My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic - S01E10 - Swarm Of The Century

In the "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic" episode "Swarm Of The Century", Fluttershy brings back to Ponyville a seemingly harmless creature called a Parasprite, which turns out to become a problem, as soon as it starts to multiply.

When the ponies managed to drive all of the Parasprites back into the Everfree Forest, they return to Fluttershy's cottage, only to find it swarming with more Parasprites, just because Fluttershy couldn't stop herself from keeping "just one". When Twilight Sparkle realises that they can't round up all of the Parasprites, Rainbow Dash suggest that they "call in the weather patrol", after which she flies up into the air, and prepares to create a tornado, to catch all of the Parasprites in one sweep. Before she makes the tornado, Rainbow Dash puts on her flying goggles, and proclaims that it's "Time to take out the adorable trash!", after which she flies in, yelling like a warrior going into battle, and beating her chest.

(Between you and me, this was the absolutely first scene I ever saw from "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic", and it shaped my whole perception of the character of Rainbow Dash. It actually took me a while to grasp the fact that she was a girl. I truly believed that she was a boy. But she turned out to be a tomboy, instead. Believe me, I wasn't at all disappointed when I found out that she was a girl. In fact, it filled me with joy when I realised that she was an extreme tomboy. I'm actually still waiting for her to do some chest beating in the "My Little Pony: Equestria Girls" series. Hehe.)

Ducktales (1987) - S03E06 - Metal Attraction

In the Ducktales episode "Metal Attraction", Gyro Gearloose builds a robot maid, called Robotica, who falls in love with Gizmo Duck, since she believes him to be a 100% robot, just like her. And things become even more troublesome for Gizmo Duck's alter-ego, Fenton Crackshell, when he has to go on a double date, both as himself with his own girlfriend, Gandra Dee, and as Gizmo Duck with Robotica. So he has to move between being Fenton Crackshell and Gizmo Duck, without any of his dates knowing.

After the first commercial break, we find ourselves at Duckyland, where Gandra and Robotica wait for their dates to arrive. And while they wait, Robotica talks about how excited she is to go out on her first date with Gizmo Duck, claiming that her carburettor is racing with excitement, during which she performs a very strange likeness to a chest beating.

When I say it looks strange, what I mean is that she is actually beating her chest with two beats on each side. That means, two beats with the right fist, followed by two beats with the left fist. Which means, that the finished animation looks like this.

"It looks pretty weird, right?!"

But if you have an analytic eye for animation, like I do, and you know your way with a gif making software, like I do, you can actually turn this into a real Tarzan style chest beating, like this.

"Yeah, I am pretty good! Hehe!"

Ducktales (1987) - S02E04 - Ducks On The Lam

In the "Ducktales" episode "Ducks On The Lam", which was the fourth part of the "Time Is Money" special, the Beagle Boys kick Scrooge McDuck and Bubba The Caveduck out of Scrooge's money bin, and then a whole lot of accidents end with both Scrooge and Bubba, along with Bubba's pet Triceratops Tootsie, ending up in jail.

In this episode, there is one scene that features chest beating, and it is actually the very first chest beating scene that I ever saw, as well as the one that got me hooked on chest beating.

The scene takes place after Scrooge, Bubba and Tootsie break out of Duckburg prison, and they manage to get away from the police, by climbing up a lamp post close to a supermarket. As soon as the police have gone, Scrooge climb down the lamp post to use a payphone to make a phone call. But before Scrooge can even begin to dial the number home to McDuck Mansion, Flintheart Glomgold shows up in his limousine, and calls the police, and tells them that he has caught Scrooge McDuck's "imposter". Bubba and Tootsie, still up in the lamp post, sees that Scrooge is in trouble, and Bubba starts to rock the lamp post from side to side, until it breaks at the base, and falls right down on Flintheart's head, and Tootsie lands on the car's hood, and Bubba lands on Tootsie, after which he jumps up on his feet and does a very loud Tarzan yell, accompanied with Tarzan style chest beating, which surprises both Tootsie and Glomgold's driver, who both look on in shock and confusion. And in the middle of Bubba's Tarzan imitation, the scene cuts to Scrooge, who blesses Bubba's "primitive little heart", with a big happy face.

