Why Cats Don't Dance Works as Allegory

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Twitter: / braxtonjs
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Edited by: ‪@PLATEZERO_‬

[@jdenoe69]

The film does act as a direct allegory for the racist casting practices that were prevalent in Hollywood in its "Golden Age." I didn't understand that context as a child when I watched this film. However, when I got older, it made sense. It's very much an underrated classic.

[@sorzin2289]

Oh I got it when I was a kid. I especially liked the ending in where the animals got expanded cast roles.

[@biancagrottolo]

Neither did I.

[@SupHapCak]

Remember how they finally had a movie with an all black cast written by black people and the same people shaming those casting practices cancelled the movie for being racist? The reason there aren’t a lot of main stream black media isn’t because people don’t want it, it’s because if you present it in any way other than a stereotype SJWs cancel it because it doesn’t represent their preconcieved notions of a certain race; “They are dark skinned but they aren’t black” is a quote that comes to mind

[@jdenoe69]

@@SupHapCak Yeah, Robert Townsend's Hollywood Shuffle. It also is a totally underated classic.

[@hahano9586]

​@@SupHapCakliterally never heard anyone ever say that at all. I think you're spending too much time fighting strawman and 12 year olds online. So called "sjws" don't HAVE preconceived notions, that's the point. They get mad at STEREOTYPES. The only time I've ever heard anyone say what you said, was in regards to why a redneck might vote for Barack Obama. Can you tell me something that was "cancelled" for NOT being a stereotype?

[@clownfromclowntown]

I feel like, on a related note, who framed Rodger rabbit is also a great allegory for prejudice for all of the same reasons that cats don’t dance is. The toons are literally segregated out of the city into their own town, which is under threat of being bulldozed, and I feel also work really well to show the abusive practices Hollywood took in its “”golden age”” in typecasting. I feel like the allegory is taken even further too since the toons are typecast based on whatever way they physically look; see Jessica Rabbit’s “I’m not bad, I’m just drawn that way”. The toons are relegated to only what they’re physical appearance suggests they might act like with no consideration for their actual personality. I think both that movie and cats don’t dance do an amazing job to allegorically address the issues within Hollywood.

[@kyrauniversal]

Yeah, but it's also interesting that Jessica Rabbit got Roger's attention. In Toon Logic, it's canon that she was considered more useless to the rest of the Toons because she wasn't funny. Yet to humans, she's anything a horn-dog could dream of. Huh, 22 and I said Horn-dog. Whatever. It fits the time and you get my point.

[@clownfromclowntown]

@@kyrauniversal I see your point - I know in the movie Jessica says that she loves Roger because he makes her laugh, so I think they just got along well because he loves comedy, and if she appreciated it then they worked as a couple

[@rosesweetcharlotte]

What's interesting is that Jessica's looks are used against her. The powerful human studio owners know she won't be believed because she looks like a slut.

[@BelBelle468]

@@kyrauniversal apparently in the books it’s made more clear that Jessica is marrying someone “out of her league”. It’s quite interesting, like a completely different culture that makes certain qualities more appealing than what they’d be in a different one. And it also makes their romance cuter lol

[@moonstruck8245]

The movie was based largely on a REAL even that took place involving a black neighborhood getting bulldozed for a highway, an act that destroyed the homes and livelihoods of the people who lived there and who didn't get compensation of any kind for their trouble. Events like that weren't uncommon in that age - some rich white guy decides he wants to put this thing HERE, and there happens to be a bunch of people living there? If they were anything other than white, they'd be tossed out on their backsides with way less than their homes/land were worth, if they were given anything at all, under the declaration of 'imminent domain' or some other legal snobbery and they'd have no way to fight back.

[@thatguythere6161]

This is a problem I have with the Elementals movie that Pixar is making. It looks like it's supposed to be an allegory for race mixing, but unlike real life, there is a clear danger to doing so. Even if they go the route of "elements mixing just create new elements, like steam", it still fundamentally changes what they are, and it would actually end up aligning with what racists actually believe. The overall problems with making metaphors for different races is that filmmakers try to make the racism understandable, but that fundamentally defeats the point of the analogy because real racism isn't based on anything understandable.

[@coldjam]

that last line is a really good summary of this whole phenomenon that i couldn't figure out how to convey properly, so thanks!

[@rosesweetcharlotte]

You hit the nail on your head. It is why Cats Don't Dance work. The film even goes out of its way to show just how dangerous someone like Darla is to the animals. It isn't because she is bigger or has fangs, it's exactly because she can get away with murder because she is a human.

[@HYDEinallcaps]

"unlike real life, there is a clear danger to doing so." Elliot Rodger?

[@B0BBYJ4CK]

see, my thing is when filmmakers or anyone tries to tie in racism with animals, just make them the same species...It'll be so much simpler. Like a dog being put down for being too domesticated by a wolf or something like that. don't have a whole-ass rabbit lecture another rabbit about how it should not be afraid of a damn sharp-tooth clawing machine tiger. 😂

[@annegrey6447]

@@HYDEinallcapsElliot Rodger wasn’t racist, he was a misogynist. Equally bad yes, but different so Idk why you’re bringing him up unless you’re trying to say he was dangerous cuz he was mixed?

[@mmx3374]

Cat’s Don’t Dance is a perfect film. I think it’s the go to example that sometimes a box office flop can be the best thing ever made. I just wish this movie gets more and more attention.

[@Randomstingray]

Peeeeeeerfect

[@HobGungan]

I would actually point to Shawshank Redemption as the go-to example for that, but I agree CDD is amazing.

