Red's Dream: A Darker Take Than We Thought?

Okay, so I was watching 'Red's Dream' with the kiddos the other day (yes, I still make them watch the old Pixar shorts! They're classics, even if they are a little...weird sometimes) and it got me thinking. Is it just me, or is this short WAY sadder than we give it credit for? Like, on the surface, it's a cute little unicycle dreaming of performing. But then you remember he's stuck in the corner, probably unwanted, and that dream is all he has. It hits different as a parent, you know? You just want to scoop that little unicycle up and give him a good home! I had a thought, and I know it's maybe a stretch, but what if the clown represents Red's idealized version of himself? Like, he's not really about the clown, he's about being seen and appreciated, a star in his own right. The rain at the end, when he wakes up, it's just...crushing. Kinda makes you wonder if the whole 'Luxo Jr.' happiness was even possible for everyone in the Pixar universe. Maybe I'm overthinking it (very possible, that's kind of my superpower haha), but it's definitely got me pondering what kinds of stories the animators were trying to tell us with the very early shorts. I think it's less about the clown and more about the fact that Red, the unicycle, wants something more beyond the bike shop. I'd love to hear your theories. Anyone else feel like this one is a bit of a downer, or am I just projecting my own parental anxieties onto a poor unicycle?