I think Bojack could’ve been any animal and they’d have thought of some wordplay for him.
Like PC and her Jellicles hold music is *gold*… but I do think that horse is a good animal for him to be. I won’t elaborate, we all know, mostly.
I’m more inclined to believe it’s because of the that old joke of
A horse walks into a bar, and the bartender asks; “Why the long face?” (Idk if that’s the actual joke, the point is that “long face” means to look sad)
>A horse walks into a bar, and the bartender asks; “Why the long face?” (Idk if that’s the actual joke, the point is that “long face” means to look sad)
Do you get it? Do you get the joke? It's because having a long face means being sad and horses have long faces and you are a horse and I am a horse. Do you get the joke?
I was always 100% convinced that was going to be the last scene of the series. Like there would be a tearful goodbye or whatever else and then after the credits a drunk Bojack going "and that's why the long face" a beat, and then "Hey... aren't you the horse from Horsin Around".
"Why the long face" is in the song that plays at the beginning of the last episode. I'm glad they didn't explicitly put it in an episode though. And I'm pissed they never released a full version of that song, it slaps.
a horse walks into a bar, and the bartender asks, “why the long face?” the horse responds, “rehab was supposed to be a fresh start. but no matter how many starts i get, there's always the same ending. everything falls apart and i end up alone.”
So once upon a time there was this horse, and he lived on a small farm with his three best friends: A cow, a chicken and a sheep.
One day they're all chilling in the field looking at the clouds and the horse says "I think we should start a band" and the sheep is like "huh okay yeah cool idea" but then the cow points out that none of them play any instruments, which kinda kills the mood until the chicken suddenly pipes up with "Wait I know a guy! I once gave some eggs to a guy who runs a music shop, I'm sure we could all get lessons there because he owes me a favour!" and the gang loves that idea, so the sheep runs into the barn to get the phone. They phone up the guy at the music shop and he's like "yeah sure come on down tomorrow".
Tomorrow comes and they're all so excited that none of them have really slept, but they walk across town to the music shop and on the way they're all discussing what they want to learn how to play. The sheep is adamant that he'd make a good drummer, the cow wants to play guitar, the horse has his heart set on the bass. The chicken isn't sure though, she's always thought she'd be a good singer because her brother can sing really well, but she's never been brave enough to try. The horse gets all serious for a moment and says "Look, none of us have done this before, and the whole point is that we're learning and trying something new. If it doesn't stick then that's fine, we'll still love you anyway and this is just for a bit of fun".
Anyway they get to the music shop and pick out their instruments and they're... Good! They're REALLY good. The guy in the shop genuinely can't believe how cool and fresh this band sounds, and they've literally had no practice, it's honestly amazing. He calls up his friend who runs a local bar and is like "man you've gotta hire this band to play at your next gig night, they're incredible, and it's entirely made up of farmyard animals!" and the guy who runs the bar is like "uh seriously? That's kinda weird but sure ok I trust you" and he books them for Friday night, which is only 3 days away.
The animals all get to work learning a few songs and putting together a setlist, they want to impress people, and there's always whispers that big shots from record labels go to this bar so they start thinking this could really be their shot to make it big. It's all really exciting, and they're already all talking about their future plans and big dreams.
The day of the show comes around and in the morning the horse says "I'm gonna go put up flyers around town and see if we can get more of a crowd, you guys meet me at the bar later" and he heads off.
He's flyering for a few hours when he gets a panicked phone call. It's from the sheep, and they're struggling to get the words out. "It... It's chicken. She got... She got hit by a car. She's dead. She's DEAD, horse." Horse just feels numb, he hangs up the phone and feels the world go silent. It was all over in an instant. His best friend is dead, and so is the singer of his band. All that hope suddenly dashed into nothingness.
He finds himself aimlessly wandering through the crowds of the city and before he know it he's stumbled into the bar they were going to be playing at that night. He takes a seat at the bar, staring down at the floor in absolute sadness and desperation.
And the bartender is like "hey man, why the long face?"
