Two responses to the same idea. Image source: Reddit.
Of all the realms in philosophy, ideas relevant to the self and different worldviews have been the ones I resonate with the most. Across the many schools of philosophy, existentialism makes the most sense to me. I recently finished reading Albert Camus’s classic work The Myth of Sisyphus which discusses some foundations of existential thought. I’ve long been familiar with the ideas in the book, provided to me primarily through media.
Mister Peanut Butter and The Absurd Man
My introduction to Camus, and a lot of philosophy actually, was the YouTube channel Wisecrack. Exploring the philosophical influences in media is the primary subject of their videos. Frequent appearances are made by existential philosophers, most often through two cartoons about substance abusing leads, Rick and Morty and BoJack Horseman.
As a fan of both series, the videos by Wisecrack were the exposure to the deeper ideas within. As the shows progressed, I found myself wondering which worldviews I found myself engaging in and which I truly would want to hold.
Enter, the happy go lucky yellow labrador named Mister Peanutbutter of BoJack Horseman, the show not the horse-man. The character is overwhelmingly friendly and audacious, much like a real life excited pup. He comes off as annoying and irritating when first introduced to the audience, especially through the eyes of our point of view character, BoJack, who can’t stand him for his painfully optimistic and friendly attitude.
As we get to know the characters more and more, BoJack is revealed to be a worse and worse person and we’re challenged to think about those around him more. As Mister Peanut Butter is developed, we see his friendly face drop for what might be the only time in the show. Confronting BoJack for a shitty thing he did – keeping things as spoiler free as I can.
His optimism is challenged when a family emergency calls him back to his hometown, a place full of other yellow labs. His brother Captain Peanutbutter is introduced in the same in your face manner, tackling Diane, Mister’s wife. Yet, when alone with Diane he breaks into these brief lines of an existential crisis. It’s revealed he has a medical condition, and Mister takes on his same depressive attitude, waxing poetic at a raven-person atop some nearby power lines. After hearing back from his brother and his own escapades in the episode come to a conclusion, he saves a drunk and drowning BoJack and breaks bad news. After which he happily shouts “None of this matters!”
That joyful exclamation of the inherent meaninglessness of the shattering news given to BoJack has stuck with me to this day. I recall a number of times living in Texas with my cousin both looking at each other and quoting Mister Peanutbutter.
Revisiting the episode for this post it’s clearer that Mister Peanutbutter is simply celebrating his brother’s health, but when first watching, I found Mister Peanutbutter to walk away as Camus’s “absurd man.” The absurd man is one who accepts the meaninglessness of existence, but doesn’t let this crumble him. Instead he embraces it and even finds comfort in this. I still see Mister Peanutbutter mostly through this lense. He has his moments, but throughout the majority of the show, he is able to live happily without a worry for the bigger meaning of it all, as BoJack loses himself trying to find purpose.
When I was first watching through the series, I began to face my own existential crisis. Answers I’d long held onto like religion and identity were starting to fall away. As I started to have trouble dealing with these ideas, a cartoon dog shouted to me, “none of this matters!” It was in that phrase that I allowed myself to relax and embrace the absurd.
Philosophy and Media
I briefly touched on the importance of media analysis in my life about a year ago. It’s funny how a piece of entertainment can shape perspectives more than years of education. All types of media can offer a range of ideas from a cast of characters, setting, event, or all at once. Characters with opposing philosophies can work against each other or together exploring how these ideas interact. The setting itself offers philosophical exploration. Dystopian novels come to mind as the prospective endpoint of certain belief systems.
A friend of mine has told me she doesn’t understand how I can read and enjoy so much philosophy. I find it acts as the foundation of how I understand and interpret other works. Learning about philosophy and theory shapes how we understand all the things we read, play, watch, or engage in anyway.
Interpretation is largely guided by the ideas and perspectives we understand. It’s how people can read completely different meanings in the same text, for example the idea that Netflix’s recent Squid Games is anti-communist when the creator explicitly stated his intention for the show to be about capitalism. I personally don’t think there’s a “wrong” interpretation of a piece of media, just perhaps one either lacking or influenced by a particular belief system.
Trying Out Before Buying In 