Comments on: The Dancing Pig

The Dancing Pig

homunculus — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:15:20 -0800

By: cortex

cortex — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:19:47 -0800

Bizarre.

By: HuronBob

HuronBob — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:25:05 -0800

We can close this thread now, cortex sort of nailed it... no matter how long you stare at that blinking cursor in the text box, you will be unable to comment beyond "bizarre"....

By: cortex

cortex — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:27:27 -0800

I...yeah. That's pretty much exactly my experience.

By: phooky

phooky — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:37:11 -0800

Hey, that pig winked at me! I thought it was charming. The early days of film were so rife with goofiness. "I've got it! We'll... have... a pig! And a girl! And they'll dance!" If only modern "experimental shorts" were this fun.

By: HuronBob

HuronBob — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:38:41 -0800

phooky... i suggest you have a bacon sandwich while looking a vintage porn, and try and tell me what they have in common... that's all i've got...

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:48:06 -0800

This is the best single-link YouTube post in history, and... that dancing pig went on to start World War I (what, you believed that Archduke Ferdinand bullshit cover story?). So, you see, this has historical interest even beyond its groundbreaking choreography and thespian excellence. And how 'bout that pig's tongue and teeth, there at the end? Hell, there's your inspiration for a thousand horror films that would follow!

By: DU

DU — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:51:46 -0800

A very fat pig with a top hat == upper class "fat cat" Womanl with legs showing and unwrapping lunch in public== peasant girl He tries several come-ons but she rebuffs him. She then either humiliates or or educates him to be "who he is" (i.e. take the clothes off because pigs don't wear clothes). In either case, he ends up winning her over....but then we get the punchline. He hasn't really reformed, he's the same old pig, still in clothes, licking lasciviously and gnashing his teeth. MUAHAHAHA

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:59:08 -0800

I do believe DU has nailed it. This is a good example of the importance of looking a little deeper into the intent and meaning of archaic artistic statements: what at first seems merely "bizarre" in fact can have meaning and a mesage, if we look at carefully and place it in its historical context. Then again, sometimes a dancing pig is just a dancing pig. With or without a cigar. This would appear to be a good time to link to another curious clip (from the same YouTuber) also from 1907, featuring some "Japanese" acrobats.

By: squasha

squasha — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:59:45 -0800

"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." Having only just recovered from decades of recurring dreams involving the Animal Farm pigs judging me less than equal, I will now have nightmares about that downright phallic tongue and sharpened teeth with which this pig assaults us in the final scene. Thanks!

By: RokkitNite

RokkitNite — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:59:53 -0800

Le Cochon Danseur is available for children's birthday parties and, err... bahmiztvahs?

By: ardgedee

ardgedee — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 18:00:01 -0800

I'm saying that's a year's supply of bacon there. And that's assuming you really like your bacon.

By: squasha

squasha — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 18:04:13 -0800

(wow. flapjax, that was oddly mesmerizing...the troupe appears to be made up of some pretty eastern european "japonais", if you ask me. maybe they came from sakhalin...heh.)

By: cortex

cortex — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 18:23:27 -0800

This is a good example of the importance of looking a little deeper into the intent and meaning of archaic artistic statements: what at first seems merely "bizarre" in fact can have meaning and a mesage, if we look at carefully and place it in its historical context. You know what? It's still bizarre. Capital-b Bizarre. Sentence fragment bizarre.

By: HuronBob

HuronBob — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 18:33:18 -0800

has anyone mentioned that it is sort of bizarre?

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 18:38:51 -0800

You know what? It's still bizarre. Granted! But we've at least disproved the earlier pronouncement that one would be unable to comment beyond "bizarre".... has anyone mentioned that it is sort of bizarre? Yes. You and cortex. Repeatedly! And hey, it's rubbing off! Listen to this: BIZARRE! BIZARRE! BIZARRE! BIZARRE! BIZARRE!

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 18:39:44 -0800

BIZZZZAAAAARRRRRRRREE!!!!!

By: madamjujujive

madamjujujive — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 18:39:59 -0800

Thank you homunculus, I think this was a wonderfully eccentric cultural artifact. The teeth at the end were a nice surreal touch. Unfortunately, there has been little progress in pig dancing art in the ensuing century.

By: cortex

cortex — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 18:50:44 -0800

Theeeere we go. Mission accomplished.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 18:57:17 -0800

Love ya, cortex, you sly ol' dancin' pig, you!

By: Floydd

Floydd — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:18:58 -0800

Bizarre. Reminds me of my ex.

By: Tube

Tube — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:29:51 -0800

At least the soundtrack wasn't a Phil Collins song.

By: Rock Steady

Rock Steady — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:45:56 -0800

Can someone please make me an animated GIF of the toothy, tongue-flappin' denoument for avatar purposes? kthxbi.

By: pmbuko

pmbuko — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 20:39:07 -0800

bee czar.

By: cynthia_rose

cynthia_rose — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 20:51:44 -0800

This gets shown each year in a History of Film class here at Northwestern. And it gets the same responses-- though I think the music with it is better. It's supposed to teach us about the "cinema of attractions" but it actually just serves to teach us how strange the thing can be. There's also a longer version with even MORE hot dancing pig action.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 20:58:42 -0800

There's also a longer version with even MORE hot dancing pig action. I want it. To own. On DVD.

By: Wolof

Wolof — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 21:54:59 -0800

I do wish the piano cat hadn't riffed on the opening of "A Night in Tunisia" (E flat 9, D6) the whole way through. I was hearing Dizzy, man, and that ain't period correct.* *although mildly pleasurable

By: Wolof

Wolof — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 21:56:28 -0800

Dm6, although it's probably not my favourite harmonisation of the line.

By: progosk

progosk — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 23:49:31 -0800

It appears there's at least another version around, in which le cochon is dressed as a petite fille. (Wonder where that would score on the bizarrometer..)

By: cogneuro

cogneuro — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:18:05 -0800

This is a good example of the importance of looking a little deeper into the intent and meaning of archaic artistic statements OK, it's deeply bizarre. And if the music is Erik Satie, as the YT poster said, pigs can ~~fly~~ dance.

By: Joakim Ziegler

Joakim Ziegler — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:45:54 -0800

The final part with the tongue-wagging and whatnot is terrifying. Jesus, the teeth! The shark-like way they seem to not be quite connected to the rest of the face!

By: bobbyone

bobbyone — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 02:26:57 -0800

I Get it! It's a Pig! And it Dances! Oh Wait. "Reminds me of my Ex"?? Nice

By: seanmpuckett

seanmpuckett — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 04:56:07 -0800

My brain has been lightly seared.

By: Dormant Gorilla

Dormant Gorilla — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 13:04:11 -0800

Am I the only one who finds that pig absolutely mindfuckingly terrifying? Not just at the end....I watched for four seconds and I wanted to cry and hide under my bed.

By: khaibit

khaibit — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 13:40:55 -0800

I've hated anthropomorphic pigs ever since that damned video for Mr Krinkle. This didn't help at all.

By: homunculus

homunculus — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 10:03:22 -0800

More animal costume fun: Guy in polar bear suit arrested during Greenpeace protest