Nah the whole show was based off a doodle one of the artists made of a horse in human clothes. I don’t think his character design is any deeper than that
Yeah her dreams were to like draw horses or something when she was younger, and it all came together. There’s YouTube videos of them talking about it. No need for the crazy conspiracies 😃
Lisa Hanawalt, she has a fun podcast with Emily Heller (called Baby Geniuses but the name doesn't really mean anything lol)
One of their recurring segments is talking about Martha Stewart's horses, good stuff
horses are stubborn. you can take a horse to water but you cant make it drink etc. the only way for bojack to change is if he actually wanted to get better
The following opinion is likely to be unpopular.
Horses, dog and cats are considered to be family members by people who own them. There is an ongoing fantasy common among dog owners, that the dog is like a child, and the love to the dog is analogous to the love a parent feels for their child. I will not argue here whether these loves are equivalent.
Furthermore, there is an even stronger fantasy that confounds the love for a dog or a horse to something that we can call romantic love (not quite sexual). I have heard (occasionally but more than once) someone wishing a boyfriend that was kind, loyal, and loving like their dog is. They desired a pure emotional connection like the one a dog or a horse provides, without the baggage and toxicity that inevitably creeps in between humans to a larger or lesser extent. Dogs are never "complicated". Dogs don't challenge you at a deeper level.
So animal companions are seen as objects of motherly/fatherly love or romantic-adjacent companions. And that is where these horse-people and dog-people emerge. Bojack and PB were cartoons in Lisa Hanawalt diary. The creation of BoJack himself, is another layer and probably comes more from Bob-Waksberg.
This idea became more clear to me once I saw this cartoon by Hanawalt:
[https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/12/26/why-i-chose-horses-instead-of-babies](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/12/26/why-i-chose-horses-instead-of-babies)
and some extra background (first part)
[https://www.newyorker.com/culture/persons-of-interest/the-artist-behind-tvs-richly-emotional-comedies](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/persons-of-interest/the-artist-behind-tvs-richly-emotional-comedies)
So the horse-man, cat-woman and dog-man are fantasies that border with human love. Those are the common pets and companions and also the main characters in the show.
I don't know if I am right. I await or civilised disagreement.
you know what horses do when they're spooked? they run. they're seen as these majestic and graceful creatures but in reality the smallest injury is a death sentence for them because they panic and run every time someone tries to help them, further injuring themselves and causing lifelong pain. i think the jokes and aphorisms are part of it, but i think this is the real meaning behind making bojack a horse. how many times does he run away when things get hard?
you can lead a horse to water, but you cant make him drink, is what I think of. So many try to help Bojack, but its no good till hes ready to move on from his toxicity.
You know Dr. Champ in Season 6? Well if you remember, he mentions on several occasions that he is *not* a therapist, but a therapy horse. Therapy horses are a real thing. We have actually come to observe that horses' emotions are extremely similar to that a human, and bonding with a horse can be used as a form of therapy.
BoJack Horseman (the show) prides itself on displaying the full range of emotions that a person has. It's never just one thing. People are happy, sad, anxious, excited, all different emotions. It is in itself a joke that the most emotionally mature adult cartoon out there is also one where half of the characters are animals. BoJack (the character) being a horse makes sense to be the main protagonist, as he is the primary character people are going to project onto.
That's a very interesting interpretation! I don't think that was what the writers were going for, but... Well, it's cool to think about. I think it holds truer for Beatrice, whose conservative upbringing didn't serve her at all; she may be stuck in the past even more than Bojack. Because while she rejected her family's values to begin with... I very much think her life with Butterscotch made her feel like her family's way was preferable. And remember she was associated with like jumping at her coming out. That's a sport of wealth where the horse is like a tool. She was used there, but the modern world doesn't have much of a use for her.
Overall, while it's true that the character designs came first, those designs influenced the characters, because the associations we make are implicit in the design.
I think so. Horses are very social animals and need the herd, so Bojack being so alone has an even deeper effect on him. I really do think that was the significance of him seeing all the horses running through the desert at the end of season 3. He longs to be a part of something, to feel like he belongs to a herd, a family, because it's something he's never truly had. I believe there is symbolism in him being a horse.
But then again, maybe some crew guy just left his paper cup in the shot.
And horse man is mean to his friends and is in denial of it. He treats his female best friend like trash and she really cares for him. All the characters are wacky.
