Cartoons! What does truly define cartoons? Well, I got one answer for you...Learning and Satirical HUMOR!!!!! Have you ever watched a cartoon as a child? It depends!!
The reason why these 2 words define a cartoon is because of a powerful essay from a solid writer. That article with the author is Linda Christensen's Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us. This essay is meant to target how cartoons can be connected to a mind of a child or a mind of an elementary school student through academic learning and satirical humor.
Although cartoons can overwhelm you by absorbing so much TV time or spending most time indoors, I do agree that cartoons can give so much academic help and teachers can basically educate children good aspects from old and/or modern cartoons.
Cartoons can give so much academic help because it can bring "secret education" or tutoring to children who need better understanding of the cartoon. According to this essay, Christensen exhibits Dorfman's work by saying that cartoons, or, "Industrially produced fiction[,] has been one of the primary shapers of our emotions and our intellect" (Christensen 128). This quote is definitely an example of how cartoons give academic help because there is something that many students have to analyze and understand the cartoon itself. For example, there are some political cartoons that children can learn about in a Social Studies or a History Class.
Next, Cartoons can help academically because teachers can basically educate children good aspects from old and/or modern cartoons. For example, Christensen exhibits a difference between old and new cartoons by saying that New cartoons "are subtler [than old cartoons] and take more sophistication to see through. But if the students warm up on the old ones, they can pierce the surface of the new ones as well" (Christensen 130). These cartoons can give educational aspects from Christensen's quote to other children because it can show how much creativity they put in the cartoon back to the old days compared to the new days. They can also write essays while critiquing cartoons which will encourage many other kids to watch and take notes.
Below is an image of comparing Tom and Jerry Cartoons back in the 1930s/40s-ish to new T + J cartoons on Present Day:
Although cartoons help children get good aspects from teachers and as a "secret education" tutoring, many kids absorb too much T.V. time or spend most of the day indoors which overpowers their education from videos and lead to academic downfalls. For example, Christensen exhibits three other students' graded essays from three cartoons, "Duck Tales -- Grade: C-", "Teenage Mutant Ninjas Turtles -- Grade: D", and "Popeye -- Grade: F" (Christensen 136). Not only they have such bad grades based on poor understanding and judgement of these cartoons, but students also are getting behind on their work because they spent most TV or Indoor Time rather than finishing homework and/or going outside on a beautiful day.
In closing, we know that cartoons tend to overpower academics, but can also help understand what political issues are going on in the real world. We discussed that cartoons can show academic help and can tutor you on the stuff going on in the real world which can be solved by other kids pursuing their futures. Cartoons are powerful and helpful to others in a sense of learning and SATIRICAL HUMOR.
https://www.rethinkingschools.org/articles/unlearning-the-myths-that-bind-us
The reason why these 2 words define a cartoon is because of a powerful essay from a solid writer. That article with the author is Linda Christensen's Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us. This essay is meant to target how cartoons can be connected to a mind of a child or a mind of an elementary school student through academic learning and satirical humor.
Although cartoons can overwhelm you by absorbing so much TV time or spending most time indoors, I do agree that cartoons can give so much academic help and teachers can basically educate children good aspects from old and/or modern cartoons.
Cartoons can give so much academic help because it can bring "secret education" or tutoring to children who need better understanding of the cartoon. According to this essay, Christensen exhibits Dorfman's work by saying that cartoons, or, "Industrially produced fiction[,] has been one of the primary shapers of our emotions and our intellect" (Christensen 128). This quote is definitely an example of how cartoons give academic help because there is something that many students have to analyze and understand the cartoon itself. For example, there are some political cartoons that children can learn about in a Social Studies or a History Class.
Next, Cartoons can help academically because teachers can basically educate children good aspects from old and/or modern cartoons. For example, Christensen exhibits a difference between old and new cartoons by saying that New cartoons "are subtler [than old cartoons] and take more sophistication to see through. But if the students warm up on the old ones, they can pierce the surface of the new ones as well" (Christensen 130). These cartoons can give educational aspects from Christensen's quote to other children because it can show how much creativity they put in the cartoon back to the old days compared to the new days. They can also write essays while critiquing cartoons which will encourage many other kids to watch and take notes.
Below is an image of comparing Tom and Jerry Cartoons back in the 1930s/40s-ish to new T + J cartoons on Present Day:
In closing, we know that cartoons tend to overpower academics, but can also help understand what political issues are going on in the real world. We discussed that cartoons can show academic help and can tutor you on the stuff going on in the real world which can be solved by other kids pursuing their futures. Cartoons are powerful and helpful to others in a sense of learning and SATIRICAL HUMOR.
https://www.rethinkingschools.org/articles/unlearning-the-myths-that-bind-us
There is no defending the rampant racism found in those old cartoons, but one thing to consider I think, is that those old Warner Bros and Popeye cartoons weren't specifically made for children, they were shown in movie theaters along with newsreels and at least one feature film. They were a reflection of the adult world too. The old Tom and Jerrys had a black female character that is never seen above the knees, with stereotyped speech. My wife thought that she was the woman of the house, but I always thought it obvious that she was a housekeeper. While I still think I'm right, I'm at least uncomfortable with the thought that I might have been conditioned to assume a black woman in a nice house must be a housekeeper.
ReplyDeleteI really like the layout of your blog post Ryan! I especially like the picture you added of the "then vs now" of the cartoon. It really shows the difference of the shows and how things can change! Overall really great blog post!
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