[@princesspikachu3915]

@@HobGungan The Green Mile is better.

[@TheCouchPotatoWatchesTV]

Agreed! There are lots of movies that flopped in theaters but were fantastic! Labyrinth, for example nearly ended David Bowie’s film career because it did so bad at box office!

[@ntfoperative9432]

Alot of movies are proof of that, just look at stuff like Atlantis a lost empire, and Treasure Planet

[@notoriouswhitemoth]

Herbivores can and do fight for their survival. A rabbit's sharp teeth and powerful legs become deadly weapons when their lives are threatened. Ironically, Shirley Temple was herself very much a victim of the systems this movie is about. She was a child star, with all the baggage that implies, and as she got older, studios tried to turn her into a sex symbol. It's at least as creepy and exploitative as it sounds.

[@thefudgems]

Okay

[@Scarshadow666]

Sadly true, despite how Cats Don't Dance was trying to portray child stars of the time, the fame, spotlight, and entertainment industry/Hollywood definitely wasn't often that great to them. It's a good thing Shirley Temple was able to get out of that to become an ambassador and a Chief of Protocol. ^^

[@nuclearcatbaby1131]

She succeeded in not being turned into one. I can’t think of a single film that stars adult Shirley Temple.

[@nuclearcatbaby1131]

@@Scarshadow666 My twin sister hates how Darla Dimple never got a redemption arc.

[@notoriouswhitemoth]

@@nuclearcatbaby1131 Either she got out of the industry or the movies she was in as an adult have been mercifully forgotten. I don't know which.

[@bruuuuuuuuhhhh]

As one of the at least five people who doesn't like discrimination, this video resonates with me

[@themindelectricdemo4]

as one of the other five people who doesn’t like discrimination me too

[@thenotsoamazinggracetnsag3463]

As another one of those five people, same.

[@Humangarbage_7]

As one of the at least 5 people yes yes that is one of the statements of the day

[@RainbowDrop]

As the last of this 5 I agree wholeheartedly

[@Plexxis_SugarPom]

I request registration to be known as one of these people.

[@oz_the_archivist]

I think Guardians of Ga'Hoole owl books did the whole animal discrimination allegory thing the best with the Pure Ones. The Pure Ones were a group owls that believed that Tyto owls (owls of the Tyto genus) were the superior types of owls and that the other types of owls not in the Tyto genus were inferior. There is even a sort of power hierarchy within the Pure Ones as well, with Tyto owls like the Grass Owl or the Sooty Owl being at the bottom and Barn Owls being at the top. The Pure Ones are a good analogy for racial discrimination/ethnocentrism/fascist regimes based on racial superiority.

[@anxiousoptimism5517]

I remember that!

[@Kris-wo4pj]

wow it also is a good allegory for inter racism in groups and colourism(yes this is real in the states it is best to be lighter. ya dont wanna look like no african n word and yes i heard this as a child when walking around my cousin's neighborhood when they lived in a mostly black neighborhood. they also said that about certain hair styles as well. the 90s and early 2000s were wild as the mixed kid everyone thought was a mexican.

[@TravellerZasha]

Holy cow! I've never read the books but I am obsessed with the movie ever since I was a kid it's one of my favourite movies of all time and i'm also a huge fan of Zootopia but anyways I had never noticed that. It actually makes sense as the Pure Ones did kidnap young-lings (probably from lower class owls) to use for dangerous labour and those they deem worthy are giving higher ranks like with Kludd.

[@skycastrum5803]

Why is it a better allegory than others? It's a good example of a hierarchal society based on racism, but I don't see how picking that particular picture of racism makes it a better "animal discrimination allegory." Admittedly, part of my issue is I dislike the subject from the start. I don't care if things are bad allegories. Heck, I prefer stories that are more alien to our own reality anyways. I don't want to see a reflection of our own society. I want to see a set of rules defining the world and where it goes. If there are reflections of our world, then it's a cool discovery! But if the goal was to create the reflection from the start, then it's no discovery at all.

[@--Paws--]

When I saw Emperor's New Groove, it reminded me of Cat's Don't Dance, especially when Yzma became a cat, reminding me of Darla. When Zootopia came out, it really made miss that movie even more, they both tackled prejudice and stereotype very well.

[@zacharygate9842]

Both Emperor's New Groove and Cats Don't Dance have the same director.

[@pokemonmanic3595]

I gotta say one of things that stuck out to me is that the main antagonist is a little girl, but she was actually voiced by a real 12-year old at the time. Mostly when kids are the villains in animation they’re voiced by adults, but it’s really cool seeing this young girl playing this bombastic over the top villain, with “Big and Loud” being a great number as well.

[@Higesgirl]

I loved this movie so much as a kid. The animation, voice acting, and music holds up! I still have the VHS tape. 💛

[@orbboom6119]

"Big and Loud" is such a goated song

[@db_524]

@@orbboom6119 Yep.

[@k70freeman]

a world where animals talk English , drive cars , wear cloths and etc is not wired. Animals that get along IN A KIDS Movie,is bad. He literally 1 - complained that a movie that was meant for kids, watered down a topic of KIDS to understand. 2 put adult/teenager and up show and a show for little kids on the same level. 3 it's was not about racism. charterer, morals, growth, friendship,and dreams. the will fight for that dream and to never give up.

