# On Courage the Cowardly Dog



## Lunar (Mar 3, 2012)

I wasn't sure where to post this, so I'm sorry, mods, if it's not in the right place.  I thought it could have gone in the Tube, but there's more to it than just a shallow discussion about episodes.

My friend brought this up to me tonight, coming home from my dad's.

The last two episodes of the CN show "Courage the Cowardly Dog" (Perfect/Courage's Past) are some of the most heartwrenching episodes I think I've ever watched.  People like me who grew up with Courage, laughing at all of his wacky adventures, unconsciously fell in love with the silly purple dog.  He'd fallen into volcanoes, gotten into more fights than the baddest thug in the West End could brag about, rescued creatures from torture and misery, and through it all survived the abuse of his owner's husband, Eustace.  



Spoiler: Courage's Past



The second-to-last episode, Courage's Past; the title really kind of says it all.  It walks us through how he was "abandoned" as a puppy by his parents outside a veterinarian's office, and that's where Muriel found him.  It shows how he bravely chased after his mother and father, who were tossed in a spaceship and launched to a Moon Dogs operation to be tested on.  The same vet attempts to send Courage to the moon as well, but Courage thwarts his plans and traps the doctor in the about-to-launch space shuttle.  Very sentimental.





Spoiler: Perfect



And then they throw this one at you: "Perfect".  Eustace finally has had enough with Courage not being up to his standards of perfection.  Courage imagines a very strict, very ugly teacher who gives him harsh lessons on how to be "perfect".  Courage fails all of these lessons and goes to sleep that night feeling awful about himself.  After a very bizarre and insightful dream sequence, he realizes that Eustace was wrong, that it's okay to not be perfect, because nobody is.



I saw so much of myself in Courage in the last episode "Perfect".  I realized that all through each episode, he was teaching me life lessons, about staying faithful to the ones I love and protecting them no matter how much it scares me.  And he was happy in the end, after all the shit he'd endured.  I feel that with the last episode, he sort of... died.  And a little piece of me died with him.  It sounds really weird, but I felt so attached to him and it hurt to think that.  

I know, very weird ideas, but I thought it was interesting.


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## Fay V (Mar 3, 2012)

They don't make toons like they used to...course they always seemed to either get cancelled or end in soul crushing realizations.


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## Lunar (Mar 3, 2012)

Yeah... I almost felt like someone close to me had died with the end of that series...


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## Aleu (Mar 3, 2012)

Your spoiler tag for Courage's past isn't working. I've seen both episodes before. I don't think I've seen the last episode that you may be talking about though


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## Lunar (Mar 3, 2012)

Aleu said:


> Your spoiler tag for Courage's past isn't working. I've seen both episodes before. I don't think I've seen the last episode that you may be talking about though



Yeah, I need to fix the tag.  I dunno what's wrong with it; thought I had the right format.
Here's where you can watch Perfect.  Sorry 'bout the crappy link... it was the only one I could find that didn't require you to download the damned thing.


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## CannonFodder (Mar 3, 2012)

The last episode of courage was heart wrenching,
Cartoon network, "KALIMAI! KALIMAI! KALIMAI!"
*rips heart out*
Me, "gaaahh!"


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## Lunar (Mar 3, 2012)

CannonFodder said:


> The last episode of courage was heart wrenching,
> Cartoon network, "KALIMAI! KALIMAI! KALIMAI!"
> *rips heart out*
> Me, "gaaahh!"


You know what else was a real tear-jerker, the Last of the Starmakers.  I guess the older I got (or the less silly the show became) I started understanding and relating more.


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## CannonFodder (Mar 3, 2012)

Lunar said:


> You know what else was a real tear-jerker, the Last of the Starmakers.  I guess the older I got (or the less silly the show became) I started understanding and relating more.


I'd have to say the saddest scene in any cartoon ever would be bambi's mom dying.


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## Aleu (Mar 3, 2012)

Wait so Perfect was the final episode?


