This article was submitted in 2001, but was never added to the site.
Contributed by Bess G.
Even as a child, I found it curious that I sympathized with Jerry in the Tom and Jerry cartoons, while rooting for Coyote in the Roadrunner and Coyote cartoons. The premises of the cartoons were similar, were they not? Desperate carnivore fruitlessly pursues cute prey. Why did I cheer when Jerry got the best of Tom, but share Coyote’s frustration when he was yet again thwarted by Roadrunner?
I think I’ve figured it out.
Jerry is more than just cute. He is smart, resourceful, brave, and kind to friends and family who occasionally drop by. He may tease Tom from time to time, but usually we see him acting in self-defense to protect his home and his life. We like him. We don’t exactly hate Tom. He’s merely acting on basic cat instinct. But it’s always satisfying to see him get what’s coming to him for picking on Jerry. It isn’t Jerry, after all, who thought it would be a good idea to run around the house with a loaded rifle, or rig up a bunch of explosives in the living room. Tom gets hurt through his own foolishness. And he has no real reason to persecute Jerry other than his own petty malice. Sure he may get swatted on the rear with a broom, or get put outside for the night, but that’s not so bad in the grand scheme of things, especially compared to what he had in mind for a decent fellow like Jerry.
Coyote, on the other hand, is in a desperate situation. He and Roadrunner appear to be the only living organisms (besides cacti) in the vast desert expanse they inhabit. If Coyote wants dinner, Roadrunner is his only option. The cartoon takes place entirely from Coyote’s perspective. We see the painstaking research and planning that go into his intricate Roadrunner traps. We see his utter conviction that *this* time his plan will work. We see the pathetic fear on his face as he plummets yet again from that blasted cliff. We identify with these feelings. Roadrunner, on the other hand, is barely a character. He merely runs around, pausing occasionally for some bird seed, with a vacant expression in his eyes. He never exhibits fear, or relief, or joy, or cunning, or bravery. He is one of the least “human” animated characters I can think of. Why should I feel sorry if Coyote gets him?
May 7, 2008 at 11:34 pm
I was always rooting for Tom, actually. I thought Jerry was a sadistic jerk. His retribution to Tom was usually more painful and violent than what Tom did to him. Jerry almost always started everything, too–he’d either gleefully run around to upset Tom’s master or he’d not-so-secretly steal food. If you constantly get a dude in trouble on purpose, you think that dude will be nice to you? Jerry deserved worse than what he got, man.
May 10, 2008 at 12:02 pm
I think it runs even deeper. While Tom is a fool, Wile is not; he’s a supergenius. Jerry simply outsmarts Tom, there’s nothing to it.
However, for Wile E. Coyote, it seems the laws of the universe itself bend against him. You know, like when Road Runner should be falling off a cliff, but instead the cliff stands while the rest of reality (with Wile in it) falls. There’s plenty of other examples of this. So while we should expect Wile’s skill to eventually prevail over Roadrunner’s dumb luck, it never does, to increasing frustration, amusement, and eventually also gaining our sympathy. It just isn’t fair, you know?
Marxists perhaps would point towards the glass ceiling holding the talented and innovative underclassed Coyote from ever overcoming the ‘born lucky’ Road Runner bourgeoisie who keeps taxing Coyote for seeds while poor Wile starves.
Luckily, I’m no Marxist.
May 10, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Oh, yeah, and I thought Jerry was a jerk too.
September 19, 2008 at 1:23 pm
I see the Roadrunner as the unencumbered free spirit who triumphs over the materialistic coyote. Yes, the laws of physical nature do bend for him as he is above them spiritually. But not a very charismatic leader for a spiritualist. I seem to recall an episode where Roadrunner is caught and Wile E. has forgotten why he wanted him in the first place.