Shocking Detail from 3 Bears Cartoon!

[J. J. Hunsecker]

While browsing the website cinephobia (http://www.cinephobia.com/indepth.htm) I came upon this observation (http://www.cinephobia.com/blog/2005/10/but-henry-what-will-neighbours-think.html) of the Chuck Jones cartoon A Bear for Punishment. Why is Henry Bear reading that book?

[Thad]

Maybe Henry is trying to find a way to fix his wife's frailness. (Was Junyer a c-section, I wonder?)

[Boy Wonder]

Wow, just wow. I finally got the reference, and now I'll never look at this again.

[frizfrelengfan]

LOL!

[JPox]

That's a pretty shocking reference alright.
I guess when the film was made it was never thought that people would be able to view it up close and personal. I wonder if this'll blow out of proportion now?
Kind of interesting people only noticed it now...

[J. J. Hunsecker]

I wonder if this'll blow out of proportion now?
I doubt it. Even with the frame blow-up provided at the site, I still had to strain to read the title of the book. Most people, even if they do notice the book (which I doubt), will probably not get the reference.

[gdX]

Most people, even if they do notice the book (which I doubt), will probably not get the reference.True that.

I remember catching it when the laserdisc came out umpteen years ago – and got a chuckle (I'm a boomer) – but forgot about it til now.

These toons are loaded with little touches like that that.

Wonder how many younger fans recognize Paw's bed as a disassembled old Model T?

:dodo:

[PShields79]

I first noticed this about 20 years ago at a tribute to Stan Freberg at the Nuart Theater in West L.A. This short was screened and a friend pointed it out to me. It was clearly visible on the big screen.

One of the greatest obscure references ever in a WB short, IMHO.

[cbrubaker]

Talk about obscure. I had to look the book up on Wikipedia to get what all this fuss is about.

[Eugene the Jeep]

The Kinsey Report was not obscure back then. It was a bestseller, and most people probably would have got the reference if they were paying attention.

[Tom Stathes]

Well, at least Henry was keeping up to date and taboo-free :D

[oceansoul]

And what is the "oh you kid" reference in the bed?

[larriva9/11]

The Kinsey Report was not obscure back then. It was a bestseller, and most people probably would have got the reference if they were paying attention.

And it's still not *that* obscure--remember the Liam Neeson film "Kinsey" a few years ago?

As far as "oh you kid" goes--well, that's a vestige of the bed's days as a jalopy. (Think of "oh you kid" "chicken inspector" "23 skidoo" et al as an early c20 cross between tagging and customizing a vehicle.)

[Ray Pointer]

Once again, cartoons were aimed at adults, which is why the Warner's cartoons became so popular in the 1940s.

[larriva9/11]

All in all, the Kinsey Report has fallen less into forgotten obscurity than Kathleen Winsor's racy romance "Forever Amber", i.e. the "Amber" book read by the governess in "Home Tweet Home". (And unlike Kinsey, that one's well visible to the viewer.)