History Analysis / SlidingScaleOfAnthropomorphism

* In ''VideoGame/{{Bug}}'' and ''Bug Too'', there are several insects with mammalian-looking characteristics. Two notable examples are Bug's girlfriend from the first game and several enemies from the sequel.

* Charmy Bee from VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog is a two-foot tall bee with only four limbs and a muzzle with a jellybean nose.
* Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'s bugs vary but usually just have somewhat more mammalian eyes than their real-life counterparts, often only four legs and optional bipedalism. Scyther, however, though nominally a praying mantis, obviously borrows several vital features from vertebrates: its head resembles a reptile, complete with the accompanying mouth, fangs and eyes, and while its forelegs end in curved blades based on those of a praying mantis, its hind legs are clawed. Additionally, though Flygon is arguably only partly based on an antlion, it has a cute mammal-like body, paws and a tail.

* TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering tends to be inconsistent in this, DependingOnTheArtist : artists with a clear wildlife illustration background will do [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=83102 well referenced work]]; others will [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=129678 just wing it]].

In the 1930s, the {{Funny Animal}}s created (like MickeyMouse, WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck, and WesternAnimation/PorkyPig) were basically humans who happen to be drawn as animals for the most part. They live like humans, they act like humans, they own animals as pets. Goofy is [[FullyDressedCartoonAnimal fully dressed]] and even more humanlike. His anthropomorphism reached its zenith in the 1950s, when more animal like cartoon animals were created.\\

* '''BeastMan''': They resemble an animal's head and tail (where applicable) placed on an animal accented human body frame. They have either a completely animal-shaped head, a largely animal-shaped head, or a half human/half animal-shaped head. They have the muzzle, beak, or bill of their respective species. They can have feet that are [[HumanlikeFootAnatomy either plantigrade or digitigrade (or unguligrade if a hoofed animal)]] and usually keep the shape of that of their respective species. Females will usually possess [[NonMammalMammaries human-like breasts]]. A more anthropomorphic variant can have a mostly or nearly human-shaped head with the animal's ears, and muzzle, beak, or bill, animal-accented human hands, and have human-proportioned, plantigrade feet that are either human-shaped or shaped like that of their species. A [[FurryFemaleMane female will often have humanlike, styleable hair (or feathers if a bird) on her head]], though males with similarly humanlike hair (or feathers if a bird) is also common. Humanlike, styleable head hair (or head feathers if a bird) is not exclusive to this type and can sometimes be found further down the scale. This is also known as the ''jyūjin'', which is regarded as a zoomorphic human. The kemono looks as humanoid, but is regarded as an animal, whether [[FurryLens contextually human]] or not.

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In the last 30 years however, the anthropomorphized animated animals have grown in their roles to become much more human like, both in movement, speech, and thought. Compare the animals in ''WesternAnimation/{{Bambi}}'' (NearlyNormalAnimal) to the animals in ''Disney/TheLionKing'' (NearlyNormalAnimal, PartiallyCivilizedAnimal) and the mice in ''Disney/{{Cinderella}}'' (CivilizedAnimal) to the mice in ''WesternAnimation/TheGreatMouseDetective'' (FunnyAnimal).\\

* Jiminy Cricket from ''Disney/{{Pinocchio}}'' is an extreme example; he looks a little man with a nose and head like a rabbit.

Animal anthropomorphizing has evolved over time. In the 19th century and in earlier decades of the 20th century, [[http://feministdisney.tumblr.com/post/20831661927/what-are-you-feelings-on-bambi-and-gender-coding animals were usually presented as less humanlike than they are now]]. This can be seen in the 1942 Disney movie, ''Disney/{{Bambi}}''. Even though the animals can speak, they still move pretty realistically as animals, and what they think about/talk about is more focused on “animal” concerns and uses animal logic. Animals were also seen as less “gendered” creatures.\\

In the last 30 years however, the anthropomorphized animated animals have grown in their roles to become much more human like, both in movement, speech, and thought. Compare the animals in ''Disney/{{Bambi}}'' (NearlyNormalAnimal) to the animals in ''Disney/TheLionKing'' (NearlyNormalAnimal, PartiallyCivilizedAnimal) and the mice in ''Disney/{{Cinderella}}'' (CivilizedAnimal) to the mice in ''Disney/TheGreatMouseDetective'' (FunnyAnimal).\\

* The fireflies, including Ray, and butterflies in ''Disney/ThePrincessAndTheFrog''

** The WesternAnimation/PlutoThePup cartoon "Disney/SpringtimeForPluto" had a butterfly that looked more like a '40s PinUp with wings.

