The cartoons of today . . .

[Dawnstar]

seem to teach kids a lot more than they did back when I was watching cartoons.

Back in the day you had The Smurfs and the Jetsons. They were a lot of fun to watch as a kid but did they really teach us anything? I mean i know that all cartoons have some sort of lesson but they are not always that obvious to little kids.

Now look at the ones from today like Go Diego Go, and Dora the Explorer which are working on teaching kids how to speak english and spanish and let me tell you it works. And as a parent I really like that they teach kids these things.

So is it that since I was a kid back then I do not see what The Smurfs and the Jetsons were trying to really teach us kids, or is it that the cartoons today really are teaching kids more?

Anyone have any thoughts?

[Varaj]

I disagree somewhat. I've been watching a lot of the 80's cartoon Transformers with my 4 year old and they have a lot of value in teaching right and wrong. They don't teach raw knowledge the a lot of the shows today do but they have a much stronger moral teaching to them in my mind.

[Dawnstar]

I actually agree with you but like i said I guess some of it was that I was young and do not remember all the morals to the stories. But yes all those cartoons had a moral to them.

[Varaj]

I actually agree with you but like i said I guess some of it was that I was young and do not remember all the morals to the stories. But yes all those cartoons had a moral to them.

There is a wider variety today. Over all more choices but that can often be a problem. :)

[Janos]

The Smurfs and the Jetsons

Go Diego Go, and Dora the Explorer

That's not apples to apples.

Try comparing Mr. Rogers, Captain Kangaroo, etc to Dora and Diego. And the lessons will be very similiar.

We've seen a rise in shows like Dora and other educational kids programing, but the real kids cartoons are still kids cartoons with the same morals and the like as they have been since the 70ies.

[Northcott]

That's not apples to apples.

Try comparing Mr. Rogers, Captain Kangaroo, etc to Dora and Diego. And the lessons will be very similiar.

We've seen a rise in shows like Dora and other educational kids programing, but the real kids cartoons are still kids cartoons with the same morals and the like as they have been since the 70ies.

Yeah. Once Sesame Street revolutionized children's programming, people were quick to jump on board. Henson transformed the way that people dealt with early childhood entertainment, and it crossed over into other shows. I think it's taken more seriously now, and there's greater variety, though. People are certainly doing more with the cartoon end of the spectrum.

Cartoons aimed at older kids, the Transformers age group for example, still aim for that "moral development" angle, but I think it's played down somewhat. There was an active movement in the 80's to create a conformist culture, and it was very powerful among companies that did animation. The Care Bears was tailored to this effect: children should learn to conform to the group, like good little citizens/corporate drones. Dungeons & Dragons had the same message, and it was enforced by the suits in charge of the show. The writers tried to deviate a few times to give the program more depth, but the efforts were shot down: Eric/cavalier was never to be depicted as being successful, having solid ideas, or showing courage of any stripe unless he was actively supporting the leader figure, Hank the ranger.

[Varaj]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0q3ZJnI868

[bunny]

I recall watching reruns of yogi bear a few years back, and Yogi started quoting Keats. It was somewhat surreal, but my mum dismissed it saying that it was just a side effect of cartoon writers that actually had formal educations.

And I'm still convinced there were some communist writers working on the Rocky and Bulwinkle show. Why else would they make Natasha so damn hot and the top mind the US could come up with to fight the red scare was a rather dumb moose.

[Ergeheilalt]

While Jetsons and the Flintstones were to a degree aimed at kids, they were also aimed to at least not annoy the crap out of people older than, oh, say 10. Dora and Diego, Blues Clues, The Wiggles, etc. make me want to eat a gun.

The only kiddie show I enjoyed with my little bother (16 years my junior) was Bear in the Big Blue House. :D

[Northcott]

I recall watching reruns of yogi bear a few years back, and Yogi started quoting Keats. It was somewhat surreal, but my mum dismissed it saying that it was just a side effect of cartoon writers that actually had formal educations.

And I'm still convinced there were some communist writers working on the Rocky and Bulwinkle show. Why else would they make Natasha so damn hot and the top mind the US could come up with to fight the red scare was a rather dumb moose.

Weren't Rocky and Bullwinkle Canadian? ;)

[Atropine Mama]

It's probably sad, the number of mommies I know who have heated opinions about who the better host of Blue's Clues was (Steve. Duh.).

Well, uh, yeah. Nobody can live up to Steve. Jeez.

:D