming to mind is Buffy the vampire slayer where you can see things that wouldn’t have been in the original shot

[@wraithgames]

Came here to say this exact thing! Was even going to use the same Buffy example :D

[@RaineHoltz]

So happy you're tackling this one. Courage was one of the best cartoons of its time. Fond, fond memories of it.

[@justkiddin84]

IMO of ALL time! I was and am always happy to visit Nowhere!

[@rollingvice]

if you're happy with his subpar analysis. you're really easy to entertain.

[@nibs991]

The quote “you no good ass dog!” is meant to be “you no good AS dog!” His accent makes it incredibly hard to catch that

[@justinlefkowitz2413]

FOUR HOURS.

[@MandyMan24]

Well closer to 5

[@PoptartParasol]

YES

[@TheGoldenLandfill]

Always round up homie you mean 5

[@gravityawsome]

Hell yeaaah.

[@mrflipperinvader7922]

*Angry Joe voice*

[@funnylucina]

I really like the way you describe Muriel and Eustace as Courage’s parents. That highlights how close their relationship with each other is that it’s far more than dog and owner

[@rosienroller]

I honestly think continuity is overrated. So much of modern media is serialized and expects you to keep up with all this different aspects, that I miss media where you can truly just pick up an episode of it and enjoy yourself.

[@Trilioh]

Generally very interesting and fun video. Somewhat marred by the weird pettiness about stereotypes. I wouldn't mind, but it was brought up SO many times.. Not every vague accent is racist. Not every quirky character is queer coded.

[@thedoomtestament4547]

What being a leftist does to a mf

[@sunwukong6917]

Your comment is phallic shaped and queer coded

[@runascarlet2623]

Yes! As a queer person I definitely think he was reaching too much with the supposed “queer coded characters”. The powerpuff girl villains is an example of being queer coded, especially ‘him’. If anything now that I’m older I think courage the cowardly dog was the most inclusive cartoon of the time. It was a time where the best they could manage was calling two very in-love girl characters “best friends” because that was the only way not to get banned. I do like this content creator but he definitely does over reach.

[@notaraven]

37:50 >every villian is a little queer coded > Fred, a character you already established is meant to be an alagory for SA/ pedos is queer coded because he has cartoon dress shoes and dances around in delight > Their making fun of middle American's discomfort with lgbt individuals because Eustis doesn't like being around Fred > Fred the metaphor for SA > But its also playing up creepy Fred for laughs which is uncomfortable because he is queer coded > "But really this not overtly hateful but felt like a conversation should be haved" I honestly do not understand how we got to any of these conclusions. Fred's more broavos actions can be references to Sweeney Todd... Or him being a alagory for SA... Or him being mentally ill. I would need some detailed points to show how Fred is queer coded, this minute of video feels like stream of consciousness writing.

[@AnAverageGoblin]

man deadass would say spongebob is queer coded if this video was about Spongebob Squarepants.

[@lilypad9454]

I agree. Fred is just a WEIRDO. That’s it. There’s no hidden messages. I would have sat into the truck too. 🤷‍♀️

[@hoarsebard]

I kind of disagree with your read of Cabaret Courage. Mainly, because what Courage actually does in his turn on the stage is restart the creature's heart. He was so absorbed by his contempt for other artists that he became an ulcer in his own stomach. He lost his love for art. It wasn't that everyone else was selling out as he said, it's that his own standard for what qualifies as "art" overshadowed the true value of and appreciation for art and it made him a deeply bitter monster.

[@NomisArchives]

I remember being a kid and this being on Cartoon Network, it always scared me so much but I just kept watching it? Like I couldn’t switch the channel cause it just kept pulling me into this bizarre world. I’m so glad little me watched this masterpiece that is Courage the Cowardly Dog. This is gonna be an insane video, thank you for covering this.

[@BRAMCRACK3R]

Gonna make a weird confession here that when I was a kid, I had a crush on Shirley. She might've been my earliest cartoon character crush. I'm not gonna interrogate that.

[@KaiNatalya]

Understandable

[@xKeeganxxx]

I'm only an hour into this video, but I think you missed the mark on Muriel's possession trend. It's commentary on how a well-meaning but naive person can be influenced by media. From being spooked days after watching a scary movie to blindly adapting a piece's message. Muriel's love-first mindset blinds her to all the things the Courage's fear-dominated mindset reveals. "The things I do for love" typically shows that Courage recognizes Muriel's naivety, braving the elements which corrupted her in order to save her from them.

