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Thursday, March 28, 2024
The Observer

Favorite Childhood Cartoons

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SARA SHOEMAKE
SARA SHOEMAKE
We now live in an age where Saturday morning cartoons no longer exist. This last weekend was the first weekend in 50-some years that there were no Saturday morning animation blocks. The CW ran its last showing of Vortexx cartoons and then replaced it with live-action educational programming. In commemoration of all the memories of waking up early to see the weekly cartoons, the Scene staff reviews our favorite childhood cartoons.

Maddie Daly — "The Wild Thornberrys"

Back in the days when cartoons still played every Saturday morning, I used to religiously watch the best cartoon on Nickelodeon, “The Wild Thornberrys.” As an animal lover, who at the time owned a rabbit, a turtle, a bird, several fish and a dog, I modeled my life after Eliza Thornberry, the main character who could talk to animals.  She was living my dream life — nomadically wandering around in the wilderness making friends with animals while her parents shot their wildlife television series. In addition to her wacky but totally cool parents, she had a sister, Debbie, who was supposed to be a rebellious Goth teenager, a pet monkey named Darwin (now that’s clever) and a monkey-like little brother named Donnie who was literally raised by orangutans. The show was clever and entertaining, making children everywhere wish they could secretly talk to animals and live in the jungle.

Caelin Miltko — "Kim Possible"

My favorite childhood cartoon was Disney Channel’s “Kim Possible.” I still manage to get the theme song stuck in my head whenever I get myself into conversations about the best shows from my childhood (they are “Lizzie McGuire” and then “Kim Possible” — Disney Channel has not been the same since). Kim’s ability to solve any situation was inspiring, and her access to advanced technology is probably one of the only things that prepared me for the tech of the modern age. Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but I was always impressed with the gadgets Wade sent her. Though, now when I think back on them, they weren’t that crazy. Anyways, “Kim Possible” showed me that, as a girl, I could definitely do whatever I wanted. 

Erin McAuliffe — "Recess"

"Recess" conveyed government, hierarchy and class systems through a fourth grade class. The representations of the six main characters displayed the commonalities of elementary school stereotypes – leader, jock, tomboy, fat kid, nerd and the happy kid with unfortunate luck – however, the kids' personalities are oppressed by King Bob and social norms. The show emphasized the importance of individuality and challenging standards. It also parodied films such as "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Good Will Hunting." I remember watching "Good Will Hunting" for the first time and flashing back to scenes of Gretchen Grundler furiously working on a math problem and the school janitor solving it to the kids' approval. "Recess" inspired me to express my weird side and, more importantly, showed me that pigtails can be intimidating – a tactic I later employed in nearly every cross country race I competed in.
Daniel Barabasi — "Scooby Doo"

Forget Sherlock Holmes. Move aside, Batman. The greatest detective in fictive history sniffs clues with greater enthusiasm than the average canine has for exploring the scent of a new acquaintance. The motley crew of the “Scooby Doo” series sparred supernatural phenomenon on the daily, with opponents ranging from ethereal American Revolution notables to Dragon, heart of evil. Yet, their most impressive accomplishment will always be finding Velma’s darned glasses every episode. Jinkies, has she never considered a pair of croakies? So don't hold back. Grab yourself a box of Scooby Snacks and hop into the Mystery Machine. And you could get away with it too, if it wasn’t for those meddling midterms!