* MagicTheGathering tends to be inconsistent in this, DependingOnTheArtist : artists with a clear wildlife illustration background will do [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=83102 well referenced work]]; others will [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=129678 just wing it]].

* Charmy Bee from SonicTheHedgehog is a two-foot tall bee with only four limbs and a muzzle with a jellybean nose.

Before the rise of the modern UsefulNotes/FurryFandom, the PettingZooPeople type of animal was few and far between and the HumanoidFemaleAnimal and NonMammalMammaries tropes were less common. The most notable early examples of this are various female animals in some Creator/TexAvery cartoons and most of the cats that Tom of ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' swoon over.\\

In the last 30 years however, the anthropomorphized animated animals have grown in their roles to become much more human like, both in movement, speech, and thought. Compare the animals in ''Disney/{{Bambi}}'' (NearlyNormalAnimal) to the animals in ''Disney/TheLionKing'' (NearlyNormalAnimal, PartiallyCivilizedAnimal) and the mice in ''Disney/{{Cinderella}}'' (CivilizedAnimal) to the mice in ''Disney/TheGreatMouseDetective'' (FunnyAnimal, PettingZooPerson).\\

When that happened (animals being animated, drawn, rendered, or written to be more humanlike) they also began to reflect more a lot of “human” socialization, like more intensified gender coding (through behavior, speech, as well as assigned roles). The PettingZooPeople, NonMammalMammaries, and HumanoidFemaleAnimal tropes grew more common.

Anthropomorphism of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and other animals is straightforward; you give them human mannerisms, emotions, [[TalkingAnimal speech capabilities]], and [[PettingZooPeople even body shape]], but usually keep their basic head shape. But with insects and arachnids, you not only give them human mannerisms, emotions, speech capabilities, and body shape, you also give them human-like, mammal-like, and other otherwise vertebrate-like facial and bodily features even when they're supposed to be [[NearlyNormalAnimal completely or mostly normal insects or arachnids]] in their world. When insects and arachnids are anthropomorphized even slightly, they are drawn with more mammalian traits and fewer traits that would show up on a real insect or arachnid.\\

Since snakes don't have leg, arms, feet, or hands and CivilizedAnimal, FunnyAnimal, and PettingZooPeople are almost always bipedal, it is hard to anthropomorphize them beyond a PartiallyCivilizedAnimal, let alone to the PettingZooPeople tier without actually adding said body parts. So, if you want to make a snake shrug, it would have to use its elongate body to do so. Also, if it's going to be able to grasp objects or gesture, it's tail would have to made prehensile.\\

There is a much greater tendency to actually add facial and bodily features to insects and arachnids that simply aren't present on their real counterparts in order to anthropomorphize them even slightly. Other animals are much less commonly subject to this when they are anthropomorphized or otherwise drawn in a non-lifelike manner. Typically, those facial and bodily features are human or otherwise mammalian.

!Anthropomorphism Terminology

When people talk about the term "anthropomorphic," they usually refer to an animal (fictional or nonfictional species), plant, alien, mythical or fantasy creature, robot, inanimate object, or other non human that acts human or is humanoid in shape. However, the word, "anthropomorphic," technically means "of human shape or form."

!!Pertinent Terms

* '''Anthropomorphic''': technically means of human shape or form; usually used to mean an animal (fictional or nonfictional species), plant, alien, mythical or fantasy creature, robot, inanimate object, or other non human that acts human or is humanoid in shape
* '''Zoomorphic''': means of animal shape or form
* '''Anthrozoomorphic''': technical term for animals that act human

!Peculiarities of The Anthropomorphism of Various Animal Species

!!Insect and Arachnid Anthropomorpism

There is a much greater tendency to actually add facial and bodily features to insects and arachnids that simply aren't present on their real counterparts in order to anthropomorphize them even slightly. Other animals are much less commonly subject to this when they are anthropomorphized pr otherwise drawn in a non-lifelike manner. Typically, those facial and bodily features are human or otherwise mammalian.