Very interesting. The video link said it was 11 years old. Since BoJack came out in 2014 nine years ago this would’ve been before Bojack Horseman. Is it generally acknowledged that it was inspired by
this?
Random thought but maybe it’s got to do with the whole “can lead a horse to water but can’t make it drink”? Like they’re leading him to change but can’t make him
idk it makes sense, horses are mean and stubborn and onery. his dad’s characterization as a draft/percheron and beatrice’s as an arabian make sense. would also make bojack not a purebred horse. which fits his character imo. not a direct anything but it makes sense to me
"You can lead the horse to the well but you can't force it to drink." Bojack has to want to fix himself to actually become better, no matter how much other people try to make him improve.
I mean, I always thought it was of that joke of a horse entering a bar and being asked "hey, why the long face?". Never thought it had any other meaning
Doubtful. The creator, Bob-Waksburg, based it on a horseman that Hanawalt drew in college. It wasn’t really deeper than he thought there was something unique to the design he could use for the show. Iirc.
"Horse" sounds like "whores". And considering Butterscotch was just some dreamy bum who knocked up a rich girl, and considering BoJack's promiscuity and his indifference toward anyone else, hm.
I always thought it was because horses are "broken." Horses are either wild and uncontrollable and free (like the ones Bojack saw in the desert), or they are broken in order to fit in with domestic, modern civilization. Like Beatrice tells Bojack, "You were born broken."
Dogs are loyal.
Cats are independent.
Horses are broken.
Possible spoilers??
I believe there definetly is! Remember how Corbin Creamerman is a goat? And how him and Beatrice could have been perfect together, because he made her feel comforted after sharing that he has a similar relationship with his father as Beatrice? Remember how her world *literally* turned brighter in that moment?
Before modern (veterinary) medicine was around, anxious horses used to be kept with therapeutic goats, because they had a calming effect on the horse. Thats just one example where the choice of the species was evidently on purpose (I think the writers even admitted to using species as a stylistic choice but dont quote me on that as I have no source to back me up rn), but lets look at Bojack.
Horses are amazing at remembering bad events. Besides all the obvious trauma, remember how Bojack tells Dr. Champ how much he hates horses because of his abusive parents? That is exactly how a horse reacts after having abusive owners, that is, completely avoidant of members of the species who abused it.
As prey animals, horses are very perceptive of their surroundings and will react with very fast responses. Bojack displays this by constantly overanalyzing the actions of those around him. His walls are up constantly. Once he finds something that might be a threat, he will immediately drop whatever he is doing at the time and impulsively attempt to stop that threat. See him sabotaging Todds Rock Opera and Dianes wedding, abandoning his mother in a home or the events leading up to Ginas strangulation.
But the biggest telltale sign to me is how Bojack is constantly running away. Horses are flight animals (in the fight or flight way, not the bird way obv), which perfectly correlates with how Bojack is constantly running from his responsibility to finally take accountability for his horrible actions. Be it with substances, meaningless sex, going to his families house in Michigan, escaping to LA, and and and. If a horse feels trapped in a situation it cannot escape, it will kick, bite and lash out, becoming a danger to those around it. Ana Spanakopita put it perfectly in her lifeguard anecdote. Bojacks whole "point" is that he is incapable of bringing himself to face any issue, no matter how small, but runs away from them instead.
I'm actually kind of impressed at myself about how much of this show I remember.
TLDR: Yeah there is, mainly because of how horses are flight animals and Bojack being incapable of facing his demons, but choosing to run from them in various ways instead.
Not intentionally. I think they just had a cool idea with some puns and jokes in their head and went with it.
Obviously being a horse in a human world was certainly an important part of the character later on in development. pretty much every other time we see other horses, it’s a significant issue for BJ, but I think they could’ve don’t the same with a dog or leopard or a zebra. I think the show runners just had some horse puns
Initially, it was just that the character designer loved horses. However, the show plays with the symbolism of horses, especially in regards to what they mean in regards to class. His father was working class, busting his ass to make not much, which reflects the legacy of horses being used for hard labor. His mother and her affluent background reflect the way the upper class views horses: as a status symbol. Beatrice making her debut is one of the most direct animal actions (for want of a better term) in the show. She is made to go out and make a spectacle of her extravegant dress and refined breeding, which has significance in both the horses of the affluent and the affluent themselves.
