What is up with Country Bears?

[TLinden16]

I make my good friend Goofy4Tink go see this show every time we are at Disney together now. We had gone to see it about five years ago (I haven't seen it in years), and I was just howling at it. It is so bad, it's good. My favorite song is Mama Don't Whoop Little Buford. If Goofy4Tink had a dollar for evertime I sang that song to her, she could buy enough ponchos to last a lifetime.

 

[dmoore22]

See my post a couple of posts later... Yes, it was designed originally for the ski resort, but it was built for WDW. Thus, making it a WDW original.

I think you misconstrued my comment. My point is that Walt Disney's use of double meanings goes all the way back to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and his more popular successor, Mickey Mouse. The earliest cartoons with the love triangle between Mickey, Minnie, and Brutus, alias Peg-Leg Pete, Bad Pete, Black Pete, Percy P. Percival, Peter Pete Sr, Bootleg Pete, Louie the Leg, Big Pete, Captain Pete, Colonel Pete, Mighty Pete, Dirty Pete, Pee Wee Pete, Pilot Pete, Pistol Pete, Sergent Pete, King Pete, Emperor Pete, Lord Pete, Baron Pete, Count Pete, Petey, Mr. Sylvester Macaroni, Tiny Tom, King Pete, Sneaky Pete, captured the innocent hearts of children while maintaining a loyal audience of adults. The Country Bears follow in that tradition in a campy sort of way and, perhaps they are the great grandchildren, nieces, and nephews of Mickey's old rival Brutus.

 

[curlz2tite]

For me this is a classic attraction.

I remember this show from my first visit to Disney 39 years ago. I love all the songs & would hate to think of them ever changing a thing. It brings me back to my childhood & even with turning me on at 11yrs old & having to shoot little Beuford ect I turned out OK
It is a must see for me every trip.

 

[goofyernmost]

I think you misconstrued my comment. My point is that Walt Disney's use of double meanings goes all the way back to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and his more popular successor, Mickey Mouse. The earliest cartoons with the love triangle between Mickey, Minnie, and Brutus captured the innocent hearts of children while maintaining a loyal audience of adults. The Country Bears follow in that tradition in a campy sort of way and, perhaps they are the great grandchildren, nieces, and nephews of Mickey's old rival Brutus.

I thought Brutus was Popeye's rival.

 

[prttynpnk]

You know, when my husband and I do this show once every 7 trips or so, we are too busy groaning at the corniness and trying to keep the childhood HEE-Haw flashbacks at bay to notice how offended we should be. I knew it was silly, but I didn't properly focus on it's offensiveness- now we'll have to go back and look closer!

 

[BarbieGal457]

I love CB! I may not see it every trip, but I still think it's a classic, too. I remember being little and wanting to be just like the girl bear who swings from the ceiling, who's name is currently escaping me. I'm still leery of the moose, are they?, above the exits, though...

(Sorry for all my CB memory loss today!)

 

[sassyredhead]

You know, when my husband and I do this show once every 7 trips or so, we are too busy groaning at the corniness and trying to keep the childhood HEE-Haw flashbacks at bay to notice how offended we should be. I knew it was silly, but I didn't properly focus on it's offensiveness- now we'll have to go back and look closer!

This is exactly how I feel! Not offended, just more of "groan, I can't believe how corny this is!". But, I saw it for the first time as an adult, so maybe you have to see the CB as a child to appreciate this attraction?

My DH and DD haven't seen the CB, so I am definitely taking them to see this on our upcoming trip. I am SO curious how they will react!

 

[dmoore22]

I thought Brutus was Popeye's rival.

Your thinking of "Bluto."

 

[doconeill]

Your thinking of "Bluto."

Actually, he was also known as Brutus.

I can't recall a rival of Mickey by that name. He was one of Medusa's pet alligators in The Rescuers though.

Were you thinking of Pete?

 

[disneypolybride2008]

this show is so freakin hilarious... last time we saw it the whole room was quietly listening and i broke out in histerics. It is so funny b/c of the hillbilliness of the characters...lmao.. i guess i'm the only one who thinks it was funny in the whole place. I couldnt control my laughter.

