Wile E. Coyote and Cheers

Since my medulla oblongata connects to my...well, whatever the fuck it connects to, I fucking love Bugs Bunny.  Always have, always will - MAYBE Archie Bunker is as funny as Bugs, but he's the only other tv/movie character that has ever come close.  And along the way, as a kid, I loved Foghorn Leghorn, Pepe Le Pew, and some of the other Looney Tunes characters.

One bit I remember taking a piss breaking during even as a kid was always the Roadtunner. Never did nothing for me.  Meanwhile, a few weeks ago I was watching one with The Short Bus, and the kid was howling the whole time, asking me to replay and replay every few seconds.  It got me to thinking that gee, maybe I'd been missing something all those years.  Upon further viewing, I had to admit that a lot of the bits actually were funny, but it wasn't until a few days ago I stumbled upon a bit of an epiphany.

I think I VAGUELY remember seeing a few of them as a kid, but it turns out that 5 shorts were made wherein Wile E. Coyote wasn't trying to catch the Roadrunner, but was after Bugs Bunny.  Right away you know this is gonna be good, since the coyote's pretty funny even with the Roadrunner who never does anything at all, never really adds anything to the scene.  But putting Wile E. up against the greatest character of all time? Please.

Also, in these episodes, Wile E. can talk - not only could he talk, but it turns out he's a noxious, pretentious fucking fop who's so full of himself that not only does he refer to himself as "Wile E. Coyote, Genius", but he has a fucking business card that says just that!

Flash forward to an episode of Cheers, wherein Woody asks why doesn't the coyote, instead of spending all that money on fancy gadgets to catch the Roadrunner, just use that money for food?  To which, after some discussion, Cliff cleverly surmises "Woody, I think you're missing the point here. It's not that Wile E. Coyote wants to eat or that he wants to eat a roadrunner. What he wants is to eat that particular roadrunner. It's very existential." (Clip HERE)

This is fantastic - while chasing Bugs Bunny, Wile E. Coyote is the perfect amalgamation of Cliff Clavin, Frasier Crane and Woody: curiously confidant in his non-existent intelligence, pompously full of bombast, and yet, in the end, utterly clueless.  Perfect.

Enjoy.