60.5M views · Nov 24, 2017 · 4:17 · 0 HN recommenders · 4 mentions · discussed 2019–2025
Steve Cutts' dark animated short follows a rat chasing happiness through consumerism and endless work. It satirizes materialism and the rat race.
Why Hacker News points people here: Commenters reference it as a bleak visual shorthand for the rat race and consumerist unhappiness.
“I liked that "Happiness" cartoon”HN comment, 2023
“They are crazy depressing.”
Dark animation by Steve Cutts about the pursuit of happiness
Anybody ever watch Steve Cutts, especially the animations he did for Moby? They are crazy depressing. I feel like happiness is exactly what Denis Leary explianed it as. It's a brief moment, like a smoke or a beer. But on to the videos: [happiness]: this video [moby are you lost]: link
“I have just came across this art which visually resembles what you described”
Art visually resembling the rat race
> by refusing to participate in the rat race That does indeed sounds like a rat race! I have just came across this art which visually resembles what you described this video
“I liked that "Happiness" cartoon”
Cartoon about the rat race
> That and my age made me feel really depressed and unwanted. In my case, my age was the "elephant in the room," at my interviews. I feel as if the original in-house recruiters (different beast from the "outhouse" recruiters, though), and even a couple of managers, had no issue with my age. As soon as even one tech person became involved, however, the temperature dropped twenty degrees. They were usually quite brusque, and I knew that I was screwed. After that, the company usually "ghosted" me. I stopped following up, because even the enthusiastic and supportive recruiters and managers wouldn't talk to me. It was very depressing. It was not my imagination. They really didn't want me, and they didn't care whether or not I knew it. No blowing sunshine up my butt, or stringing me along. They wanted me gone, ASAP. The few companies that seemed interested, did so, on a pretty nasty footing. They made it clear that they would be doing me a huge favor, by offering me a job, and that I'd be treated like garbage, if I took it. That was why I threw in the towel, and just decided to retire. I was more than willing to do a pretty awesome job, and take chances with risky companies, for a fairly low wage, but this did not seem to matter (indeed, it seldom even got to that point). But it's all actually been for the best. Nowadays, I can't even imagine going back to the rat race (I liked that "Happiness" cartoon, that a previous post linked[0]). It was very sick, and I never want to go back
“explains American unhappiness and tendency to complain”
Illustrates American unhappiness and wanting more
Steve Cutts < link > explains American unhappiness and tendency to complain (even though we've had it better than almost everyone ever). The Pursuit Of Happiness is humanity's universal right, but our culture and the economy depends upon everybody always wanting more, and better... this video