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## Lunar (Mar 3, 2012)

Aleu said:


> Wait so Perfect was the final episode?



They were aired during the same showtime, but I think Perfect was the last of the two to be shown.  I could be mistaken, though.

I'm having trouble finding Courage's Past.  You could try Googling it.  Or if you'd like me to, I can remove the Spoiler tag, seeing as it's being an asspie and not working.


CannonFodder said:


> I'd have to say the saddest scene in any cartoon ever would be bambi's mom dying.


I have to disagree, I think Mufasa dying was the saddest.  I actually cried over that, not so much Bambi's mom.


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## Aleu (Mar 3, 2012)

Lunar said:


> They were aired during the same showtime, but I think Perfect was the last of the two to be shown.  I could be mistaken, though.
> 
> I'm having trouble finding Courage's Past.  You could try Googling it.  Or if you'd like me to, I can remove the Spoiler tag, seeing as it's being an asspie and not working.


As I've said. I've already seen that episode. It was a truly sad one. Why'd they have to cancel the series? ;~;


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## CannonFodder (Mar 3, 2012)

Aleu said:


> As I've said. I've already seen that episode. It was a truly sad one. Why'd they have to cancel the series? ;~;


Cause cartoon network is run by a bunch of morons.


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## Lunar (Mar 3, 2012)

To rip your heart from your chest and make you eat it while it's still beating.  

I thought it was a nice life lesson, though.  You get so attached to this character and then through him, you learn that no matter how much shit you're put through, as long as you stay optimistic, everything will be okay in the end.


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## Yago (Mar 3, 2012)

Loved Courage.

Quality show.

Shame it ended. Though I wouldn't want it to drag out, either. 

Don't think I've seen those episodes.


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## Pine (Mar 3, 2012)

Cartoon Network is dead. Courage was a masterpiece, along with a few others.


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## Vega (Mar 3, 2012)

I remember those episodes, I'm sad now.    I also feel like finding all 4 seasons of the show and buying them.


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## Lunar (Mar 3, 2012)

Vega said:


> I remember those episodes, I'm sad now.    I also feel like finding all 4 seasons of the show and buying them.



Honestly, I think that would be the best way to watch them.


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## Vega (Mar 3, 2012)

On Demand has "Cow & Chicken", "Dexter's Lab", "Johnny Bravo", and "Powerpuff Girls" but not "Courage The Cowardly Dog"???  I'm insulted.


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## Ariosto (Mar 3, 2012)

Ah, Courage, mom thought it was stupid and didn't like me to watch it, but she never got to appreaciate surrealism and a little creepiness in her TV watching habits anyway. Ah, Courage, how I loved your monsters, your peculiar personlaity and how funny everything surrounding you was; even if I didn't understand your show's undertones all the time, I still laughed quite a bit and still enjoy the utter crazyness and absurdity of your world.
Glad you enjoyed "Perfect" so much, too, Lunar! It's one of the few episodes from the last two seasons that is just as good as the show's peak.


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## Zydrate Junkie (Mar 3, 2012)

I really do feel sorry for children who have to grow up with the utter tripe that is on tv these days. I just managed to squeeze myself into the end of the 90's and I'm thankful for every minute of it, though this means half my friends don't know what I'm going on about.


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## Namba (Mar 3, 2012)

Courage was one of those shows that kept me watching Cartoon Network before it became that CN crap. It's sad because I get a feeling Adventure Time and Regular Show, as much as I like them, is as good and imaginative as a cartoon is gonna get these days; they can't live up to what the 90s had to offer. There was heart in those kinds of cartoons.


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## Quintis_Dragon (Mar 3, 2012)

I love watching Courage The Cowardly Dog.   we in south africa still have it


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## Lunar (Mar 3, 2012)

I can't tell whether my mom hated me watching the show or not.  I dunno if she felt the same way about 90s cartoons that we feel about modern "cartoons".  Has anyone else noticed how not cartoony the shows are nowadays?  Nothing looks like it took any effort at all.