 

[kateybee]

Why would a young child even know what "turns me on" means?

I don't take my kids to this attraction for one reason- it bored the crap out of me as a child and I don't want to do that to my children. Nor do I want to sit through it again.

 

[JoshuaShaw]

I live by the old adage, "If your child gets the dirty jokes, then it's YOUR fault!"

 

[Robo]

Your thinking of "Bluto."

Actually, he was also known as Brutus.

Yup.

The classic "movie theater" versions of the Popeye Cartoons featured the rival/villain character known as Bluto.

In the 1960's, when "new" Popeye cartoons were being created for limited theater release, but mostly for the TV market, that same rival/villain character was known as Brutus.

I always thought that issue was very strange when I was a kid.

Here's the (take-with-a-grain-of-salt) Wikipedia info-

Bluto/Brutus issue

After the theatrical Popeye cartoon series went out of production in 1957, Bluto's name was changed to Brutus because it was (wrongly) believed that Paramount Pictures, distributors of the Fleischer Studios (later Famous Studios) cartoons, owned the rights to the name Bluto. (King Features owned the name all along as Bluto had been originally created for the comic strip. However, due to poor research, they failed to realize this, and re-made him as Brutus to avoid copyright problems.)[2] "Brutus" (often pronounced "Brutusk" by Popeye) appears in the 1960–1962 Popeye television cartoons (with his physical appearance changed, making him morbidly obese rather than muscular), but he is again "Bluto" (and back to his original muscular physique) in the 1978 Hanna-Barbera Popeye series and the 1980 live-action Popeye movie, as well as the 1987 Popeye and Son series also by Hanna-Barbera. The character was also named Bluto in the 2004 movie Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappy.
Brutus was the name Nintendo used for their arcade game based on the property.

 

[Disfamily0405]

I LOVE COUNTRY BEAR JAMBOREE!!! it makes me think of Lester's Possum Park in the Goofy Movie, infact that whole scene is almost EXACTLY how my dad is when we see CB LOL, and its a family joke. My dad sings Blood on the Saddle occasionally just to annoy my mom. Though I have to say the last time I saw it I had the worst seat in the house....directly below Teddi Barra when she decends from the ceiling I was terrified she would fall from the ceiling and land on me. But for my family its kind of like drinking beverly at Epcot, you cringe but you have to do it and you have a great laugh after words.

 

[jjas]

Well - having never taken the time to see this show during previous trips I will definately be adding it to the list of Must Do's for our upcoming trip!

I hope my 25 and 19 year old will be able to handle it !

 

[avic77]

Well, I'm talking about bidding for the women.. of course they go for the
attractive red haired and don't want the robust heavy one.

Well now of course they prefer the redhead

 

[prttynpnk]

Well now of course they prefer the redhead

Hear, Hear!

 

[FlightlessDuck]

My biggest problem is just how crappy the show is, regardless of content.

The content never bothered me with my kids. They didn't notice.

 

[TDC Nala]

I think it's a riot but I grew up watching Hee Haw.

Long live Big Al!

I was just posting because this was not really in the Disney theme of fairies and pixie dust and Dumbo and happiness!

That is what is great about Disney...not all of it is.

 

[daisax]

I didn't see this show until my third time at WDW, and we happened upon it at just the right time in terms of being tired and hot or something, because it was such a big goofy good time that when I've gone back since I've kind of been surprised that it isn't as hysterical as I first found it. But I still adore "There was bloooooood..." and have been known to sing it at home when minor cuts are involved.

As for the salaciousness of the lyrics, early 20th century lyrics were often quite racy -- even showtunes. The second female lead in Oklahoma is a character who "Can't Say No" and she's not talking about kissing.

I listen to a station dedicated to big band era music and let's just say that they're often pretty obviously NOT talking about kissing and making googoo eyes at each other.

And Cole Porter -- let's just say that "Let's do it (let's fall in love)" was NOT about falling in love! (If you ever hear Louis Armstrong's version, get ready to fan yourself)