Insightful and informative. I scooped great spoonfuls of shredded wheat, doused in sugar, to many of these shows. Loved me some Space Ghost. Thundercats reigns supreme.
I’ve never heard of BraveStarr and now I need to go catch up on it.
Kids are more sensitive to these messages than is usually acknowledged, but they lack the sophistication to express it. I enjoy watching cartoons with my kids because I get as much out of it as they do. As they’ve grown older, I appreciate their deepening understanding of the heavier themes. This is a function of good cartoons!
I remember not being allowed to see The Transformers movie because Ultra Magnus says “damn it!” when he can’t open the Matrix. I eventually did see the movie on VHS and loved it. The lesson in that scene: sometimes the leader we look to is not the leader we need, and even the supposed chosen one is not the One. Rodimus Prime was tested in different ways. Prowess in battle is not the sole defining characteristic of leadership, Magnus was extremely capable as a loyal soldier and tactician, but he didn’t grasp that leadership means making choices that don’t fit our desires and immediate needs.
Space Camp, released the same year as Transformers (86) did that with Lea Thompson’s character. Intelligent, capable, determined, but lacking a fundamental quality of grace and ability to live with tough decisions. Like Magnus, she is able to admit it and finds her best place to help the group. These are powerful lessons in recognizing and accepting limitations but also knowing how to best function within them.
Really appreciate this, well said!! I agree we absorbed the meaning but may not have necessarily been able to express it in a sophisticated way. I love watching cartoons with my kids today as well, although some are not so great, lol! Cheers and thank you for reading and commenting!
Fascinating take on cartoons. I think the same even goes for much younger cartoons like Bluey and Lilo & Stitch, etc. Good story on the surface, but a message underneath always.
I just wrote a short review of The Price and you're not kidding about its gut-punch impact. Susan Blu deserves so much credit for the agony the kid's mother felt at the end. It still amazes me that they want that far with their message, but I'm glad a cartoon kept it real instead of some of the other ridiculous stories they did about drugs, like COPS's The Case of the Lowest Crime.
Insightful and informative. I scooped great spoonfuls of shredded wheat, doused in sugar, to many of these shows. Loved me some Space Ghost. Thundercats reigns supreme.
Thank you Jarret! I'm a huge Space Ghost fan... also Jonny Quest!
I’ve never heard of BraveStarr and now I need to go catch up on it.
Kids are more sensitive to these messages than is usually acknowledged, but they lack the sophistication to express it. I enjoy watching cartoons with my kids because I get as much out of it as they do. As they’ve grown older, I appreciate their deepening understanding of the heavier themes. This is a function of good cartoons!
I remember not being allowed to see The Transformers movie because Ultra Magnus says “damn it!” when he can’t open the Matrix. I eventually did see the movie on VHS and loved it. The lesson in that scene: sometimes the leader we look to is not the leader we need, and even the supposed chosen one is not the One. Rodimus Prime was tested in different ways. Prowess in battle is not the sole defining characteristic of leadership, Magnus was extremely capable as a loyal soldier and tactician, but he didn’t grasp that leadership means making choices that don’t fit our desires and immediate needs.
Space Camp, released the same year as Transformers (86) did that with Lea Thompson’s character. Intelligent, capable, determined, but lacking a fundamental quality of grace and ability to live with tough decisions. Like Magnus, she is able to admit it and finds her best place to help the group. These are powerful lessons in recognizing and accepting limitations but also knowing how to best function within them.
Great essay! ThunderCats Ho! Forever
Really appreciate this, well said!! I agree we absorbed the meaning but may not have necessarily been able to express it in a sophisticated way. I love watching cartoons with my kids today as well, although some are not so great, lol! Cheers and thank you for reading and commenting!
Fascinating take on cartoons. I think the same even goes for much younger cartoons like Bluey and Lilo & Stitch, etc. Good story on the surface, but a message underneath always.
Thanks for reading Tai!
Really great article. In your future post, be sure to include the de-population and proto-climate change agenda of Captain America.
Thanks James, was also looking into Captain Planet. Lots of climate stuff in the 90s
I also wanted to mention that there were cartoons on during the weekday, usually between 3 and 5 pm.
DUDE. Outstanding.
Thank you Tom!!
Love this!
Thank you Ranee! 🤩🙌
YW 🥰👊🏻‼️
I just wrote a short review of The Price and you're not kidding about its gut-punch impact. Susan Blu deserves so much credit for the agony the kid's mother felt at the end. It still amazes me that they want that far with their message, but I'm glad a cartoon kept it real instead of some of the other ridiculous stories they did about drugs, like COPS's The Case of the Lowest Crime.