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## AGNOSCO (Mar 3, 2012)

Ahhhh yes, good old courage. BEST CARTOON EVER!. many saturday mornings spent watching this slice of fired gold.


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## veeno (Mar 3, 2012)

Courage and ed edd n eddy were the best cartoons on cartoon network.

Now cartoon network sucks


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## Teal (Mar 3, 2012)

Perfect is actually one of my favorite episodes.



Lunar said:


> You know what else was a real tear-jerker, *the Last of the Starmakers*.  I guess the older I got (or the less silly the show became) I started understanding and relating more.


 Now that one almost made me cry.



CannonFodder said:


> Cause cartoon network is run by a bunch of morons.


This, so fucking much. Every last decent thing (Adventure Time is good though) is gone and replaced with unwatchable crap. One show I really miss is the Misadventures of Flapjack. :/


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## Lunar (Mar 3, 2012)

veeno said:


> Courage and ed edd n eddy were the best cartoons on cartoon network.
> 
> Now cartoon network sucks



Oh god, have you read Cul-de-sac?  That's some of the most depressing shit I've ever seen.

Lots of shows have overanalyzations that people read and are just like "um, no, it was just a cartoon".  I don't think Courage is like that, though.  It's not some big conspiracy theory or ghost story or anything, but cleverly gaining fans.


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## Teal (Mar 3, 2012)

Lunar said:


> Oh god, have you read Cul-de-sac?  That's some of the most depressing shit I've ever seen.
> 
> Lots of shows have overanalyzations that people read and are just like "um, no, it was just a cartoon".  I don't think Courage is like that, though.  It's not some big conspiracy theory or ghost story or anything, but cleverly gaining fans.


 Thanks for that link. I'm kinda a sucker for stuff like that.


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## Ad Hoc (Mar 3, 2012)

I would have to disagree with the sentiment that there are no good cartoons anymore. ATLA and Adventure Time are fantastic, and by most accounts MLP, Regular Show, and the Adventures of Flapjack are also pretty good. (Never seen the latter three so I can't actually say for sure, but I hear good things about them.) There are probably others as well. 

Courage does hold a special place in my heart, though. The things he did for love.


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## Teal (Mar 3, 2012)

Ad Hoc said:


> I would have to disagree with the sentiment that there are no good cartoons anymore. ATLA and Adventure Time are fantastic, and by most accounts *MLP, Regular Show, and the Adventures of Flapjack* are also pretty good. (Never seen the latter three so I can't actually say for sure, but I hear good things about them.) There are probably others as well.
> 
> Courage does hold a special place in my heart, though. The things he did for love.


 I still need to watch MLP. :/
I actually hate Regular show. Flapjack you have to find online but it awsome. Weird with a lot of dark humor.


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## Ad Hoc (Mar 3, 2012)

TealMoon said:


> Flapjack you have to find online but it awsome. Weird with a lot of dark humor.


I believe it. Apparently it shares a few team members with Adventure Time, which is also very surreal and often quite dark.


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## Ikrit (Mar 3, 2012)

return the slab,

or suffer my curse...

^^fucking nightmare fuel right there


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## Lunar (Mar 3, 2012)

Ikrit said:


> return the slab,
> 
> or suffer my curse...
> 
> ^^fucking nightmare fuel right there


I loved Ramses.  He was what got me into Courage again some time ago; I'd drifted away after the series ended.


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## shteev (Mar 3, 2012)

Lunar said:


> Oh god, have you read Cul-de-sac?  That's some of the most depressing shit I've ever seen.
> 
> Lots of shows have overanalyzations that people read and are just like "um, no, it was just a cartoon".  I don't think Courage is like that, though.  It's not some big conspiracy theory or ghost story or anything, but cleverly gaining fans.



Mother of god.

It makes so much sense now.


