7. The worst thing you’ve ever seen happen to a cartoon that ruined it.
I’d written something about not being able to think of anything, but I had to backspace because I thought of something! lmao.
It wasn’t really the cartoon ITSELF, it was more to do with this event that happened to me.
Back when I was very young. I don’t even know how old I was. I was probably younger than seven. Who knows? My cousin, who is older than me by 5-6 years (her birthday is later, so we’re 5 years apart until October, then it returns to 6 until March), used to watch videos online all the time. I don’t even remember if YouTube was around at this time. It probably wasn’t because I don’t feel like I was eight, so I feel like this website wasn’t YouTube.
Anyway, I would sit next to her while she watched videos, and I remember a few of the videos that she used to watch but not a lot of them. I was so young though and so innocent that when my cousin clicked on a video of the Smurfs singing an inappropriate song, I was so shocked that I didn’t like the Smurfs for YEARS. I still kind of don’t like them, though I’m coming around, lmao.
If I can find the damn video, I would show you. It’s probably not even that bad NOW, but at that time, it made me dislike the Smurfs for so long, omg.
21. Something you would like to see more than anything in a cartoon.
There are a lot of things that I would love to see, and I know I won’t be able to cover them all here, but I do have a few that I’d like to mention.
I know that I would definitely love more representation for LGBT+ people. I would appreciate it if it were more than just the parents of the main character’s best friend (though I do appreciate the way The Loud House has handled this) or just someone they knew or just someone in passing. I don’t even see much of the main character having parents that are LGBT+ and/or in a same-sex/same-gender relationship/marriage. I want to see the ACTUAL main character not be straight and have it mentioned or heavily implied (not subtly or in a “blink and you’ll miss it” sort of manner) or displayed respectfully. And more trans characters!!! Especially, main characters because that’s a big thing that I want to see more as well.
Oh, and more non-white characters as main characters, too. I want more diversity and more cartoons and animated movies to bring in characters that aren’t white and make them the main focus! I want to see them embracing themselves and teaching other people, mainly children, about different cultures if they wish to do so. And for the love of God, do not make these characters non-human for the majority of their show/movie. They deserve more than that. We all know a movie like that, and while the movies may be amazing or good, those characters still deserved better, and we need to change how we treat people of color/non-white people.
I would also love to see more cartoons focus on mental illness and how to cope with them in a healthy way. Show disabilities in a positive light, too. I want to see these disabilities and illnesses and have them shown to people and children and let them know that they’re supported and cared for and that it’s society’s views that are wrong of them and that they deserve respect and love and support. I want healthy coping mechanisms shown and discussions about illnesses (mental illnesses mainly) to be brought to light.
I want this from any type of media, but I mostly want it from cartoons and animated works of media because children can be heavily influenced by the cartoons that they watch, and if we can show them these types of things in this form, I feel like things will become better in the future when they’re older. I just want progress and for these things to become the norm and to be embraced and accepted and supported.
Please send me cartoon asks!