By Lucie M. Winborne, ReMIND Magazine
Many of us Boomers have fond memories of laughing away Saturday mornings with our favorite TV cartoon characters. Though there were only three networks, there was still something for everyone. But aside from the outrageous plotlines and pratfalls, just what made them so enjoyable? Well, for starters …
They frequently featured anthropomorphic animals, exploiting stereotypes in a nonthreatening way. Sylvester the Cat was a cunning hunter, but instead of dining on Tweety, he was forced to regurgitate him (alive) more than once. The strutting Foghorn Leghorn was a typical alpha rooster male, but beneath the blowhard beat the heart of a good old boy.
We took away lessons —
of a sort. Though Bugs Bunny may have been called “cocky and brash,” the preferred term was “self-assured” — and he showed us how to use our wits in a crisis. Wile E. Coyote, in his relentless pursuit of Road Runner, epitomized the American can-do spirit behind the motto “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” Tom and Jerry may have teased and fought like, well, cat and mouse, but when the chips were down, they knew and demonstrated the value of teamwork.
They were subversive. Let’s face it, Popeye may have been good about downing his vegetables, and was certainly chivalrous toward the ladies, but he also had quite the temper and his grammar would hardly pass muster with your English teacher. As for Pepé Le Pew, he might have wooed like a smooth operator, but his hygiene literally stank, and nowadays the objects of his attentions would probably call him on the carpet for sexual harassment.
They added to our vocabulary. Sufferin’ succotash! What’s up, Doc? Hokey smoke! I tawt I taw a puddy tat! Remember using one of those phrases, or others like them, with your friends? It’s OK if you still do.
They kept us in suspense. Would Coyote ever actually catch Road Runner? (He did, once, though many still don’t know it.) Could Jonny Quest and his crew keep a mad doctor from unleashing havoc on the world? We were pretty sure we knew the answer — but then again …
They shaped our dreams of the future. George Jetson’s robot maid, Rosie; Jane Jetson’s video chats; Elroy’s Space Cub Scout trip to the moon: How many of us own a Roomba, Skype with our grandchildren, or have secretly fantasized about one day signing up for a little space tourism?
Thanks to the magic of Netflix and YouTube, we can revisit worlds that, as one Boomer lamented, have “gone the way of the Edsel,” replaced by teen comedies, infomercials and educational programming. These cartoons might not feel exactly the same — how many topical references have we forgotten, how many pokes at culture and politics will we catch that originally went over our heads? But with a pair of comfy pajamas and a bowl of our favorite cereal, the dreams, life lessons, suspense and, best of all, laughs that awaited us each Saturday morning are still waiting to make us feel like kids once more.
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