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## green wolf (Mar 3, 2012)

CannonFodder said:


> I'd have to say the saddest scene in any cartoon ever would be bambi's mom dying.



now why did you have to bring that up? now I'm sad


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## Ad Hoc (Mar 3, 2012)

CannonFodder said:


> I'd have to say the saddest scene in any cartoon ever would be bambi's mom dying.


You need to watch more obscure cartoons. 

Plague Dogs and Where The Wind Blows, _oh god_. Both available on youtube if you're in the mood to watch something that will make you want to die.


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## M. LeRenard (Mar 3, 2012)

Yeah... I loved the hell out of that show.  That seemed to be the era of surrealism and/or gross shit.  I just recently rewatched a bunch of Rocko's Modern Life on Netflix, and I was struck by how political it was (taking everything to the extreme, of course).  Everything from credit cards to religion show up in some form or another.  That one (and stuff like Invader Zim, and what have you) was cynical, but Courage was a lot sweeter and nicer, despite the horror backdrop.  I guess since everything took place out in the middle of Nowhere, it was forced to be character-driven, and so the themes ended up being more emotional than societal.
Then you've got shows like Ren and Stimpy, where I have no fucking idea what the creators were going for aside from pushing the envelope as far as they could in terms of what was okay for children's programming (and there's a distinct shift after the first season when the original animator/voice actor for Ren got canned for pushing just a little bit too far, after which the show really goes downhill).  I think you can still find this type of thing in shows like Adventure Time, but for the most part, it seems like the main difference today is that networks aren't _quite_ as willing to take risks with their content.  My Little Pony is a good kid's show, but it ain't no Courage from an artistic standpoint (both in the animation style, which is very safe, and the storytelling, which is also generally very safe).  But you've still got a lot of the same folks working at it, so we already know they're creative people despite network limitations.


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## Namba (Mar 3, 2012)

You've got Ren and Stimpy, then there's Regular Show. I had no idea you could say "piss" on a children's network until I watched that... still, Ren and Stimpy is about as far as you can push.


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## Osiris the jackal (Mar 4, 2012)

Lunar said:


> Yeah... I almost felt like someone close to me had died with the end of that series...



It was the golden years of cartoons, the perfect balance of satire and disturbing that taught all of us a lesson in one way or another it was one of my favorite shows. I can understand how you feel about the show at the end of the series, but dont you see it was meant to do that. I believe that the show was never really meant for kids or that it was meant for kids to watch it then and when they got older to come back to it and understand its true meaning. I think that all the messed up stuff that was masked in comedy on that show was really meant to teach children a lesson, a lesson to question the ordinary and rise against adversity, it also thaugt children that death Is a fact of life and although sad it is beautiful as well. Please correct me if I'm wrong but I think all of us who watched that show can say the same.


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## Osiris the jackal (Mar 4, 2012)

Courage the cowardly dog also has heavy ties in the style of southern gothic literature with the show as a whole. This also makes me think, how deep this rabbit hole of lessons goes?


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## Lunar (Mar 4, 2012)

Osiris the jackal said:


> It was the golden years of cartoons, the perfect balance of satire and disturbing that taught all of us a lesson in one way or another it was one of my favorite shows. I can understand how you feel about the show at the end of the series, but dont you see it was meant to do that. I believe that the show was never really meant for kids or that it was meant for kids to watch it then and when they got older to come back to it and understand its true meaning. I think that all the messed up stuff that was masked in comedy on that show was really meant to teach children a lesson, a lesson to question the ordinary and rise against adversity, it also thaugt children that death Is a fact of life and although sad it is beautiful as well. Please correct me if I'm wrong but I think all of us who watched that show can say the same.


Shoot, that was better put than the OP.



Osiris the jackal said:


> Courage the cowardly dog also has heavy ties in the style of *southern gothic literature* with the show as a whole. This also makes me think, how deep this rabbit hole of lessons goes?


You think so?  Do share.