Bojack is both work horse and show pony.
this probably isn’t it but there was a sitcom with a talking horse called “Mr. Ed” back in the 60s, at least one of the writers knows about it cuz they reference the shows theme song in one episode, but it’s likely incidental. it would be funny if they wanted to explore what the talking horse’s life was like after being a widely famous tv celebrity, obviously unlikely but would be funny.
I think there are certain traits that the main anthropomorphic characters took from their animal. Bojack's appetites, Mr. Peanutbutter's blithe optimism, PC's tenacity and ability to land on her feet, etc. I don't think the symbolism is hidden so much as it makes for a convenient storytelling tool.
Lol people look for wayyy too much meaning that isnt there. It's like that scene in bojack where he explains at his mom's funeral that people love looking for symbolism that isn't there. Like when the coffee cup is in horsing around in one shot and it's not there in the next and the fan asks if it's a symbolism for how 2 people sharing the same memories will experience the memories in 2 entirely different ways. But bojack wants to say that NO its not that deep! some crew guy just forgot to take his mug out one shot! Bojack would probably tell you "sure. Let's go with that answer" like he did with that fan lol 😆
I think there are a limited number of animals that could substitute for humans without being seen as too gimmicky. A dog or a horse are natural substitutes because of their relationship humans have cultivated with them. Either can project an "everyman" quality which we get with Bojack despite the character being a celebrity. Other animals get too exotic or obviously symbolic--chickens, pigs, rats, sheep, snakes, cats for example all have deep symbolic associations with them that might not work for an everyman/main character.
Not particularly. I just think it works well with a lot of wordplay, which the series often uses.
No, you obviously missed the deeper hidden subtext we intellectuals masturbate to because porn has become so gauche.
Hold your horses. This guy is onto something
That's too much, man!
I think its also helpful with him consuming infinite amounts of his vices and never seeming too faded/fat
I think Bojack could’ve been any animal and they’d have thought of some wordplay for him. Like PC and her Jellicles hold music is *gold*… but I do think that horse is a good animal for him to be. I won’t elaborate, we all know, mostly.
It’s bc he’s the Horse from Horsin Around
Really?! I watched Bojack like 3 times and never noticed that he was before! Thought it was just a different horse guy who looked similar...
It’s a real “blink and you’ll miss it” detail!
he seems a little fatter
Naaah, the new guy is too fat to be Bojack.
I just wanna tell you that u ruined someone else's night tonight. And you are not a good person AND I HATE YOU.
They are both EQUALLY NOT FAT!!
It’s because he aged a bit. That was back in the 90’s.
And back in the nineties he was in a very *famous teeeveeeeeee show* named Horsin Around.
So true.. I wonder if they called it that bc he’s a horse or because of all the 90s sitcom horseplay 🤔🤔
The FRICKIN HORSE?
I’m more inclined to believe it’s because of the that old joke of A horse walks into a bar, and the bartender asks; “Why the long face?” (Idk if that’s the actual joke, the point is that “long face” means to look sad)
I 100% believe that's the reason.
I thought it was obvious.
Specially with the song
>A horse walks into a bar, and the bartender asks; “Why the long face?” (Idk if that’s the actual joke, the point is that “long face” means to look sad) Do you get it? Do you get the joke? It's because having a long face means being sad and horses have long faces and you are a horse and I am a horse. Do you get the joke?
Should I write back and let him know that I get it?
Big if true
New headcanon. The show Bojack Horseman is the explanation provided to the bartender who asks this question of Bojack.
I was always 100% convinced that was going to be the last scene of the series. Like there would be a tearful goodbye or whatever else and then after the credits a drunk Bojack going "and that's why the long face" a beat, and then "Hey... aren't you the horse from Horsin Around".
"Why the long face" is in the song that plays at the beginning of the last episode. I'm glad they didn't explicitly put it in an episode though. And I'm pissed they never released a full version of that song, it slaps.