[@Achilles_Heelys]

@3:36:59 Throughout European cultures "putting the horns on someone" means to cuck them. Which is fitting given how this episode starts with Eustace being reminded of his brother he perceives as better in every way. In English, to wear the horns means to be cuckolded. In Portuguese, to place the horns on someone means to cuckold him. In Italian, a husband who is cheated on is called a cornuto, a horned one. The important point is that the horns are not the husband's own; they are placed there by another man.Charlton Horn Fair One of the most popular events in London's season was the Charlton Horn Fair, which lasted for three days, and was a fair with a scurrilous reputation, encouraging rowdy and drunken behaviour. It was so bawdy that the fair had to be moved from its place opposite St Luke's Church, to a place at the other end of the village. The Legend of King John So how did it start? Legend has it that King John, having been out hunting on Shooters Hill, was in dire need of refreshment. Finding a miller's cottage nearby, he went to ask for a drink. He found the master of the house away, but his beautiful wife took pity on him (or perhaps was impressed by his fine clothes) and invited him in. They talked a while, and she gave him food and drink, and the attraction between the King and the miller's wife grew. Just as he was about to kiss her, the door swung open and the miller strode in. Finding his wife in the King's arms, the miller pulled out a dagger and swore he'd kill them both. Of course the King then told him who he was, and the miller sheathed his dagger and swallowed his fury. The King, mindful of the wrong he had done to the miller, and no doubt grateful for his life, vowed to endow him with him all the land he could see - as far as the bend in the river where the horns were fixed on a pole. He also gave him permission to hold a fair on 18th October every year - the anniversary of the event. That bend in the river became known as Cuckold's Point, and the fair the Horn Fair. Now whether this is a true story, we can only guess, but perhaps there is a grain of truth there. The Procession By tradition, the fair opened with a procession, headed by a man carrying a pair of horns on a pole, and visitors dressed up as the miller, his wife or the King. Much cross-dressing went on, and ribald jokes and lewd behaviour were the order of the day. 'at Horn Fair, a party of humorists of both sexes (query, of either sex) cornuted in all the variety of bull-feather fashion, after perambulating round Cuckold’s Point, startled the little quiet village of Charlton on St. Luke’s Day, shouting their emulation, and blowing voluntaries on rams’ horns, in honour of their patron saint.' In this 18th century etching from the British Museum below, we can see 'a riotous scene in a country village where a shrewish wife and hen-pecked husband are mocked by their neighbours in procession. The couple ride on one horse, the man facing the tail, preceded by another man on horseback who throws grain from a pannier to the crowd. Further to the right, cuckold's horns in the form of a stag's head, a ram's head and a cow's head are held aloft, the latter attached to a woman's shift, and "rough music" is played on pots and pans. In the background, is a river and a similar procession takes place on the far bank. Skimmington-Triumph, Or the Humours of Horn Fair When the parade reached the actual fair, this was the scene, according to author Daniel Defoe: 'Charleton, a village famous, or rather infamous for the yearly collected rabble of mad-people, at Horn-Fair; the rudeness of which I cannot but think, is such as ought to be suppressed, and indeed in a civiliz’d well govern’d nation, it may well be said to be unsufferable. The mob indeed at that time take all kinds of liberties, and the women are especially impudent for that day; as if it was a day that justify’d the giving themselves a loose to all manner of indecency and immodesty, without any reproach, or without suffering the censure which such behaviour would deserve at another time.' Every visitor to the fair wore a pair of horns, or carried one, and horns were tied above the gate, around the fences and over the stalls. Even the gingerbread men for sale had horns. The fair was a great excuse for licentiousness in all forms and this no doubt led to its great popularity. englishhistoryauthors.blogspot.com/2017/02/a-history-of-cuckolds-horns.html?m=1 - here is a link of information if you'd like to learn more, dhumb@ss! This also has a connection to the original name of the 'Fettuccini Alfredo Pasta' ; Pasta alla Cornuta (cuckolds pasta) kzbin.info/www/bejne/fXyQaat5fdRlbJY Here is a great video with a beautiful Italian women will walk you through the original recipe with such charisma! Excellent dish and a must watch cooking video :)

[@samm5111]

This show legitimately helped me get over bad sexual trauma as a bisexual kid. It's willingness to not only portray same-sex relationships with the Masked Cat episode as beautiful and legitimate, but to fully scope out the trauma of a loved one molesting you like Fred, really helped me to figure shit out. This show taught me the ultimate courage was acceptance.

