Nutrition Animation (Part I): Classic Cartoons
The youth have malleable minds that can do anything when optimistically stimulated, encouraged, and motivated. Childhood and adolescence development must be properly nourished among our youthful generation. There is a widespread 21st century epidemic of United States youth suffering from conditions associated with a sedentary lifestyle and poor diet choices.
Youthful populations currently spend their time at home watching TV, playing video games, socializing through social media, and watching videos on digital platforms. Home activity is predominately spent through sedentary activity and unrefined nutrition. Although media influence is shrugged and minimized, it must be explored to provide a different angle to explain worldwide phenomena.
There are links to animated programs that have a direct link to nutrition perceptions for better and worse. This is a succinct, yet profound, analysis of cartoon messages associated with nutrition and food. The main conclusion is that Classic Cartoons are more likely to send optimistic nutrition messages through popular and timeless animated icons than Contemporary Cartoons.
Looney Tunes
Bugs Bunny’s most famous phrase is “Eh — What’s Up, Doc?” This slogan is not only contagiously catchy, but it also sends favorable messages that doctors such as pediatricians are trustworthy and pleasant to interact with as a child and teen. Bugs Bunny was also a character in 90s Basketball film and current relaunch of “Space Jam”. He, Michael Jordan, and Lebron James encouraged an influx of basketball as a favorite pastime among youth.
Bugs Bunny’s favorite food is carrots. My oldest brother shared with me that he ate carrots as a little boy due to Bugs Bunny’s positive influence. Carrots are abundant in Vitamin A. Vitamin A deficiency is linked to night blindness. He has never worn glasses. As his younger sister, I always wondered if his childhood love for carrots played a role for his vision vitality. The nature versus nurture debate comes into play. A hybrid of genes and environment explains all features and outcomes associated with living beings.
Popeye
Popeye was an animated sailor with a love for spinach. He positively influenced me as a little girl to eat spinach. My mother cooks spinach very nicely, regardless if it is fresh or frozen. Spinach is my favorite leafy green vegetable. Spinach was optimistically viewed as a direct connection to Popeye’s muscular build and strength. The love of his life is Olive Oil. Spinach and Olive Oil are a combination that represent animated love and heart health due to its nutrients.
The Flintstones
The Flintstones piqued my interests of vitamins as a little girl. I researched the connections of vitamins to health at a young age due to my mother telling me to take my multivitamin candy. The multivitamins for kids are now in gummies. The multivitamins were a harder candy when I was growing up.
The Flintstones encouraged coexistence of animals and humans through animation. There were Animal Appliances. Dinosaurs were used to wash dishes, bathe, and as domesticated pets. The Paleo Diet was evident through prehistoric reflections of the Flintstones. A humorous example was Ribs the size of the Flintstones family car. Another observation relates to automobiles. Fred needed to jog in place for his car to run.
Strawberry Shortcake
Strawberry Shortcake reflects femininity with baking and baked goods. It predominately influences females to bake and eat sweets. A positive influence is that the main characters were a diverse sisterhood. The character of African descent was Orange Blossom. Her name was not a connotative dessert. She had a name that represented health, horticulture, brightness, and vibrancy. Popular toys such as EasyBake® encourages domestication and home economics from childhood. Many toys geared for young girls encourage motherhood and domestication with baby dolls.
Womanhood and femininity have multiple facets and messages like this do not celebrate the vast array of expression through feminine nutrition. An observation of this photo is the only male character has a skateboard. There are plenty of male pastry chefs and female athletes that childhood animation fails to reflect in this program. Kitchen navigation and motherhood are not the sole sources of growing as a girl into a woman.
Baking and cooking are therapeutic for me. However, I thoroughly enjoy learning, researching, reading, writing, dancing, trying every sport at least once, and walking in the park. I wanted a Muzzy Spanish package instead of a baby doll as a little girl. These interests are remarkable as a little girl and bring adulthood joy and confidence when I went back to my life span development interests instead of distracting pursuits such as romance, marriage, and motherhood.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
A quote I once stated is that an ideal masculine mate is a “Leader like Leonardo…Goofy like Michelangelo…Smart Like Donatello…and Fiery like Raphael”. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has a timeless appeal that is brought back in present day video games, movies, and fun apparel/toys. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles encourages vigilance, wisdom, assertiveness, and fun (as opposed to aimless aggression) of martial arts and self-defense among fans of various generations (predominately Generation X and younger). Although the Ninjas love pizza, they are teenagers and earn it after victory against city villains!
What were your favorite cartoons as a child? What were your favorite cartoons as a teenager? What were your favorite cartoons as an adult? How has each of these programs, and perhaps others that I did not mention impact you as far as facts, opinions, and perspectives were concerned? Are there animated programs that you stopped watching? As an adult with impressionable youth within your family, are there animated programs that you do not let children watch or that you allow your children to watch? Although controversy of other elements of lifestyle and humanity are depicted in these programs, what other ways have cartoons affected you? Feel free to share your memories, experiences, thoughts, questions, and concerns. 😊
