History YMMV / Garfield

* ValuesResonance: Recently, with the rise of the internet, celebrities like Creator/AlYankovic, and mainstream revelations of niche hobbies that might be featured on shows such as ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'', as well as recognition of disabilities that spur these interests (such as autism and ADHD), Jon can be seen less as a loser, and more of an outcast of normative society. This, as well as his previous inability to find a romantic partner, resonate with those aforementioned disabled and outcast odd individuals who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, and have been seen as less and less quirky and tasteless, and more interesting and personality-revealing.

* TheWoobie: Jon, at times. His pet cat openly disrespects and sometimes assaults him, he's frequently the victim of bizarre occurrences, and he's unlucky in love (though the last bit has changed since his RelationshipUpgrade with Liz).

* MemeticBadass[=/=]MemeticPsychopath: Much like WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}} before them, the strange and occasionally horrifying world of fan work (especially ''WebVideo/{{Garfielf}}'' and ''WebVideo/FistOfTheB0rfStar'') has turned Jon and Garfield into characters with traits from both these character types, with Jon [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation commonly perceived]] as an antisocial, insane recluse who hears voices and murdered [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome Lyman]] to steal his pets and Garfield as a [[ExtremeOmnivore ceaselessly hungry]] EldritchAbomination that will devour the entire world if not appeased with lasagna. Hell, there's even an entry (#3166) about Garfield on '''''[[Wiki/SCPFoundation the SCP Foundation]]'''''. There's also a very active [[Website/{{Reddit}} subreddit]] dedicated to fanart of Garfield as an Lovecraftian eldritch horror, [[https://www.reddit.com/r/imsorryjon/ "r/imsorryjon"]].

** [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/garfield-comic-strips/images/0/0b/1978-10-28.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/1000?cb=20190104103527https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/garfield-comic-strips/images/0/0b/1978-10-28.gif October 28, 1978]] is one of the very few strips where Garfield is neither seen nor mentioned, and it features Jon receiving a bachelor magazine in the mail.

** Garfield is always referred to as male and always has a masculine voice, but a [[https://twitter.com/virgiltexas/status/834928472162197505 tweet]] by a Twitter user named [[Podcast/ChapoTrapHouse Virgil Texas]] claimed that Jim Davis [[WordOfGod officially stated]] that Garfield was [[NoBiologicalSex genderless]], leading to Internet debates and Administrivia/{{edit war}}ring on Wiki/TheOtherWiki.

* SeasonalRot: The number of people defending the strip is shrinking as the years go by. It doesn't help that A) Jim Davis now uses ghostwriters for most strips, B) even when he did write it, he admitted to having little ambition for anything beyond his comfort zone, C) the comic doesn't have a lot of storyline strips anymore, opting with only gag-per-day strips with loose plot threads, D) many newer strips are recycled from older strips or just very slight variations of the same jokes. The strip still has an online fandom, but it's a mostly ironic one.

*** A particularly meta example came in 1987, when parliament member Britt Harkestad raised concerns about the annual Garfield-themed school diary, claiming that Garfield encouraged "playing hooky, lying, bullying and contempt towards women." Her concerns weren't really taken that seriously and her attempts at having the school diary discontinued never led anywhere -- but Amundsen and Kvil put a lot of references to it in the strip and portrayed the entire thing as ridiculous. One strip, where Garfield is watching TV, completely changed the text and the context, turning a crazed weatherman into a ridiculous newscast that depicted the politicians as bratty children:

* WereStillRelevantDammit:
** In [[https://www.gocomics.com/garfield/2006/05/07 the May 7, 2006 strip,]] Garfield listens to the sound of bacon frying on an [=iPod=]. This manages to be both a parody of this trope and a straight example at once; it could've worked in the 1980s with a Walkman, or in the 1990s with a portable CD player.
** [[http://gocomics.com/garfield/2003/01/05 Amazing how well entertainment systems have evolved over the years.]] Though the punchline is at least relevant, since [=DVRs=] aren't exactly making the problem better.
** [[http://gocomics.com/garfield/2003/04/06 This strip is loaded with 21st century street slang.]] (On the other hand, it's very fitting for [[DiscoDan Jon]] to use outdated slang).
** [[http://images.ucomics.com/comics/ga/2015/ga151004.jpg This strip]] has Jon and Garfield texting each other with emoticons, with the punchline being that Garfield has a particularly angry emote that Jon finds frightening.
** [[https://www.gocomics.com/garfield/2017/11/03 These]] [[https://www.gocomics.com/garfield/2017/11/19 strips]] have Garfield dabbing.
** One July 2020 strip has Odie "streaming a tennis ball" by running across the room with his phone.
** In [[https://www.gocomics.com/garfield/2022/07/17 the July 17, 2022 strip]], one of the songs the fish sings is "Baby Shark", though it does end with [[TakeThat Garfield eating it]].