[@rollingvice]

well you will be experiencing that trauma again if you are one of his fans. considering praise of shadows support kefals.

[@theoneandonlymichaelmccormick]

Courage the Cowardly Dog was a show that made a big impact on me as a kid. It was often intense, wacky, surreal and spooky, but just as often incredibly tender and sincere. I had been re-watching it this season before Halloween, to get into the spirit of youthful horror. And nearly every time I’d watch it, it would bring me back to a very comfortable place, and lull me to sleep. It’s truly a cartoon for the ages.

[@thetwistedsavant5821]

I enjoyed the video but think there were several times where something was expanded upon (stereotypes, sexuality, implied meanings, etc) that were downright just not needed for a review on a show like this. I was someone who grew up with this show throughout my entire life and stuff like the Fortune Teller never seemed hate filled, phobic, or stereotypical to me. It was just "haha tiny green dog wants money for their help." The simple fact not long after you say "Eustace is a parody of an older, uneducated American man we all know and has some of the best moments" I think speaks volumes that sometimes the parody character can be just that: a parody and nothing more. I think there's a time and a place for there to be important messages for kids to get hinted at, that don't need to be directly told to you, but can also just be a good watch. Kitty and Bunny aren't being misunderstood by most children while not also being so under the surface you need a high school level education to pick up the nuance.

[@notaraven]

I think courage liked to spin old tropes and caricatures to play with expectations and push a message of empathy/ understanding. The Witch Doctor and Fortune Teller are both helpful and kind throughout the show, only being antagonistic because the family (Eustace) had done something objectively wrong.... Or for money. Him saying the fortune teller was offensive is missing the point, people are different but that doesn't mean they are bad or threatening.

[@thetwistedsavant5821]

@spaceboy.digital I simply think pointing out something that's barely there, let alone the sole point of the character, is making a mountain out of a mole hill. I'm not UPSET these things are being pointed out, I just think pointing them out more than once is unneeded. Dr. Vindaloo may be poorly aged at times but the joke in the whacky world of Courage is rarely ever "He's Indian...laugh!". He has character and most of his gags could have been done by anyone else regardless of skin tone, accent, background music, or anything else. Jokes like "That's the worst case of chicken pox i've ever seen!" is funny because he was just mauled by a were-Muriel, not because he's dark skinned. It's similar to Apu from The Simpsons (just to use another Hindu character example): yes, SOMETIMES the joke is "He's Indian, now laugh" but the majority of the time it is a catchphrase, visual humor, or just good writing that makes not only a joke but the character as a whole funny, not cheap one note race humor, and going out of your way to boil said character down to nothing more than their race takes away the legitimate creative writing they DO have. ~Hope this could clarify for you a bit.

[@kyles8587]

I think D Lung meant "You no good *as* dog", not "ass".

[@bradyryan5105]

I know right. Idk why my DVD subtitles say something else lol

[@KierGomes]

I can tell by the length that this is going to be amazing. Can’t wait to watch it!

[@vincentbatten4686]

Regarding the McPherson Phantom it is usually done by animating the movements on the opposite frames from the other characters and therefore they move in a different rhythm from the rest of the environment. The frames that act as the starting point and ending points of a change in character or background from motion are known as key frames. If you alternate the rhythm and the key frames it has a very jumpy look. Really cool effect.

[@aaronphelps9591]

Courage is and always will be my absolute favorite show period. The horror hit hard and the comedy was on point too. It just blended so perfectly.

[@expendableindigo9639]

13:01 “the team that voiced Chicken From Outer Space” Sorry, I know I know way too much about this show, but all the voices in the pilot were radio producer Howard Hoffman. So he’s not only the first voice of Courage, but interestingly, while I don’t think they have any distinct words, his Muriel is already credited under her full name (not “grandma”) while Eustace is still just relegated to “Farmer.” You can see that in the longer, non-re-airings that maintain the spacey fifties sendup opening & closing credits.

[@whatisaroy]

Your aesthetic in your recent videos has been on fire! Really sets it apart from other video essay type channels. Good stuff.

