Children's reactions to our old favorites?

[Anthonynotes]

Joining in the thread I posted on the general animation forum, but more targeted at the older show-crowd here:

What do any kids you know think of our favorite old cartoons? Do they enjoy Bugs Bunny, Fred Flintstone, etc., or do they prefer only new stuff? Do they know who Bugs, Fred, etc. even *are*?

Was just curious; on the one hand, I know kids apparently enjoy Tom and Jerry and Scooby Doo, judging from the fact those are the only two older shows still airing on Cartoon Network and both have apparently-highly-rated new versions airing on Kids WB. From the DVD section in the kids' department at my local libraries, apparently kids must be at least *watching* Looney Tunes, Superfriends, etc., but no idea if they're enjoying those or not (or if it's just something their parents checked out for them and the little kids really wanted all-Pikachu, all-the-time...). Factoring in boneheaded programming decisions by the networks in question (Cartoon Network and Disney Channel's lack of airing any older shows besides Scooby Doo/Tom and Jerry, Boomerang's low availability, etc.) makes this all the more difficult for me to determine...

So, anyone with any input on this?

-B.

[cartoon_crazy130]

my friends enjoy all those old shows! i practically think scooby-doo is the best show ever!

[thartman1956]

I truly believe Time Warner is taking a page from Disney's playbook and is in the process of creating a "WB Vault", where their old franchises (Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera, Rankin-Bass' back catalogues) can be locked away to carefully control inventory. I guess for lack of a better term, I'll call it a form of "Yield Management". By doing this, they can get a better price when the franchises are released to home video.

[Kazuya Prower]

So far, my little brother has taken a liking to Tom & Jerry, Bugs Bunny and the early Mickey Mouse shorts.

[Howard Fein]

Great topic, and certainly one I'm qualified for as I have an 11-year-old son who grew up with CN, Nick and videocassettes. Two years ago we finally got a DVD player, and one year ago Boomerang:D - so our vistas have opened up considerably.

For several years in the late nineties Rob and I would watch CN's weeknight lineup of :yakko: :wakko: :dot:, SCOOBY DOO WHERE ARE YOU? and :dexter: . SCOOBY was never one of my favorite H-B creations, but we got to know those 25 episodes backward and forward. By 1997 or so, CN was devoting more time to its originals and the post-48 WB cartoons it acquired at the expense of the classic H-B shows. At odd hours it was still possible to find the FLINTSTONES and JETSONS, or an early short subject star (Quick Draw, Hillbilly Bears) on Super Chunk.

With the evolving replacement of VHS with DVD, I actively purchased as many cassettes of classic WB and H-B animation that I could find at Caldor, K-Mart, Tower Records or my local supermarket and drugstore. Rob generally enjoyed the WB output, especially :bugs1: :sylvester :tweety: :coyote:- and the Pink Panther as well.

Bucking the stereotype of most kids, he preferred the full half-hour H-B shows to the early- circa 1958-66- shorts. (H-B video released a series of theme-related videos- vacation, Valentines' Day, sports, travel- mixing many of the classic characters in 1989-90.) GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE didn't particularly interest him, either. The four LAFF-A-LYMPICS tapes released in 1996 that I bought in '99 for $6.99 got brief but intense use, however. So did Rhino's release of KFS' 1962-64 Beetle Bailey.

I'd also found some bootleg videos in a comic store of cartoons generally not found in legitimate release or cable reruns. Rob loved the original ALVIN SHOW, theatrical UPA Magoo, Bakshi MIGHTY MOUSE (he'd never seen the Terrytoons) and KFS' BEATLES adaptation. There was a brief period he liked DFE's BARKLEYS and SUPER SIX, H-B's ROBONIC STOOGES, ABBOTT & COSTELLO and original 1970 HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS. The last two named are plagued by legal issues that keep them off Boomerang.:mad: FAT ALBERT, BANANA SPLITS, MISSION: MAGIC, GOOBER AND THE GHOST CHASERS, THE HOUNDCATS, UPA's DICK TRACY, the 1965 Cambria Stooge cartoons, the rare 1964 :woody: Halloween TV special and other obscurities were better received by my wife than son. (We're both in our mid-late forties, and hence have sentimental connections to TV cartoons from the sixties and seventies.)