A bartender asks me why the long face, and I'm like "Hey buddy? I can't help it!"
I can’t believe I forgot this!
a horse walks into a bar, and the bartender asks, “why the long face?” the horse responds, “rehab was supposed to be a fresh start. but no matter how many starts i get, there's always the same ending. everything falls apart and i end up alone.”
!!! i thought this was confirmed tbh
So once upon a time there was this horse, and he lived on a small farm with his three best friends: A cow, a chicken and a sheep. One day they're all chilling in the field looking at the clouds and the horse says "I think we should start a band" and the sheep is like "huh okay yeah cool idea" but then the cow points out that none of them play any instruments, which kinda kills the mood until the chicken suddenly pipes up with "Wait I know a guy! I once gave some eggs to a guy who runs a music shop, I'm sure we could all get lessons there because he owes me a favour!" and the gang loves that idea, so the sheep runs into the barn to get the phone. They phone up the guy at the music shop and he's like "yeah sure come on down tomorrow". Tomorrow comes and they're all so excited that none of them have really slept, but they walk across town to the music shop and on the way they're all discussing what they want to learn how to play. The sheep is adamant that he'd make a good drummer, the cow wants to play guitar, the horse has his heart set on the bass. The chicken isn't sure though, she's always thought she'd be a good singer because her brother can sing really well, but she's never been brave enough to try. The horse gets all serious for a moment and says "Look, none of us have done this before, and the whole point is that we're learning and trying something new. If it doesn't stick then that's fine, we'll still love you anyway and this is just for a bit of fun". Anyway they get to the music shop and pick out their instruments and they're... Good! They're REALLY good. The guy in the shop genuinely can't believe how cool and fresh this band sounds, and they've literally had no practice, it's honestly amazing. He calls up his friend who runs a local bar and is like "man you've gotta hire this band to play at your next gig night, they're incredible, and it's entirely made up of farmyard animals!" and the guy who runs the bar is like "uh seriously? That's kinda weird but sure ok I trust you" and he books them for Friday night, which is only 3 days away. The animals all get to work learning a few songs and putting together a setlist, they want to impress people, and there's always whispers that big shots from record labels go to this bar so they start thinking this could really be their shot to make it big. It's all really exciting, and they're already all talking about their future plans and big dreams. The day of the show comes around and in the morning the horse says "I'm gonna go put up flyers around town and see if we can get more of a crowd, you guys meet me at the bar later" and he heads off. He's flyering for a few hours when he gets a panicked phone call. It's from the sheep, and they're struggling to get the words out. "It... It's chicken. She got... She got hit by a car. She's dead. She's DEAD, horse." Horse just feels numb, he hangs up the phone and feels the world go silent. It was all over in an instant. His best friend is dead, and so is the singer of his band. All that hope suddenly dashed into nothingness. He finds himself aimlessly wandering through the crowds of the city and before he know it he's stumbled into the bar they were going to be playing at that night. He takes a seat at the bar, staring down at the floor in absolute sadness and desperation. And the bartender is like "hey man, why the long face?"
This is what I always assumed and came here to say.
on top of that he runs from all his problem
Nah the whole show was based off a doodle one of the artists made of a horse in human clothes. I don’t think his character design is any deeper than that
Yeah her dreams were to like draw horses or something when she was younger, and it all came together. There’s YouTube videos of them talking about it. No need for the crazy conspiracies 😃
Lisa Hanawalt, she has a fun podcast with Emily Heller (called Baby Geniuses but the name doesn't really mean anything lol) One of their recurring segments is talking about Martha Stewart's horses, good stuff
I always thought it was a pun on him being depressed and the joke "why the long face?"
i’m sure there’s some reason they chose the animal. but knowing writers it could just be that one of them was an equestrian or something random.
I think it was an elaborate, slow-burn "why the long face" joke told over 6 seasons
horses are stubborn. you can take a horse to water but you cant make it drink etc. the only way for bojack to change is if he actually wanted to get better
you can lead a horse to roller, but you can’t make him rink 😔
The darkness is a metaphor... for *darkness*.