[@nevaehsandoval6555]

Thank you so much for picking courage the cowardly dog show to do! This is one of my all time favorite shows and you did it justice. 💜👻

[@froteet]

I love Courage so much, mostly because it was the only thing me and my grandpa could agree on watching. When I was a kid I spent a lot of time at my grandfathers house and when I was there I watched a lot of tv, mostly because I didn't have cable at home. My grandfather hated most cartoons, he said they were brain-rotting schlock, except for Courage. A veteran who only watched westerns and history channel documentaries found that one cartoon was actually great. Courage always lives with me as one of the ways I was able to bond with my grandfather

[@mcrenn5350]

❤

[@jessehcreative]

50:35 Actually, “Courage the Fly” states that Nowhere, Kansas is the setting.

[@Azzabackam]

I agreethat some depictions of characters in Courage can be racially insensitive. However, I feel like at times throughout the video, we're *really* stretching what does and does not fall under that. Fusilli has an accent that one could pin as Italian, and is a villain that is deceptive and untrustworthy. This does not mean he is an insensitive depiction of Italians. Sometimes, a character has traits one would typically ascribe to a certain demographic (such as an accent, ir a certain manner of dress), and is also villainous. That doesn't mean the writer is correlating the two, or making a statement about that demographic. I will give it, that this is hard to sift through with Courage. There are enough indisputably insensitive characters (like the Romani woman or Di Lung) that the mark is already there. But I don't think Fusilli or some of the others are inherently written as a jab at their respective demographics. I think they're just given accents and traits considered foreign or exotic by American standards to diversify the cast and add some flair.

[@KotoCrash]

Hes definitely looking for stuff , including that bizarre statment that "Monsters have to be left wing metaphors to be good"

[@krispywhisper8276]

@@KotoCrash as a horror fan I do usually enjoy this guy's film and media analysis. But he is left leaning to an almost insufferable degree, a lot of eye rolling moments in this one in particular. The homophobia accusation in the freaky fred section was another reach

[@krispywhisper8276]

Also Le Quack being a villain with a french accent is fine, but Fusilli being a villain and with an Italian accent is offensive apparently

[@shiobuzz3724]

"like the Romani woman" That was pushing it too

[@DustyLamp]

It does get tiresome, but was not surprising.

[@jiggusfiggus]

2:07:23 - TONIGHT'S EPISODE: THE KZbinR'S BARELY DISGUISED FETISH

[@crassiewassie8354]

Usually I can at least understand where you're coming from when you point out things like stereotypes or whatever But I dont really see it with a few of these and maybe that's just because of my upbringing But some of the people you claim are kind of in poor taste or caricatureish dont really seem that way to me. Maybe it's because I think Shirley is just really cute

[@Dr.Mlieko]

Cajuns are French, not West African Get your facts straight

[@HeyItsTheWykydtron]

If you keep looking for the devil in everything, you'll find him in all the things.

[@First_in_Last]

I know right, he lost me at 23:30 talking about racism 😒

[@tylertheguy3160]

Yeah. I like his videos but there are times where I can't help but feel like he is REALLY reaching.

[@johnbutler7567]

Right and i understand he works really hard on these and for the most part they are very well done but the clear political lean and spin on everything is so distracting

[@sunwukong6917]

Your comment is phallic shapes and queer coded

[@hassledvania]

Everyone knows that Cajun culture comes from the French and is overwhelmingly white.

[@waterzp1016]

I would just like to say I've been following your channel since the nightmare artist, and I've watched your entire backlog and your channel consistently through the years has been one of or the most exciting subscriptions to show up on my notifications. There are many channels who produce feature length "content" to feed the algorithm but your videos have always been art to me, you've spoken about many topics I was familiar with and taught me things I never knew and you've covered things I've never heard of and might not have tried without you but loved nevertheless. Sorry I haven't been able to donate to the patreon but I always talk about your videos to my friends so hopefully that helps. Thanks for making the videos and I'll keep following until the wheels fall off this thing!

[@KotoCrash]

His analysis has unironically gotten worse and worse over time. This video is a new low.

[@trashfire1025]

​@KotoCrash bro you have been responding like this for hours now. If you don't like his videos that much, literally just don't watch them holy shit.

[@quentinmackenzie4650]

Incredible video, but I hope you're aware that the title of the episode "Squatting Tiger Hidden Dog" comes from the film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". I haven't seen the film, but I guess it's also fair to assume that the plot of the episode was inspired by the film. I'm actually surprised you didn't make this connection, since you have pointed out a ton of film references from previous episodes.

