My Own Scripts - Power Rangers Primal Fury

This is the premise for an original "Power Rangers" series that I'm working on, called "Power Rangers Primal Fury".

These Power Rangers are young martial artists who uses a fighting style based on the animal world, and they battle evil monsters by tapping into their inner animal spirits.

The reason why I've included this here, is because the Red Ranger, Sabrina, has the gorilla as her animal spirit, and therefore, she does beat her chest.

I hope you'll like this one.

Power Rangers Primal Fury - Premise

My Own Scripts - Kamen Rider Primal

Yesterday, I posted a short script on Deviantart.com. It's the premise for a fan fiction that I'm working on, called "Kamen Rider Primal".

Why do I include this here? Well, because the heroine of this story, Alice Rose, a.k.a. Kamen Rider Primal, is a chest beater. Yes, she does beat her chest, and that's because she's been infused with the DNA of the great mountain gorilla.

I hope you'll like it.

Kamen Rider Primal - Premise

Jungle Heart's Fame

This is just incredible, everybody.

Just a few moments after I posted my "My Little Pony" OC Jungle Heart on Deviantart.com, another member there asked me if she could do her own drawing of her. Of course, why wouldn't I let her? It just means that the character has already started to grow its own fanbase. Maybe this will be the big break that I've been waiting for.

Eh, anyway, thanks to Deviantart member hudgie, here you have a new and improved Jungle Heart.

I give my deepest thanks to you, hudgie.

Jungle Heart

My "My Little Pony" OC - Jungle Heart

This is an original character that I've made for a still untitled "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic" spin-off that I'm working on.

Why do I bring this up here? Well, simply because she does beat her chest, of course. Hehe.

Her name is Jungle Heart, and I created her as a Pony-Tarzan.

If you want to know more about her, just click on the link here.

My Little Pony OC - Jungle Heart

Walt Disney Shorts - Mickey Mouse - 1937 - The Worm Turns

In the animated short "The Worm Turns", produced and released by Walt Disney Studios in 1937, Mickey Mouse is conducting some chemical experiments in his basement, and is trying to create a "Courage Builder" potion, which he then sprays on various creatures to give them the courage to face off against their natural predators. A little fly gets the courage to take on and defeating a spider. A mouse totally humiliates a cat, and the same cat then gets the courage to face Pluto, who then gets sprayed to take care of the dog catcher, Black Pete. Heck, Mickey even sprays a fire hydrant that Pluto stops to sniff at, at the end of the short. (I think you get the picture, right?! This short is just wackiness, at its best.)

But it is the little mouse that really is the reason why I'm writing here about this short. Because when it is in a corner, scared frozen by the cat, Mickey sprays the little guy with the Courage Builder, and after some comical "starting car engine" sound effects and funny wild takes, the little mouse is now so brave, that he roars like a big lion, after which, he beats his chest in complete and serious silence.

(This is actually my second favourite chest beating scene, after Bubba's Tarzan yell in the "Ducktales" episode "Ducks On The Lam".

I guess it has something to do with the fact that the mouse makes his lion roar before he starts to beat his chest, instead of doing it the traditional way and roar while he performs the chest beating. Or maybe it could also have something to do with the fact that this short was animated at a time in history, when softness was really becoming a standard in animation. Because if you run the chest beating scene in this short in slow motion, you will notice that the mouse's hands are actually sinking into the skin and flesh on his chest. In other words, his chest is not solid as a rock, but is rather plush toy soft, which, if you ask me, gives a much more powerful feel to his chest beating, which also conveys a very mighty and powerful attitude.

In short, this short is a classic and a masterpiece, on its own, but the short scene with the mouse's chest beating… That scene is a masterpiece in its own right. Well done, Disney!)

Missed Opportunity - Littlest Pet Shop (2012)

There are many reasons why I would like to call the animated TV series "Littlest Pet Shop" from 2012, produced by Hasbro Studios and DHX Media, a severe case of "Missed Opportunity!".

