Opinion: Sure, the Dog Video is Cute, But ...

by Tom Henderson (Subscribe to Tom Henderson's posts) Jan 14th 2010 9:00AM

Categories: Opinions

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OK, the video of the kid getting sniffed into a giggling stupor by the ginormous Mastiff, Clydesdale or whatever-the-heck-that-thing-is-called is kind of cute.

Go ahead and forward it to 432,734,927.3 of your closest friends. It's been five minutes. They need another break from work.

There. I said it. Happy now?

A couple of weeks ago, I said I didn't find a popular video of a kid trapped behind a couch very funny. In fact, I said, it was a bit twisted. I went on to rag on other videos where adults find hurt or vulnerable children knee-slapping, coughing-up-phlegm hilarious.

As a result, I was told I was not a nice guy by more affable souls who compared me to a feminine hygiene product. (I may be a bit of a school marm, but such language!)

Put down your pitchforks and douse your torches, villagers. I actually like the dog video. OK, it's a little dangerous. I mean, have you seen the size of that beast? There must be talk of tearing down that dog and putting up a shopping mall.

And that kid is so little. Things could easily get out of hand. One wrong move, and the kid might have to spend 12 years of public school explaining the paw print on his face.

However, the mom or some other Responsible Adult is well within grabbing distance. The child could easily be pulled out of harm's way if the dog suddenly mistakes him for a Milk-Bone or starts tap dancing on his face.

Even this pinch-faced old school marm can crack a smile. Just this once.

Yet, I continue to shake my bony finger at our national freak show. My son asks me what's wrong with shows like "Jackass," where you can watch someone who more than lives up to the program's title, rocket sled into a tree. What's wrong with watching someone get his arm caught in a vending machine on "World's Dumbest?"

Hey, there's a steep hill, and Grandma's in her wheelchair! Grab the camera!

I keep thinking of "The Simpsons" episode where Homer defends the short film "Football in the Groin." ("But 'Football in the Groin' has a football in the groin!")

All this doesn't speak very highly of what it takes to amuse us. A giggling kid getting sniffed by a dog is funny. But is it really that funny? Is it Mark Twain, Groucho Marx or George Carlin funny? Is it worth spamming all of digital creation?

It's a judgment call, I agree. This particular video is not the best example for my thesis. The previous videos worked a lot better. This is rather sweet and benign. I think it's worth a smile and an "awww" -- when I'm not annoyed by the preponderance of adorable tots, kittens and cheesy jokes being forwarded by the truckload into my inbox.

All I'm saying is that we prize the the trivial and cutesy a little too much. And until children can sign legal consent forms, I think the less we share of their hijinks the better.

Then again, what the heck. That kid's giggling is infectious.

You can pick up your pitchforks again.

Related: What Is Viral Video? This Mashup Sort of Explains

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Comments (449)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 22)

Pat 1-16-2010 @ 6:39AM

"we prize the trivial and the cutesy a little too much" because it can be gone in an instant. The tragedy in Haiti demonstrates how we can never be certain of tomorrow. So, laugh and enjoy the trivial, stop rationalizing and being annoyed! Life is too short.

Jim 1-16-2010 @ 11:01AM

Tom is off the mark again. First off, the dog is a Great Dane and NOT a Mastiff. Second, the dog could not have been more gentle with that baby. There was absolutely no sense of harm or danger at all. I read a few posts where some folks said that they have large dogs and would not let them do this with their kids. Well, I guess this is an individual thing. Perhaps their dogs are as trusted or trusting as this one is?

As my daughter was a young infant and into toddler years, we had a German Shepard that weighed in at close to 100#, and was a very well trained security dog. He could roughhouse with me one minute and be nuzzling my daughter the next. Never, and I do mean never would I have let that big dog with the potential to kill anywhere near my daughter if I had sensed even the slightest bit of danger toward her. That dog loved her and almost gave his life for her once. What all this leads to is that different situations lead to different allowances. Think about it.

kandyrice 1-16-2010 @ 11:57AM

i have 3 of the most gentle sweet english mastiffs. but never would i have allowed my dogs to play with my babies like that. all it would take is 1 bite. the dog may even think its still playing. that little baby could be hurt very bad

Shirley 1-16-2010 @ 12:09PM

I agree with you about things that are not funny -- especially that poor little kid behind the couch. It gave me claustrophobia just to see it and I really felt for the child.

Lanette 1-16-2010 @ 12:56PM

well thank God he didn't rip the kids face off---oh but that never happens right?
It's dangerous and irresponsible...to have kids this close to animals..

Doc 1-16-2010 @ 12:36PM

There's a bigger picture here: it's a symptom of how much this country has lost compassion. If your kid is trapped under a couch, what would possess you to pick up a camera rather than picking up the couch? Why is it funny when someone is in danger? How long will it be before some jerk decides jokes about Haiti are worth forwarding? We've become callous to the plights of others unless the media tells us it's a disaster at which point we react. Haiti is much worse than anyone in this country can imagine. In the best of times, people eat patties made from dirt to stay alive. It's been a disaster for centuries and now it's a catastrophe. And so is life for the average Iraqi and Afghan. And people in Darfur. And a hundred other places. Compassion begins at home. When you grab that camera, what message are you sending to your trapped child?

Elaine Cortese 1-17-2010 @ 2:15PM

Well Said...I was going to post something Very similar...