'''There are Some Mammalian, Anthropomorphic, and other Vertebrate-Like Facial and Bodily Features That Cartoon Insects and Arachnids Are Often Drawn With, Including:'''

* Noses shaped either like human noses or like the generic jellybean shape that looks vaguely like a dog's nose. RealLife insects and arachnids don't even ''have'' noses to begin with.
* [[CartoonyEyes Vertebrate eye structure with sclerae, pupils, the ability to blink, and even irides]].
* Often has [[FourLeggedInsect four legs]] instead of the correct six if an insect.
* Often has six legs instead of the correct eight if an arachnid.
* Sometimes have NonMammalMammaries.
* Having back legs or back and middle legs located on the abdomen instead of having all legs being located on the thorax like they are in RealLife insects.
* Have legs on the abdomen and a head instead of having all legs and head located on the cephalothorax and an abdomen like they are in RealLife arachnids.
* Hands and feet with fingers and toes respectively.
* Two eyes instead of the five eyes that RealLife insects have. This can be forgiven as three of those five eyes are far smaller than the other two.
* Two eyes instead of the eight eyes that RealLife spiders have.
* Have vertebrate mouths, jaws, and teeth instead of or in conjunction to their mandibles if an insect.
* Have vertebrate mouths, jaws, and teeth instead of or in conjunction to their chelicera if a arachnid.
* Sometimes have a facial "mask" marking
* Sometimes have a shortish, doglike muzzle
* Sometimes have a vaguely humanoid torso

!!!Examples

[[folder:Advertising]]
* The [[http://questionitmediamoguls.blogspot.com/2010/04/who-is-target-audience_20.html Honey Nut Cheerios Bee]].
* The [[http://www.usatoday.com/money/advertising/adtrack/2007-08-26-ad-track-williams_N.htm Nasonex Bee]] - played by Antonio Banderas.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film]]

* In ''Film/JamesAndTheGiantPeach'', the giant insects inside the peach have noticably humanlike faces.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* ''DreamwalkJournal'' features ''literally'' mammalian insect and arachnid hybrids. The implication is that the entire population is the result of genetic engineering (pantropy) by their human ancestors.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]

!!!Flea Anthropomorphism

The toon world treats them as a phenomenon particular to canines when virtually every mammalian species on Earth has a variety of flea all its own. However, if a cartoon features dogs, you can count on a plot or subplot eventually centering on popular culture's favorite endoparasites.

Animators tend not to pay attention to what a flea actually looks like, often drawing them as [[InformedSpecies nondescript cartoon "bugs" or even tiny human-like creatures]]. This is especially evident in ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' cartoons. Some exceptions to this include WesternAnimation/{{Droopy}}'s Dixieland flea band, the fleas in ''WesternAnimation/CatDog'', the fleas in the ''MoxyPirateCartoonShow'', the fleas in the ''WesternAnimation/AllDogsGoToHeaven'' TV series, and P.T. Flea in ''WesternAnimation/ABugsLife''. They were still at least a little anthropomorphic, but they looked very reasonably flea-like.

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!!Snake Anthropomorphism

RealLife snakes do not blink, but cartoon snakes are nearly always shown blinking regardless of their level of anthropomorphism.

Since snakes don't have leg, arms, feet, or hands and CivilizedAnimal, FunnyAnimal, and PettingZooPeople are almost always bipedal, it is hard to anthropomorphize them beyond a PartiallyCivilizedAnimal, let alone to the PettingZooPeople tier without actually adding said body parts. So, if you want to make a snake shrug, it would have to use its elongate body to do so. Also, if it's going to be able to grasp objects or gesture, it's tail would have to made prehensile.

