If you were lurking on the internet in the early 2000s, you saw it. You probably didn't even go looking for it. It just appeared—a crudely drawn stick figure sitting on a giant spoon, screaming about his anatomy. The my anus is bleeding cartoon is one of those rare artifacts that somehow bridges the gap between primitive Flash animation and high-brow Academy Award-nominated art.
It’s loud. It’s chaotic. It is deeply, deeply weird.
But there is a lot more to this clip than just a screaming stick figure. This wasn't some random upload by a teenager in a basement. It was a calculated, brilliant piece of "anti-comedy" from a short film titled Rejected, created by Don Hertzfeldt. Honestly, if you only know the meme, you're missing out on the actual story of how this thing nearly broke the early internet and why we are still talking about it decades later.
Why the My Anus is Bleeding Cartoon Still Works
The premise of Rejected is simple. Don Hertzfeldt was supposedly hired by various corporations to create promotional segments. In the fictional world of the film, these corporations rejected every single thing he made because the content became increasingly surreal, violent, and nonsensical.
The my anus is bleeding cartoon was presented as a fake commercial for "The Family Learning Channel."
It starts with a stick figure. He looks normal enough for a Hertzfeldt drawing. Then, without warning, he announces his predicament. He repeats it. He screams it. Blood—or what passes for blood in a black-and-white line drawing—starts geyser-ing out of him. Another stick figure enters. He, too, is bleeding. They begin to dance.
It’s absurd. Why did this become a foundational pillar of internet humor?
Mostly because it captured the "random" humor of the 2000s before that style became a tired cliché. Back then, seeing something that broke the rules of television advertising so violently was a shock to the system. You’ve got to remember that in 2000, when Rejected was released, we weren't drowning in weird TikTok edits. This was a total outlier.
The Genius of Don Hertzfeldt
Hertzfeldt is a titan of independent animation. He doesn't use computers in the way most people think. He shoots on 35mm film. He uses an old-school animation stand. He does everything by hand.
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When you watch the my anus is bleeding cartoon, you aren't just watching a joke. You’re watching thousands of hand-drawn frames captured on a vintage camera. This technical dedication creates a texture that digital animation often lacks. It feels "jittery" and alive.
Rejected eventually got nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Think about that for a second. A film featuring a screaming man on a spoon was recognized by the most prestigious body in Hollywood. It lost to Father and Daughter, but the fact that it was even there is a testament to its impact. Hertzfeldt didn't just make a funny video; he made a piece of art that challenged how stories are told.
The Viral Life of a Rejected Segment
Before YouTube, there was Newgrounds and eBaum's World. There was Winamp and peer-to-peer sharing. The my anus is bleeding cartoon spread through these channels like a digital virus.
People didn't even know it was called Rejected. They just called it "the spoon video" or "that weird bleeding guy." It was the ultimate "have you seen this?" clip. It was short enough to download on a 56k modem without it taking three days. That portability was key to its survival.
Why the Humor Holds Up
Is it still funny?
Comedy usually dies a quick death on the internet. Trends move so fast that what was hilarious on Tuesday is "cringe" by Friday. Yet, Hertzfeldt’s work stays relevant.
It works because it taps into a very human sense of frustration. The characters in Rejected are trapped in a world that is literally falling apart around them. In the final minutes of the short film, the paper the characters are drawn on starts to tear and crumple. The animation itself begins to collapse.
The my anus is bleeding cartoon is the opening salvo of that breakdown. It represents the moment when the "polite" world of corporate messaging is invaded by the messy, painful, and ridiculous reality of being a physical creature. It's visceral. Everyone has felt that sense of "everything is going wrong and I am just standing here screaming about it."
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Common Misconceptions About the Short
A lot of people think Rejected was actually commissioned by real companies like Johnson & Johnson or the Family Learning Channel.
That’s not true.
Don Hertzfeldt has clarified in numerous interviews that he was never actually hired to do these commercials. The entire "rejected commercial" framing was a narrative device. He wanted to explore the idea of a creator losing their mind under the pressure of commercialism. He wasn't literally trying to sell cereal with a character whose "spoon is too big."
Another thing people get wrong is the "randomness." While it looks chaotic, every frame is meticulously planned. Hertzfeldt’s timing is precise. The pause between the first "My anus is bleeding" and the second one is exactly as long as it needs to be to maximize the discomfort.
Cultural Impact and Legacy
The influence of the my anus is bleeding cartoon can be seen everywhere today.
- Adult Swim: Shows like Aqua Teen Hunger Force or The Eric Andre Show owe a huge debt to the surreal, abrasive humor Hertzfeldt pioneered.
- Internet Slang: Phrases like "My spoon is too big" or "I am a consumer" became part of the early digital lexicon.
- Independent Animation: Hertzfeldt proved that a single person with a camera and some paper could outshine major studios.
He didn't stop at Rejected, either. He went on to create It's Such a Beautiful Day, which many critics consider one of the greatest animated films of all time. It’s a deeply moving, philosophical look at memory and mortality. It’s a far cry from a bleeding stick figure, yet it uses the same visual language.
How to Watch It Properly Today
If you’ve only seen the pixelated, 240p version on a random YouTube re-upload, you haven't really seen it.
Hertzfeldt has spent years remastering his work. You can find high-definition versions of Rejected on his official Blu-ray collections or through his Vimeo On Demand page. Seeing it in 2K or 4K reveals the incredible detail of the film grain and the subtle pencil marks. It turns the "funny cartoon" into a cinematic experience.
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It’s worth watching the full 9-minute short rather than just the clips. The way the film builds from minor weirdness into a literal cosmic horror apocalypse is masterful. The my anus is bleeding cartoon is just the hook. The ending is what actually haunts you.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Creators
If you are interested in the history of internet culture or independent animation, here are the next steps to take:
Research the Technique: Look up "traditional rostrum camera animation." Understanding how Hertzfeldt physically moved the paper and adjusted the lights gives you a much deeper appreciation for the "shaky" look of the film. It wasn't a digital filter; it was physics.
Explore the Full Filmography: Don’t stop at the memes. Watch World of Tomorrow. It’s a sci-fi trilogy that uses a similar stick-figure style but explores incredibly complex themes of time travel and human identity. It will change how you view the "funny cartoon" guy.
Support Independent Creators: Hertzfeldt is a staunch advocate for artist ownership. He has famously turned down massive commercial deals to keep control of his work. Supporting his official releases ensures that unique, uncompromising voices continue to exist in an industry dominated by franchises.
Understand the Context: Read about the "Early Web" era (1998–2004). Understanding the limitations of video hosting at the time helps explain why short, high-impact clips like the my anus is bleeding cartoon became the dominant form of cultural currency.
The internet has changed, but the raw, unfiltered energy of Rejected hasn't aged a day. It remains a reminder that sometimes, the best way to say something important is to have a stick figure scream something ridiculous.