[@ahmadmalaki8364]

Lucky

[@ahmadmalaki8364]

@@orbboom6119and i love the the message behind the song too She is implying that nobody cares for the small passionate stuff .they want it big and loud

[@sammaloo]

I used to be friends with the nephew of the character designer of this movie (Brian McEntee), and got to see some of the original sketches. It was so freaking cool. I love this movie so much~

[@AlecMeyer94]

Cats Don’t Dance is a god tier movie.

[@RasheedaParker-qn9ec]

Indeed it’s awesome 🤩

[@Rivers_TG]

PREACH

[@oswaldfriedman7116]

Cats Don’t Dance is also genius because all those animal cartoon characters in old cartoons have so many roots in minstrel shows. Even Betty Boop, a white human character, was based on the Black performer Esther Jones’ high pitched performances.

[@ashkitt7719]

PBS, where that story originated, retracted that bit of misinformation six years after that fact. KZbin sucks with links so you would have to search for the PBS article "Betty Oops" by Ricardo Sandoval-Palos from September 10, 2021.

[@danofsteel785]

_Cats Don't Dance_ was legendary actor, singer, and dancer Gene Kelly's last involvement in a feature film during his lifetime (acting as a consultant for the movie's dance choreography), passing away the year prior to this film's release.

[@k70freeman]

when you think about it. Danny was kind of a a-hole. He just shows up and demands to be the lead. Danny was not better. He lied to everyone. he was manipulative, entitled, narcissistic, and etc. he wanted to change everything at last minute because he wanted to be the star.

[@HypeVoiceActing]

@@k70freeman ...what does that have to do with the point that the original comment was addressing?

[@k70freeman]

@@HypeVoiceActing just the point of if Danny used other people to steal the stars spot light. despite all the damage he did, the people he used. He is no better than villain. He did everything she did.

[@cupio-stardust]

@@k70freeman feel like what would make him an a-hole is if he did it all in purpose, like if he just came to Hollywood and and decided “I’m going to ruin these guys’ lives today” then that would be understandable. The point of his character is that he’s too naïve to understand what the acting industry is about, which is also why Sawyer is a good contrast to him. The difference between him and Darla is intentions; Darla just wanted the spotlight to be on her only, while Danny just wanted to live out his dreams, albeit he was childish about it. And about the lying thing, he only lied because again, he’s naive and believed every word that Darla said. He genuinely believed that Darla was the angel she made herself out to be and wanted to apologize without any bad intentions behind it. He didn’t lie knowing that he was going to hurt everyone, he just thought he was helping. And can you explain how he’s manipulative? I watched the movie again and tried to find a time he was manipulative, but I couldn’t.

[@jaretco6423]

​@@k70freemanThat was an stupid comment, dude.

[@EVOLUTIONINCARNATE]

As a biologist the animal racism allegory is REALLY REALLY hard to pull off Human differences, no matter how much there are (hint: there isn’t much) Do not even compare to the differences in sex and biology even within a single species Humans really do be all the same biologically

[@cimmanons2078]

i noticed that dr.seuss' "the sneeches" also works as an allegory for racism without having to use animals or humans at all (bcs its dr seuss). idk if that was his main intention for the story but it fits really well

[@Lucien_M]

I'd say that it's more about classism. The rich(Yellow-stars) pride themselves on what they have, but once the poor(No-stars) get what they have, the rich(Former yellow-stars) move the goalpost and start boasting that they don't need what the poor have. Kind of like how the rich were signified by their confectioneries or manufactured goods, but now the poor have that and the rich are signified by the fact that they don't need such, because they can eat healthier and homemade foods. Bad example, but my point stands.

[@sierrajohnson717]

Big and Loud was so impressive to me as a kid, and I’m glad it still holds up ok

[@KingGargantuas]

While I can't say I 100% agree with Zootopia's racism allegory being sloppy, I think we can all 100% agree that Cat's Don't Dance needs a Blu-ray release!

[@thefudgems]

Okay

[@KingGargantuas]

@@thefudgems ....okay what?

[@whitemoonwolf13]

i agree. a lot of zootopia's strength i found was more to due with stereotyping than racism. foxes being liars, rabbits being weak, otters being harmless. the racism aspect was more like an undercurrent? if that makes sense. like, it was important but not center stage for majority of the film.

[@Bootystank99659]

@@KingGargantuas ok

[@Kris-wo4pj]

@@whitemoonwolf13 yeah its modern day racism that disgusting passive aggressive racism that everyone does whether they realize it or not. its a much bigger problem now than back then. just like the incredibly obvious racism in Cats Dont Dance was more a problem back when it was set and when it was made. that racism still exists but it exists in small niche corners that most people would be disgusted about seeing nowadays.

[@genericrandomness3455]

I watched Cats Don't Dance for the first time while on a car trip. I had heard it was underrated and wanted to see for myself. I gotta say, it is underrated! The animation is really really nice, the characters are fun, the jokes land, the music is good, all that with a great message packed in. I wouldn't call it the best animated movie I've ever seen, but it's definitely a good one. It's more than a movie to put on to shut up a room full of toddlers. One can easily see that the film had lots of heart and passion put into it. If you haven't seen Cats Don't Dance, watch it. You will not regret it.

[@hypnoticskull6342]

I think that Beastars is also a great version of animal racism. Mostly because they make you understand why carnivores are discriminated against. Many still eat meat and even get addicted to it

[@Hepheat75]

I agree.

[@viridianacortes9642]

Beastars is a good series because it’s a metaphor for so many things. Gender, racism, homophobia, and many other prejudices and taboos in society.

