Nu, Pogodi (meaning Just You Wait in Russian) was a very popular cartoon series in the Soviet Union from 1969 to 1986 and is still popular in Russia. It is superficially a cartoon very similar to "Tom and Jerry" in America, with the wolf (voiced by Anatoli Papanov) trying every episode to catch the hare. Each attempt he makes fails and ends up with him yelling "Nu, Pogodi!" However, the cartoon could also be seen as a social satire, where shows like "Tom and Jerry" and the Road Runner shows were just nonsense. The Wolf, who chain-smokes and drinks beer, would be a proletarian (working class), while the innocent and enthusiastic Hare would be a proper Soviet youth. Alexei Kotyonochkin, the son of the director of the show, says that such claims are groundless.
Here's the first episode of "Nu, Pogodi!:"
i'd never seen the first episodes... personally, i prefer road runner!
ReplyDeleteone thing -- the wolf is NOT a proletarian (working class -- marx meant it as a sociological term, though it means "breeders" in Latin). he's a proto-beatnik, class enemy parasite. the proletarians were the good guys!