Next to music, cartoons could be the biggest influence in my life. I’ve learned a lot from cartoons over the years and continue to enjoy them to this day (although the newer cartoons just aren’t as good). My knowledge of classical music comes from cartoons, my first taste of Rube Goldberg came from cartoons, and even my first exposure to the cliches of married life came from cartoons. Cartoons also introduced me to various real life celebrities, including people like Jerry Reed.
I honestly have know clue who, what, or why Jerry Reed was important, if at all, but he died recently. All that I knew about Jerry Reed is that he was a singer of some sort and that he was also star of a classic Scooby-Doo movie. Jerry Reed joined the ranks of other Scooby celebs like The Harlem Globetrotters, Don Knotts, Jonathan Winters, and one-eyed Sandy Duncan when in the episode where Jerry’s guitar got stolen by some sort of ghost. I don’t remember much from the episode except the song Jerry Reed sang, “Pretty Mary Sunlight,” and to this day that song often pops into my head for no raisin.
Had it not been for cartoons, Jerry Reed would just be another no-name to me. To be honest, I still don’t know if Jerry Reed is important. His obit has him in “Smokey and the Bandit,” which is great and all, but still. Jerry Reed was a bit unique for me when it comes to Scooby-Doo celebs because he is one of the few that I didn’t encounter later on in life. The episode with Jonathan Winters was the first time I heard his name and saw his gimmick. Sonny & Cher, Mama Cass, Sandy Duncan…same thing. I would come across these people naturally later but it was because of cartoons like Scooby-Doo that I knew their reference by the time I got there. And lets not even go down the list of Flintstones celebs that had real life counterparts. You may have never seen a Tony Curtis movie (shame on you), but who can forget Stony Curtis?
I’m not sure if cartoons take the celebrity guest route anymore. I watch very few current cartoons, so I’m left to my DVDs of classic Tom & Jerry and Looney Tunes. One of these days I’ll get the Boomerang channel and have all my classics in one spot.
If new cartoons aren’t doing these type of gimmicks anymore, do your children (and yourself) a favor and buy the DVDs of some real cartoons. Let them enjoy Yosemite Sam, Elmer Fudd, Tom & Jerry, Droopy, Shirt Tales, Grape Ape, The Hair Bear Bunch, the Snorks, Scooby-Doo, Flintstones, Jetsons…you know the list. Don’t worry about the “political incorrectness” of those old cartoons…even those will make your children smarter, if they ever catch on at all.
Today’s cartoons (and toon movies) are made for kids but can also be enjoyed by adults, this is great but there are not enough cartoons made for adults that can also be enjoyed by children. That’s how it used to be and look how well (and remembered) they are.
Dude, “Smokey and the Bandit” is an uber-classic. How can you not put the Snowman on a pedestal? Him being in Scooby is great and all, but he’ll always be the Snowman to me.
When I was younger I remember telling people that I wanted to be a cartoon when I grew up.
I miss the cartoons of our childhood, too. When I’m forced to watch Nickelodeon in the doctor’s office or something, I am only struck by how STUPID the new cartoons are. Even the cartoons of my teen years were better than these. Powerpuff Girls, Animaniacs, Dexter’s Laboratory, etc.
You know what else I miss? Warner Brothers Studio Stores. I worked at one during college until they went out of business. We got the neatest stuff! Like classic cartoon figures and decor. And we got to watch cartoons every day on a huge screen.
Heh, I still have my Powerpuff Girls waffle maker :) Maybe I should go make waffles….
@Will - I’ve never really been a fan of Bandit. Burt Reynolds in general is not a fav of mine. I won’t argue it’s place in cinemagic history at all, though.
@Renee - The WB store was awesome because they had stuff for everyone - the kids, collectors, and people in between like me. I miss Dexter’s Lab. The Red Robin always has on Boomerang and it was on while we were eating once, awesome. I still have a Mojo-Jojo fob on my keychain. And Buttercup is on my laptop bag, although she no longer speaks. But a waffle maker? Now that’s hardcore.
But nothing beats the old Tex Avery toons. Droopy, Barney Bear, Red Hot Riding Hood…those were the funniest shorts ever made, far funnier than Looney Tunes. I think the Averies were just a bit edgier with their jabs at society, of which I didn’t appreciate when I was a kid…but regardless they were always pant-wetting funny.