Libertarianism in Cartoons: Courage, the Cowardly Dog
by Barry Fuller
In the arena of television, libertarians have little to view. The content of most shows, including news broadcasts, is enough to make a libertarian cringe. On occasion, a show such as The X-Files draws positive reviews from discriminating libertarian viewers, but such shows are the exception and not the rule.
The paucity of libertarian themes extends even to cartoons. The cartoon Time Squad features three characters with a time machine, who travel in time to correct history. The show characterizes many libertarian bad guys, especially politicians, as heroes that deserve the praise of viewers. Other new cartoons, Johnny Bravo for example, are simply vehicles for lewd sexual innuendo.
One lone voice in the midst of these shows unfit for child consumption, however, is the cartoon Courage, the Cowardly Dog. Courage is a lovable dog that belongs to Muriel and Eustace Bane, simple farmers who live in the middle of Nowhere. Muriel is the kind and generous woman who took Courage into her home. Eustace is Muriel's husband, a bitter and envious man who hates Courage and most everyone else, and who frequently puts his own interests above those of his family.
Several interesting themes of the show should make the average libertarian proud. Government bureaucrats, especially police and military officials, are portrayed as inept at best. A recent episode reveals that an incompetent general and his sidekick have misplaced one of their bombs. A ship captain with a penchant for blowing up his crew, the evil Katz, has retrieved the bomb. Courage and Muriel are lured onto the ship, where Muriel becomes the first mate, and is jailed on board for insubordination. Courage must manage Muriel's escape, and get the crew off the ship before the bomb explodes. The general and his sidekick provide no help to Courage and his mission. In fact, they often get in the way. The two bureaucrats punctuate their sentences by bashing each other over the head in various manners.
In another episode, a pregnant space squid whose husband has been sucked into a black hole falls into the Bane's backyard. Courage and Muriel realize that the squid is pregnant, and are quick to nurture her, but Eustace calls the government to seek a reward. Government arrives on the scene, specifically an officer and three FBI agents clad in ninja suits. The government attacks to secure the pregnant squid. Muriel is jailed; the squid and her eggs are locked into separate holding tanks. The officer sees that his job is done, and dons roller skates telling Muriel, "I'm off to the Officer's Club."
Ostensibly, the government wants to get its hands on the squid offspring to dissect them, but they don't understand that the mother has to incubate the eggs in order for them to hatch. Courage liberates the eggs, and transports them to the mother for hatching. The mother hatches her young from her holding cell. The baby squids float upwards, bursting through the holding tank and into space. The officer returns, and relates to Muriel and Courage that he received a promotion, and asks them to keep the incident quiet. "It's a good thing the money we gave that farmer was made out of experimental rocket fuel," the officer intimates. He begins a countdown, "three, two, one...," the audience hears an explosion and Eustace is blown into outer space. Courage then frees Muriel from her cell, and the squid mother dies, making herself into a flower bed.
In some episodes, when Courage can think of no redress for his family's predicament, rather than calling to the government for help, he logs on to a computer in the attic. He searches the information provided on the Internet. With this market tool, Courage finds useful information such as government secrets and hiding places, cures for common allergies, and methods to save his beloved Muriel.
The bad guys on the show are a mixture of animals, government agents, ghosts, thieves, and even a toe fungus. In all cases, they intrude on the private property of the Bane family, and it is up to Courage to save them. At times, Eustace and his caustic attitude get the family in trouble. But Courage always comes to the rescue, and he does so without the help of government. Although Courage is an unwilling hero (one of the highlights of the show is Courage's cowardly screams at significant moments), nevertheless he tirelessly embarks to rectify the situation. By coming to the rescue despite his cowardice, and in the face of overwhelming odds against him, the small, pink dog exhibits to the viewer the true meaning of courage. The show teaches children that self-esteem must be earned, and that government is not only unsuited to solve most problems, but frequently is the cause of our problems. Government makes a bad situation worse.
Courage, the Cowardly Dog is truly a courageous show in our era of paternalistic government. It is a show for children, the family, and for libertarians who still like to watch cartoons with a bowl of cereal. Courage came, saw, and reluctantly conquered the heart of these libertarians.
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