[@damienearl8302]

@@viridianacortes9642 And I don't know if it's just me, but I even got a hint of drug addiction when I originally heard about it, it just feels...too perfect, really

[@Hepheat75]

@@viridianacortes9642 That's true.

[@SergioLeonardoCornejo]

Beastars was wat Zootopia wanted to be. And tbh I think BNA actually did it well even though many say otherwise. Why? Because it is shown that coexisting is the best way to prevent conflict and the ones who encourage prejudice are elites who benefit from keeping the people divided. Sounds familiar?

[@RockySamson]

Great video. So brave. In all honesty, it’s criminal how unappreciated this movie was in its time, and even still somewhat to this day. So glad to see it getting more and more recognition. I’d also say that “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” is another good allegory for the discrimination of it’s time period, not in the same level as Cats, but the message is still there. There’s just no justice for toons anymore.

[@sjenkins91812]

I remember picking up on that prejudice almost immediately as a child, I did not however correlate that to any real life situations at the time. I just remember thinking that it was wrong that this little monster wouldn't let the animals sing and dance, and holding my own cat assuring him that I would never stop him from achieving his dreams. This did give me a slight complex as to whether Shirley Temple was secretly a villain in real life though.

[@agwarddd]

Darla Dimple was actually a play on that, too. Somewhere along her career, a rumour took off that Shirley Temple was actually a fully grown woman with dwarfism who hated animals and children. Darla is implied at points to be the same to play on this rumour. Only for her, we know that’s her real personality, where it seems unlikely (though of course, not impossible) to have been Shirley Temple’s.

[@NoxideActive]

Sad to tell you that Shirley Temple was one of the most abused child actors in Hollywood history. Her story is similar to most other child stars, riddled with sexual abuse and drugs, I believe it was eventually revealed that producers were making her pop pills as early as 3 years old. Her mom didn't believe the abuse for a while and her dad stole the money she was making, she had very few positive influences. Despite this they made her a caricature in this film and many other shows, Hollywood turned on Shirley and made her look to be a terrible in audiences eyes once all the stories of abuse came out in the public. The fact that it worked and people will remember her as something to laugh and smirk at shows how powerful and disgusting the industry is. There is some good news however, in Shirley's adult life she did manage to escape from Hollywood and go on to live a successful life as a diplomat. She got out and that's more than most child actors are lucky to get.

[@Hack_Man_VII]

Red vs Blue taught me you shouldn't hate someone because somebody told you to. You should get to know them first, and then learn to hate them on a personal level. Lmao

[@4569packers]

I mean, you should hate someone because they're an asshole, or a pervert, or snob, or they're lazy, or arrogant or an idiot or know-it-all. Those are reasons to dislike somebody. Damn, I miss this series

[@Hack_Man_VII]

@@4569packers I know, right? RvB was so funny! I actually went back and binged through it 6 years ago. I can honestly say most of the jokes still made me laugh!

[@robinsonsonic]

I loved Cats Don't Dance as a kid when it came out, mostly blind to the race parallels because I was only 9 at the time, but I love it even more so now as a Black American adult because of the way it handles race and discrimination, like the kinds I've seen in my now 32 years. I appreciate the way you broke the video down. Well done, honestly. You're very insightful and mature for your age. And major thanks for sharing that it's on KZbin, I had no idea!

[@robbiewalker2831]

While I can understand how Zootopia has *some* problems with the narrative, I think it's also trying to add in how some characters can use their traits as a means of a beneficial thing rather than a detriment, and by having two different animals cooperate with their differing attributes could make for a Ying Yang scenario; a "You help me, I'll help you" type of deal. That's not to say Cat's Don't Dance should discredit Zootopia, just that both stories have good ideas for different reasons.

[@Sappysappster]

As a black man, there's one thing I always have to ask when it comes to fantasy/furry racism allegory: 1.What is your reason for tackling a topic like discrimination, and do you NEED to talk about it Because I feel like that first part always gets answered but never the second part The reason why is because most people, even people that are socially aware and hate racism, ALWAYS seem to stumble on that part writing wise Because it's not written anywhere that you need to. And just because you *can* talk about it doesn't mean you're well equipped to Cuz very often when people try to do it, they either: >end up accidentally doing stereotypes (the minority class are PREDATORS in Zootopia) >The allegory was written by a white dude who has no idea how irl racism works (@ RWBY) >When they try to tackle it, they get lost in the sauce and fucking fumble it (I'm still mad about just how mid Brand New Animal actually is) That's why very often I see a furry verse I have to cross my fingers and say "Please dont be another furry universe with themes of discrimination"

[@SheepUnderwater]

I loved this movie as a kid, before I understood the racial connotations of the story. Now as an adult I still love this movie for how well it tells this story and how wonderfully crafted it is. Bravo for Cats being such a well written story, and thank you Just Stop for talking about it.

[@MrDEdits]

Man, this was a gem from my childhood. It had two of my favorite animated villains ever- Darla Dimple and Max the Butler- and it tackled discrimination 100x better than the vast majority of cartoons, shows and movies nowadays.