"This scene was not only the very first chest beating scene I ever saw as a kid, but it has also remained my all-time favorite scene in this trope. Not only is it silly that Tootsie and the driver just stare at Bubba while he's acting like Tarzan, but the one thing that makes this scene special, to me, is the fact that, every time Bubba's fists hits his chest, his entire chest protrudes, almost like an inflated balloon, and deflates before the next fist hits it. I would very much like to know who animated Bubba in this scene, because I would like to ask that guy what made him animate Bubba's chest beating like that. Because it has been one of my most favorite scenes of all time, mostly because of the way Bubba's chest acts."

"I've read some people commenting this scene as being illogical, with the statement that Bubba can impossibly know about the Tarzan yell, since it contradicts the fact that Bubba is a caveduck, and therefore, haven't seen any movies yet. But I think those who come with that argument are just overlooking one crucial factor with the "Primal Chest Pound" trope, namely that it is often used to show a character as more primitive than the modern man… And what are we dealing with here, in Bubba? Why, a Caveduck, of course. So the way I see it, it is very logical for him to do a Tarzan yell, because he is from 1.000.000 B.C., and therefore, more primitive than any other duck around."

Darkwing Duck - S01E06 - Apes Of Wrath

In the "Darkwing Duck" episode "Apes Of Wrath", where Darkwing Duck must go to a jungle island to rescue a famed anthropologist, who works for S.H.U.S.H., two scenes feature some chest beating.

The first scene is when Darkwing Duck, his daughter Gosalyn, and his sidekick Launchpad McQuack, first fly over the island in the Thunderquack. Gosalyn proclaims that "This place is totally Tarzan!", after which she goes into a loud Tarzan yell, accompanied with full on chest beating.

"This scene is one of my favorites, because I think chest beating is very fitting for a tomboy, which Gosalyn happens to be."

The second scene is halfway through the episode, when Darkwing Duck and Launchpad are captured by the gorillas on the island. When Darkwing yells straight in the face of the big gorilla Bongo, trying to make the gorilla tell him where Gosalyn is, Bongo doesn't take very kindly to that kind of treatment, and challenges Darkwing to a fight, gorilla style, with some mighty chest beating and muscle flexing.

Help

I have myself a little archive with screen caps from TV episodes and movies were chest beating does show up. But I don't know of every single instance where it has shown up.

So, if you know of a movie or a TV episode that does feature some Tarzan style chest beating, then please drop a line.

Ever since I was a little kid, I have always found it kind of exciting to see someone perform the very corny, but somewhat awesome "Primal Chest Pound".

The "Primal Chest Pound" is a literary trope, in which a character or a person beat his or her chest, in the same way that a gorilla or Tarzan would do it. Sometimes it is accompanied by a loud yell, or sometimes, and sometimes the character performing it also grunts like a gorilla. But there are also occasions when there is no yelling or grunting involved, only the chest beating itself.

Chest beating is often used to display a character as primal, and not fully evolved, but it can also be used as a way for a character to display themselves as tough and mighty, or as a way of celebration over a big accomplishment. It can be used for comic relief, but it can also be used as a way of setting a serious tone for the story.

Chest beating is most often performed by male characters, while female characters are kind of underplayed in this trope. And I find that truly sad.

In my older years now, though, I can feel a very strong sexual appeal in chest beating, particularly if the character performing it is a girl. It has somewhat become… My fetish. A "Tarzan Fetish", if you like?!

In this blog, you'll be able to find documentations on television episodes, movies, comic books, or any other form of visual media, where this trope has been used. Not only will you be able to find information on the actual scenes, but also screenshots of the characters in question, from when they are performing it.

I might also through in a few personal comments on the scenes in question… Because, after all, I am a very big mouthed critic.

So, if you like watching chest beating as much as I do, then you've come to the right place.