This is an interesting question that likely refers to a meme or viral video featuring a bird with an unusual goth girlfriend. Without more context, it’s impossible to definitively say which specific bird is being referred to. However, we can explore the phenomenon of birds having unlikely relationships with humans or other animals in popular culture. This article will look at some of the potential candidates for “the bird” in question and examine why the idea of a bird with a goth girlfriend has captured the public imagination.
What is a “goth girlfriend”?
First, let’s define what is meant by a “goth girlfriend.” In contemporary culture, goth refers to a music-based subculture that began in the punk era of the late 1970s. People who identify with the goth subculture often wear dark, somber clothing, wear pale makeup, and have an interest in the macabre. Female goths may wear dark lipstick and nail polish, black dresses and skirts, fishnet stockings, and jewelry featuring occult or medieval themes. So a “goth girlfriend” conjures an image of a brooding, vampish woman in stylized dark clothes and makeup.
Why do people find the idea of a bird with a goth girlfriend funny or intriguing?
What makes the concept of a bird having a goth girlfriend funny or weird is the absurd contrast between the two. Birds are seen as lightweight, innocent creatures of nature, not brooding outcasts obsessed with death and darkness. The goth subculture is perceived as sophisticated, complex, and very human. So a bird having the unlikely companion of a goth girlfriend subverts expectations and creates a surreal, unusual juxtaposition. It’s almost like picturing a flower child from the 1960s adopting a death metal musician as a boyfriend. The mismatch tickles our funny bone and stretches the imagination.
Birds That Have Developed Bonds with Humans
While a goth girlfriend is fictional, there are cases of birds forging real relationships with humans, which may have inspired the meme. Some examples:
Alex the African Grey Parrot
Alex was the subject of a 30-year experiment by animal psychologist Irene Pepperberg. Alex demonstrated an ability to communicate intelligently with humans, learning over 100 words. He formed a close bond with Pepperberg. Alex died prematurely in 2007 at age 31. Some believe he could have lived to 50 had he been in the wild.
Koko the Gorilla
Koko was a western lowland gorilla who was taught sign language as part of a research project. She was said to have a vocabulary of over 1,000 signs and understood around 2,000 words of spoken English. Koko adopted several pet cats and was known to sign “sad” when one of them died. She passed away in 2018 at age 46.
Puck the Crow
In 2011, a crow started frequenting the home of a girl in Seattle. She started feeding the crow and they formed a friendship. The crow, named Puck, brought the girl gifts in return like buttons and rocks. Crows can live 15 years in the wild. It’s unknown if Puck is still with his human friend.
Famous Fictional Birds
Part of the humor likely comes from taking familiar fictional bird characters and envisioning them in this absurd goth girlfriend scenario. What if classic avian characters like Big Bird, Woody Woodpecker, or Donald Duck had goth girlfriends? The thought is silly enough to make one chuckle. Let’s look at some beloved fictional birds from over the years:
Big Bird on Sesame Street
This 8-foot-tall, floppy yellow bird has been a fixture on Sesame Street since 1969. His childlike innocence makes the thought of him with a goth girlfriend quite funny. Big Bird was memorably featured in the 1985 film Follow That Bird, in which he runs away from Sesame Street to find his bird family.
| Character | Species | Creator |
|---|---|---|
| Big Bird | Canary | Jim Henson |
Woodstock from Peanuts
Snoopy’s yellow friend Woodstock is pictured as a simple minded, playful bird who doesn’t speak but makes his wishes known through thought bubbles. Woodstock sometimes seems wiser than the other Peanuts characters, however. Creator Charles M. Schulz said Woodstock was inspired by one of his own childhood friends.
| Character | Species | Creator |
|---|---|---|
| Woodstock | Canary | Charles M. Schulz |
Iago in Disney’s Aladdin
The sarcastic, hot-tempered red parrot sidekick of the villain Jafar provided comic relief in the 1992 Disney film Aladdin. Voiced by Gilbert Gottfried, Iago ultimately switches sides and joins Aladdin and his friends. He returns in the 1994 sequel The Return of Jafar and 1996’s Aladdin and the King of Thieves.
| Character | Species | Voice Actor |
|---|---|---|
| Iago | Parrot | Gilbert Gottfried |
Zazu in The Lion King
The uptight hornbill Zazu acts as a majordomo and advisor to Mufasa in Disney’s acclaimed 1994 movie. Voiced by Rowan Atkinson, he acts as both a comic foil and a voice of reason in the film. He returns in Simba’s dream sequence in 1998’s The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride.
| Character | Species | Voice Actor |
|---|---|---|
| Zazu | Hornbill | Rowan Atkinson |
Birds with Unlikely Friends in Real Life
Beyond fictional cross-species relationships, there are some real world examples of birds forging bonds with other types of animals. Some unlikely but heartwarming interspecies friendships include:
The Owl and the Pussycat
In 2016, an owl named Shrek and a kitten called Donkey at a zoo in Illinois became close friends. They shared meals, napped together, and liked to playfully pounce on each other. The pair had to be adopted together when the zoo closed.
The Goose and the Deer
An orphaned goose named Meemy struck up an attachment to a deer named Goosey Lucy at a shelter in New York. The two snuggle together and like to go on walks around the grounds together. Goosey Lucy even lets Meemy sleep nestled under her head.
The Chicken and the Puppy
When Snowflake the chicken was brought to an animal shelter, she took a liking to a Rottweiler puppy named Tyson. The two could often be found play-wrestling together in their shared kennel space. When Tyson got adopted, he whimpered for Snowflake and tried to run back to be with her.
Birds with Unconventional Hobbies
The viral nature of a goth bird may also be due to birds engaging in perceived dark, Gothic, or unusual hobbies. Here are some odd things certain birds have been documented doing over the years:
Using Cigarette Butts to Deter Mites
Some birds like crows and chickens have been observed picking up discarded cigarette butts and rubbing them on their feathers. Scientists believe the nicotine and other chemicals act as insecticides to repel mites and lice.
Playing “Funerals”
Ravens have been witnessed arranging “funerals” where they gather around and squawk over a dead raven. They also may care for a deceased bird for days before finally leaving it behind. Some believe its a ritual for them to cope with loss.
Mimicking Human Speech
Birds like parrots, mynas, and lyrebirds are excellent vocal mimics and can replicate human speech or other sounds perfectly. There are many viral videos of these birds saying “Hello,” whistling pop songs, etc. Some even appear to use the words conversationally.
Conclusion
The enduring appeal of the notion of a bird with a bizarrely contrasting girlfriend stems from both real life and fictional relationships between birds and other species that subvert our expectations. By granting birds anthropomorphic qualities like human speech or interests, we enjoy envisioning unlikely scenarios or mismatched pairings. And examples of birds forming attachments to animals we wouldn’t expect in nature further fuel whimsical fantasies like a raven harboring a crush on a chipper field mouse or a crow wooing a kitten. The “goth girlfriend” meme expands our concept of birds having dynamic emotional lives like our own. While we may never know which exact bird sparked the goth girlfriend idea, it taps into our sense of fun at ascribing absurd human qualities to animals. We can all get a giggle from wondering what zany interests or passions birds might reveal with human voices. So while the goth girlfriend concept is purely fictional, perhaps it carries a kernel of truth that birds have hidden depths we can only imagine.