Since the aforementioned DVD acquisition, I bought the WHV releases of THE JETSONS, WACKY RACES, DASTARDLY & MUTTLEY, PENELOPE PITSTOP, TOP CAT, THE YOGI BEAR SHOW, THE MAGILLA GORILLA SHOW and THE FLINTSTONES Seasons 3 thru 6. (SCOOBY-DOO, JONNY QUEST and HUCK HOUND Season 1 don't particularly interest me, and I'll wait till the first two seasons of the 'STONES are marked down further at Best Buy.) Rob loved THE JETSONS, DASTARDY, PITSTOP and TOP CAT (We still sing "Stop the Pigeon" or imitate Yak-Yak's laugh at random moments). On occasion, he'll look away from the computer for a WACKY RACE or FLINTSTONE. He showed no interest in Yogi, Magilla or any other their supporting characters- except when I watch Mushmouse in another language. It's hilarious to hear hillbillies speaking French!;)

Outside of H-B, I've gotten the complete sets of theatrical Pink Panther, GROOVIE GHOULIES and TV MAGOO- which other than the presence of Jim Backus, bears virtually no resemblance to the extremely subtle theatricals. He loves the Panther but doesn't care about the others- except for appropriate P.C. shock at the 1960 portrayal of Chinese houseboy Cholly.

While watching Boomerang, I'll get predictably excited over the appearance of any H-B from the sixties or the various non-Panther DFE theatricals. Rob enjoys Fleischer Popeyes (for the mumbling), the Inspector, Ant & Aardvark, the Meeces and rare gap filler showings of MGM Avery one-shots. (Given how he laughs the edited MAGICAL MAESTRO, I'd love to find the discontinued video release of the original!) He ignores virtually everything else. We both got bored with longtime CN and video favorite :tomcat: :jerry: due to Boomerang's endless obsession with them.

Then there's all he's never seen from Total TV, DIC, Famous/Paramount, Terrytoons and Lantz- studios whose output I generally don't care for with the possible exception of :chilly:. His main exposure to Disney is limited viewings of HOUSE OF MOUSE. FWIW, he enjoyed the Goofy 'how-to's. Disney's cable networks have completely abandoned their theatrical and TV libraries. Some of the latter, especially GOOF TROOP and DARKWING, weren't bad for outsourced 1990s animation either.

Of course, most of the 'modern' stuff today's kids watches leaves me cold. ED, EDD & EDDY and ODDPARENTS might get an occasional chuckle out of me. And for some reason I adore Greg Eagles' Caribbean-laden portrayal of Grimm.

[Kazuya Prower]

Great topic, and certainly one I'm qualified for as I have an 11-year-old son who grew up with CN, Nick and videocassettes. Two years ago we finally got a DVD player, and one year ago Boomerang:D - so our vistas have opened up considerably.

For several years in the late nineties Rob and I would watch CN's weeknight lineup of :yakko: :wakko: :dot:, SCOOBY DOO WHERE ARE YOU? and :dexter: . SCOOBY was never one of my favorite H-B creations, but we got to know those 25 episodes backward and forward. By 1997 or so, CN was devoting more time to its originals and the post-48 WB cartoons it acquired at the expense of the classic H-B shows. At odd hours it was still possible to find the FLINTSTONES and JETSONS, or an early short subject star (Quick Draw, Hillbilly Bears) on Super Chunk.

With the evolving replacement of VHS with DVD, I actively purchased as many cassettes of classic WB and H-B animation that I could find at Caldor, K-Mart, Tower Records or my local supermarket and drugstore. Rob generally enjoyed the WB output, especially :bugs1: :sylvester :tweety: :coyote:- and the Pink Panther as well.

Bucking the stereotype of most kids, he preferred the full half-hour H-B shows to the early- circa 1958-66- shorts. (H-B video released a series of theme-related videos- vacation, Valentines' Day, sports, travel- mixing many of the classic characters in 1989-90.) GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE didn't particularly interest him, either. The four LAFF-A-LYMPICS tapes released in 1996 that I bought in '99 for $6.99 got brief but intense use, however. So did Rhino's release of KFS' 1962-64 Beetle Bailey.

I'd also found some bootleg videos in a comic store of cartoons generally not found in legitimate release or cable reruns. Rob loved the original ALVIN SHOW, theatrical UPA Magoo, Bakshi MIGHTY MOUSE (he'd never seen the Terrytoons) and KFS' BEATLES adaptation. There was a brief period he liked DFE's BARKLEYS and SUPER SIX, H-B's ROBONIC STOOGES, ABBOTT & COSTELLO and original 1970 HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS. The last two named are plagued by legal issues that keep them off Boomerang.:mad: FAT ALBERT, BANANA SPLITS, MISSION: MAGIC, GOOBER AND THE GHOST CHASERS, THE HOUNDCATS, UPA's DICK TRACY, the 1965 Cambria Stooge cartoons, the rare 1964 :woody: Halloween TV special and other obscurities were better received by my wife than son. (We're both in our mid-late forties, and hence have sentimental connections to TV cartoons from the sixties and seventies.)