* [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/garfield-comic-strips/images/0/0b/1978-10-28.gif/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/1000?cb=20190104103527https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/garfield-comic-strips/images/0/0b/1978-10-28.gif October 28, 1978]] is one of the very few strips where Garfield is neither seen nor mentioned, and it features Jon receiving a bachelor magazine in the mail.

** In one 1990 strip, after Jon orders a pizza, it's revealed that Garfield recorded Jon's order, and remarks how useful the tape will be. [[''WesternAnimation/TheGarfieldShow'' Guess what happens about two decades later?]]

** In one 1990 strip, after Jon orders a pizza, it's revealed that Garfield recorded Jon's order, and remarks how useful the tape will be. [[''WesternAnimation/TheGarfieldShow Guess what happens about two decades later?]]

* UnfortunateImplications: [[https://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/12/garfield-creator-apologizes-for-national-stupid-day-cartoon/ This strip]] got Davis in hot water for its insensitivity towards those in the military, and on Veterans Day no less.

** Garfield is a FatBastard sociopath that tortures other smaller animals (and his owner/vet/any other human) for fun. Taken UpToEleven with [[https://old.reddit.com/r/imsorryjon/ r/imsorryjon]], which depicts Garfield as a monstrously evil god that exists just to torment Jon forever.

** Fans who appreciate the sophisticated, philosophical humor of ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' see ''Garfield'' as being too lowbrow and repetitive for enjoyment.
*** Garfield fans usually retort that Mr. Watterson and his fans are too stuck up to simply smile -- Calvin & Hobbes minus Hobbes would never have flown.

* SeasonalRot: The number of people defending the strip is shrinking as the years go by. It doesn't help that A) Jim Davis now uses ghostwriters for most strips, B) even when he did write it, he admitted to having little ambition for anything beyond his comfort zone, and C) the comic doesn't have a lot of storyline strips anymore, opting with only gag-per-day strips with loose plot threads. The strip still has an online fandom, but it's a mostly ironic one.

-->'''Garfield:''' The politicians spend millions to get their people into the Parliament. The result -- ''me.''\\

'''Garfield:''' The politicians spend millions to get their people into the Parliament. The result -- ''me.''
** In Brazil, [[https://www.gocomics.com/garfield/1979/02/26 this strip]] had Garfield saying his fighting style was actually '[[FooFu Cat Fu]]'. It even inspired a local band to name themselves Music/PatoFu.

* TastesLikeDiabetes: [[http://www.gocomics.com/garfield/1997/03/30 This strip]] has so many cute animals Garfield considers it "even too much" for him.

** [[https://twitter.com/jamcolley/status/965044450182414336?lang=en One Twitter user]] pointed out that Garfield has no reason to hate Mondays, as the reason it's disliked by many is because it's the start of their work week. The only difference from any other day is that Jon has to work after having had the weekend off to spend with his pets, suggesting that Garfield's hatred of Mondays is his way of saying he loves Jon. This one is subject to CommonKnowledge, though. The early strips and original animated series indicate that Jon is a freelance cartoonist who works from home--in fact, there are strips of Garfield playing in the wastebasket while Jon tries to draw. (for what it's worth, Jim Davis said Garfield hates Mondays because it reminds him "that his life is the same old, [[GroundhogDayLoop same old cycling again"]].)

** Another one [[https://www.mezzacotta.net/garfield/?comic=1343 pointed out]] by ''Square Root of Minus Garfield''; on early 90's strip saw Jon get a fortune cookie fortune that claimed "A tall, beautiful blonde will change your life". Fast-forward about 15 years, and Jon's date with a tall, beautiful blonde eventually leads to him becoming an OfficialCouple with Liz.

