Cartoon Physics Are More Logical Than You Think

I always thought the rule was "they can do anything, as long as its funny"

I always wanted Wile E. Coyote to at least SUCCEED ONCE because it’s annoying how the physics only work in favour of roadrunner

A rule I've heard a long time ago about cartoon physics is that: "if it's visually possible then it's possible "

To be fair about Tom, there are plenty moments where he isn't even the villain and Jerry is the one antagonising the situation.

I never realized overconfidence is a cardinal sin in cartoons. I have new respect for these classic toons.

Shrek: "Just don't look down." Donkey: "SHREK! I'm looking DOWN!"

in fairness to Tom, Tom gave as good as he got he does have wins under his belt

Squidward loses his "butt monkey" status whenever he actually sides with Spongebob.

Tom and Jerry episodes were at their peak when the two teamed up to get a common goal accomplished. Not always the funniest episodes, but they genuinely work well together and complement each other in ways that are genuinely wholesome and inspiring.

I remember an episode of Tiny Toon Adventures (where the premise is they're studying to become like their Looney Tuned mentors) where they lampshade the gravity bit. They cross a chasm by walking off a cliff and telling each other not to look down. I chalk it up to them being young and inexperienced, not yet learning they should only use that for causing or exacerbating problems, not solving them.

Let's also not forget the "Plausible Impossible", the rule that it has to SEEM explainable and be grounded in rules of reality, despite being impossible. "The most hilarious comedy is grounded in reality."

In an episode of Tiny Toon Adventures, Granny taught the whole "don't look down" ordeal to the kids.

2:02 i love that you used home alone for "if in real life" when that movie operated on looney tunes physics

There's also the factor of comedy... If the audience expects one thing, only for something completely different to happen, its hilarious.

Never thought about cartoons in this way, this explains why they are so genius

I love how "physics" in this realm more reflect ethics than actual physics

I was expecting a physics lesson but instead got a psychology lesson

Not gonna lie when I saw the title I thought you were going to talk about some crazy theoretical physics on why gravity only works when we look at it.

A pretty good video! Also, I would like to add that another aspect that determines cartoon logic is the attitude that a character has about their lot in life, which also influences how many negative things will happen to them. Donald Duck becomes a butt-monkey because of his short temper and being prone to brute force problems that cause his notorious bad luck. Tom becomes one when he wants to enjoy his life in bliss all the time, but gets constantly interrupted by annoyances done by Jerry which culminates in him wrecking the peace he could have had by simply not making it an issue (though that depends on the cartoon since he sometimes gets forced into it). A character like Bugs Bunny doesn't often become a butt-monkey because he is the most self-aware toon that can adapt to what is going on in the moment, so he understands how to bend reality to his will. Sometimes characters that are completely clueless about what's going on around them like Mr. Magoo don't even get affected by the cartoon world since they are too detached and naive to be affected by it. In a way it's a bit of a reflection of reality, since your personality can vastly change the outcome of what happens in your life. The difference being that cartoons exaggerate those in several ways to make the feelings more bombastic and by making people laugh at others' and possibly their own shortcomings.

The clip shown at 8:10 was literally the first thing I thought about when you said "As soon as a cartoon character feels like they are going to win, it comes back around to bite them, every single time."