Birds Anonymous

This is a delightful cartoon and one of the most effective and entertaining Sylvester and Tweety cartoons Warner Brothers did. The B. A. meeting is inspired parody and Sylvester's attempts to kick the "bird habit" are exceptionally funny. Tweety's closing line is the perfect capper to a wonderful ending. Won a well-earned Oscar. Shows frequently on Cartoon Network. Highly recommended.

"Birds Anonymous" is one of the many classic Looney Tunes cartoons that comes across funnier when you're an adult than when you're a kid, as you understand what it's spoofing. In this case, the target is Alcoholics Anonymous, as Sylvester enters an organization that helps cats break their bird addiction. But it's not that easy for him to think about anything other than Tweety (it's hard to deny that felines really develop dependencies on avians).

They hit it right on the nail with this cartoon. The meeting early on shows cats talking about how their bird addictions were running their lives into the ground until the organization saved them. And when the organization's rep Sam catches Sylvester trying to eat Tweety, Sam goes off on a speech about how this one snack will open Sylvester's addiction back up! I actually think that it's really good that they spoofed Alcholics Anonymous. Once, I was watching Penn & Teller's show, and they said that AA is basically a religion. Aside from the fact that a "12-step program" is a rather dogmatic idea, AA apparently hasn't changed it's modus operandi since its creation in 1935. But if AA helps people break their addiction, then it probably balances everything out.

Anyway, this is a really funny cartoon. Like I said, it becomes funnier once you're old enough to understand it (as do many if not most of the classic Looney Tunes cartoons). It certainly deserved its Oscar.

Perhaps, since there are hundreds of these featuring Bosco, Goofy Gophers, H. Hawk, Col. Shuffle, Buddy, Foghorn Leghorn, Gabby Goat, Pete Puma, Nasty Canasta, Sniffles, Speedy Gonzales, Hector the Bulldog, Pepe Le Pew, Melissa Duck, Slowpoke Rodriguez, Hubie & Bertie, Black Jack Shellac, Beaky Buzzard, Angus Mac Roary, Foxy, Granny, Witch Hazel, Rocky & Mugsy, Penelope Cat, Miss Priscilla Hen, Spike the Bulldog and Chester the Terrier. However, it is quite important to remember that though BIRDS ANONYMOUS was far worthier of a gelded statuette award than any of the umpteen Tom & Jerry's so honored, it pales in comparison to hundreds of OTHER Looney Tunes, including the universally acclaimed Best Animated Short of All-Time, Bugs Bunny and Elmer's classic WHAT'S OPERA, DOC?

Poor old "Tweety" is happily sitting in it's cage, when in comes "Sylvester" who prepares for a small yellow snack! Then a benign orange cat arrives, just in the nick of time, and points out the error of his ways to our hungry antagonist. Then he suggests he visit him and his colleagues at "Birds Anonymous". This first meeting sees him regaled by of all sorts of reformed characters ruing their days of chasing their feather friends! Might "Sylvester" return home a changed cat? If so, can it last? What temptations might lie in his path? I enjoyed this tale of feline cold turkey and the animation of the increasingly frantic eyes and the bird-through-a-straw are really quite funny. Personally, I hated that bird too!

I do like the Sylvester and Tweety cartoons in general, Tweety I do like when he is active and not nothing more than a plot device, but I love Sylvester who always excels at providing the laughs. Birds Anonymous is a contender for their best cartoon. Tweety is underused and is more a plot device here, but this is one instance where this works, because Sylvester is so good and delightful to watch. The story is reminiscent of a spoof while also stepping away from the usual formula in this set of cartoons, and it is fast-paced and energetic, helped by the witty writing, infectious music and delightful gags, while the animation is of fluid and colourful quality and the opening sequence is wonderful and almost Hitchcockian. Mel Blanc does a brilliant job with the voices and it shows perfectly that it was apparently his favourite WB cartoon. Overall, wonderful and probably the best of this cartoon duo. 10/10 Bethany Cox