8/10
The Duck Bachelor
29 December 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Time for a little change of pace. Donald's inner monologue narrates this cartoon as we learn that the thoughts in his head sound very different than when they come out of his mouth. So as Donald writes in his diary, the day in question had begun as normal: walking down the streets of San Francisco, not having a care in the world. That's when he's spotted the young, lonely and vivacious Daisy, who in this cartoon is pink for some reason and has hair, but no matter, she becomes smitten and instantly changes into a dress and sprays on a dangerous mixture of perfume then runs outside to try and get Donald's attention. She does everything from pretending to faint to pretending to drown. Donald never noticed. However, catching him in a bear trap does the trick. Thwey begin dating, going to the drive-in in the rain, chipping their names on a tree, which also holds the names of Daisy's previous boyfriends. Finally, Donald is invited to meet her family, consisting of her wacky father who resembles Ludwig Von Drake, her senile mother who resembles Whistler's, and three bratty little brothers resembling Huey, Dewey and Louie. This is when Donald decided his days as a carefree bachelor were over, as he was going to pop the question. Don't do it, Donald!

He buys a ring and waits patiently for Daisy as she takes forever to get herself ready. Eventally Donald falls asleep and dreams of his wedding day, and from there, it all goes down hill. First, Daisy's brothers sneak into the car and Donald has to kick them out, then Daisy questions the stone in her wedding ring, and Mumsy apparently moves into their dream cottage with them. What follows is all the reason one needs to get to know their partner BEFORE they get married, rather than after. Donald learns some unsettling things about Daisy, that she looks like hell first thing in the morning, she can't cook to save her life, she picks her husband's pockets the moment he walks through the door, and even invites the whole family to dinner without telling him, resulting in everybody but Donald getting to eat. It doesn't stop there, however. Daisy becomes an overbearing shrew who makes Donald do all the housework. He goes out of his mind! Thankfully Donald wakes up from his nightmare and runs the hell away from Daisy, and joins the French Foreign Legion, which was a safer alternative.

Classic satire about married life. It's funny how that can change a person so much. Though the premise of this cartoon was nothing new, it was still fun to put Donald Duck through it and even hear the thoughts in his head are completely different than when they come out his mouth. I guess if Donald narrated this cartoon in his usual voice, well, nobody could understand him, I guess. I believe Popeye had a similar spin on this premise, where he and Olive Oyl are about to be married, when she falls asleep and dreams they have obnoxious, bratty children and her life is miserable. She wakes up and beats up Popeye for no reason. Bride and Gloom, I believe it's called. But anyway, if you like Donald, you like cartoons that feature people getting married and a once happy couple turns into a dysfunctional duo, then I recommend Donald's Diary. A classic from Disney's golden age... or would this be the silver age? I get them mixed up.
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