“Fathers Are People” is a 1951 Classic Disney Short starring Goofy.
Goofy (dubbed George Geef) experiences the ups and downs of fatherhood.
Tropes:
- Angry Animalistic Growl: George growls in Junior’s face when arguing with him about picking up his toys. His wife instantly admonishes him.
- Bait-and-Switch: When Mrs. Geef presents a shirt she just knitted, George assumes she wants another child—or got pregnant again. It turns out Mrs. Geef made the shirt for the family dog, much to George’s relief.
- Bubble Pipe: Goofy lies down on his chair and smokes his pipe after coming home from work. He notices bubbles coming out of it and tells his son to stop playing with his pipe.
- Corporal Punishment: Subverted! George decides to bestow this kind of punishment on Junior after tripping over his toys. In fact, George takes out a hand brush for this. Just when George is about to hit his son with the brush, Junior unwittingly talks his way out of it kissing his father good night. George fondly watches his son fall asleep and drops the whole issue.
- The Faceless: Mrs. Geef as always! Even when getting into the car, Mrs. Geef wears a hat that covers her entire head.
- Junior’s face is never seen during his infancy.
- I Need a Freaking Drink: When Junior starts crying at night, George is told to get the bottle. He does so... by helping himself to a cocktail. Somehow, the baby stops crying after that.
- Interactive Narrator: While Junior is refusing to pick up his toys, George turns his attention to the narrator, who advises him to use reverse psychology.
- Knitting Pregnancy Announcement: Subverted! Mrs. Geef shows George a new shirt she had just made. George assumes she is pregnant again or wants another child until she places the shirt on their dog.
- Proud Papa Passes Out the Cigars: The cartoon begins with George announcing that he's a father and handing out cigars to his workmates.
- Rage Breaking Point: After slipping on one of Junior’s roller skates, George gets so angry that he takes out a hand brush to bestow his son with corporal punishment. Fortunately, Junior talks his way out of it and George drops the issue.
- Reverse Psychology Backfire: When George tries getting Junior to pick up his toys, the narrator suggests reverse psychology.George: Now Junior, don’t you pick up a single, solitary one of those toys.
Junior: Alright! I won’t!
George: That’s a good boy. Huh! - Soap Punishment: The picture of "baby's first word" shows George washing Junior's mouth with soap. Provides the page image.
- Tempting Fate: After Junior goes to bed, George remarks how wonderful children are. Just as he says, “I wish I had a million of them,” his wife shows him a new shirt she had just sewn. George is shocked, thinking his wife wants more children. To his relief, Mrs. Geef puts the shirt on their dog.
