Evolution of Cartoons: Then to Now
All cartoons soon to be talked about are before the 2000s. All cartons to be talked about later will be after the 2000s. We will be going over the topic of cartoons before and after and how they have evolved and change over the years. The first cartoon to go over is Looney toons which is a well-known cartoon as it was aired from 1930–1969. Most of your grandparents will know this cartoon as one of their most remembered childhood cartoons. Looney Toons was based on many characters such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, etc. As we say some of these names we see how they have appeared in other places. Bugs Bunny is part of the chocolate milk Nesquik. Daffy Duck is a part of the cartoon Mickey Mouse and the Clubhouse. Porky the pig is apart of mainly know for his quote “that's all folks”.
As we have seen over time the quality of cartoons has changed quite a bit. The quality of the visuals of cartoons back in the day used to be super fuzzy or “cloudy”, as well as the content of cartoons, have changed dramatically. As we know during this time period in the 1900s there were a lot of major events. Some examples are World War I(1914), Great Depression (1929), World War II (1939), etc. Cartoons began to play off of these major events. A significant cartoon based on World War II was known as the “Ducktators” based on the use of ducks and the era of propaganda during World War II.
With World War II as teaching more came along. Cartoons back then didn’t always have a meaning based on current events as they were also based on the teachings of life through cartoons. For example, cartoons would teach younger audiences about real-life situations; paying taxes, saving money, etc. Through the teaching of cartoons. For example, one of the cartoons “The evolution of taxation” is about paying taxes and how it all works in reality.
There has been a reoccurring pattern that all these real-life lessons. The content was delivered in a fun, exciting way. Several studies show humans can obtain more information when having fun while learning. It’s also known that our dopamine levels increase whilst engaging in a pleasurable and educational experience. When one has fun or the learning is enjoyable, humans tend to be more attentive, leading them to absorb more knowledge.
Our generation, though reprimanded every time we switched on the television, enjoyed every bit of what we could watch. The quality of those shows were so great that every child was drawn to them and the natural comedy and humour brought a positive outlook towards life. Lizzie Mcguire and That’s so Raven were tales about two high school teenagers and how they dealt with the problems in their life like their school, parents, friends and their coping strategies. The Suite Life of Zack and Cody was another tale of two teenage boys and their adventures in the hotel they lived. While Power Rangers taught us about how a couple of young adults with certain superpowers could defeat evil, Oswald showed us how he used his patient methods along with his thoroughly optimistic outlook on life to cope with tough times. Tom and Jerry was a classic example of two love-hate enemies in a house. Besides these, Indian series like Shararat and Shaka Laka Boom Boom show that dealt with magic in a positive way with amazing performances from Farida Jalal, Shruti Seth, and Kinshuk Vaidya.
However, after 2007, the content in television saw a downfall. For the most part, television, which at least made sense earlier, now lost its USP. That fake laugh, those forced punches, the fake accent took away the inherent sense of authenticity of cartoons. Shows like Shinchan perpetuated an odd sense of behavior that could be seen by many as unacceptable, while other serials such as Perman or Ninja Hattori had repetitive content. Even Indian TV series like Chhota Bheem and Motu-Patlu churned out the poor quality of content.
A study in the Journal of Paediatrics revealed that an average eight-year-old spends eight hours a day on media and a teen spends 11 hours daily. While the numbers are huge, their impact is even bigger. With these shows, children tend to watch television throughout the day without stoppage, and in today’s fast-paced society, without supervision. Many television series during this gap portrayed parents as nagging, evil, and have friends who tend to be very violent with literally no way to get out.
While this issue may seem trivial to some, exposure to poor content can affect a child’s character. Many portrayals of characters on cartoons today show three kinds of characters. Let’s take the example of Doraemon. Nobita is the victim character, while Gian is the bully and Suneo is the instigator. This portrayal tends to display to children company that is mostly unproductive. Further, they even tend to edge out parental figures, which might encourage children to distance themselves. The subtle negativity underlying such portrayals may actually lead children into isolation and cause them to become detached from reality. Another pressing issue is that of violence, even if it is portrayed in a more sanitized fashion. Even a show like Chhota Bheem shows Bheem beating up bad people by jumping, punching and beating them and them fainting at most. This tends to make a kid think that it’s okay to fight like that because the other person won’t feel a thing.
Today, children who were earlier dragged from the playgrounds to come home are being begged to return to those empty spaces and start playing. Television is an important and very pervasive mode in a kid’s life, which is why it is essential to be much more mindful of content. Destructive content must be deprioritized while constructive cartoons have evolved.
However, some shows are attempting to change the playing field. Check out my colleagues’ articles on some other recent cartoons that are a positive influence on children's lives.