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## Osiris the jackal (Mar 4, 2012)

Well lunar in gothic works like the raven by Poe we usually see strange disturbing images masked in satire, the raven is a symbol of death and loss but Poe uses it as a tool to teach a lesson about letting go of the past. Like in the episode about courages past he is being used as a tool to teach children that you have to move on and hope for a better tommarow, just like Poe and the raven.


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## Osiris the jackal (Mar 4, 2012)

Also as a small side note " how now brown cow" was a quote from the episode with the play that almost turned murial into a puppet. 

But to get back on track some of the other lessons that I could see in the show pertain to, violence, hate, love, madness, government injustices, and the seven deadly sins each one touched on in a different episode. Thanks to you I will probably write a thesis on this topic for extra credit in my pycology class.


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## Lunar (Mar 4, 2012)

Really?  :V  Man now I really wanna go back to school so I can do shit like this...
Also try not to double post too much.  If you wanna add more to your post, click the Edit Post button.  It's the farthest left in the lower right corner, next to the Reply button.


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## Osiris the jackal (Mar 4, 2012)

Thanks for the post advise and enlightening conversation do you want to know anything else please ask.

I will continue this conversation tomorrow after I get back from school, when I find the time I will do a thesis and if you are interested I will send you a copy.

But for now good night.


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## ElectricBlue1989 (Mar 5, 2012)

I was never a fan of those types of shows, especially those that used a ton of gag and toilet humor to get laughs  (with few exceptions, like Ed, Edd and Eddy, which is more than that). 

I remember seeing the first episode (when no one talked and Eustace got into a chicken, then disintegrated). It was disturbing. 

But Courage sorta grew on me. It may never be my favorite, but I could actually sit through it, _intrigued_, 'til the end. Barely any show that you guys are currently worshiping can lay claim to that.


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## Lunar (Mar 5, 2012)

I don't think Courage used a lot of "toilet humor".  Actually I don't think much of it was funny at all.  Maybe when we were like, eight years old, but not so much anymore.  I loved it all the way through, though.  It was always my favorite.


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## Dragonfurry (Mar 5, 2012)

I miss that show. :'( It was seriously one of the best cartoons I have seen and I wish they would make more of it. :/


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## Osiris the jackal (Mar 5, 2012)

Actually edd Ed and eddy was also a show that held a lesson, not as profound as those seen in courage but still. The main lesson or theme in that show was to teach children that no matter if your smart, dumb, or anything else that people shouldn't be judged by their flaws. And it was also touching on the anti bullying campaign. But like I said nothing like courage.


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## yackitysmackity (Mar 7, 2012)

Hah! Everyone has a "Back in my day, CN still had GOOD cartoons!" story. Love it!

Still, Courage is definitely worthy of being considered legendary. It had a style all it's own. Eerie and creepy mixed with feelings of warmth and wholesome goodness :3 The tremendous degree of contrast really made the show stand out in a lot of ways and helped pace the slapstick humor along perfectly with the story.

What the heck is the creator working on these days? I want to say this was first and only series. I'm fairly sure he has some shorts one can find on youtube, but this guy seriously needs to get another show going!


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## Stratto the Hawk (Mar 7, 2012)

I miss when cartoons were good. But then again, I miss back when TV was good. Most of the programming is reality TV show drek or some other bullshit that isn't worth watching.


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## yackitysmackity (Mar 7, 2012)

Stratto the Hawk said:


> I miss when cartoons were good. But then again, I miss back when TV was good. Most of the programming is reality TV show drek or some other bullshit that isn't worth watching.



Netflix my friend. Then you can relive the classics again and again...

...then again and again and again and again!


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## Stratto the Hawk (Mar 7, 2012)

yackitysmackity said:


> Netflix my friend. Then you can relive the classics again and again...
> 
> ...then again and again and again and again!



I know, I use Netflix, I just wish that TV itself was actually worth watching like it used to be.


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