Today, the wonderful and redoubtable Erica Scott was musing on the alarming TV cartoon violence we Baby Boomers took in stride in our youth. Taken seriously, of course, someone being flattened under a falling safe or having his nose blown off by a stick of dynamite would be horrific.
But my idea is that the alleged violence portrayed in the works of Messrs. Tex Avery, Chuck Jones, Dave Fleischer, et al., is hilarious because of the surprise, because it's so outrageously exaggerated, and, because it's so often Just Desserts for Reprehensible Characters, provides a satisfying release without anyone being really hurt.
As a demonstration, I'll rerun this particular WolfieTroon featuring Exaggerated and Unnecessary Cartoon Violence. The Language, however, has been made Acceptable For All Audiences.
And Erica responded, "Okay, that's damn funny!"