Firstly, the character of Minka Mark is a pink spider monkey, and I always looked forward to the day when she would erupt into some chest beating… Because she could have a temper, sometimes.

But there were some special episodes that I feel were true "Missed Opportunities". Like "What's So Scary About The Jungle? Everything!", the seventh episode of this series' third season. Here we had an episode that was all about gorillas, but still, we never got to see a single chest beat. Not even a little thump. I mean… Seriously?!

And then there was "Spendtrifty", the eight episode of this series' fourth season. Here Blythe gets a baby doll that is so realistic, that it cries unstop, and doesn't even have an off-switch. So when Blythe decides to leave it with the pets to take care of it while she's in school. The problem is that the baby doll never stops crying, and finally, Vinnie Terrio, the gecko, have a horrible daydream where the baby doll is King Kong, and he's in the roll of Fay Wray, while the other pets try to save him from the monster doll, at the top of Empire State Building.

Yes, this episode did include a King Kong spoof… And guess how much chest beating we got to see here?! Nothing! Absolutely nothing at all!

And then, finally, we have the last disappointing episode from this series. It's called "Snipmates", and is the eleventh episode of the fourth season of this series. In this episode, while Blythe is taking part in a fashion design contest, the pets are having some big troubles with Sugar Sprinkles, the otherwise sweet and very mellow cat, who for some reason is nothing but depressed and angry today. The pets soon discover that she is missing the sugar sprinkle pieces that usually sit on her head, and they deduce that her sudden aggressive behaviour is somehow connected to the sprinkles being gone, so they try to put new sprinkles on her head, which isn't quite so easy, when the cat in question has gone fully Hulk-mad.

Yes, Sugar Sprinkles does actually go full Hulk, and starts to smash everything in sight, even speaking and yelling "Sugar Sprinkles, SMASH!!!", in the same primitive, simple way as the Hulk.
The reason why I include this episode here, is that, ever since the Avengers movies and TV series, as well as the "Lego Marvel Super Heroes" video games, have all portrayed the Hulk as a chest beater, I have come to expect some chest beating when ever someone goes complete Hulk. But guess how much chest beating Sugar Sprinkles does in this episode?! None. Absolutely nothing. All she does is run around, slicing up any inanimate object that gets in her way, and attack all the other pets, like a wild tiger. But no chest beating, what so ever.

It really pains me to say this, because I really enjoyed this series. Actually, when "Transformers: Prime" finished its last season, in 2013, this show, along with "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic" and "Sofia The First", were among the few modern TV series that I actually enjoyed following. But, as much as I liked this show, it did let me down when it comes to chest beating, by not including any, at all. I mean, seriously! When you have a show that features a lot of animals, it's somewhat unnatural not to include any chest beating. Hasbro Studios, DHX Media… You guys really managed to create a true "Missed Opportunity!" with this one. Let's just hope Hasbro Studios don't make the same mistake with the new "Littlest Pet Shop" series, which they are producing together with Boulder Media, scheduled for release this year, 2018. Hasbro Studios, get it right this time!

Missed Opportunities

If there is one thing that I hate in this world, it is when the writers build up expectations, and then don't deliver. You're familiar with this, right?! You think something is going to happen, but then it never does.

Now, that sort of thing always annoys me. And it especially annoys me, when it comes to chest beating. What I mean by that, is that I've sometimes come across movies or TV episodes that either features simians, or Tarzan-like characters, or takes place in a jungle, or just have a general animal/jungle theme, but then, they never include any chest beating, what so ever. And whenever I come across a movie or a TV episode, or even just a short clip, that appear to promise some good chest beating, but then doesn't deliver any, I always think to myself "Missed opportunity!".

The reason why I wanted to bring this up, is because I have recently decided to showcase some movies or TV series that I want to consider "Missed Opportunities", and hopefully let the writers and producers of those productions know how mad we chest beat lovers are for being let down like that.

