Anthropomorphic animals are a staple of cartoons as much as explosions are a staple of the action genre. Whether it just be talking animals or animals that act and walk like humans, these imaginative characters have found their way into our culture and grew along with the technologies of animation. So, it should be no surprise that anthropomorphic animals also made their way into adult cartoons, specifically in the Netflix show Bojack Horseman. What’s interesting about the main anthropomorphic animal characters of Bojack isn’t the fact that they’re animals walking around and living amongst humans. Instead, the intrigue comes from what the animals those characters are based on represent, and how those animals tie into the show’s main ideas.
The three main anthropomorphic animal characters are: Bojack Horseman himself, a has-been family sitcom star and sardonic alcoholic; Mr. Peanut Butter, a former star of his own sitcom who’s incredibly cheerful and optimistic; and Princess Carolyn, Bojack’s snarky, brutally honest, and sly agent. Each take on the form of a different animal, with Bojack being a horse, Mr. Peanut Butter being a yellow labrador retriever, and Princess Carolyn being a pink persian cat. One aspect that these animals all have in common in the real world is their reliance on the human race.
The dog and cat are obvious examples of this, and it’s also reflected in their personalities. Mr. Peanut Butter is always happy, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he’s a mere tool used to make viewers happy. He revels in his public attention, in his kindness to Diane, and will do anything to please those he loves. Heck, he even admits this when he gives Diane a pendant: “I am D-pendant on you.” This sounds very much like the behavior of a dog, but it’s implemented so subtly that it feels like a human trait. He’s a character so obsessed with giving to those he loves, whether they be his fans or his fiancé, that he ignores what people may actually want. This is like how a dog may roll over when all you want her to do is sit; she overachieves despite you not instructing them to. While a lot of Mr. Peanut Butter’s ignorance and lack of focus on reality is mostly made up for laughs, it all serves the purpose of reinforcing this idea, this complete idealization of some audience that laps up his every action.
For Princess Carolyn, her connection to this subservience is much more subtle, but then again, so is that of a normal cat. When I think of a cat, I think of a sly, indifferent creature that hangs around, watching every movement and springing at opportunities of self-gain. They also live in a human’s house, which is where they create their own territories and map out their surroundings. This sounds a lot like Princess Carolyn’s character. As a talent agent, she is reliant on her clients for money - her mostly human clients - and springs at any opportunity to gain money. She throws herself into her work because it’s the only thing in her life that keeps her going, but in the end, her work doesn’t benefit her, it only really benefits those she finds jobs for. In the end, all Princess Carolyn amounts to is a depressed cat trying to find happiness, as is explored in season 1 episode 7.
Now that we’ve covered the cat and the dog, what about the horse? The horse isn’t a commonly subservient animal to humans anymore, right? Well...this is where it gets slightly more complicated. Firstly, it is important to note that, historically, the horse has been humanity’s means of transportation across land long before trains, planes, and automobiles (see what I did there?). The horse was a symbol of power, giving warriors higher ground during battle and made the humans riding them look imposing and dignified. If you need proof, just look at the famous painting of Napoleon, or do some additional research about transportation; the horse was everywhere.
Nowadays, the most horses are used for is to give horseback riding lessons, give rides through the city for no real reason at all, race in the horse races, or help with farming. The animal doesn’t have an incredibly useful place in typical human society anymore, especially if you live in a metropolis or in the suburbs. It feels like the horse has faded into the background, a mere shadow of what it once represented for humanity, especially Western Society. Transportation has evolved, so the horse has become a has-been, a relic of an older era, much like Bojack Horseman himself.
Bojack was the star of an incredibly popular 90’s sitcom Horsin’ Around, but has since gone completely downhill in terms of everything. His life is aimless, deprived of a purpose because his audience has moved on to bigger and better things, like how humanity’s reliance on the horse has almost completely faded over time. Unlike Mr. Peanut Butter and Princess Carolyn, however, Bojack seems to be completely aware of his subservience to humans coming to a complete halt, and struggles to find something else to do with his life. In a way, the horse’s lack of relevance and Bojack’s lack of relevance tie together perfectly, since both are incredibly depressing to watch.
Ultimately, Bojack Horseman uses anthropomorphic animals that are subservient to humans as a metaphor for how celebrities or the people tied to celebrities are subservient to their fans, audiences, clients, or otherwise. Without us, the people consuming their content, these actors would be out of a job and lack a purpose in life. This perfectly leads into an exploration of the tragic has-been, the celebrity whose fame has disappeared and whose name has faded into obscurity. The lack of attention leaves the has-been depressed, alone, aimless, and constantly attempting to get back into the spotlight. Much like how the horse in captivity used to be a vital aspect of humanity’s society, Bojack Horseman used to be a relevant and beloved star. Now, both seemed to have lost their place in the world.
Well, those were some words about Bojack Horseman. I’ll probably write more about this show when I’m actually finished with it, but for now, if you haven’t checked it out, I highly recommend it. This has been HSMediaNerd, here with something not anime-related for once, and I’ll see you guys later!
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