[@KevinFrost]

Imagine putting so much time into a channel just to kill it yourself.

[@neoncacti]

Zane the Slanderous KZbinr

[@vulturemeat1974]

did you just call that dog a twink.

[@MagneticDwarfReptile]

I have never rewatched this show as an adult (I probably should), but I feel like I remember almost everything from the episodes I watched as a kid. Some if the images just seem to stay with you forevee.

[@kayod2356]

Same, haven't watched since they aired but during the s1+2 recaps damn near every key frame I immediately recognized as familiar and remember them and the feeling they invoked. such strong art direction and imagery

[@unbornborg3261]

Oddly enough, most of the Courage episodes I remember watching as a kid are actually from the seasons 3-4 instead of the first 2, having watched several of them On Demand on my old television. I also misremembered Shirley being more prominent in the show than she actually was for some reason (ig each time she appeared left a memorable impression). I like Perfect as an ending, considering it ends with some of the most positivity and hope for the future of the entire family that show ever had. That combined with its central message and Courage overcoming some of his own personal anxieties makes it one of the most uplifting notes the show could possibly go out on on a thematic level. I love Remembrance, and it's a great way to round out Courage's character and give even more weight to his relationship with Muriel and Eustace, but I think the last few moments of Perfect just feel so warm. I wouldn't mind if they swapped the episodes order in the season, but either way, they were both some of standout episodes for me as a kid. This video really gave me appreciation for all the weird interesting ideas the show played with both conceptually and visually and the themes that I didn't fully notice at the time. Watching this vid, there were a few episodes I last saw around a decade ago which I only fully remembered after seeing one specific image like Muriel and Eustace's shriveled up bodies as flat paper versions of themselves are yanked out of them during The Quilt Club, which was one of the most terrifying moments in the entire show and made me shrivel just seeing it again. Despite it having finished airing by the time I got into it, Courage was one of the first cartoons I fell in love with from a very early age, alongside Flapjack, Chowder, Avatar, and Phineas and Ferb, so this hearing such a detailed retrospective also felt like a bit of closure in itself considering I never knew a lot of the details of this show's production or why it never got a true franchise revival.

[@Manuel-ew3dp]

23:20 Actually Cajun usually refers to white people in its modern usage. I think you might be confusing the term Louisiana Creole with Louisiana Cajun. Still kind of messed up

[@dylanbrockberd64]

No fucking way! I’m such a big fan of yours Zane! I’ve been waiting for a project like this from you for years! Thanks for making something I really needed during a horrible, stressful time in my life. Truly, Christmas is early. ❤

[@InPraiseofShadows]

Hey! Thank you so much, I really do hope that this can get you through some hard times, and that those things improve for you soon. I'm sorry to hear that it has been stressful for you lately. Merry Christmas to you as well!

[@dylanbrockberd64]

The fact that you even replied to me means alot, Zane. Thank you so much, you’re one of my greatest creative inspirations.

[@ruliak]

Hope you get through this and things get better for you soon. ❤️

[@dylanbrockberd64]

Things did in fact get better Zane. I hope things get better for you as well! No matter how bad the haters get, your art speaks for itself. It’s honest, heartfelt, and insightful. And by virtue, I imagine, so are you. You are one of the best on KZbin, don’t give up!

[@nybsgbyte3305]

I may be wrong but I think some of the errors around the edges were probably left cause they couldn't be seen on TVs of the show's aspect ration.

[@n0viewers409]

I saw your Oz video about three years ago, it had just been my Birthday and I was into Re Village hardcore. I got extremely sick when a family member I was in contact with got covid and it was a hard time. I was so happy this game was finally out but it ran like crap thanks to the Anti Tamper and being that sick was unbearable so all the good was washed out. I said all of the good was washed out and it was, until I found your video. I layed down one afternoon in the dark with only the glow of my monitor on my back and listened to the entire video and it was the first real comfort I had experienced in that entire 2 week period. I saw all of the drama you where involved in recently and until literally an hour ago did not remember it was the guy that made that awesome video on the horror of Oz and now that I know this I felt compelled to leave this comment. You made wonderful videos that I hope continue to be enjoyed on the platform and you also made a mistake. I think your intentions are guided by whatever feelings are marring you mind and everybody makes mistakes. The issue is while you took a little responsibility in a situation like that you have to take all of it. I think it would be awesome if you came back and said guys I'm sorry I screwed up I was terribly misinformed on somethings and I want to make it right. Go on their channels and work it out, at least attempt to work through and see the other side and not just from all of the hate. All of them seem like genuinely good people and I believe some good could come from at least trying. Regardless, I do agree with what Wendigoon said. Do not stop following your dreams my friend, imagine it like your GOING to beat that new busted OP boss in the Elden Ring DLC that seems literally impossible and you DO because of that devotion!