** A slight example. Jon living with another man (Lyman) is believed to have attracted some concerns from specific MoralGuardians back in the day thinking that it was promoting a homosexual lifestyle (in spite of Jon's hopeless attempts to go on a date from Liz and various other female characters). This likely contributed to Lyman being written out of future strips past 1983 and Jon becoming the sole owner of Odie from that point onward.

** The 2004 video game (completely unrelated to the movie; simply named ''Garfield''), which is a ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion'' knock-off with abysmal voice acting (just so you know, Garfield and Jon are voiced by the same actor, making them sound ''very off'', [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgaSr2TtnM4 See for yourself]]), terrible graphics that border into UncannyValley territory (Garfield is stuck with a permanent grin and Jon with an angry expression), repetitive, awkward dialogue ("Jon's gonna put me on a diet now and I don't want to go on a diet!"), rather poor grasp of the source material, strange controls, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking Odie only flipping over when attacked]].

* UncannyValley: Garfield looks... rather off since he looks like a real cat mixed with his cartoon counterpart.

** In [[https://www.gocomics.com/garfield/2022/07/17 the July 17, 2022 strip]], one of the songs the fish sings is "Baby Shark".

** ''Garfield'' is often read with the voice of Lorenzo Music, Creator/BillMurray or Creator/FrankWelker.

** Jon Arbuckle being an [[BadPeopleAbuseAnimals abusive, neglectful]] pet owner, [[TookALevelInDumbass or so dumb]] that he ends up [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome killing Garfield after feeding him multiple pounds of lasagna and junk food.]] See the above entry for AlternativeCharacterInterpretation.

* SeasonalRot: The number of people defending the strip is shrinking as the years go by. It doesn't help that A) Jim Davis now uses ghostwriters for most strips, B) even when he did write it, he admitted to having little ambition for anything beyond his comfort zone, and C) the comic doesn't have a lot of storyline strips anymore, opting with only gag-per-day strips with loose plot threads. The strip still has an online fandom, but it's an ironic one.

* UnintentionallySympathetic: Don't get us wrong, Garfield IS a {{Jerkass}}, but Jon and Odie can be unnecessarily mean to him when they want to be. Jon has [[https://www.gocomics.com/garfield/1981/03/29 thrown Garfield through a window]] [[DisproportionateRetribution just because Garfield was making fun of his suit]], meanwhile, Odie has [[{{Hypocrite}} stolen Garfield's food unprovoked]], [[https://www.gocomics.com/garfield/1989/07/30 "helped" Garfield get out of a tree by giving him a bowling ball and causing the branch that he was on to break]] (Garfield survived due to CartoonPhysics, but still) and [[https://www.gocomics.com/garfield/1980/10/30 messed with Garfield while he was in a body cast]] (although Garfield does [[https://www.gocomics.com/garfield/1980/11/01 get him back for it later on the bright side]]). Not to mention BOTH have mocked Garfield for his weight AND his age. Despite their usual NiceGuy personas, these brief lapses into {{Jerkass}} territory just make them look like spiteful jerks who can dish it out but can't take it.

** [[http://gocomics.com/garfield/2003/04/06 This strip is loaded with 21st century street slang.]] (On the other hand, it's very fitting for Jon to use outdated slang).

* CriticProof: In spite of very negative reviews from film critics and poor reception from the comic strip's fans who complained that ''Garfield'' wasn't mean for live-action, both films did very well at the box office. The sequel in particular saw massive success in China.

* HoYay: A slight example. Jon living with another man (Lyman) is believed to have attracted some concerns from specific MoralGuardians back in the day thinking that it was promoting a homosexual lifestyle (in spite of Jon's hopeless attempts to go on a date from Liz and various other female characters). This likely contributed to Lyman being written out of future strips past 1983 and Jon becoming the sole owner of Odie from that point onward.

** Though also HarsherInHindsight, as Bill Murray's comments that Lorenzo voicing Venkman made the latter sound like Garfield ended up [[ExecutiveMeddling getting Lorenzo kicked off]] ''[[ExecutiveMeddling The Real Ghostbusters]]''.