What kind of animal is Goofy?

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July 31st, 2013 at 3:47:12 PM permalink
Wizard
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This is one of those things I've been pondering for decades. What kind of animal is Goofy?

Most are quick to say he is a dog. For those of you in this camp, please explain if Goofy is a dog, then why can he talk, wear clothing, and walk on two feet, while Pluto, who is obviously a dog, barks, is naked, and walks on all fours.





Images source: wikipedia.
Knowledge is Good -- Emil Faber
July 31st, 2013 at 4:01:15 PM permalink
teliot
Member since: Jul 31, 2013
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Quote: Wizard
What kind of animal is Goofy?
Animal?
"error: 'cout' was not declared in this scope" -- g++
July 31st, 2013 at 4:04:10 PM permalink
Wizard
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Quote: teliot
Animal?


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Knowledge is Good -- Emil Faber
July 31st, 2013 at 4:15:39 PM permalink
AZDuffman
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
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This was answered in one of the "Imponderables" series of books in the 1990s. Goofy is a dog. He walks upright and talks to emphasize that he is an equal to Mickey and not a pet. Pluto is a pet.

To find out why one dog is an equal and another is a pet we will have to defrost Walt, probably not worth the hassle.
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July 31st, 2013 at 4:34:47 PM permalink
Wizard
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Quote: AZDuffman
Goofy is a dog. He walks upright and talks to emphasize that he is an equal to Mickey and not a pet. Pluto is a pet.


I'm not very satisfied with this answer. Did Goofy used to be a pet? If so, how did he increase his intelligence so significantly?

I can buy that animals can have human characteristics, like Porky Pig and Daffy Duck, but if so then all like animals should be at an equal level. I'm not big on inconsistency.
Knowledge is Good -- Emil Faber
July 31st, 2013 at 4:35:05 PM permalink
teliot
Member since: Jul 31, 2013
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Is Stewie Griffin a baby? Stewie talks to talking dogs. Some humans understand Stewie and can talk to him, others not so much.



I think Stewie might be a dog. (Sorry for not taking your questions seriously, Mike).
"error: 'cout' was not declared in this scope" -- g++
July 31st, 2013 at 5:45:56 PM permalink
AZDuffman
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 135
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Quote: Wizard
I'm not very satisfied with this answer. Did Goofy used to be a pet? If so, how did he increase his intelligence so significantly?

I can buy that animals can have human characteristics, like Porky Pig and Daffy Duck, but if so then all like animals should be at an equal level. I'm not big on inconsistency.


From Wikipedia NOTE: edit if this is violating DT TOS for how much I snipped, my hard copy book is packed away somewhere I don't know where, but this says mostly the same thing IIRC.

Confusion concerning Goofy and Pluto

Disney has needed to deal with a certain amount of confusion concerning the fact that the anthropomorphic Goofy is treated as a human while Pluto (an ordinary dog) is treated as a household pet, despite being of the same species. On their web site, it stated that "Goofy was originally created as Dippy Dawg" and "was created as a human character, as opposed to Pluto, who was a pet, so [Goofy] walked upright and had a speaking voice". This problem was humorously illustrated in the movie Stand By Me in which one of the boys ponders, "Mickey's a mouse, Donald's a duck, and Pluto's a dog. What's Goofy?" There is also an episode of the Disney Channel series Even Stevens called "Scrub Day" where in Louis' rallying-the-troops speech he wonders why Goofy got to walk and talk and Pluto has to eat from a dog bowl. This confusion is also mentioned in the French movie La Cité de la peur. In the Disney's Toontown Online event "April Toons Week, characters switch playgrounds and everything is silly. Pluto switches places with Minnie Mouse, and he speaks. A brief gag in an episode of House of Mouse also acknowledges this - Hades asks Goofy "Are you a man, are you a dog, are you a man-dog . . . what are you?". Goofy simply replies "I'm just Goofy." The confusion between Goofy and Pluto is also mentioned in an episode of Full House by Dave Coulier. Tina Fey used the term "Goofy Pluto" to refer to seemingly disparate roles for guest stars on 30 Rock, namely the mismatch between Jennifer Aniston playing a character in the show in the same episode in which the cast of Night Court appears as themselves in the episode titled "The One with the Cast of Night Court."


FWIW we see a similar phenomenon with the baby chicks Foghorn Leghorn watched over, some talked and acted human while others just peeped.
The President is a fink.
July 31st, 2013 at 5:56:08 PM permalink
theodores
Member since: Oct 28, 2012
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Has anyone seen the new Looney Tunes cartoons where they lead something close to "real lives?"
July 31st, 2013 at 6:50:51 PM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
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What kind of animal is this? Goofy's brother?

Jar Jar Binks
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
July 31st, 2013 at 10:11:21 PM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
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Urban Dictionary definition of Goofy Pluto == "a weird incongruity" .
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