At the start of `Crowing Pains' the Barnyard Dog is clobbered by somebody disguised as a bush. Surprisingly, the attacker is not a rooster, but Sylvester the cat! It's his voice that gives him away, not his looks, as life was obviously good to him when this picture was made. Foghorn Leghorn is also a bit overweight, while Barnyard's voice had not quite reached the right pitch. Another big surprise is that Foghorn turns out to be the smartest of the three, while Sylvester is the most violent.
Having often wondered exactly why there is so much animosity between the rooster and the dog, one might think that the addition of a cat on this farm would make a lot of sense. It would be quite natural to see a cat chasing a rooster, and in turn being chased by a dog. But there is nothing rational about the way these animals try to hurt each other at all. The humour is all over the place, resulting in one of the most manic and violent entries in this farm based series (Barnyard actually seems to be in pain most of the time).
Let us not forget the star of this cartoon, Henery Hawk, who is convinced by Foghorn to disguise himself as an egg (to get that big chicken, Sylvester). The depiction of lunacy (as presented by Sylvester when he thinks he just laid an egg) would also be frowned upon in this day and age.
`Crowing pains' feels a lot like the first series of Blackadder in which the characters had not quite come into their own. If only the old Sufferin' Sukkatasher had spent more time on this farm in later years, the relationships might have gotten more finely tuned and the reasons for using the farm as a battleground a bit clearer. Perhaps, like so many warring nations before them, the animals had long forgotten the original reason for fighting each other.
5 out of 10
