Search/Recent Changes
DBTropes
...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!

The Bear That Wasn't

 The Bear That Wasn't
type
TVTItem
 The Bear That Wasn't
label
The Bear That Wasn't
 The Bear That Wasn't
page
TheBearThatWasnt
 The Bear That Wasn't
comment
The Bear That Wasn't is a 1967 MGM cartoon produced by Chuck Jones, based on the 1947 book of the same name by Frank Tashlin. Tashlin was also credited as a producer but was not involved in the actual production process.One day, a bear decides to hibernate for the winter. During his hibernation, his forest and even cave get razed so that a big factory can be built. The factory is built and the bear is shocked when he walks right into the middle of the factory. A foreman spots the bear and orders him back to work, but the bear insists that he does not work here and is just a bear. The foreman shouts at him that he is a "a silly man who needs a shave and wears a fur coat." The foreman takes him to see the general manager as well as the third, second and first vice presidents of the factory. They all repeat to the bear that he is not a bear, but a silly man who needs a shave and wears a fur coat. The five men then escort the bear to the office of the president. Not only does the president repeat that the bear is a silly man who needs a shave and wears a fur coat, but he proves it by taking the bear and the other managers to the zoo.The president explains that bears belong in the zoo or the circus; since the bear was not at the zoo or circus, he can not be a bear. The zoo bears actually agree with the president's words, arguing that if the bear was really one of them, he would be in the zoo cage with them.The bear finally accepts what the factory management has kept telling him. He goes to work in the factory. When fall comes and turns into winter, the bear's instincts take hold. He goes into a cave and hibernates for the winter. In spite of everything all the bosses and the zoo bears said, the bear "was not a silly man...and he was not a silly bear, either".The cartoon is available for viewing on YouTube. It's also available on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection and on the Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 1 Blu-Ray set.Last animated short film ever made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
 The Bear That Wasn't
fetched
2024-03-08T15:47:49Z
 The Bear That Wasn't
parsed
2024-03-08T15:47:49Z
 The Bear That Wasn't
isPartOf
DBTropes
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_18aff462
type
Artistic License – Biology
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_18aff462
comment
Artistic License – Biology: Like with many cartoons, this short repeats the belief that bears hibernate in winter. In reality, bears do NOT truly hibernate, but will sleep for long periods of time. They do wake up during winter to go out looking for food.
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_18aff462
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_18aff462
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't
hasFeature
The Bear That Wasn't / int_18aff462
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_1f14978d
type
Talking Animal
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_1f14978d
comment
Talking Animal: The titular bear can communicate with the humans this way, further adding to their belief that he is just a human clad in a fur coat who hasn't shaved yet. The bears at the zoo count too, where even they agree that the bear they see outside their cage couldn't be one.
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_1f14978d
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_1f14978d
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't
hasFeature
The Bear That Wasn't / int_1f14978d
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_2d0b9eea
type
Beary Funny
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_2d0b9eea
comment
Beary Funny: Ya think? The poor bear spends the whole story being mistaken for a worker and being unable to convince the people that he is not human, and eventually does have to work.
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_2d0b9eea
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_2d0b9eea
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't
hasFeature
The Bear That Wasn't / int_2d0b9eea
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_308a5ff0
type
Strange Minds Think Alike
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_308a5ff0
comment
Strange Minds Think Alike: Everyone insists to the bear that he is not a bear, but a silly man who needs a shave and wears a fur coat. Even the bears at the zoo think the same thing!
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_308a5ff0
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_308a5ff0
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't
hasFeature
The Bear That Wasn't / int_308a5ff0
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_3f064a0d
type
Humans Are Morons
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_3f064a0d
comment
Humans Are Morons: What else can be said about the humans here who oddly insist that the bear in front of them is human, when they can see otherwise.
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_3f064a0d
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_3f064a0d
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't
hasFeature
The Bear That Wasn't / int_3f064a0d
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_48b9731f
type
Paper-Thin Disguise
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_48b9731f
comment
Paper-Thin Disguise: It is implied that one reason everyone thought the bear was a silly man, who needs a shave and wears a fur coat, was because he was holding a coffee mug and had a cigarette in his mouth. Near the end of the cartoon, he notices that he still has them. He drops them in the snow before returning to his cave.
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_48b9731f
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_48b9731f
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't
hasFeature
The Bear That Wasn't / int_48b9731f
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_77b009ea
type
Phrase Catcher
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_77b009ea
comment
Phrase Catcher: "You're just a silly man who needs a shave and wears a fur coat!" Said by every single human and the bears at the zoo.
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_77b009ea
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_77b009ea
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't
hasFeature
The Bear That Wasn't / int_77b009ea
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_7abba202
type
The Faceless
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_7abba202
comment
The Faceless: We never see the factory president's face.
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_7abba202
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_7abba202
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't
hasFeature
The Bear That Wasn't / int_7abba202
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_82ff8b68
type
Artistic License – Animal Care
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_82ff8b68
comment
Artistic License – Animal Care: There are an awful lot of bears living in that one cage in the zoo.