[@kelinky-sama1603]

I think something that's getting lost on JS (and frankly a lot of people who've criticized the racism allegory of Zootopia) is that the discrimination of "pred vs. prey" works BECAUSE of the audience's understanding of animal behavior and morphology. Zootopia is a film about racial biases, something most of us probably don't want to admit we have, and how that affects how we interact with others. Most allegories for prejudice depend on the viewers being able to realize instantly how silly it is, but the problem then is that... well the viewer isn't actually really learning anything, they're just looking down on these fictional characters because, "I couldn't POSSIBLY be like them." Zootopia is built on the expectation that its audience WILL view foxes as sneaky predators and rabbits as scared prey. So when presented with a world where these archetypes aren't always true, and animals have progressed past the need to hunt and kill, we as the audience are forced to ADJUST our understanding of these species. "It's not like a bunny could go savage." "But a fox could, right?" As a viewer, it takes a moment to really internalize why in this world such a statement is harmful. "But wait, aren't foxes predators?" Like yeah, they are, but a bunny in Zootopia can still have as much malicious intent. A bunny in Zootopia can still pick up a gun and kill lol. Even if there's some in-universe statistic that foxes "go savage" more frequently, judging groups based on statistics is (imo) kinda super gross. I hope and pray the average layman doesn't have prejudices THAT extreme, but imo an allegory that humbles you by forcing you to think critically about the prejudice on display will always be more effective than, "Well this is just dumb, these people are just being dumb, there's literally no reason why they'd be acting this dumb." Further disclaimer, this isn't me saying Zootopia is a perfect 1-to-1 allegory anyway, pre-expectations as the audience aside. But as an artist I genuinely think expecting 1-to-1 allegories is ruining modern art and it needs to stop

[@Davina_Kelly]

thank u! I was feeling iffy about the way JS talks about Zootopia but couldnt describe what it was

[@bobi200samatar6]

Finally, someone said it. I thought what Zootopia was doing with its animal allegory was super clever. I also love how it plays into our assumptions as to what animals can be dangerous. Everyone is like 'Duh, predators are way more dangerous than prey, so the prey in the movie have a good reason to mistreat them' and I'm like, all animals are dangerous guys. And if I had the choice to be trapped in a room with an angry weasel or an angry bison, I'm picking the predator in that equation.

[@rosesweetcharlotte]

The problem with Zootopia is that while, yes, we see the dangerous little lamb, we also see just how absurdly dangerous the predators are. Plus, there are a ton of practical reasons for the different animals races to be segregated.

[@amirgarcia547]

@@rosesweetcharlotte The predators only become dangerous once Bellwether uses a drug specifically made to cause them to go savage. And as established before Judy goes back to Zootopia, the flowers made from the drug made one of the rabbits go crazy and attack Judy’s father, so the same could feasibly happen to prey too. Bellwether just targeted predators in order to spread fearmongering and hatred towards them since she’s a racist…or animalcist in this case.

[@neoqwerty]

@@bobi200samatar6 I'd pick the bison because there's a hope the bison will calm down as long as I look like part of the furniture, an angry weasel won't get bored anywhere near as easily and if my size makes it feel threatened it's going to lash out even harder. That's a thing everyone forgets: predators are someone's prey too, and they have both the predatory cunning AND the vicious survival skills of prey. And when you're predator-sized to an intermediary carnivore, you're getting all the weapons of a smaller carnivore AND the desperate survival instincts of cornered prey. Maybe if you give me clothes thick enough to deter an attack dog I'll pick the weasel.

[@anniebale4343]

This is honestly one of my favorite movies. I saw it for the first time during those old "special presentation" times that Cartoon Network and other popular channels would have for various movies out at the time. It's heartwarming and fun but doesn't at all shy away from the not-so-subtle undertones that things are both exactly as and not at all how they appear. I was drawn to it by the colors and the visuals as a child, and now that I'm older, I'm not only still drawn by that artistry of the color palettes, but also highly drawn to the story and the constant references to not just the glamor of old Hollywood, but the underlying reality with all the "behind the scenes" stuff. Danny's such a good main lead character to follow along with, and his spontaneity and energy colors the whole worldview of the movie (and they take it quite literally in one scene). When he's excited and hopeful, all the colors pop, to the point where even the boring agency office looks warm and inviting. When he's feeling lost and down, the colors become a little less saturated. They still look vibrant and fitting, but they lack the heavy contrast. It's a very miniscule thing, but it's a beautiful touch that I just adore.

[@riachuello]

Can we just talk about how different the editing + scripting is. Its has a new energetic vibe and and all i'm for it.

[@chazjohannsen]

Oh boy. I’ve seen this movie like once or twice YEARS ago, and never again since. But it’s always popped up in my mind every now and then.

[@HumanPersonYes]

that EDP joke really caught me off guard

[@GeekZone210]

Where?

[@db_524]

I remember watching this movie in theaters in ‘97, criminally underrated gem. As someone who’s half Black/half Latina, neurodivergent, LGBTQ+ and also despises discrimination, it resonates with me, even today. Great review, Braxton.

[@Thoralmir]

And yet you yourself still discriminate.

[@stubberz4972]

@@Thoralmir bro huh?💀

[@rihcdar]

@@Thoralmir , my guy. what?????????????????????????????????????????

[@Catsarecute231]

@@Thoralmir ???

[@dr.insaneoiv]

Was anybody else at the cinema, or was it just you?

[@mattwo7]

6:03 Certain breeds of animals do generally have specific dispositions due to pet eugenics though. There are breeds of cat like the ragdoll that are bred to be more subservient and less aggressive for example. Poodles and chihuahuas are conversely known to be more anxious and aggressive respectively. Course some dog breeds have the wrong reputation. German Shepherds are just trained by cops to be aggressive and as the "shepard" part suggests were originally bred for leadership and companionship with sheep, rottweilers seem intimating but love humans (and in my own experience, this is actually in spite of my friend's dad who owned one being a cop) and pit bulls may have originally been bred for now-illegal fighting but in my experience are actually aggressive lovers more than they are plain aggressive. That is to say, one once pinned me down to slobber me when I was a kid.

