Cartoons from Our Childhood

By: Angelica Wojciehowski

            In our childhood years, we were mesmerized by the stories and the imagination expressed by the babies in The Rugrats and the  talking animals in shows like The Looney Tunes. We were raised with the innocence and reassurance that these cartoon characters would be there for us when we were bored or if we didn’t want to sleep. Unfortunately  like most good things, these cartoons had to come to an end.

In 1928, Mickey Mouse was created as the first cartoon character and starred in Walt Disney’s first cartoon, “Steamboat Willie”. Cartoons progressed to allow color in films and better graphics to gather interest from the viewers, which also increased as the cartoons began to catch the eyes of most youths and adults. Shows such as The Jetsons, The Flintstones, and The Pink Panther have been around since the 1960s. Most parents would look back and mention how entertaining those shows were compared to modern day cartoons, which is honestly true. Television shows that were made before the 21st century are generally better than the shows that most kids watch nowadays. For example, The Simpsons was and has been a big hit since its airdate in 1989. This animated sitcom tells the story of the lives within the dysfunctional Simpsons family. The program creator, Matt Groening, hired many writers to write humorous and very amusing story lines for the episodes. The Simpsons showed up with a hilarious hook to the audience and still has not lost its momentum. On the other hand, The Annoying Orange, a television show that airs on Cartoon Network, has proven the theory of the distasteful and low standards that modern day cartoons  portray. The show is literally about an orange that is annoying. It is based off of a recent YouTube video series that caught the attention of young and immature kids. It does not deserve to be a subject of entertainment and should not be funded.

Most youth from the 90’s would remember shows such as Spongebob SquarePants, Dexter’s Laboratory, and Ed, Edd, and Eddy. These cartoons are the finale to the lives of the good shows that were aired (as well as many other 1990 films). From a personal view point, my favorite show of all time is Spongebob SquarePants. This show is perfectly stupid. It is about an underpaid employed sponge who lives in a pineapple in an undersea city called Bikini Bottom. His best friend is an idiotic starfish named Patrick, and their only girl friend is a squirrel in an astronaut suit that lives in a glass dome. His greedy boss, Mr. Krabs, runs Krusty Krab, and has a whale for a daughter. Spongebob’s neighbor, Squidward, despises Spongebob but somehow cannot live without him. Spongebob and his friends have amazing adventures that make even me feel like I actually have a lick of common sense. Even though the show is very foolish, it brings a sense of enjoyment and happiness to all viewers, no age limit required. After growing up with this awesome show, I have been greatly disappointed by the overly ridiculous cartoons of today’s culture. Sure, Spongebob was moronic, but it was cool- these new shows are not.

Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network, two child based entertainment channels, have decided to do throwbacks for the shows of the past. For example, late at night, Nickelodeon airs old 90’s favorites such as CatDog, Hey Arnold, and The Rugrats. Sometimes, it shows throughout the day. Cartoon Network has partnered to have a channel much unknown but still popular called Boomerang. This channel shows The Jetsons, The Flintstones, and even The Three Stooges. We cannot forget these shows, as they are legends of our childhood. Remember to check for the airtimes, get some friends and food together, and get to reminiscing!