What Makes an Animal Funny?

What makes an animal funny? There are a lot of ways, including by acting like a human or having almost human mannerisms. For example, SpongeBob SquarePants, a Nickelodeon TV series, has the sea sponge, a character with human-like mannerisms and almost human-like actions. SpongeBob is an animal. However, there are many other animal characters that have human-like behavior. Cartoons and movies often depict animals as anthropomorphic, but this is mostly due to the fact it is easier to draw animals than normal humans. Another example is BoJack Horseman, a Netflix animated series with a mixed animal population. Although there are many similarities between animals and humans, the cartoon often doesn’t mention the differences.

The genre developed as blackface became unacceptable in the 1920s. Although early black-and white funny animals remained largely blackfaced and focused on their song-and dance routines, they became more diverse with the introduction of color film processes. Blackface characters almost disappeared from cartoons during the 1930s. Aside from that, the funny animals of the 1920s were not the only funny creatures in the world. Here are some examples:

Cartoons with funny animals may be found in cartoons from The Golden Age of Animation. They are also found in video games for children younger than 5. While the term “Funny Animal” is technically incorrect, cartoonists use it to describe a category of characters with animal-like features, albeit with human appearance. This category of character is a type of “half-human/half-animal” character, and it overlaps with many other genres.

Other animals are also funny in popular culture. A sleeping bull is one example. The cow that wouldn’t produce milk is another example. A lion would, however, greet people in a field before taking the calf home to his own place. Other animals, such as porcupines, make a kissing sound when they kiss. For some reason, animals are more entertaining when they share a common trait.