Annette 1-17-2010 @ 2:34PM

The cute kid crap has got to stop. It's NOT cute. It borders on morbid and honestly, I'm sick of getting these obnoxious messages sent to my email and cell phone.
You know what I want forwarded to me? I want messages sent to me of the parents who let their kids get trapped behind a couch or in a bathroom or underneath a big, drooling dog but I want the messages to be of THEM trapped in a bathroom or underneath a big, drooling dog. I would bet anything that if an adult were trapped anywhere they wouldn't think it was all that funny. I also would bet that an adult wouldn't think it's so funny to be chased and held down by a dog (any dog).
Doesn't anyone read books anymore? Is the only form of entertainment that anyone gets anymore in the form of immature forwarded messages?

Keegan 1-17-2010 @ 2:33PM

I'm with you Tom. The dog is not sure what's going on at the start and things could easily turn horrible if the wrong move is made by the child. Dogs, like children, can turn in an instant with little to no discernible reason.

citygirlretired 1-17-2010 @ 2:34PM

Well spoken. Thank you.

Fay 1-17-2010 @ 3:16PM

here here,lifes to short, if something is innocent and funny then why not laugh about it, theres too much else in this cold world to cry and be sad about.

carolyn 1-17-2010 @ 3:07PM

I don't care how cute the dog is... the baby shouldn't be rolling around in the dogs items and available as dog dinner or the dog's amusement. I understand many people consider their pets to be "part of the family." I on the other hand, consider my children above the family animals. And "yes," I love animals, but they are animals. I think it's bad parenting because an animal has "animal" instincts. The dog's instincts are not to "play" first, but rather is getting aroused by the smell of the child's flesh, which is what is clearly happening here. What would happen to the child's arm, leg, or face if the dog did turn on the child? What's the parent's plan to free the child without the child getting hurt? Wake up people.

Glenn 1-17-2010 @ 5:37PM

After reading this article and some of the comments about it, regrettably I am realizing there are many tainted hearts with the humdrum darkness of this world. Should we all be busy bodies and go around telling everyone that their wrong for laughing at innocence? By the way George Carlin was NOT funny. That comment in itself was enough to let me know reading your articles are a waste of my time. If we need less crap to filter through on the net then maybe we should start with banning Tom Henderson’s articles. For you that are on the fence move on over to the light side and laugh at amusing videos or pictures.

Kahla 1-17-2010 @ 4:15PM

This is to all the LIBERAL IDIOTS and OVERBEARING MORONS

First of all... who cares if the dog is playing with the baby??? OBVIOUSLY someone trusts the dog enough to let him and the kid play. PERSONALLY i have a 7 month old and I ALWAYS let him and my yellow lab play together. and i know some of you are going to say "well that a yellow lab not a mastiff/great dane" (FYI Great Danes are in the Mastiff Breed) Point is they trust the dog.

Two...Everyone says... "Whats wrong with kids these days??" Just to think back in the old days there were kids out playing with billy goats, horses, cows, dogs, pigs, ect ect.... boy could we imagine the comments on that now days??? HA what a joke!!! i cant wait to let my son play around the horses.

"Lanette 1-16-2010 @ 12:56PM
well thank God he didn't rip the kids face off---oh but that never happens right?
It's dangerous and irresponsible...to have kids this close to animals.."

oh yeah and the the simple idiot who said she wouldnt let her kid around a 3lb dog let alone a 150lb dog.. YOU must not read much on animals didnt you know that little dogs are wayyyy more aggressive than large breed dogs???

What an unthoughtful comment this was... What are people supposed to do?? not have any animals around?? IT IS IRRESPONSIBLE to not discipline your animals and teach them to respect your children.. guess no one ever taught you people that....

well enough on this one...

craig 1-17-2010 @ 3:57PM

Yes, relax and join in the laughter; enjoy the simply moments of life. Tom Henderson.... shut up! Can't you find anything more interesting to write about? Stop wasting our time with your hand-wringing nonsense.

Kim 1-17-2010 @ 4:13PM

I agree with Jim. Take into consideration that animals also have natural parental instincts. It's obvious that the dog is a trusted member of the family. People that haven't grown up with animals in their family there whole lives won't understand on the same level. I've had dogs in my family throughout my whole life, and people can tell if a dog can understand how delicate a baby is or if they just aren't mature enough to understand. This dog is extremely careful and you can tell that he/she loves that child very much. There are plenty of other things in this world to freak out or complain over. I don't believe this is one of them.

shana 1-17-2010 @ 4:29PM

haha i like your description of tap dancing on the kid...funny stuff but in reality the dog is 20 times the kids size and i've seen first hand some dogs mistakes lil kids as chew toys...its a horrible scenerio and neither person wins..kids mauled by dog and dog whose never harmed anything in its life being put down for simply mistaking a child w. a chew toy...

Graham Condict 1-17-2010 @ 4:48PM

The dog is clearly playing with the boy in a very friendly way. Dogs have parenting instincts as do most animals. I think the odds of the dog trying to play too rough with the baby or actually trying to eat the baby are very low. Now if the animal that was playing with the baby was not a domesticated and trained animal I would most definitly be scared.

Paul112345 1-17-2010 @ 4:58PM

It's cute and funny. All you people are a bunch of uptight adults that forgot what its like being a child of that age. BIG deal the dog was playing with the child. Do you bubble rap your children when they leave the house.... no ..so relax and take a chill pill ...and remember whats its like being a kid again ...
PS...If the parents had any reason to not trust the dog im sure they wouldnt allow this type of behavior

sonia 1-17-2010 @ 7:38PM

True I wouldnt let my baby play a huge dog.The dog would think it still playing and he would not stop. Parents should be careful with thier babies and pets!!!!!!