!Evolution of Animal Anthropomorphism in the 19th, 20th, and 21st Centuries

Animal anthropomorphizing has evolved over time. In the 19th century and in earlier decades of the 20th century, [[http://feministdisney.tumblr.com/post/20831661927/what-are-you-feelings-on-bambi-and-gender-coding animals were usually presented as less humanlike than they are now]]. This can be seen in the 1942 Disney movie, ''Disney/{{Bambi}}''. Even though the animals can speak, they still move pretty realistically as animals, and what they think about/talk about is more focused on “animal” concerns and uses animal logic. Animals were also seen as less “gendered” creatures.

Bipedal, anthropomorphic animals in the 19th and early 20th century were usually of the CivilizedAnimal type. The most notable examples include many of Creator/BeatrixPotter's works and ''Literature/TheWindInTheWillows''. ''Literature/TheWindInTheWillows'' may [[AnthropomorphicShift shift toward the]] FunnyAnimal trope with Mr. Toad and later parts of the story, but the FunnyAnimal trope really started to rise in the late 1920s with animated cartoons featuring animals. The CivilizedAnimal resurfaced in the 1940s, but this kind is more humanized than those in Creator/BeatrixPotter's works and can [[AnthropomorphicZigZag switch between]] CivilizedAnimal and FunnyAnimal depending on the cartoon and/or their mood. Both types of CivilizedAnimal and FunnyAnimal became less prominent by the 1970s.

Before the rise of the modern UsefulNotes/FurryFandom, the PettingZooPeople type of animal was few and far between and the HumanoidFemaleAnimal and NonMammalMammaries tropes were less common. The most notable early examples of this are various female animals in some Creator/TexAvery cartoons and most of the cats that Tom of ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' swoon over.

In the last 30 years however, the anthropomorphized animated animals have grown in their roles to become much more human like, both in movement, speech, and thought. Compare the animals in ''Disney/{{Bambi}}'' (NearlyNormalAnimal) to the animals in ''Disney/TheLionKing'' (NearlyNormalAnimal, PartiallyCivilizedAnimal) and the mice in ''Disney/{{Cinderella}}'' (CivilizedAnimal) to the mice in ''Disney/TheGreatMouseDetective'' (FunnyAnimal, PettingZooPerson).

When that happened (animals being animated, drawn, rendered, or written to be more humanlike) they also began to reflect more a lot of “human” socialization, like more intensified gender coding (through behavior, speech, as well as assigned roles). The PettingZooPeople, NonMammalMammaries, and HumanoidFemaleAnimal tropes grew more common.

!!FunnyAnimal and CivilizedAnimal Characters in the Golden Age Cartoons

in the 1930s, the {{Funny Animal}}s created (like MickeyMouse, WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck, and WesternAnimation/PorkyPig) were basically humans who happen to be drawn as animals for the most part. They live like humans, they act like humans, they own animals as pets. Goofy is [[FullyDressedCartoonAnimal fully dressed]] and even more humanlike. His anthropomorphism reached its zenith in the 1950s, when more animal like cartoon animals were created.

The cartoon stars who emerged in the 1940s and 1950s were [[http://zvbxrpl.blogspot.com/2008/12/critter-casts-in-cartoons.html often animals who actually lived and/ or acted like animals]]. For example, WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry acted like a cat and mouse, WesternAnimation/BugsBunny lives in a hole in the ground, eats carrots, and is menaced by hunters, and WesternAnimation/ChipAndDale live in a tree and crave nuts. These characters are, for the most part, naked, whereas Mickey, Porky, and Donald wear [[HalfDressedCartoonAnimal partial outfits]]. With a character like Bugs, his adversaries have to be human. When they're not, they have to be animal-like animals, like hunting dogs or Tasmanian Devils.

** Bucky Bug, from the SillySymphony "Bugs In Love" and a series of comics set on his hometown of [[MouseWorld Bugville]].
** Wilbur the Grasshopper, from the SillySymphony "The Grasshopper and the Ants" and the WesternAnimation/{{Goofy}} cartoon "Goofy and Wilbur". Also, the ants from the former short.

** The title character from the SillySymphony "The Moth and the Flame", which was a HumanoidFemaleAnimal, as well as the more cartoony male moths.

* Creator/ChuckJones' ''WesternAnimation/TheCricketInTimesSquare'' averts the body design issues with [[http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/reviews/81/1195336096_3.jpg Chester Cricket]], though he has a cartoonishly-stylized face.