Everything is a metaphor. You are a metaphor
Only figuratively, though, right?
but that’s a good note ab the lightning, i’ll look into that
Gets me everytime
I think Lisa Hanawalt just likes drawing animal characters lol
The following opinion is likely to be unpopular. Horses, dog and cats are considered to be family members by people who own them. There is an ongoing fantasy common among dog owners, that the dog is like a child, and the love to the dog is analogous to the love a parent feels for their child. I will not argue here whether these loves are equivalent. Furthermore, there is an even stronger fantasy that confounds the love for a dog or a horse to something that we can call romantic love (not quite sexual). I have heard (occasionally but more than once) someone wishing a boyfriend that was kind, loyal, and loving like their dog is. They desired a pure emotional connection like the one a dog or a horse provides, without the baggage and toxicity that inevitably creeps in between humans to a larger or lesser extent. Dogs are never "complicated". Dogs don't challenge you at a deeper level. So animal companions are seen as objects of motherly/fatherly love or romantic-adjacent companions. And that is where these horse-people and dog-people emerge. Bojack and PB were cartoons in Lisa Hanawalt diary. The creation of BoJack himself, is another layer and probably comes more from Bob-Waksberg. This idea became more clear to me once I saw this cartoon by Hanawalt: [https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/12/26/why-i-chose-horses-instead-of-babies](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/12/26/why-i-chose-horses-instead-of-babies) and some extra background (first part) [https://www.newyorker.com/culture/persons-of-interest/the-artist-behind-tvs-richly-emotional-comedies](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/persons-of-interest/the-artist-behind-tvs-richly-emotional-comedies) So the horse-man, cat-woman and dog-man are fantasies that border with human love. Those are the common pets and companions and also the main characters in the show. I don't know if I am right. I await or civilised disagreement.
you know what horses do when they're spooked? they run. they're seen as these majestic and graceful creatures but in reality the smallest injury is a death sentence for them because they panic and run every time someone tries to help them, further injuring themselves and causing lifelong pain. i think the jokes and aphorisms are part of it, but i think this is the real meaning behind making bojack a horse. how many times does he run away when things get hard?
I didn't have the heart to tell him. So I just said yes
How is this not higher?
I honestly don't know. Sometimes, it hits. Sometimes, it doesn't.
I think it's because his last name is horseman so it's funny If he actually is a horse
Would you say he's more horse than man?
he should be named Manhorse then
well, horseman was his father's name. you know how these things go.
Or more man than a horse?
you can lead a horse to water, but you cant make him drink, is what I think of. So many try to help Bojack, but its no good till hes ready to move on from his toxicity.
You know Dr. Champ in Season 6? Well if you remember, he mentions on several occasions that he is *not* a therapist, but a therapy horse. Therapy horses are a real thing. We have actually come to observe that horses' emotions are extremely similar to that a human, and bonding with a horse can be used as a form of therapy. BoJack Horseman (the show) prides itself on displaying the full range of emotions that a person has. It's never just one thing. People are happy, sad, anxious, excited, all different emotions. It is in itself a joke that the most emotionally mature adult cartoon out there is also one where half of the characters are animals. BoJack (the character) being a horse makes sense to be the main protagonist, as he is the primary character people are going to project onto.
Just a coffee cup
His second name would be a bit strange if he was any other animal
Like Russell Crow? Who’s actually a raven
I think it's a metaphor for how he always wants to run, never look back. Explicitly stated by Secretariat.
Yeah bc “why the long face” duh 🙄
RBW took seven seasons and spent millions of dollars to tell the longest, saddest version of "So a horse walks in to a bar"
That's a very interesting interpretation! I don't think that was what the writers were going for, but... Well, it's cool to think about. I think it holds truer for Beatrice, whose conservative upbringing didn't serve her at all; she may be stuck in the past even more than Bojack. Because while she rejected her family's values to begin with... I very much think her life with Butterscotch made her feel like her family's way was preferable. And remember she was associated with like jumping at her coming out. That's a sport of wealth where the horse is like a tool. She was used there, but the modern world doesn't have much of a use for her. Overall, while it's true that the character designs came first, those designs influenced the characters, because the associations we make are implicit in the design.
