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Memfis

Did you learn from cartoons as a kid?

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I've been thinking. We have so many cartoons that are supposed to teach basic morals, stuff like "believe in yourself", etc. But personally, I feel like as a kid I never took any lessons from the cartoons that I watched. They were just cool, funny, or entertaining to watch, but I never really noticed any "themes" or moral lessons I think. I only started to see that stuff somewhat later in life.

Could it be that these cartoons are failing at what they are trying to be? Maybe instead of that moralistic stuff they should be more about sparking your imagination, entertainment, and simply telling a good story that isn't supposed to teach anything? Or was I just an outsider and that's why I felt like this?

Or, maybe these moral lessons had a more indirect kind of effect on me... Not like "OK, I will love my parents now" but they still left something in my heart? Who knows.

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Oh yeah. Since I didn't have CN, I stuck with what I had. And these shows were usually for educational stuff, eg Wordgirl, WordWorld, Sid the Science Kid (?), etc.

But sheesh the cartoons these days trying to teach morals fail miserably eg Teen Titans Go!

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Fortunately, most cartoons are snarky about morality stuff. At most, it's about villains always failing, which is generally the norm (it's bad when they win).

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I watched english speaking cartoons, but never understood english, so I just sat there and judged the actions instead.

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They certainly aren't (supposed to be) brain washing you. There might be a little bit of a subconscious effect. I watched a lot of sesame street as a kid and I believe that helped me significantly in learning to read at an early age.

I think historically, cartoons have gotten a lot of flak from moms about the potential influence they have on their target audience, which I think pressured tv broadcasting companies to air shows that had a more positive moral lesson to take away from it.

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Cartoons don't directly educate you. I mean, it'd be quite bad if they did. If your parents taught you how to be a good man, then cartoons will influence you, you'll see how it works, even in such exaggerated, made-up conditions.
Also, remembering the cartoons that I used to watch as a kid, but that are forgotten now, makes me feel old. Noddy (the puppet boy who drives a taxi), Thomas & Friends (the trains), anyone?

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I would argue that stories have themes regardless of whether or not they're obvious or intentionally placed, and whether or not you're consciously picking up on them.

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Batman: The Animated Series taught me that you can't read in dreams.

I mean, it was wrong, based on (then-current, now-outdated) science and theories regarding the left and right hemispheres, but still -- that was a cool thing to try and teach to kids via a superhero cartoon.

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Memfis said:

Or, maybe these moral lessons had a more indirect kind of effect on me... Not like "OK, I will love my parents now" but they still left something in my heart? Who knows.

I'd definitely argue for this. A lot of how media influences us is pretty damn subtle - the cases where you're given new insight to a particular thing and suddenly have a "eureka!" moment about the subject are really only a small percentage of that sort of thing. Brainwashing is the last thing I'd call it, because if the purpose was genuine brainwashing then it's pretty damn terrible and never accomplish its goals, but the way what you consume changes you isn't something you're going to realize unless you go out of your way to think about how you act and think and how that relates to what you've watched.

I mean, I can certainly say that the way I think about passion, moments of inspiration, and loyalty towards friends is really telling about how much shonen manga and anime and the like I've watched over the years.

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dethtoll said:

Batman: The Animated Series taught me that you can't read in dreams.


I remember that episode. I also remember coherently reading things in dreams myself, so that was obviouslyy h majte wujkehhg qudd sadjek zsklesafghh fmbmlvo.

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dethtoll said:

Batman: The Animated Series taught me that you can't read in dreams.

I mean, it was wrong, based on (then-current, now-outdated) science and theories regarding the left and right hemispheres, but still -- that was a cool thing to try and teach to kids via a superhero cartoon.


I'm curious about that, because I was always told you can't read in dreams. And I think it's correct. When I'm dreaming I can look at something with text and know what it's supposed to say, but when I go to read it, it turns out completely different.

