Sometimes, one must ponder strange questions, such as: who causes more pain – the tiny yellow canary Tweety from Looney Tunes, or Kevin McCallister from Home Alone? At first glance, the comparison seems absurd. One is a cartoon character created to entertain, while the other is a child merely defending his home. But upon closer examination of their actions, things are not so straightforward.
Tweety – a wolf in sheep's clothing, a devil in soft plumage?
Tweety is a small, yellow puffball with an innocent look and a squeaky voice, almost always exclaiming, “I tawt I taw a puddy tat!” From his perspective, he is a potential victim of the cunning predator Sylvester. But if we examine the consequences of his “self-defense,” we start seeing something sinister.
Tweety doesn’t just evade the cat’s grasp – he subjects Sylvester to physical and psychological torment that is reminiscent of medieval torture. Do you remember the instances when Sylvester was electrocuted, fried, struck with giant objects, or sent plummeting from insane heights? And all the while, Tweety flutters innocently, pretending nothing happened.
At some point, you start wondering – who is really the victim? The cat, who is naturally programmed to hunt birds, or the canary who methodically and gleefully orchestrates his defense in a way reminiscent of Jason Bourne movies?
Kevin McCallister – the child who could have been the villain in Saw
If Tweety is a sadist, Kevin is an engineer of pain. We all know that the premise of Home Alone is a child defending himself against two not-so-bright burglars. But beyond the comedic element, we start to realize that Kevin actually sets up traps that could easily be classified as attempted murder.
A red-hot doorknob, nails in the foot, bricks to the head, a glowing-hot iron, flaming hats – these are all things that could cause severe injuries, if not be fatal. Kevin isn’t just defending his home – he turns it into a death trap, reveling in the pain he inflicts. Look at his expression when a trap works – a smirk, satisfaction, sometimes even a slight giggle.
Why didn’t he just call the police right away? Why didn’t he escape? Instead, he meticulously planned a weekend of turning two criminals’ lives into hell. If we placed him in a different context – say, a horror movie – Kevin could easily be a masked killer, hunting his victims with ingeniously designed traps.
So, who is more evil?
If we talk about psychological and physical torment, Tweety wins in terms of sustained cruelty. He has tormented Sylvester for years, with the cat never getting a real chance for revenge. Tweety is a sadist with a permanent smile.
If we talk about brutality and level of damage, Kevin is the undisputed champion. The only reason Harry and Marv survived is that the movie is a comedy. In reality, after the first brick to the head, Marv would likely have fallen into a coma, and after the second – he’d be permanently gone.
And in the end? Tweety is the psychological sadist, while Kevin is the physical executioner. If the two were to meet, one thing is certain – it would be bloody.
Victims as Sisyphuses – The Tragedy of Endless Suffering
If Tweety and Kevin are sadists, then the dynamic between Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner is even more complex – it includes a significant dose of masochism. Coyote, though a classic “villain,” is actually the embodiment of unbreakable will and endless suffering. He is willing to invest absurd amounts in ACME traps that inevitably backfire on him. Rocks always fall on him, dynamite always explodes in his face, yet he gets up and continues chasing the impossible.
Coyote is always scrawny and malnourished, but he is driven by sheer spite. He never gives up, even when crushed by his own mistakes. In a way, his obsession makes him an even more tragic figure.
Roadrunner, on the other hand, doesn’t even try to hurt Coyote – he simply pushes him toward self-destruction. Here, the sadism is passive – all he does is say “Beep beep!” and leave Coyote to inflict pain upon himself.
If Tweety and Kevin control the fate of their victims, their victims – Sylvester, the burglars, and Coyote – are the true Sisyphuses of animation. They are doomed to repeatedly fall for their naive hopes, only to be cruelly crushed. With every new beginning comes another downfall, making their plight even more tragic. Coyote knows he will fail, but that doesn’t stop him. In this case, we can’t talk about just sadism – there’s also a great deal of masochism, making this story even more tragic and comedic at the same time.
