FREE ESSAY ON FUNNY NO MORE

FUNNY NO MORE

Funny No More
It's 6:OOam on a Saturday morning; do you know where your children are? Well, if they are
anything like we used to be, they are probably sitting down to watch the weekend
cartoons. Yeah, you remember, the one time during the whole week when you got up before
the sun came out and ate a big bowl of sugar coated garbage just so you could watch Wyle
E. Coyote practically kill himself trying to catch the ever illusive Road Runner. We've
all seen him try and inevitably fail at this task, but we get a good laugh at his
expense. And isn't that the point; to laugh at something so ridiculous that it almost
hurts? Well, according to Kirsten Dockendorff's essay,  The Road to Acme Looniversity
(pg.232-234) the laughter should end and Wyle E. Coyote should succeed in killing the
Road Runner. Not only would this kill a cartoon legend, but the entire chemistry in which
we see between the Road Runner and Wyle E. would no longer exist. And this would be a
crime because one of the best cartoons ever made would no longer be funny.
In this essay by Dockendorf, it is suggested that Wyle E. succeed in capturing the Road
Runner by first hiring an assassin so he can rest easily knowing a professional was at
work. Now, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that this idea would more then
likely work. But, that defeats the entire purpose of the humor in the first place. As
kids, we sat down to watch the show because we knew he would fail; that's what makes it
funny! Also, an assassination of the bird would mean no more cartoon. Sure, I think that
once in all of our lives we wanted to see Wyle E. catch the bird, but not indefinitely.
The killing of the bird means the killing of the show. When was the last time you ever
saw a classic cartoon character die anyway? It just doesn't happen! No, an assassin would
be no good for the show. If the Road Runner is to get caught, it 
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will have to be done by Wyle E. and one of his many great ideas. There just is no other
way!
The next way in Dockendorff's essay for Wyle E. Coyote to succeed is almost as bad as the
first idea. It is suggested that he enlist the help of his friends(Elmer Fudd, Sylvester,
Taz, and Yosemite Sam) to come up with a plan that will succeed in the Road Runner's
Capture. Now, as an avid viewer of the show, I will admit that such a collaboration would
be rather funny to see. But, only because NONE of these guys have ever succeeded in
capturing there enemies! The whole plan mentioned in the essay suggests not only the
capture of the Road Runner, but breaking it's legs and then shooting it. Where's the
humor in that? Cartoons are funny because it's mindless violence and stupidity that keeps
the characters going. They always recover from any accident, so where would the humor be
in the actual demise of one of these characters. Again, this idea will not work.
Finally, it is suggested that Wyle E. use reliable equipment in order to catch the Road
Runner. Now I'm sorry, but this simply cannot happen!!! More then half the shows humor is
to see what new and innovated way Wyle E. is going to attempt the Road Runner's capture.
It's very amusing to sit down and watch everything that he tries either blow up, run out
of fuel, inflict serious pain on himself, or fall apart. No matter what he uses, it
either doesn't work or it over works. And I think that you will agree that this helps
make the show funny. Yes, a reliable product would probably mean the capture of the Road
Runner. But, that means that we would no longer see Wyle E. do a swan dive off of a 1,000
ft. cliff. His classic move would be no more! Again, where's the humor in that?
Dockendorff's essay closes up by saying,  Regardless of the method Wyle E. chooses, one
thing is clear: the bird must die!  Although she gave some rather sure fire ways for Wyle
E to succeed, she never once looked at the humor factor of the cartoon. Watching Wyle E.
get some 
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ridiculous plan of action in his head and then seeing it through makes the show. Jet
powered pogo sticks, rocket enhanced roller skates, and the ever illusive swinging log
with the inevitable Jack Knife off of a cliff make this show funny. The reason we all
watched this show as kids was to see what new and interesting inventions Wyle E. was
going to use to attempt to catch the Road Runner with. We knew before he did that
something was going to go wrong, but that's what made it funny! And every Saturday, no
matter what happened to Wyle E. the week before, he would still be there trying to hurt
himself in his new attempts to assassinate the bird.
And this, mixed in with the pain you can almost feel when he hurts himself, keep you
coming back to watch the show. We watch because it's funny, and it's funny because Wyle
E. Coyote can never quite figure out how to catch the Road Runner.