YMMV / Goofy

• Alternative Character Interpretation:
  • In Kingdom Hearts, Goofy is depicted as more down to Earth and having the most common sense in contrast to Sora and Donald, such as realizing early on that Mulan is a girl and figuring out that Xehanort has a Nobody if he was a strong enough being when he became a Heartless. His characterization beforehand was that he was just the lovable guy, if a bit of an overbearing parent.
  • Does Goofy hate himself in "Tomorrow We Diet!"? His inner self is downright cruel to him and taunts him in a way too reminiscent of what a bully would do...
  • In the infamous climax of "Hockey Homicide", the players' downright joyful viewing of the crowd's fighting seems to imply that they intentionally get the crowd riled up for their own amusement on a regular basis.
• Audience-Alienating Era: The "George Geef" era in the early 1950s is more of a Base-Breaking Era than an outright Audience-Alienating Era, but some view it as a low point in Goofy's history. Simply put, during that era, Goofy would shed most of his trademark qualities (even his voice and name), and his shorts would retool him as more of a suburban everyman, complete with a wife and kid, while shifting away from the gag-based nature of his earlier shorts in favor of more grounded, slice-of-life scenarios. Director Jack Kinney hated this change, and after a few cartoons, Goofy's original characterization, especially his voice, was quietly restored. The detractors of this era even say that its only real upside is that it would go on to inspire Goof Troop and its movie sequels a few decades later, which they regard to be a superior take on the everyman Goofy idea.
• Awesome Music:
  • "Oh, the world owes me a livin', deedle-daidle-dodle-diddle-dum, ahyuck!"
  • The Wartime Cartoon Victory Vehicles gave us the extremely catchy "Hop on Your Pogo Stick".
• Broken Base: There seems to be a split over which "version" of Goofy was better. The hapless, seemingly comical, and clownish innocent that Disney still markets today, or the more grown up and serious portrayals of the character that appeared in the old cartoons and the '50s-'60s shorts and sports episodes.
  • The "Everyman" era of the early 1950's: a high point in Goofy's history where he is relatable and amusing at the same time, or a low point in Goofy's history whose only real upside was being the inspiration for Goof Troop and A Goofy Movie.
• Crosses the Line Twice: The 1951 cartoon "No Smoking", which features so many tobacco products it's downright ridiculous, especially the extended scene where Goofy tries various ways to find a cigar, cigarette, or pipe.
• Harsher in Hindsight:
  • "No Smoking" shows Goofy trying and failing to kick his smoking habits, which can be a bit uncomfortable to watch with the knowledge that both his first voice actor Pinto Colvig and Walt Disney died of lung cancer brought on by their respective smoking habits.
  • Most of the gags in "Teachers Are People", since they include a kid turning in a handgun and grenade, threatening a classmate with a (water) pistol, and blowing up the school right near the end. It gets to the point where Leonard Maltin, in the Walt Disney Treasures collection of Goofy cartoons, has to remind viewers that the short was made during a time when people thought of the idea of school violence as absurd.
• Memetic Mutation: The infamous shot of Goofy accidentally getting kissed by the milkman in "Father's Day Off" is a popular GIF reaction, especially for Goofy's completely dumbfounded reaction to it.
• Memetic Psychopath: Some iterations of the "It's Goofy Time" meme depict him as a vicious child abuser (even though the meme depicts another man dressed in a Goofy costume).
• Most Wonderful Sound: YAAAAAA-HOO-HOO-HOO-HOOEY!
• My Real Daddy: While Goofy had already appeared in a couple of shorts prior as Dippy Dawg, he didn't truly come into his own and become a true Disney star until Art Babbitt came along and completely transformed him from the one-note "Dippy Dawg" stock character that he was in his earlier shorts into the ditzy but lovable goof he is today. Because of how integral Babbitt was to Goofy's overall development, he is often regarded to be Goofy's true creator by most fans and historians.
• Nightmare Fuel: Goofy's attempted suicide in "A Goofy Success Story" from the Disneyland series.
• Tear Dryer: "Goofy and Wilbur" ends with Wilbur being eaten by a stork who flies out of reach for Goofy to capture it. After this, Goofy breaks down over not being able to see his friend again, even if he were to find a new grasshopper friend. But then, the egg the stork left behind starts hatching, and out jumps Wilbur, alive and well.
• Tear Jerker: The above mentioned attempted suicide.
• Ugly Cute: Let's face it, Goofy isn't much of a looker, what with his long limbs, clumsy gait, and large buckteeth. But his good nature and optimism are precisely what make him endearing.
• Values Dissonance:
  • Partially happens in "Tomorrow We Diet!", where Goofy's weight is represented as something more comical than it should today.
  • His original appearance as Dippy Dawg was described by his creator as "a gullible good Samaritan, a half-wit, a shiftless good natured colored boy, and a hick". Nowadays, such a portrayal would not be socially acceptable.
• Viewer Species Confusion: Goofy's officially a dog, but it's common to see people be unaware of that because of the Furry Confusion involving fellow Disney character Pluto, who acts and looks far more dog-like. Some fans actually believe Goofy to be a cow, citing his resemblance to Clarabelle Cow (who he gets occasional Ship Tease with).

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