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_82ff8b68
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_82ff8b68
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't
hasFeature
The Bear That Wasn't / int_82ff8b68
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_8c41d6e9
type
Nameless Narrative
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_8c41d6e9
comment
Nameless Narrative: None of the characters receive a name.
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_8c41d6e9
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_8c41d6e9
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't
hasFeature
The Bear That Wasn't / int_8c41d6e9
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_b894042e
type
False Dichotomy
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_b894042e
comment
False Dichotomy: The president argues that bears are not found in factories but in zoos and circuses. He dictates that since the bear is not in a zoo or a circus, he can't be a bear. The zoo bears even repeat and agree with this, arguing that the protagonist can't be a bear since he was not in the cage with the other bearsnote This may be because they were born and raised in captivity, thus being under the misconception that it is the only place bears can be.
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_b894042e
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_b894042e
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't
hasFeature
The Bear That Wasn't / int_b894042e
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_bbc77bb5
type
Hard Truth Aesop
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_bbc77bb5
comment
Hard Truth Aesop: Frank Tashlin stated the original book was supposed to be about how people will believe what they want to believe, even when hard evidence stating otherwise is right in front of their face.
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_bbc77bb5
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_bbc77bb5
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't
hasFeature
The Bear That Wasn't / int_bbc77bb5
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_c5f0119c
type
Insane Troll Logic
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_c5f0119c
comment
Insane Troll Logic: How dense can the factory management be to believe that this bear is actually a man in a fur coat, needing a shave? See also False Dichotomy above.
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_c5f0119c
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_c5f0119c
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't
hasFeature
The Bear That Wasn't / int_c5f0119c
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_ce104b8e
type
Serial Escalation
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_ce104b8e
comment
Serial Escalation: The corporate execs' offices are progressively more luxurious and extravagant, with more secretaries singing "come in".
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_ce104b8e
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_ce104b8e
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't
hasFeature
The Bear That Wasn't / int_ce104b8e
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_d148b019
type
Mundane Made Awesome
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_d148b019
comment
Mundane Made Awesome: The secretaries don't just say "Come in." They sing it. The president's secretaries even perform something short of an opera.
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_d148b019
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_d148b019
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't
hasFeature
The Bear That Wasn't / int_d148b019
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_d7b34c31
type
Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep"
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_d7b34c31
comment
Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": The foreman, general manager, all three vice presidents and president are never given any names but are referred to by their titles.
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_d7b34c31
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_d7b34c31
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't
hasFeature
The Bear That Wasn't / int_d7b34c31
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_de328285
type
Expressive Accessory
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_de328285
comment
Expressive Accessory: The foreman wears a button that mimics his facial expressions.
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_de328285
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_de328285
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't
hasFeature
The Bear That Wasn't / int_de328285
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_e3c70df1
type
Mister Big
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_e3c70df1
comment
Mister Big: The factory president is notably shorter than his subordinates.
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_e3c70df1
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_e3c70df1
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't
hasFeature
The Bear That Wasn't / int_e3c70df1
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_f005700f
type
Conspicuous Consumption
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_f005700f
comment
Conspicuous Consumption: The offices of the vice presidents get progressively bigger with more secretaries, but the president's office really takes the cake. It is gigantic, and includes a big fancy chandelier, a giant desk with an equally giant chair and five secretaries that sing an operatic "Come in!"
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_f005700f
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_f005700f
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't
hasFeature
The Bear That Wasn't / int_f005700f
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_f7155e6e
type
Escalating Punchline
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_f7155e6e
comment
Escalating Punchline: The amount of secretaries increase with the rank that each supervisor has, and all they say is "come in!"... which finally culminates in the president's five secretaries who all sing a very elaborate, operatic song consisting of just saying "come in!".
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_f7155e6e
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_f7155e6e
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't
hasFeature
The Bear That Wasn't / int_f7155e6e
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_name
type
ItemName
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_name
comment
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_name
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_name
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Bear That Wasn't
hasFeature
The Bear That Wasn't / int_name
 The Bear That Wasn't / int_name
itemName
The Bear That Wasn't

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 The Bear That Wasn't
hasFeature
Coincidental Accidental Disguise / int_d61f5caf
 The Bear That Wasn't
hasFeature
End of an Age / int_d61f5caf
 The Bear That Wasn't
hasFeature
False Dichotomy / int_d61f5caf
 The Dark Age of Animation
seeAlso
The Bear That Wasn't