Saturday, January 8, 2011

THE TOONS AND ME!

I actually didn’t know what my first post of 2011 would be. 2010 was lousy (let’s never talk about 2010 again!) and I wanted to start on a happy note. And what’s happier than Tom & Jerry…yes, the cartoon! As a young girl I was so in awe of them that I believed they existed in some part of the world. When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I remember stating “Jerry is cuter; I would like to be Jerry when I grow up”. Well, that didn’t happen but they still have a lot of significance in life.

I mean, I have learnt a lot…well yes, fun life lessons. Why do you think they even make cartoons…as children there is no better way to learn things than visual humor and as adults…well that’s another story; by the time we are adults we become way more intractable than kids…  

So what did cartoons teach me? Here are my favorites

Tom & Jerry taught me that we can find our closest friend in the most unexpected person ever. A cat and a mouse, who would have thought….they fight, beat up each other, plan “executions”, stay cross but at the end they make up and move on.

Another important thing….you might be beaten, bruised, crushed to pieces, banged flat against the door, thrown into the garbage can, kicked out of the house but it shouldn’t take you long enough to “get up and get going”. Just shake yourself up, be alert and run after your “nemesis”!

Another of my favorites is Garfield. That lazy, obese, pessimistic little cat teaches you what the “real world” is all about. He pushes all those dreamy details of a fairy like, naïve ideas about life and teaches you to be a little sarcastic, a little nasty…. A little bit of sour never hurts! And the orange, fuzzy cat is so adorable!

My current favorite is Simpsons…And even though he might be indolent, clumsy and a little rude, he is completely devoted to his family… and his wife still loves him (my dad’s words!)

So next time while watching a cartoon (adults, too)…let the child in you learn!

So what does your favorite cartoon teach you? 

32 comments:

Faisal said...

be it me, you or anybody else, i don't think we'll find anyone who hasn't heard of TOM and JERRY, your addition of 'ME' speaks for the affection you have nurtured(i guess... since you met them for the first time) for these two simple looking characters who have travelled from hazy TV screens to the new age PLASMAS, spreading their message of HAPPY ENDINGS, from one generation to another. good choice of subject, i hope, from now onwards the underlying messages of these amusing toons won't be overlooked as easily and obviously as they have always been, at least for the readers of
CLUE-LESS, thanks for the new year gift, what's better than travelling back to the innocence immortal...

Patricia JL said...

I gotta admit, I never liked Tom and Jerry. I think it was the fact that the mouse always pulled one over on the cat (Yes I don't know who is who) and it bugged the crap out of me. Sylvester and Tweet, I liked them though. =\
All time favorite cartoon would have to be Pinky and the Brain. Some of the stuff out of Pinky's mouth, HILARIOUS!

Hajra said...

@ Faisal - Thanks a lot for being No. 1!! Thanks for the retweet! New Years Gift...thats quite a compliment!! Thanks!!!

@ Patricia - I am surprised...you are probably the first person (I know) who doesn't like them! Sylvester and Tweet are awesome too.... what did you learn from them though...besides laughing so hard that it hurts!

Blog said...

hello, I like tom & jerry I am still watching them with my little sister...it is amazing to forget about this life and nature's law and enjoy time as kids do...

lilypond said...

Garfield is my favorite. And the lessons to be learned from cartoons, as you say, are plenty. What says with me is the getting up, dusting yourself off and chase after your nemesis bit!!

Rosanne Dingli said...

I might have been born old, because I never took to cartoons as a kid. I do not mind some of them now... if they are clever or very artistic, such as Jane and the Dragon.

Hajra said...

@ Aznzar - It surely is quite entertaining!

@ Inka - Dusting ourself and running on is something we need to learn (quick!), will make life a lot easier!

@ Rosanne - Sadly, I haven't watched much of Jane and the Dragon. Anything specific you "learn" from them?

Unknown said...

superb as alwaz...:)n i nvr learned nythg 4m cartoons becoz i ws alwaz busy laughing....so thiz time i btr gonna 2 do sum work....

JustAGeek said...

well, i also like Tom n Jerry, and yeah you're right, Toons do teach kids (and also adults) quite few things.

Hajra said...

@ Amrita - laughing and studying I suppose! watch it with your adorable niece!!! she is so smart...she'll teach you loads!! Love !!

@ Playboy - Thanks a lot :)

Patricia JL said...

@Hajra I learned I like cartoons better than live action! lol. I'm not sure what I've learned form cartoons, never thought about much. Now I'm going to have to think.
(PS would it surprise you if I told you I've never seen all of ET either?)

Hajra said...

It is quite surprising! :) But then, each one of us is uniquely different!

Patricia JL said...