So, with that said… Let's start the "Missed Opportunity"-Trials!

Deviantart Artwork - By Me - Rainbow Dash Going Into Battle

https://optimusv42.deviantart.com/art/Rainbow-Dash-Going-Into-Battle-738651074

I've also made this drawing, again using Muro, of Rainbow Dash from the "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic" episode "Swarm Of the Century", when she beats her chest and yells like a warrior going into battle, before she sweeps up all of the Parasprites with a tornado.

I hope you'll enjoy it. I myself am not so pleased with how this one turned out.

Deviantart Artwork - By Me - Bubba's Tarzan Yell

https://optimusv42.deviantart.com/art/Bubba-s-Tarzan-Yell-738367173

I made this drawing of Bubba's Tarzan yell from the "Ducktales" episode "Ducks On The Lam", with the help of Muro, a drawing function at Deviantart.Com.

I hope you'll like it.

Ducktales "1987" - S01E64 - Ducky Horror Picture Show

In the Halloween episode "Ducky Horror Picture Show" of "Ducktales", Scrooge McDuck opens up a new convention center in Duckburg, and although no one seems to believe in his ideas, he is intent on not letting this become his first ever business failure. But his problems only gets bigger when the first people to rent his convention center turns out to be actual classic movie monsters, who are also intent on making some progress in their struggle for "monster rights".

Since this episode is dedicated to classic movie monsters like Dracula, Frankenstein, The Blob, and so on, it's of course only natural that there was going to be a parody on King Kong here as well. Because after the monsters check in at their hotel, namely Scrooge's mansion, a giant gorilla with a ping pong racket, appropriately named "Ping Kong", shows up, and when Scrooge gets terrified by the thought of this giant ape staying at his mansion, the monsters assure him that the ape will only hang out on top of the tallest building in the city. That calms Scrooge down, for a few seconds, until he realises that the tallest building in Duckburg is his very own money bin. So that gives us the full King Kong scenario, with the giant ape beating his chest at the top of the money bin.

Ping Kong performs two variations of chest beating throughout this episode. The single fist version…

And the classic alternating fist version. "If you ask me, this is the right version."

At the end of the episode, Scrooge strikes a deal with the monsters, which both parts will profit from. Namely a live monster show by the money bin. With Mrs. Beakley taking on the role of Fay Wray in a King Kong performance.

"This episode has such a splendid variety of jokes about monster movies, as well homages to the old classic black and white movies. And it's made even more perfect by Ping Kong's chest beating."

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic - S07E15 - Triple Threat

In the "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic" episode "Triple Threat", Spike The Dragon accidentally invites both Ember, the female Dragon Lord, and Thorax, the new leader of the Changelings, to the same event in Ponyville. And when Spike starts to think of how different they are, he automatically assumes that they will not like each other, and even begins to fear that they might declare war against each other. So when Ember and Thorax arrives, he tries to keep them away from each other as much as possible. But that plan gets an unexpected complication, when the Friendship Map summons him to solve a friendship problem, in Ponyville.

When Thorax and Ember finally meet, it's because of a simple misunderstanding. Thorax sees Ember yelling at Spike, and believes she's intent on hurting him. So, Thorax transforms into a big bear, and jumps in to defend Spike. And when Thorax changes into the bear, he stands up on his back legs, and beats his chest, to show that he means business.

"This scene has one kind of strange element to it. Namely the fact that Thorax performs a chest pound, even though bears don't do that. But, in all honesty, I don't really care, because he looks already so awesome as a bear, that the chest pounding just adds to his might."

"But I am still a bit disappointed in this episode, because Ember, the Dragon Lord, is the kind of girl whom you would expect to do a chest beat, in response to Thorax's challenge. And yet, she never does it. She just goes on to defend Spike, because she thinks Thorax is out to hurt him, and she does it without responding to Thorax in a similar manner. In short, a missed opportunity, if ever I saw one. Nice way to miss the goal, Hasbro."

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.