So this past week in class we looked at a few different things. Astroboy in particular really paved the way for Japanese animation. It is really amazing to me how the character designs have stayed very similar to the early Astroboy characters.
Two other shows we talked about were the Flintstones and the Jetsons. I used to watch both of these shows while growing up but never really recognized their significance. The Flintstones were the first animated show to hold a primetime spot, and basically paved the way for the Simpsons.
The Simpsons is another really amazing show. It really pushed the limits of animated cartoons and is currently the longest running show on television. I am interested to see if we ever see another animated show that will live up to the Simpsons legacy.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I think it's funny how astro boy the cartoon paved the way for anime in the east, but its recent remake into a 3d film was considered to be such a huge insult to the original show. I suppose such an enormous cultural influence wasn't worth proper transitioning.
ReplyDeleteWell the problems was that the original issues and themes that predominated the orignal Astroboy do not translate across time. For instance, the fear of imminent nuclear war is no longer a major concern for most people since the Cold War has ended. Furthermore, when a show with such adult and complex themes is adapted into a film geared primarily towards children, much of the dark significance of the original work is lost.
ReplyDeleteI used to watch the Jetsons as a child as well and never realized the stereotypical content. When we watched it in class on Monday, I was shocked by the structured roles of the family that I hadn't picked up on as a child. I never realized how much this dated the show until Monday. Despite my shock, I don't have a problem with how the show depicts women and men, simply because I realize that it was made at a time where this was norm.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that as the Simpsons eventually decline, some other animated series will come along to follow in it's footsteps. I don't know if anything will ever run as long though, given the unpredictable future of television as a medium.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I never really watched the Jetsons or Flinstones as a kid, but I did find it funny how the male/female relations play out. I probably would not have picked up on some of the deeper implications as a kid. Maybe it's not such a good thing to still be showing little kids all over the world.
I think it will be hard for a show to ever run as long as the Simpsons have run and continue to run. Media is changing so much with the internet becoming one of the biggest places people get their entertainment. I don't watch TV that often but I do watch TV shows on sites like Hulu. Lately it seems like shows keeping coming out that can't possibly have a very long run like Lost and Heroes. It will be interesting to see if another show can become what the Simpsons are.
ReplyDelete