Over the past few weeks I have watched more Disney short films than I think I have watched since... er, well... forgive the pun but since I was short. This means lots and lots of music by the Andrews Sisters and even more Donald Duck. Between the Three Caballeros cast, Chip & Dale vs. Donald, and the Mickey Mouse gang, Donald is easily the most reviewed character. What entertains me even more is that Donald, although not a bad person, is usually the butt of the joke and frequently plays the bad guy. Now I'd be the first to say that slapstick humor would be bereft if it were not... well... slapping people and if it's gotta slap someone I'm all for hitting the duck. I don't much care for ducks... or geese. And let's face it anything that WADDLES like that deserves to be dinner. I'd also like to point out that much of my dislike for geese and ducks is a childhood incident in which I was feeding them bread and they decided to attack me.
Okay, back to my point. I'd like to stress that I don't in point of fact hate Donald. Sure I don't like him all that much but why do we as a theoretically mature society enjoy the pain and suffering of Donald? Sure it's hilarious but don't we teach our kids not to laugh at other people's misery? I mean I could be wrong- I think Home Alone is one of the funniest movies out there and the Marx Brothers should be knighted but I don't understand why it is okay to laugh at Donald's misery. Is it because he's loud and obnoxious. Or is it because he generally acts out in anger over things that shouldn't upset any normal person- like finding chipmunks in his Christmas tree, or being stuffed in a box, or continuously being forgotten in lew of Mickey Mouse. Oh wait, those are all things that would upset me. Maybe it's because he tends to act without patience and poise which are considered immature. Again, I'm struck with how often those characteristics describe me. Now it's just a thought, but maybe we don't like him because we see our own flaws in him? Isn't that the main reason why we don't get along with others; because we are too similar? She's too bossy. He's not very organized. Perhaps if we looked closer we could see the virtue in being similar as well as being different. Yet again, it's just a thought.
Is this actually showing up?
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