Our Cartoons

There’s something sad, and at the same time, empowering about learning that “kids these days” listen to, watch, and do different things than you used to do. Suddenly realizing the fact that you have a history behind you gives you the opportunity to look back in nostalgia.

“The Super-Soaker XP5000 Platinum Alpha Advance?  Why, back in my day, we had the 100, the 200 and that was it!” “You yung ‘uns with your Sponge-Bob Squarepants. GI Joe, now that was a cartoon.” “It’s a shame you kids never got a chance to play with Mighty Max. Not like today, with your Digimon.”

Not that we are that different from the kids of today. Children of today are just as inept at using their EZ-Bake Ovens as we were, and Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers still are with us, though now they’re played by different actors… and they’re in the future… and they’re in space. Right.

Still, there are certain experiences that our younger siblings will never be able to take part in. Things like waking up at five o’clock to catch shows like The Tick, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Cadillacs and Dinosaurs. Not only were we allowed to ponder where in the World, or where on Earth Carmen Sandiego was, we also had the opportunity to guess where in time she was. Even shows that were slightly before our time, like Transformers, are sure to gain a response from our generation. After all, they were more than met the eye.

Of course, cartoons aren’t the only cultural landscape now different from our own. Possibly the most drastic change in a form of media has been in video games. Back in the 8-bit days, we were impressed if a game included buttons for jumping and firing. Now a game won’t even be considered if it doesn’t allow you to jump, fire, strafe, tackle, grapple and scratch yourself. Not that old game developers lacked creativity in making ways for you to manipulate your character. From light guns to robots to power-gloves, we were never out of supply of appliances to break.

Naturally, it was only time before some executive realized the potential of combining the two mediums. Though most efforts were forgettable, some have remained with us. Who could forget that familiar voice on Saturday mornings telling us “Hey paisanos! It is the Super Mario Brothers Super Show!” It sure was Mario. It sure was.