I have to admit, I saw part of it, but I was 8 or 9 and it had just snowed and that was more tempting than seeing the end. lol

Rahil Ahmed said...

i just love cartoons.. be it in any form.. movie, comics, clips, etc. to me, they always have something to learn from.. think of any cartoon in your mind and you will see they have a meaning.. now to tom and jerry.. they give me great ideas in respect to "execution" :) ..
all i have to say is never lose the kid you have in you. cartoons and comics zest me up..!
and hajra thanks for reminding me to pick up my next copy of 'mad magazine'.. :P

Anonymous said...

This post made me smile so BIG!! I remember when I was a kid, I used to wake up super early on Saturday mornings and turn on the TV real low so as to not wake anyone in the 1000 sq ft house the 5 of us lived in. I would then settle into the couch (yes we didn't call them sofas back then) and watched cartoons for hours!

Great posting, and super humor and message!

Michael
OutMaturity

Anonymous said...

Ah Saturday morning cartoons. I hear you Michael!

I personally loved Astro boy, The Care Bears and the Smurfs - oh and Goofy, plus I had an obsession with She-Ra - must be the woman power thing.

Seriously though, these days I just love cartoons / animation! My latest fave being 'How to train your dragon.' It makes me just want a dragon : ) Not that they exist hehe

Hajra said...

@ Rahil - As a kid, comics were my favorite too! Though somehow I have let go of them as I gre up..Thanks for reminding me!

@ Michael - I still have a couch in my room. Somehow they make reading, watching and using the laptop much more relaxing! Thanks for the appreciation!

@ Janine - I completely forgot about Goofy! I still have to watch the movie... :(...Till then, my favorite animation movie is Shrek....I know the feeling, I still wish ogres (Shrek) exist!

Anonymous said...

Tom & Jerry was my favorite growing up, I never missed a show!.. =)

Another Blogger said...

Yes, we must have capability to learn from everything around us, even from cartoons movies :D

Hajra said...

@ JJ - Thanks a lot !!

@ Lateif - Yes, that is a very valid point! That is the only way to improve!
Thanks a lot!

Ankita Verma said...

A great take on the cartoons! Toons act as a pre-socialization tool for the toddlers and people have forever debated on the negative effect that they might have (violence etc.)on the kids. Most fairy-tales have their standard 'moral of the story' at the end and your article sheds light on how Cartoons are an extension of these tales.So it makes perfect sense that they teach valuable things while being very entertaining. Wonderful insight Hajra! Thanks for sharing :)

Hajra said...

@ Ankita -Thank YOU for being such an avid reader and a wonderful support! The violence aspect in cartoons is something that is well debatable.

Sanum Shaikh said...

aww this post was so cute :) i loved your blog hajra :)

Anonymous said...

I wasn't really allowed to watch cartoons much when I was growing up but I do remember Tom and Jerry. I guess I make up for it now as I often think that the animated features, especialy Disney and Pixar, are so much better than most things made for the adults.

Hajra said...

@ Sanum - Thanks a lot for the appreciation!

@ Diane - The animations are a wonderful thing to look forward too..! Thanks a lot for stopping by!

Miss Intrigue said...

I really like your blog. Its very very cute! loving it! thank you for posting up on my writing hustler blog too! means a lot. come back often.

Adi said...

Thanks for the comment you posted on my blog @ techalysis.com and thats how I found your blog. i have to say, i really like your blog and your content. I think i am gonna be an avid reader of your blog from now on. Great work !

Ali said...

cartoons ,I look them same as i used to when i was a child ,cartoons like Tom and Jerry, they give us a moment to forget every thing and laugh on ourselves , a moment to think why do we feel sad or why we make long plans in a life about which there is no assurance of next second. great post , will drop by again , and at last thanks for commenting on my blog "techraze.com"

PawPurrry said...

I too loved Tom & Jerry growing up...in fact I still watch it on Sunday mornings on the Cartoon Network. It follows the Adult Swim lineup which leads me to my other favorite cartoon - King Of The Hill.

When this show was first run, I never watched it. Then I became addicted when it joined the Adult Swim lineup. My favorite character is Bobby Hill followed by his father, Hank and their dynamic. Bobby is such a loveable character from whom someone could learn a lot. What is so endearing is that he seems to be able to teach his father some life lessons too because Bobby is being Bobby.

Thanks for such a great piece.

Rachel

suboor said...

Well I m not very fond of cartoons because all my chilhood(infact still) I was always busy playing cricket with my elder brother but I like Tom n Jerry and I often watch it when I am with my sister's children.
I loved the word 'execution' in second paragrph.
In second Paragraph you have discussed about the immortal feature of cartoons and I alwys fancy that feature in cartoons.=)

suboor said...

One more cartoon which i like is Poppeye the sailor and it taught me to eat spinach (which i alwys hated)so that i can hit big shots;)!

Hajra said...

@ Suboor - Popeye is one more amazing cartoon that I missed...he ate spinach...but Olive was surprisingly very weak! Thanks a lot!