Simple example: I see a big red EXIT sign hanging from the ceiling in a dream, I know it's an exit just from how it looks. But if I try to read it in a dream it turns into something else. It may turn into a voltage, reactive inductance, current, and tao. And rearrange itself into a circuit, but it no longer reads "EXIT". That was a simple example, in dreams I can pick up a piece of paper and know what it's supposed to say, but if I try to read it all the words turn into something else, usually mathematic equations.

And I would imagine different brains are different, some people probably can read in dreams, but when I dream I can't read worth a shit.

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Sonic says don't get in the car with robot chickens or other strangers, do not go for a ride in a washing machine/dryer and that drugs are not good.

Thanks Sonic, you obvious twat.

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Jello said:

I'm curious about that, because I was always told you can't read in dreams. And I think it's correct. When I'm dreaming I can look at something with text and know what it's supposed to say, but when I go to read it, it turns out completely different.

Simple example: I see a big red EXIT sign hanging from the ceiling in a dream, I know it's an exit just from how it looks. But if I try to read it in a dream it turns into something else. It may turn into a voltage, reactive inductance, current, and tao. And rearrange itself into a circuit, but it no longer reads "EXIT". That was a simple example, in dreams I can pick up a piece of paper and know what it's supposed to say, but if I try to read it all the words turn into something else, usually mathematic equations.

And I would imagine different brains are different, some people probably can read in dreams, but when I dream I can't read worth a shit.


I read a portion of Jurassic Park in a dream once. Then it turned into Sphere. It was a couple of pages, too. But you might be right about how different people may see things differently.

Strangely, after seeing that Batman episode myself, I for a while had dreams that involved reading, but then words would disappear if I tried to look at them. It was like my thoughts on the episode were affecting the dreams for a short while.

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I never had dreams that involved reading, then I read this thread yesterday, then I had such a dream at today's night.

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I cannot remember dreams. There are nights where I know I've dreamed, or even 'awoken during the dream', on those nights I can "literally" feel my memory of the dream pouring out of my head as I wake up. Seconds after being awake I cannot recollect what it was I had dreamed of at all.

An unusual experience, and honestly somewhat frustrating.

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Spongebob Squarepants actually instilled an interest in sea life and the ocean. Although I'm no more knowledgeable about it now than I was back then, there was a time when I went to the library to read about sea life, finding all of the different fish and creatures down their fairly interesting.

Although probably unrelated, I became rather fond of adventure stories set in oceanic settings, like the works of Peter Benchley.

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Simpsons taught me a lot. Same with Futurama, although Futurama is so subtle you don't realize there are truths in there until the writers point it out in DVD commentary.

Other than that I learnt from cartoons that knowing is half the battle.

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I learn more from them now than I ever did as a kid. Although, when I WAS a kid, I learned a lot about comedy and animation.

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Well, Ren & Stimpy taught me not to whiz on electric fences. So that's something.

Also that logs are fun.

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HUNdebLeonidasX said:

omlette du fromage

God yes. Dexter's Lab had a few episodes that lent themselves to a message or two.

I think the whole story of Goku in Dragonball + Z contains some generic life stuff, namely because the story is built around his innocence growing up and what he learns about the world (and friendship) in his adventures. Who he becomes friends with, who he fights, and the difference of values between said friends/foes.

Hell even Vegeta has a decent redemption story where he's given a second chance because he learned himself how much he actually cared about his family.

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I used to watch Tom and Jerry on CartoonNetwork. Some of the short sketches deals with surprisingly heavy subjects such as suicide and going to heaven - in Toms case not until he gets a signature from an increasingly refusing Jerry to prove that he is forgiven. Otherwise Tom will end up in hell.

I'm surprised that CartoonNetwork let this two sketches slip through. I remember seeing them on the telly when I was of a not suitable age.
The first one meantioned ("Blue cat Blues") turned up nothing but creepy pasta memes, sorry.

Short clip that I found of the second one mentioned ("Heavenly Puss")

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