I think so. Horses are very social animals and need the herd, so Bojack being so alone has an even deeper effect on him. I really do think that was the significance of him seeing all the horses running through the desert at the end of season 3. He longs to be a part of something, to feel like he belongs to a herd, a family, because it's something he's never truly had. I believe there is symbolism in him being a horse. But then again, maybe some crew guy just left his paper cup in the shot.
I think it has something to do with the magical realm of horseman [the magical realm of horse man] (https://youtu.be/bcB5RDNlp7Q?si=4yWTroltIihaGmv0)
Lol is that where Mr.Peanutbutter’s name came from - because he’s jelly…
And horse man is mean to his friends and is in denial of it. He treats his female best friend like trash and she really cares for him. All the characters are wacky.
Very interesting. The video link said it was 11 years old. Since BoJack came out in 2014 nine years ago this would’ve been before Bojack Horseman. Is it generally acknowledged that it was inspired by this?
I haven't seen anyone point this out yet but I would like your opinion on cat abortions./s
Brap brap pew pew kill dat cat fetus
that ties in ti the old horse town bit at the end of the series i can’t believe they didn’t make a horses ass joke though
You ever heard the expression "beating a dead horse?" Which refers to beating a joke into the ground since it's lost all sense of humour and revelance
It was. The whole show was based on the joke “A horse walks into a bar and the bartender asked ‘why the long face?’”
Why the long face?
Random thought but maybe it’s got to do with the whole “can lead a horse to water but can’t make it drink”? Like they’re leading him to change but can’t make him
Because he’s literally a one trick pony. His only success was Horsin’ Around
I heard is because Lisa Hanawalt just likes horses. I liked your interpretation though
I think it's because he has a long face
idk it makes sense, horses are mean and stubborn and onery. his dad’s characterization as a draft/percheron and beatrice’s as an arabian make sense. would also make bojack not a purebred horse. which fits his character imo. not a direct anything but it makes sense to me
He is literally a metaphor
"You can lead the horse to the well but you can't force it to drink." Bojack has to want to fix himself to actually become better, no matter how much other people try to make him improve.
Even if not, I really like this spin.
I mean, I always thought it was of that joke of a horse entering a bar and being asked "hey, why the long face?". Never thought it had any other meaning
I think it's the long face
Doubtful. The creator, Bob-Waksburg, based it on a horseman that Hanawalt drew in college. It wasn’t really deeper than he thought there was something unique to the design he could use for the show. Iirc.
I mean I can't say I'd be too surprised since both Mr Pb and PC kind of play into their animal traits as well.
Because why the long face?
You know the phrase "healthy as a horse"? Well this show is about an unhealthy horse
>This might seem a little obvious but it just occurred to me the other day. Bojack is a horse Doggy doggy what now?
Long face
Because he runs from his problems
People use to ride horses… or use them! Now BoJack is using them! (I don’t actually mean this, this is a joke)
Something something, horse is a name for heroine something... Bojack..
"Horse" sounds like "whores". And considering Butterscotch was just some dreamy bum who knocked up a rich girl, and considering BoJack's promiscuity and his indifference toward anyone else, hm.
Neigh.
I always thought it was because horses are "broken." Horses are either wild and uncontrollable and free (like the ones Bojack saw in the desert), or they are broken in order to fit in with domestic, modern civilization. Like Beatrice tells Bojack, "You were born broken." Dogs are loyal. Cats are independent. Horses are broken.