[@D3sp0ndent]

I have similar feelings, his videos brought me so much comfort during the worst Era of my mental health when I was first coming to terms with my ocd. And then again when I lost my girlfriend. His videos mean a lot to me. He's a human who made a mistake like all humans do. He just happened to make his more public than most do. But I still love him and his content and hope he continues

[@Tubularmydude]

I was eating during this masterpiece and “Courage goes and finds his twink alter ego” at 2:28:41 nearly made this Anatomy Of A Franchise be the last thing I saw with how quickly I choked on my tortilla LMAO. god bless you sir, I’m adoring this so far

[@CarlodiPaolo]

all these years later I finally learned that Katz and the Fox are not, in fact, the same character

[@faiillusri]

This is one of my all time favorite shows and a formative part of my childhood. Thank you!

[@sarahwilson2506]

I rarely leave comments on videos, but upon finishing this one I felt I absolutely needed to. It is rare when someone shows such passion and respect for a piece of media in the way that your work does. I got about 30 minutes in before it hit me how much this show must mean to you, and that goes on to color every minute. Cartoons are not often treated with the dignity of "real" art, but you handle your review of this show with such incredible consideration and thought it needs to be admired. You treat this show like the art it is meant to be judged as, and that was wonderful to listen to. Thank you for this video!

[@murderalphabetinc.5162]

Didn't this guy say that Courage was homophobic despite clearly showing a positive example of a healthy lesbian relationship?

[@AbyssWise_Ch]

Man, that show was my favorite as a kid. Watched every episode and taught me quite a few lessons. That purple/pink dog will run through my mind forever with a nostalgic smile on my face.

[@user-ow1bc4sx2r]

A note about the stereotypes from the fox, cajun culture comes from the Acadians, french catholic settlers that were persecuted and forcibly exiled from Canada, not the black population. Still a stereotype of a minority group! Just not the one you mentioned

[@johnadams4427]

"I hate fictional children." Is such a wonderfully, powerfully, silly thing to hear from my favorite long-form horror media analyst lol

[@avahighfill5412]

The hunchback episode gutted me as a child. I sat in my shower and cried for at least an hour and a half after first viewing.

[@Gummiistics]

One of the most important series' I'll ever see for the rest of my life. Absolutely loved it and continue to love to this day. Loved this video as well! The passion and care you have for Courage shines through and it's deeply appreciated from one mega fan to another! ✌🏼🔥 Keep up the amazing work!!

[@killerklown94]

It wasn't strange that she said "I should put vinegar in other things" when she already does that, that was the joke (Or atleast, that's what I always assumed)

[@jacktaylor6155]

3:52:53 whoa whoa check yourself there. Not long ago where you were in the world was all you knew. Back when this show was being created these person's had very little knowledge of other cultures. Although they wrote stereotypes they were uneducated and geologically bound. Not out of malice. This episode used to loon just like the Kung fu movies of old ya know

[@AlexS-wm1kn]

I really appreciate "scary" media properties made for children. Kids, like adults, like to feel scared or experience the tension found in horror.

[@PyroCr1tikal]

I remember watching this video when it came out, and after all that had happened. I've noticed things that I didn't before, somethings said just come off as unnecessary. Makes me cringe a little deep inside and leaving me with saying, what??

[@danielcantiego9374]

Sometimes, when you hit your head you start to see the world in a different light.

[@loveprogram99]

ok ill bite. why are we calling italian a race here more than anything else. edit: genuinely just confused. i would say "prejudice" before "racist" for those things. It sorta feels like there is shifted focus on Italian stereotyping being more interesting than racial jokes about Indian, Chinese, and African American cultures... haha. i really just... dont get it?