[@mr.animefan8920]

Cats Don't Dance... an absolute based classic.

[@confuzledcat2422]

Just Stop videos always make my day

[@zacharygate9842]

I only wish this movie was longer. That way, the romance between Danny and Sawyer would be strengthen more.

[@bestduelistever2374]

Cats Don’t Dance is so underrated !

[@Zodia195]

Hey did you know that Legendary Actor Gene Kelly helped make this movie too? Sadly he passed away during the making of this film so the movie is dedicated to him. He helped with the Choreography.

[@googamp32]

I re-watched "Cat's Don't Dance" right after I saw this video, so thank you.

[@TheOtakuNinja69]

I remember watching this movie a lot as a kid. Danny and Sawyer were my favorite characters.

[@Sakuracat11]

From what you explained, Cats Don't Dance works great as that kind of allegory and it really helped to show how Zootopia didn't fully meet that potentional. As a kind of lesser example, I think The Bad Guys has elements of a good allegory too, since Wolf and his crew felt pigeon-holed into their roles as villians. This was a very helpful video essay to consider.

[@commonsense5199]

5:50 another example is *The Sneetches and Stars by Dr. Seuss.* You know the Birds with the stars are prodigious and they discriminate the Birds with no stars. There's also that Animated short about that. The Twinkle Star and Toast songs is still stuck in my head to this day.

[@DJPrimeAmvs]

But that's more classism

[@DragonWeeb]

Just Stop’s Top three controversial opinions - Fairytale is good - Demon slayer is mid - Racism is bad

[@JujuInFlames]

I have this on vhs and I watched it… so so many times. Honestly it didn’t click until a few months ago that it was an allegory and I thought it was really smart. Allows a different perspective when rewatching it and being old enough to understand what it’s really saying. Also I met an animator for it Dave Woodman and honestly that’s a huge highlight for me, no one I know knows this movie

[@madsceptictrooper6803]

Thank you for making this video. In fact, this video reminded me of watching it on VHS as a kid at my grandma's. Cats Don't Dance truly deserves to be re-released on Blu-ray. Even its DVD release is extremely rare and unfairly limited.

[@Wishnstarz]

this is one of my FAVORITE movies ever. I remember watching it over and over several times when I was little. I'm so glad more people are talking about it now!

[@GalekC]

I first watched it in 2017 when I turned 24 & it's one of the most aesthetically pleasing films I've ever seen

[@JustComradeV2]

i loved it when a random seven year old denied two children of interracial marriage, and then garnet from steven universe appeared and told that 7 year old child to stop denying people of interracial marriage.

[@cashjackson5564]

This is the first video I’ve seen of you in about a year and a a half and I must say, you’ve improved quite a lot. Great Job and keep up the good work

[@mortober]

I remember watching this movie as a really young kid and didn't know what it was for the longest time with just a few vague memories of some scenes. That was until I got my friend's old DVDs and I watched it and remembered.. I loved it and it was very memorable for years. I'm glad to see it talked about.

[@Wendy_O._Koopa]

It's amazing how many people misunderstand Zootopia. "Uh predators can still eat prey though!" Yeah, but animals aren't really separated into a binary like that in real life, deer for instance are known to eat squirrels and birds and anything smaller than themselves, which honestly covers a lot. The real law of the wild is that size has the advantage, Chief Knuckles the Buffalo could kill any of those tiny little pray animals if he felt like it, most of the predators too; but instead, everyone shows the footage of the kind looking tiger sitting next to the rabbits, unironically falling for the... IDK "pseudo-propaganda" of speciesism? It seems to me, it all come down to the subconscious realization that, yes there are still actual biological differences between animals, and yet having a fundamental misunderstanding on which ones are actually important?

[@Xylveon700]

Thank you for not forgetting the Irish, they often are forgotten about when it comes to the discrimination they experienced.

[@GalekC]

Also, 6:45 Danny & Sawyer in the ancient Egyptian garbs is sooo adorable

[@mariobabbo3497]

Fact: Cats Don’t Dance was the first movie directed by Mark Dindal, whose follow-up directing gigs would be Disney's The Emperor's New Groove and Disney’s Chicken Little.

[@AntiFaGoat]

"Zootopia" defense time: I feel like the original plot of "Zootopia" handled the issue of how predators and prey see each other better while also handling the prejudice angle. For those not in the know, the predators in that draft were forced to live a "separate but equal" life, wearing shock collars that prey animals mandated to control their supposed predatory instincts. It was scrapped because the plot was too bleak. It sucks, but I get it. I still like the final film (outside of its blatant cop-aganda). There could have been more predator counter-arguments about how they eat fish/bugs and still need those sharp teeth to eat, or how they get their claws filed down regularly, or that some "prey" animals are deadly (ever seen a hippo?) but at the end of the day, I think what we got was pretty good. The part where Clawhauser is forced to work in records because he's "threatening" despite being an overweight oaf who can't hurt anyone was just heartbreaking. 😢

[@thischannelhasbeenabandoned420]

I, too dislike prejudices against groups of people meant to characterize tons of people for something superficial. Cats Don't Dance was 10x better than Zootropolis(what Zootopia is called in the UK) in terms of being an allegory against racism.