Since the aforementioned DVD acquisition, I bought the WHV releases of THE JETSONS, WACKY RACES, DASTARDLY & MUTTLEY, PENELOPE PITSTOP, TOP CAT, THE YOGI BEAR SHOW, THE MAGILLA GORILLA SHOW and THE FLINTSTONES Seasons 3 thru 6. (SCOOBY-DOO, JONNY QUEST and HUCK HOUND Season 1 don't particularly interest me, and I'll wait till the first two seasons of the 'STONES are marked down further at Best Buy.) Rob loved THE JETSONS, DASTARDY, PITSTOP and TOP CAT (We still sing "Stop the Pigeon" or imitate Yak-Yak's laugh at random moments). On occasion, he'll look away from the computer for a WACKY RACE or FLINTSTONE. He showed no interest in Yogi, Magilla or any other their supporting characters- except when I watch Mushmouse in another language. It's hilarious to hear hillbillies speaking French!;)

Outside of H-B, I've gotten the complete sets of theatrical Pink Panther, GROOVIE GHOULIES and TV MAGOO- which other than the presence of Jim Backus, bears virtually no resemblance to the extremely subtle theatricals. He loves the Panther but doesn't care about the others- except for appropriate P.C. shock at the 1960 portrayal of Chinese houseboy Cholly.

While watching Boomerang, I'll get predictably excited over the appearance of any H-B from the sixties or the various non-Panther DFE theatricals. Rob enjoys Fleischer Popeyes (for the mumbling), the Inspector, Ant & Aardvark, the Meeces and rare gap filler showings of MGM Avery one-shots. (Given how he laughs the edited MAGICAL MAESTRO, I'd love to find the discontinued video release of the original!) He ignores virtually everything else. We both got bored with longtime CN and video favorite :tomcat: :jerry: due to Boomerang's endless obsession with them.

Then there's all he's never seen from Total TV, DIC, Famous/Paramount, Terrytoons and Lantz- studios whose output I generally don't care for with the possible exception of :chilly:. His main exposure to Disney is limited viewings of HOUSE OF MOUSE. FWIW, he enjoyed the Goofy 'how-to's. Disney's cable networks have completely abandoned their theatrical and TV libraries. Some of the latter, especially GOOF TROOP and DARKWING, weren't bad for outsourced 1990s animation either.

Of course, most of the 'modern' stuff today's kids watches leaves me cold. ED, EDD & EDDY and ODDPARENTS might get an occasional chuckle out of me. And for some reason I adore Greg Eagles' Caribbean-laden portrayal of Grimm.

If you want to show your son the old Disney toons, buy the Walt Disney Treasures DVDs at Amazon.

[Eric Brown]

I 've found that young people, today, find the 60's TV cartoons to be generally un-interesting. It's just a culture / generation gap thing. The classics are just to dated compared to the "edgy" current culture programming they can relate to, that's aired on cable.

Just my thoughts. THANX

[Steve Carras]

my friends enjoy all those old shows! i practically think scooby-doo is the best show ever!
SCooby-Doo is already dominant and many seem to feel it's shown too much (how about Snooper and Blabber, the predecessors). Scooby as far as kids concerned is CURRENT, Not OLD!!!:p

[Electricbolt]

I have a 6 year old brother that will sit and watch Boomerang (or some dvd I pick up) with me. He enjoys Tom & Jerry the most, with cartoons like Wacky Races not to far behind. My youngest sister also likes Boomerang too, but still prefers Spongebob over anything else.

The other day I picked up the "Best of" dvd of He-Man episodes and he grabbed it out of the bag and asked who He-Man was, so I decided to let him watch an ep to see if he liked it. He ended up wanting to watch all the cartoons, but we only managed to go through the first disc before he ended up falling asleep.

I have other siblings who are in their teens and do not like any cartoons that came out before 1990 I've noticed.

[Tobias]

My eight year old nephew enjoys Scooby Doo in pretty much any form, and he also likes Sonic SatAM and Yogi's Funtastic Treasure Hunt.

[Ahiru-kun]

I guess I can still be considered a kid. Children go through certain phases of what kinds of cartoons they like. At ten I was obsessed with anime and Toon Disney. At 11 and 12 it was mostly golden age WB, MGM, and Disney animation. Then I went back to watching modern shows along with old H-B cartoons. Now I have a renewed interest in Popeye shorts.

