Let's Sing with Popeye

It is one of Popeye short animations reminding me the years of kindergarden. A song, its lyrics, the punches of hero making tiny objects and it is enough for elementary education. But , sure, the song just matters.

. . . of Existential Philosophy. As Brigitte Bar-Dot famously remarked, "Popeye gets more across to his auditors in under a minute than Al Camus and Gene Sartre manage to do in their 37 books." As the patron saint of yams, America's favorite tar is concise here, and to the point. He pledges NOT to suffer fools, and will take umbrage at any malarkey or balderdash. Therefore, Professor Popeye shines as the brightest guiding light of American Exceptionalism. When his creators fought the National Social Party a decade later in Real Life, losing director Will Blue Sky during the Battle of the Bulge, it was Popeye's Straight Arrow confidence and optimism that comforted and inspired our U. S. Homeland to Victory.

This early Popeye cartoon is not the normal fare for him. You know that when you first discover this is only two minutes long! After we see the sailor man exhibit his strength on-board a ship, as he sings, it turns into a sing-a-long for all of us.

"Sing along we me," Popeye exhorts and the screen turns black with the lyrics printed and, yes, we are to follow the bouncing ball.

"I'm Popeye The Sailor Man (toot) I'm Popeye The Sailor Man (toot) I Am What I Am And That's All What I Yam I'm Popeye The Sailor Man (toot, toot)"

We then get other verses which are unfamiliar but uninteresting. I don't know what the point of this was outside of introducing this cartoon character to audiences, although I am pretty sure Popeye cartoons began the year before in 1933.

Popeye sings and apparently wears a corset. It's good to hear the whole Popeye theme song and read the lyrics. It's two minutes and there's no story. It's fine.

There's no surprises here. What you get: a big Popeye head singing the Popeye song, while you follow the bouncing ball to sing along. You'd think they'd want to ad some kind of visual excitement, but no. So unless you *really* like the Popeye song...