Be Human is a 1936 Fleischer Studios

Fleischer Studios

Fleischer Studios, Inc., was an American corporation which originated as an Animation studio located at 1600 Broadway, New York City, New York...

 animated short film starring Betty Boop

Betty Boop

Betty Boop is an animated cartoon character created by Max Fleischer, with help from animators including Grim Natwick. She originally appeared in the Talkartoon and Betty Boop film series, which were produced by Fleischer Studios and released by Paramount Pictures. She has also been featured in...

 and Grampy

Grampy

Grampy is an animated cartoon character appearing in the Betty Boop series of films produced by Max Fleischer and released by Paramount Pictures....

. It is now public domain

Public domain

Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...

.

Plot

Betty Boop is incensed at her farmer neighbor's cruelty to his animals. But the inventive Grampy knows how to teach him a lesson.

The abusive farmer has been compared to Billy Joe Gregg, who abused numerous cows and calves at the Conklin Dairy Farms in Ohio in 2010.

Be Human has been criticized for depicting the harsh punishment of the abusive farmer as being commendable.

Song

The cartoon features the song Be Human sung by Betty Boop accompanying herself on piano. Instrumental renditions of the song are also prominent throughout the cartoon. When the animal-abusing farmer winds up on Grampy's punishment treadmill, a phonograph

Phonograph

The phonograph record player, or gramophone is a device introduced in 1877 that has had continued common use for reproducing sound recordings, although when first developed, the phonograph was used to both record and reproduce sounds...

recording of Grampy's voice is heard singing the song.

Lyrics

There's a very simple lesson,

But it's easy to forget;

And I promise, you'll regret it if you do.



That if you're always kind and gentle

With your family pet,

He'll be just as kind and gentle

With you.



Be human, animals can cry;

Be human, it's easy if you try.

Don't go around with a heart of stone,

Or you'll be sorry and all alone.



Be human, have a tender word,

For every animal and bird!



If we would all be human,

This world would be in rhyme;

So be human all the time!



Share a tasty carrot with your parrot,

Serve your chimpanzee a piece of cheese;

Sip a sasperilla with your camel or gorilla,

With kind regards to all of them from me.



Be human, animals can cry;

Be human, won't you even try?

Don't think you're wonderful just because

You weren't born with a tail and claws.



Be human, have a tender word,

For every animal and bird!



It's futile to be brutal,

That won't get you a dime;

So be human all the time!



A true cat can't be human,

But you can!

External links

• Downloadable cartoon at archive.org (public domain, MPEG4, 7.6MB)