[@scatmanjohnfan22]

I can't stop thinking about how racism still makes sense in zootopia based on the sheer size difference of each animal. Like if you're a mouse you have no choice but to be segregated in case someone STEPS on you lmao And it's not even consistent between species, would a rabbit really be that big compared to a mouse? Let alone almost be the same size as a fox? Oh thats right, they're main characters so we need to make an exception... Either the writers didn't think this theough or they really were secretly inserting their macro fetish the whole time because they couldn't keep it in their pants.

[@ScratStitch]

I think you're missing the point? The point is that they DO have differences, but at the same time, shouldn't be judged by them.

[@scatmanjohnfan22]

@ScratStitch if you're making a movie about why racism is bad you shouldn't have the creatures in said universe have a good reason to be segregated because that's obviously ironic and counter intuitive with problematic implications if you're trying to tie it to real life. I think YOU are missing the point, especially considering that in most funny animal cartoons they usually don't have much of a size difference, making this creative choice especially odd.

[@sakurablossoms94]

@@scatmanjohnfan22 That is like saying people with disabilities should be separated because they have different needs, rather than be accommodated, which leads to more prejudice and discrimination.

[@scatmanjohnfan22]

@sakurablossoms94 ?? Yoy are absolutely stretching lmfao. How on earth you are tying this to disability accommodations is some sort of wild mental gymnastics considering I'm both mentally and physically disabled irl. Race segregation and disability accommodations are NOT comparable as those are two completely different things..? thank you very much... All this over me saying you shouldn't give a good reason to segregate races in a movie that's trying to say that very thing is bad like its almost caus thats bad worldbuilding or something

[@ScratStitch]

@@scatmanjohnfan22 By that logic they have no reason to let animals work with a child in Cats Don't Dance. "The elephant is huge, they could sit on Darla." They're allegories for a reason. They don't have to be 100% like our world to work. And I really do think Zootopia works much better for this type of messaging than Cats Don't Dance does, and kind of wish that JustStop had spent his video talking about the movie more as a whole (instead of committing like about four minutes of an 11 minute video which includes a sponsor to it).

[@larrylaffer3246]

Maybe I'll have to give this film a watch then. All I remember I remember about this film now is WB couldn't shelve it back then as they were contractually obligated to release it after buying all of Ted Turner's assets in 96. They barely marketed it's release as they didn't care about it and if it didn't turn a profit, oh well; They didn't put the $36 Million it took to make it, Ted Turner did. "Fun Fact: It originally started off as a project for Michael Jackson of all people. It also beat Hercules for an Annie Award, the 1st non Mouse film to do so."

[@TheUfaraV2]

Its a surprisingly strong movie overall.

[@silverscorpio24]

Dr. Seuss's "Sneeches on the Beaches " is also a great racism allegory.

[@jfournerat1274]

I watched the cats don’t dance movie on KZbin like you recommended me to and I loved it.

[@Aethon_is_here]

I have thought back to a discrimination allegory where often the victims of discrimination are fairy tale creatures like elves and fairies (I know Blight try to do this, but it did it poorly). Could a story like this work in any way? Because I figured of just creating fictional human ethnicities instead.

[@JUSHSH]

this video reminded me of blacksad - a graphic novel published by darkhorse also set in post-war america. it's got a disney-esque cast of animals in a human sort of world and it's really fucking good but hella underrated. one of the blacksad issues has a racism (and certain clan) plot and because the cast are all animals i kind of expected the zootopia situation but they go about it with fur colour, not animal categories. like, the leader and mayor is a polar bear who hates his brown and black brethren. while reading it I was like 'that's so stupid - they're still all bears? OH-' and then i realised how weird zootopia was for giving the morphological traits of animals actually make... some sense as to why there was a heirarchy.

[@ashkitt7719]

Yeah, I think I know what you're talking about. The one where arctic animals, regardless of whether they're carnivore or herbivore, claim to be some kind of Master Race.

[@TheFigandro]

5:38 Nice subtle/unintended nod to the Warrior Cats franchise

[@samuelbattershell3413]

1:08... actually you can, it's called pattern recognition. While we should strive for individualization, the hard facts are you can tell alot about a person, their behavior and likely actions based of knowing their sex, their age, their genetic tribe, their place of birth, etc.

[@amandamcnally1421]

Yeah but often times it's harmful. Nobody likes being judged first and foremost based on characteristics one can't control. It's always better to withhold biases util they hold out to be true.

[@ForeverLaxx]

It's generally a result of their culture more than anything else. The trouble is, people tend to group themselves with others physically like them so they don't feel like outsiders. This causes that culture to be associated with those particular groups and it's reinforced because that's the pattern people recognize. I wish people like Just Stop would recognize that reality doesn't line up with his idealist wish of what reality is. Though I *did* notice a distinct lack of calling out the blatant white hatred in today's climate so I'm not holding my breath on that one.

[@Mrcleanfrfr]

@@ForeverLaxx What White hatred?

[@kelinky-sama1603]

The key word you're missing from the original clip is "solely." "Is it possible to judge how someone will act *solely* based on their skin color, sex, or birth place? Of course not." JS even makes a point that while those characteristics MIGHT contribute to their personality, there's more to it than just that. Admittedly his wording following this is contradictory, but I don't think your counter here's fair.

[@MatsuyoRific]

One reason for this allegory, especially in media aimed at kids, is because of censorship. Censorship has gotten a lot more conservitive over the years, which means creators have to get creative in order to tell these stories. Sadly, it means we're not gonna get another Static Shock: Sons of the Fathers anytime soon.