[Gusto the Punker]

A lot of my friends' kids grew up in the 1990s and it's sad that they don't appreciate ANYTHING made before 1990.

When I was a kid, I had appreciation for cartoons/TV shows before my time and during my time. That's because my parents taught me about the shows that existed before I was around.

[Electricbolt]

A lot of my friends' kids grew up in the 1990s and it's sad that they don't appreciate ANYTHING made before 1990.

When I was a kid, I had appreciation for cartoons/TV shows before my time and during my time. That's because my parents taught me about the shows that existed before I was around.

I was born in the late 80s, so I grew up in the 90s as well. I loved watching a lot of the older stuff like Tom & Jerry and the Flintstones (used to run into the house every weekday to watch that at 12:30 when the news was done).

So I guess its a result of not being exposed to the material at a younger age... I'd assume that anyways.

[Gusto the Punker]

You may, but not these kids I know. We was watching the original He-Man and they was saying things like "Oh, man, this crap sucks ass" and "80s cartoons suck". They even bashed things like :tomcat: and :jerry: and saying it sucked. I was just so angry at
those kids. But when they watch a 1990s/2000s cartoon, they have no problem with it.

By the way I was born in the late 70s.

[jokin' jack]

well, personally, I love all of the old ones, but I flat out hate these new ones. but all of my freinds, all through the years, thought that all of the old cartoons were just completly boring, and they were constantly talking about crap like "pokeymon" and "yugio" and various other anime shows. and now it's all about that crap "naruto" or whatever.
the japanese seem to control nearly all of it these days.

[Uncle_Lina]

You may, but not these kids I know. We was watching the original He-Man and they was saying things like "Oh, man, this crap sucks ass" and "80s cartoons suck". They even bashed things like :tomcat: and :jerry: and saying it sucked. I was just so angry at
those kids. But when they watch a 1990s/2000s cartoon, they have no problem with it.

By the way I was born in the late 70s.

Well He-Man looks slightly dated by todays standards, but what things did they say about T&J?

[Harukuro]

My little brother (he's 11) has hardly watched any Disney cartoons. When I showed him the "Chronological of Donald Vol. 2" he was very interested in the war cartoons.:sad: (boys...) He also seems really interested in "The Three Caballeros(sp?). I sometimes drag my sister into watching some cartoons with me and she seems to like them (she's looking forward to seeing the Droopy set that's coming out) I guess I could be considered a "kid" to you guys but I happen to love the old cartoons. I also like anime and some of the modern jems out there to though. There's also this 2 year old me and my sis baby sit and she loves Scooby Doo (the new stuff at least) I'm not sure if these are good examples but that's just how things are for me.

[Gusto the Punker]

Well He-Man looks slightly dated by todays standards, but what things did they say about T&J?

They called it crap, stupid, boring and lame. I was like without these toons, you wouldn't have your shows. They just laughed and hooted.

[Jeff Harris]

There was a brief period he liked DFE's BARKLEYS and SUPER SIX, H-B's ROBONIC STOOGES, ABBOTT & COSTELLO and original 1970 HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS. The last two named are plagued by legal issues that keep them off Boomerang.Well, I don't know about Abbott and Costello, but the reason the 70s Harlem Globetrotters isn't on Boomerang is because the show's owned by CBS Paramount Television. I remember TV Land airing the series way back when with a Paramount mountain in the credits.

My little 10-year old cousin has a very diverse taste in cartoons, not unlike his big cousin. He pretty much likes Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, and since he has Boomerang now, he tells me that he likes almost everything except that one show, and these are his words, "something, something, and Og." When we went to see Meet the Robinsons, he was laughing out loud at Boat Builders, the classic Mickey/Donald/Goofy short.

He's a fan of Ren and Stimpy now, wearing my DVD copy of Vol. 1 down on every visit, and he kind of likes the older He-Man episodes, though the recent episodes were better (and he's right, of course). One day, we went to You Tube, and saw a couple of old 80s cartoons like Galaxy High and Bionic Six, and he wondered why they weren't on TV anymore. Funny thing about all of this is that after he watches these cartoons, he wants to draw.

Considering he's a wrestling fan, I wonder how he would have reacted to Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n Wrestling.

[Darklordavaitor]

I've shown my younger cousins (Who are 9, 7, and 1) some of my DuckTales, TaleSpin, Jonny Quest and :bugs1: tapes, and they seem to like it. Lucky, they don't have cable to see more modern material like Squrriel Boy.