TOW #9 – “Just Ducky” from Tom and Jerry

The 77^th episode of Tom and Jerry, “Just Ducky,” was produced in 1953 by Fred Quimby and serves to entertain a younger audience and promote humanitarianism to that target demographic (“Tom and Jerry”). While the cat and mouse combo continually antagonize each other throughout the episode with astounding resilience, this particular episode shows the importance of companionship via the use personification of the animated characters, as well as humor. Throughout the episode, the cat Tom antagonizes the innocent mouse Jerry and duck Quacker. The animals, able to walk and on occasion even talk like humans, are easily relatable, especially to the young children who would ordinarily watch cartoons like this one. The animals express an understanding close to that of humans, capable of having more complex thoughts that are not expected from them. Following the light mischief between Tom and Jerry, Tom accidentally falls into a lake after chasing Quacker. Unable to swim, Tom splashes around until Quacker, also unable to swim, jumps in after him to help. This scene specifically demonstrates the importance of humanitarian assistance to a younger demographic under the cliché relationship between a cat and mouse. Likewise, the directors’ use of humor is very significant to entertaining the audience and establishing an occasion in the show. With most of their actions, the animals do not sustain lasting injuries. For example, Tom is shattered with a brick at 1:14 but is miraculously present at 1:21, which allows the writers to include the playful fighting without continuing a narrative, making impactful moments like Quacker saving Tom more significant. This humor plays a significant role in engaging the audience because as shown, most Tom and Jerry cartoons make a strong appeal to pathos, which is often more intuitive to younger children than ethos or logos. Via the use of personification and humor, Quimby teaches a fundamental lesson about companionship, showing that even polar opposites, like a large cat versus a small mouse and duck, can work towards a common good.

Works Cited

Quimby, Fred, director. “Just Ducky.” Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1953, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIeHdbLca7o.

“Tom and Jerry Theatrical Cartoon Series.” The Big Cartoon Database, www.bcdb.com/bcdb/cartoon.cgi?film=3100.