[@bort6459]

Not sure if you mention this (I'm only part way in this epic), but one thing I always appreciated about Courage the Cowardly Dog is how great its framing is. And I mean the literal picture frame of the show. Any single frame of the show is blocked and focused in a very appealing way and makes for its own piece of surrealist art. Because the backgrounds are so sharp and in focus, even a smear frame looks wholly intentional by itself more than a transition within animation.

[@wiiztec]

3:09:24 Nowhere has been esablished to be in kansas since the ramses' curse episode

[@cashbanooka9166]

2:22:23 Yeah, unfortunately, that line from Di Lung, isn't exactly a swear. Just broken engrish. "You (are) no good as (a) dog", out of context, can easily be misinterpreted as a swear, even the captions feature it IIRC.

[@jamijones3230]

I very clearly remember the show taking place in Kansas. I don't think it was ever meant to be vague on that. Great video but a lot of things could have been better researched. You also state a lot of things as fact that sound more like your own interpretation. Interpretation, obviously, is fine but should be stated as such.

[@expendableindigo9639]

Okay, then what is your research? The only source I was able to find for the Kansas thing are the later Scooby-Doo movie and repeats of the phrases from a 2010 DVDtalk review by Randy Miller III. Neither of these are really associated with the show itself.

[@johnclark926]

@@expendableindigo9639in the episode where Courage, Muriel, and Eustace are sent 1000 years into the future and end up in a banana civilization, Muriel says “I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore”. Obviously it’s partially a reference to the Wizard of Oz, but I swear there’s other times in the series where they specify that Nowhere is located in Kansas.

[@alexredell5046]

I love this channel so much man, thanks for the continued hard work and dedication.

[@yokothespacewhale]

What’s the last piece of 20th century nostalgia bait you’ve watched that wasn’t somehow racist?

[@kermanbizzlebop8895]

ok question what is your source on the Di-Lung thing??? I'm sorry but as far as I know that's not AT ALL the character. He's supposedly based on a type of culture of rich young dickhead guys in china that some of the asian memebers of the team cooked up, I think its called fuerdai. there are alot of stereotypes in the show sure, but di lung is unironically the most accurate as he comes from a thing from actual asian culture. also I never felt any of the stereotypes in the show were really harmful. most of those stereotypes you talked about were always portrayed as allies, shirley especially. I'm not saying they're not dated, but they're not at all bad or distasteful imo.

[@kickass2455]

I was personally most afraid of the windmill episode growing up. Despite it being far from visually or thematically the actual scariest episode, what terrified me about this episode was that at the end of that particular episode as the credits began to roll the power in my house went out. And 9 year old me thought I along with my mom, grandma and 2 aunts were actually going to be murdered by the horsemen.

[@joshelderkin9592]

Ya know as a kid i never thought about racial stereotypes like it didnt imprint on me one bit especially the gypsy stereotype i never even realised until a few years ago that gypsies were supposed to be a race o always though it was just a kind of person same with the doctor i just thought he was an excentric dude

[@Chronoplague]

I have trouble seeing a Courage prequel living up to the original series or even conceptualizing what that would look like. My brain goes straight to the Muppet Babies. Like, does he run into kitten Katz and med student le Quack? Would it be a serialized story about his parents unraveling the mysteries of Nowhere like Gravity Falls or Mystery Inc?

[@expendableindigo9639]

Ikr?

[@jimbobhk2009]

“Phalic pancake”

[@Hudson_Hawk2024]

This guy, just like Matt Binder, looks like someone who lurks at playgrounds and drives around in a busted ice cream van to lure children to him.

[@finn4786]

"This is a ten minute children's cartoon, we shouldn't be getting that worked up"

[@jak8274]

Quinton called, he wants his schtick back Edit: Quinton would probably be ecstatic that more people are doing the long-form retrospective

[@AnAverageGoblin]

imagine unironically watching a manchild that stalked breadtubers online and used footage of other youtubers without permission to make a cringe greenscreen convention lmao. he also didn't invent long-form videos so get off his tiny dick.

[@Eriko-cy7iy]

I can see how you think that but Quinton goes in! He’d have to deep dive on every single courage merchandise and media out there on top of the show lol, there’s no comparison.

[@mikigzaielart]

Honestly, the Hothead episode was very traumatic for me as a kid. My dad has always had a bad temper. So seeing Eustace get mad actually scared me and reminded me how scared I was every time my father raised his voice...It still gets to me as an adult tbh

[@OdaSwifteye]

37:58 You are killing me buddy. Am I going to have to give up on a retrospective of my favorite series because you have to keep commenting on inane stuff like this?