* The French short series ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minuscule_(TV_series) Miniscule]]'' features otherwise quite realistically drawn insect characters, but [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-w_cM9nmrQ the small spider's two eyes have pupils.]] It also shivers when cold.
* Creator/ChuckJones' ''The Cricket in Times Square'' averts the body design issues with [[http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/reviews/81/1195336096_3.jpg Chester Cricket]], though he has a cartoonishly-stylized face.

* The population of ''Santo Bugito''.
* The moth and butterfly from the Animaniacs episode, "Wings Take Heart" are this. The moth has four legs, a light facial "mask" marking, and a red, doglike nose and the butterfly looks basically like a human with antennae and wings.

* {{Pokemon}}'s bugs vary but usually just have somewhat more mammalian eyes than their real-life counterparts, often only four legs and optional bipedalism. Scyther, however, though nominally a praying mantis, obviously borrows several vital features from vertebrates: its head resembles a reptile, complete with the accompanying mouth, fangs and eyes, and while its forelegs end in curved blades based on those of a praying mantis, its hind legs are clawed. Additionally, though Flygon is arguably only partly based on an antlion, it has a cute mammal-like body, paws and a tail.

* The monarch butterfly who's considered a [[NearlyNormalAnimal perfectly normal]] butterfly in the ''HandyManny'' world has correct number of legs (that is, six), but it has [[CartoonyEyes Cartoony Vertebrate-Style Eyes]].

Animators tend not to pay attention to what a flea actually looks like, often drawing them as [[InformedSpecies nondescript cartoon "bugs" or even tiny human-like creatures]]. This is especially evident in ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' cartoons. Some exceptions to this include {{Droopy}}'s Dixieland flea band, the fleas in ''WesternAnimation/CatDog'', the fleas in the ''MoxyPirateCartoonShow'', the fleas in the ''WesternAnimation/AllDogsGoToHeaven'' TV series, and P.T. Flea in ''WesternAnimation/ABugsLife''. They were still at least a little anthropomorphic, but they looked very reasonably flea-like.

** Wilbur the Grasshopper, from the SillySymphony "The Grasshopper and the Ants" and the {{Goofy}} cartoon "Goofy and Wilbur". Also, the ants from the former short.

* The fireflies, including Ray, and butterflies in ''ThePrincessAndTheFrog''

** The PlutoThePup cartoon "Disney/SpringtimeForPluto" had a butterfly that looked more like a '40s PinUp with wings.

Bipedal, anthropomorphic animals in the 19th and early 20th century were usually of the CivilizedAnimal type. The most notable examples include many of Creator/BeatrixPotter's works and ''TheWindInTheWillows''. ''TheWindInTheWillows'' may [[AnthropomorphicShift shift toward the]] FunnyAnimal trope with Mr. Toad and later parts of the story, but the FunnyAnimal trope really started to rise in the late 1920s with animated cartoons featuring animals. The CivilizedAnimal resurfaced in the 1940s, but this kind is more humanized than those in Creator/BeatrixPotter's works and can [[AnthropomorphicZigZag switch between]] CivilizedAnimal and FunnyAnimal depending on the cartoon and/or their mood. Both types of CivilizedAnimal and FunnyAnimal became less prominent by the 1970s.

* The bees from ''BeeMovie''

The cartoon stars who emerged in the 1940s and 1950s were [[http://zvbxrpl.blogspot.com/2008/12/critter-casts-in-cartoons.html often animals who actually lived and/ or acted like animals]]. For example, WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry acted like a cat and mouse, WesternAnimation/BugsBunny lives in a hole in the ground, eats carrots, and is menaced by hunters, and WesternAnimation/ChipAndDale live in a tree and crave nuts. These characters are, for the most part, naked, whereas Mickey, Porky, and Donald wear [[HalfDressedCartoonAnimal partial outfits]]. With a character like Bugs, his adversaries have to be human. When they're not, they have to be animal-like animals, like hunting dogs or Tasmanian Devils.

* The ClassicDisneyShorts are teeming with them.

** DonaldDuck often had to deal with insects, including ants, a bee (which had a big red nose) and the Bootle Beetle.