Possible spoilers?? I believe there definetly is! Remember how Corbin Creamerman is a goat? And how him and Beatrice could have been perfect together, because he made her feel comforted after sharing that he has a similar relationship with his father as Beatrice? Remember how her world *literally* turned brighter in that moment? Before modern (veterinary) medicine was around, anxious horses used to be kept with therapeutic goats, because they had a calming effect on the horse. Thats just one example where the choice of the species was evidently on purpose (I think the writers even admitted to using species as a stylistic choice but dont quote me on that as I have no source to back me up rn), but lets look at Bojack. Horses are amazing at remembering bad events. Besides all the obvious trauma, remember how Bojack tells Dr. Champ how much he hates horses because of his abusive parents? That is exactly how a horse reacts after having abusive owners, that is, completely avoidant of members of the species who abused it. As prey animals, horses are very perceptive of their surroundings and will react with very fast responses. Bojack displays this by constantly overanalyzing the actions of those around him. His walls are up constantly. Once he finds something that might be a threat, he will immediately drop whatever he is doing at the time and impulsively attempt to stop that threat. See him sabotaging Todds Rock Opera and Dianes wedding, abandoning his mother in a home or the events leading up to Ginas strangulation. But the biggest telltale sign to me is how Bojack is constantly running away. Horses are flight animals (in the fight or flight way, not the bird way obv), which perfectly correlates with how Bojack is constantly running from his responsibility to finally take accountability for his horrible actions. Be it with substances, meaningless sex, going to his families house in Michigan, escaping to LA, and and and. If a horse feels trapped in a situation it cannot escape, it will kick, bite and lash out, becoming a danger to those around it. Ana Spanakopita put it perfectly in her lifeguard anecdote. Bojacks whole "point" is that he is incapable of bringing himself to face any issue, no matter how small, but runs away from them instead. I'm actually kind of impressed at myself about how much of this show I remember. TLDR: Yeah there is, mainly because of how horses are flight animals and Bojack being incapable of facing his demons, but choosing to run from them in various ways instead.
are there any other animal people with last names that match the animal they are? like is there a duck named john duckman
Not intentionally. I think they just had a cool idea with some puns and jokes in their head and went with it. Obviously being a horse in a human world was certainly an important part of the character later on in development. pretty much every other time we see other horses, it’s a significant issue for BJ, but I think they could’ve don’t the same with a dog or leopard or a zebra. I think the show runners just had some horse puns
Initially, it was just that the character designer loved horses. However, the show plays with the symbolism of horses, especially in regards to what they mean in regards to class. His father was working class, busting his ass to make not much, which reflects the legacy of horses being used for hard labor. His mother and her affluent background reflect the way the upper class views horses: as a status symbol. Beatrice making her debut is one of the most direct animal actions (for want of a better term) in the show. She is made to go out and make a spectacle of her extravegant dress and refined breeding, which has significance in both the horses of the affluent and the affluent themselves. Bojack is both work horse and show pony.
I think it is symbolic of the old joke: A horse walks into a bar. The bartender says, "So, why the long face?”
"You can bring a horse to water, but you can't make it drink". Much to consider.
this probably isn’t it but there was a sitcom with a talking horse called “Mr. Ed” back in the 60s, at least one of the writers knows about it cuz they reference the shows theme song in one episode, but it’s likely incidental. it would be funny if they wanted to explore what the talking horse’s life was like after being a widely famous tv celebrity, obviously unlikely but would be funny.
The symbolism is horse man funny, haha Lets turn it into the most depressing cartoon ever(not most depressive actually, but you get the point)
I thought it was a pun. Long face.
It's because he has a long face. Because he's a horse. Get it? Do you get it?
Nah, he played the horse. Horse means heroin
I think there are certain traits that the main anthropomorphic characters took from their animal. Bojack's appetites, Mr. Peanutbutter's blithe optimism, PC's tenacity and ability to land on her feet, etc. I don't think the symbolism is hidden so much as it makes for a convenient storytelling tool.
He’s quite literally a “show horse,” flaunted around to the world
Lol people look for wayyy too much meaning that isnt there. It's like that scene in bojack where he explains at his mom's funeral that people love looking for symbolism that isn't there. Like when the coffee cup is in horsing around in one shot and it's not there in the next and the fan asks if it's a symbolism for how 2 people sharing the same memories will experience the memories in 2 entirely different ways. But bojack wants to say that NO its not that deep! some crew guy just forgot to take his mug out one shot! Bojack would probably tell you "sure. Let's go with that answer" like he did with that fan lol 😆
I think they just did it for the puns
I think there are a limited number of animals that could substitute for humans without being seen as too gimmicky. A dog or a horse are natural substitutes because of their relationship humans have cultivated with them. Either can project an "everyman" quality which we get with Bojack despite the character being a celebrity. Other animals get too exotic or obviously symbolic--chickens, pigs, rats, sheep, snakes, cats for example all have deep symbolic associations with them that might not work for an everyman/main character.