[@folgerkelley2715]

Shirley always confused me as a kid because she’s both a reoccurring talking dog but also roughly the size of courage - a “normal” dog.

[@folgerkelley2715]

Like it made sense to me that Katz was treated more or less like a person because he could talk and was person - sized, while Courage could only babble and had a more animalistic size and stature…..but then Shirley ALSO has a dog-like size and can ALSO understand Courage’s babbling perfectly - like Courage is speaking some sort of dog language she can also understand fully, something i don’t think any of the other Katz-esq animals ever display? She feels like the weird unexplored final conclusion of those “goofy and pluto are both dogs” paradox jokes, a talking animal who can stand and walk and take care of herself but can also talk to “normal” animals and is animal size and shaped herself

[@bmanrox5542]

All this work to dump the channel.

[@tylertheguy3160]

I enjoy your videos and respect you as a content creator but I can't help but feel like you're reaching in some of your assessments.

[@audieswatchingthis]

This was amazing. I love the amount of research and respect you have for everyone that worked on the show. Amazing video ❤

[@kimackerman2183]

Courage will always...ALWAYS have a special place in my heart. I remembered being scared of the show when watching it yet I continued to watch the episodes, later on the creepiest episodes would be broadcasted around 12 am. This show was truly the first creepy tv cartoon to be seen by many. There's something about Courage that keeps getting better with every passing year's, unfortunately im afraid this new generation isn't a fan of this. Dont get me wrong im just 25 but i will say that I did put one episode for my youngers cousins to watch, had mentioned the show and all and they simply didnt care about it. I do think kids these days need more shows like this, insane,weird, crazy,heartfelt and creepy. Kids need to be afraid so they can get used to it. I believe Courage helped me love horror films. I like to draw though im not profesional, i would say John Dilworth is one of my inspirations.

[@drooom2925]

The Quote the creator of Billy & Mandy gave about his current relationship with CN is really sad, both for him and the actual children. It just shows the state of children's animation when their own Parents and even the network making their shows give so little consideration and effort to them. At that point it would be better to just give them an Ipad to shut up with then bother making shows at all if both sides are that desperate to just get children leave them alone and be docile as possible. I get it, Kids are super annoying and you do just want to turn your brain off for an hour and not be a parent. But you're actively depriving your child of any material to think critically of and an entertaining method to introduce deeper concepts and ideas they can't get anywhere else, or that you don't have the time/knowledge to explain to them. Children who grow up with no mental stimulation like that become unintelligent brats as adults with no emotional or mental growth. As much as I would like to thank online cartoons and shorts for at least substituting it, the sheer volume of Elsa gate and low effort content farms over the amount of quality shows and animation only make this worse. We need to come together collectively as a entertainment industry and ask; "What kind of person will a child grow up into if they only ever saw Skibidi Toilet or Make up transformation videos?" It's a sad question we should have never gotten to the point of asking.

[@aidanisenor]

So glad you dropped another movie rec segwey into this with Babette’s feast. Ever since your previous video put me onto Ken Russell’s The Devils it’s become one of my all time favs that blew my mind. Amazing video from one of the best channels out there!

[@Eye_Of_Odin978]

Wow, he deleted the video. Couldn't even stand by your own slander, huh?

[@dillonf1602]

I absolutely love the amount of care you put into these videos. There are very few media releases that bring me as much joy and entertainment as watching your videos. Courage was big part of my childhood, and this video was a fantastic summary. Thank you.

[@ionut245]

One of the best cartoons ever made, I still watch it from time to time.

[@EdmondOliverLives]

I'm so happy to see a new video from one of my favorite channels, and it's a 4+ HOUR video on one of my all time favorite cartoons from when I was growing up. Great day.

[@Aercryptic]

lil bud fucked around and found out

[@themidnightlycan8116]

Fuck that the asian dude was hilarious 😂 if you cant laugh at some of them stereotypes idk what to tell ya lol I'm sure courage could get a chuckle out of even the most serious sjw twitter drone

[@jasoniswrongabouteverythin8230]

Your recent twitter drama stuff is so disappointing dude. Unsubbed

[@kompf9099]

QRD?

[@Earth4TheWin]

I laugh at the racial stereotypes because they're funny