# Barnyard gaffe: bull with udder **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 28, 2006, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barnyard-gaffe-bull-with-udder/366447 "2006-07-28T19:53:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2006, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barnyard-gaffe-bull-with-udder/366447/1 "2006-07-28T19:53:05Z")
Despite Stephen Colbert outing the transsexual Otis on his show, the stills for the film continue to show the lead male cow with an udder hanging out. [http://www.canmag.com/news/4/3/2730](http://www.canmag.com/news/4/3/2730) What can they mean by this? How cud they have made such an udderly pathetic mistake? Do they really mean to bend the bovine gender lines? ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2006, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barnyard-gaffe-bull-with-udder/366447/2 "2006-07-28T20:05:52Z")
I hear it’s intentional; Nickeloedon doesn’t care about biological accuracy, just cheap laughs. ---
**Author:** ![Standard\_Nathan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Standard\_Nathan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Standard_Nathan)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2006, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barnyard-gaffe-bull-with-udder/366447/3 "2006-07-28T20:17:16Z")
reminds me of Yoshi from Super Mario… the supposedly male dinosaur who… lays eggs. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2006, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barnyard-gaffe-bull-with-udder/366447/4 "2006-07-28T20:52:35Z")
For some reason there’s a lot of that in pop culture when it comes to cows. There was that flash animation-movie about the cow uprising ([cows with guns](http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/cowswithguns.php)"), in which the main revolutionary cow was obviously characterized as male while also equally obviously a cow and not a bull – ?? ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2006, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barnyard-gaffe-bull-with-udder/366447/5 "2006-07-28T21:04:19Z")
Then there’s [this one](http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/cow.php), in which the voice of the cow is sung by a male vocalist… but when the cow runs off with the farmer’s wife at the end, rightful gender is dubbed in with a bumper sticker reading ‘bull dyke’…kinda disconcerting! ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2006, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barnyard-gaffe-bull-with-udder/366447/6 "2006-07-28T21:10:00Z")
Every time the ad for this cartoon comes on, **supervenusfreak** rolls his eyes at me because the udder. BUGS. ME! It’s a male cow, dammit! I want to see the animators try to milk a male cow! No, really…I do. If only to get revenge for them offending my senses by having male cows with udders in their cartoon. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2006, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barnyard-gaffe-bull-with-udder/366447/7 "2006-07-28T21:16:43Z")
I’m sure they knew what they were doing. Cows are funny, cows have udders. Cartoon characters have always been male (one study showed approximately 99% of cartoon characters to be male). They certainly couldn’t have gotten away with making a movie about bulls with accurate-looking testicles and penises. My choice would have been to have the cows be females and still be interesting characters who moved the action, but mine is just a lonely voice crying in the wilderness. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2006, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barnyard-gaffe-bull-with-udder/366447/8 "2006-07-28T21:20:29Z")
[QUOTE=bluethree] My choice would have been to have the cows be females and still be interesting characters who moved the action, but mine is just a lonely voice crying in the wilderness. [/QUOTE] That would be Disney’s _Home on the Range_, wouldn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2006, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barnyard-gaffe-bull-with-udder/366447/9 "2006-07-29T03:18:51Z")
A few years back I was driving in cow country in PA and I saw a cow with and udder mounting another cow. So maybe it happens? ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2006, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barnyard-gaffe-bull-with-udder/366447/10 "2006-07-29T04:21:50Z")
After seeing the ad for the movie, I wonder if Gary Larson has a lawsuit ready. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2006, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barnyard-gaffe-bull-with-udder/366447/11 "2006-07-29T06:04:16Z")
[QUOTE=Khadaji] A few years back I was driving in cow country in PA and I saw a cow with and udder mounting another cow. So maybe it happens? [/QUOTE] Herd dominance games. Cows have a pretty rigid hierarchy, and mounting subordinate cows is one of the ways they remind the lower-ranking cows of who the boss is. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2006, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barnyard-gaffe-bull-with-udder/366447/12 "2006-07-29T16:59:09Z")
I thought they were all the bos? ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2006, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barnyard-gaffe-bull-with-udder/366447/13 "2006-07-29T17:36:50Z")
[QUOTE=rjung] I hear it’s intentional; Nickeloedon doesn’t care about biological accuracy, just cheap laughs. [/QUOTE] Nickeloedon: “Uh, we _meant_ to do that.” Riiight. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2006, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barnyard-gaffe-bull-with-udder/366447/14 "2006-07-29T17:56:35Z")
We’re gonna milk this for all it’s worth, aren’t we? Have to admit, it is pretty low. Amazing what they’ll try to get pasturize. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2006, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barnyard-gaffe-bull-with-udder/366447/15 "2006-07-29T18:07:24Z")
[QUOTE=bluethree] I’m sure they knew what they were doing. Cows are funny, cows have udders. Cartoon characters have always been male (one study showed approximately 99% of cartoon characters to be male). [/QUOTE] That’s because, like political leadership thru the ages, it’s the Male of the species that does the stupidest things (and hence the funniest). ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2006, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barnyard-gaffe-bull-with-udder/366447/16 "2006-07-29T18:49:21Z")
I’ve been trying to get others to note this distinction for a long time: cow: female bull: male cattle: either But see what happens? It’s not just pedantry. (Note my location.) ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2006, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barnyard-gaffe-bull-with-udder/366447/17 "2006-07-29T18:57:41Z")
I find the udders distracting myself, but just to play devil’s advocate here… We’re assuming the cow is male because it’s voiced by Kevin James, acts in stereotypically “male” ways, and is probably referred to as “he” in the movie (I haven’t seen it). But those are all gender characteristics we humans associate with human males. Why are we willing to accept a cow with a human personality, but not a biologically female cow with a stereotypically human male personality? It’s not like actual cows wear dresses and refer to each other with feminine pronouns when they talk. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2006, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barnyard-gaffe-bull-with-udder/366447/18 "2006-07-29T20:56:30Z")
[QUOTE=cuauhtemoc] Why are we willing to accept a cow with a human personality, but not a biologically female cow with a stereotypically human male personality? [/QUOTE] Oh for Bossy’s sake. What are you suggesting? That Nickelodeon intended a transgendered cow? ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2006, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barnyard-gaffe-bull-with-udder/366447/19 "2006-07-31T00:10:09Z")
Cartoon cows, whether male or female, have always had udders, presumably because udders are funny-looking. Otis isn’t transgendered- he’s just following a long cartoon tradition. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2006, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barnyard-gaffe-bull-with-udder/366447/20 "2006-07-31T06:28:55Z")
Not Disney’s [Ferdinand the Bull](http://disneyshorts.toonzone.net/years/1938/ferdinandthebull.html). No such thing as a “male cow”, any more than there is a “male woman.” 100% of cows are female. 100% of bulls are male. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barnyard-gaffe-bull-with-udder/366447.md?page=2)