[@graceshulas8773]

I’m so glad I grew up with this movie and watched it. It’s hilarious and even though I’m still a preteen I understood of how it handles the racism of how the animals are being treated

[@johncreed9433]

As a Catholic, I'm surprised how little Americans talk about how anti-Catholic we used to be. Heck, go on google right now and you can find a fuck ton of anti-Catholic political cartoons from like the 1920s. A bunch of them unironically make the KKK look righteous.

[@DemiRurge]

Very ironic, seeing how nowadays America is filled with Catholics, some of which even try to go after certain marginalised groups.

[@meowck]

I've always loved Cats Don't Dance so when south park made their reference to Darla Dimples song I was surprised by the edits that were made on tiktok. Glad it's getting more love❤

[@thegoldenblob69]

unless you're a little kid, how did no one see this movie as an allegory to racism?

[@greyworld6242]

I remember still being in middle school and finding this movie on Cartoon Network and watching it randomly and decided to watch it, because I missed my bus. XD

[@ScratStitch]

TBH I really think you and other KZbinrs are being overly harsh (or unfair) to the Zootopia allegory. Because all of the reasons you mentioned for it being weak actually make it stronger IMHO. It keeps the film within its own world, even as it's commenting on our own. That way it doesn't JUST work as allegory. It still has a great story tell and an engaging and creative world, while providing messaging that works broadly. I'll take that over something as on-the-nose as some other allegories any day.

[@rosesweetcharlotte]

I think the bigger thing is that Zootopia requires that people work very hard to bridge the difference and work together.

[@badboyluvr]

I personally like the allegory in Zootopia. While it isn't perfect, it can be more than just an allegory for rasicm. For instance, bunnies in Zootopia might not have to be seen as an allegory for someone of a specific skintone. You could see it that way if you want. But, you could also see bunnies as an allegory for short people. People who are often shorter than the average person of their age & ethninticity (even if they're not short by much.) are often made fun of & called "cute" by average/taller people. "Cute" is precisly what Clawhauser called Judy when they first met & she told him it's really not okay to call a bunny that. Because to a short person, or rather a bunny in this case, being called "cute" can feel condescending.

[@Tiny_Koi]

I think that the allegory in zootopia would have been better had they kept more or all of the original script. I get why disney didn't but damn that would have been a compelling film.

[@noahofor]

This was actually the first non-Disney film to win the Annie award for Best Animated Feature, beating out Disney's Hercules and Warner's own 1996 live action/ animation hybrid, Space Jam, so this film does have a place in the animation history books.

[@FrozenBoi]

"Animal racism" Isn't a sentence I thought I'd hear today...

[@tonytins]

I watched this movie soo many times as a kid, but I never connected the racism allegory before until you brought it up.

[@MarxistMomentum]

Darla Dimple = Best Villain!

[@Kamari333]

cats dont dance is an animated masterpiece

[@personalgoogleaccount9694]

This just goes to show that the original concept for zootopia made more sense despite being "darker".

[@Pannygirl85]

Wow....I was looking up review videos for this movie just two days ago because I had an urge to re-watch it and wanted to see other people's takes on it. Great timing and great video!!

[@theshenpartei]

Why is this film is underrated is beyond me it should be loved more

[@righteousgreek2161]

Weren’t you covering your take on goobus being bullied and label transphobic because he had a different take on toxic people

[@fonsales5373]

8:25 Am I actually hearing Red Mountain from Sonic Adventure? Also why is the animation so great?

[@fonsales5373]

And why doesn't the time show up blue and work for me?

[@LCCWPresents]

Not to mention it’s the tribute film to one of the best slap stick comedy actors of all time.

[@ztsquid3000]

This movie brings me back. 😊

[@the_timinator77]

I LOVED this movie as a kid when it was in theaters! Sad it was underrated, though...

[@ladygrimm6661]

Bro I remember watching this movie when I was younger. I used to love it so much

[@GrandCorsair]

I have never vibed with the whole predator and pray as a allegory for racism trope. At least Beastars acknowledges how much of a cluster fuck a world where carnivores avoid eating meat is and why they're so much understandable tension. Not everyone can appreciate a good egg sandwich.

[@hhfggvogtthehy6451]

Warner did this movie so dirty.

[@achildnamedhotchick1739]

this guy adores the sound of his own voice, that intro was sooooooo long winded jesus christ

[@Predator20357]

I saw the title and got confused thinking it meant that the movie doesn’t work as an allegory

[@stupidtitties316]

Cats don’t dance has been my favorite animated musical since I can remember and I’m glad it’s getting more recognition these days

[@funnyhat2585]

This movie has been itching at the back of my mind forever now because I watched it when I was very little, never knew the name, only remembered bits and pieces and completely forgot the plot so Google was no help. Thank you for reintroducing me to a piece of my childhood :)

[@mikechicago6200]

Finally Cats Dont Dance, man i love this film and i am excited for the day i see it on theatres for the first time!!

[@mechajay3358]

Cats Don't Dance is a dope film, but the worst kind of discrimination is the kind against me.

[@morganspaceburger1253]

the funniest part of this video is a sponsorship by morgan&morgan

[@222liss]

Just made a Watchlist on my phone, to not forget to watch this film some day.

[@pennysanchez7656]

Cats Don't Dance walked so that Zootopia could run, even though I liked that movie myself.

[@mousekateer627]

It's very endearing to me that the cartoon movie I've watched endlessly on VHS many years ago continues to age magnificently as we find more and more things to appreciate about it.

[@metalandmagic1424]

I love the implication that anyone who disagrees with your point should get a lawyer lmao That's not even a criticism, that ad placement genuinely got a laugh out of me