Friday, May 13, 2011

Stay Tooned

At four o’clock this morning – after hours of hoping Blogger had resolved its maintenance issues – I decided to reward myself with a little TV time. This AM’s lineup?  Batman Beyond and Daria. I’ve always loved cartoons. One of my animator friends thinks I know more about them than he does. (Or maybe he’s just trying to be nice.)

From the original Transformers to Looney Tunes to a few new shows, I can barely contain my childlike enthusiasm. I’ve always been a sucker for colorful or shiny things. Some of my favorite animated films – Finding Nemo (Dory drove my mother crazy.), The Incredibles, The Iron Giant, Tangled – make me feel as much as their live-action counterparts (and sometimes more). 

Lately, I’ve been watching a lot of sports in my free time. But, my Sixers are out. And my Flyers are also done for the season. There’s always the French Open. But, that won’t start for almost two weeks. I’ll have to prepare for the schedule by staying up really late. (Okay, there we go. Done. On to the next challenge.)

Cartoons transport me to a place where the impossible’s possible. Good usually conquers evil. Characters survive fatal falls and explosions. And laughter is almost guaranteed – depending on the show or film, of course. (See: Animal Farm or Watership Down for non-laughing examples. Don't let the box covers fool you.)

I resist the urge to quote all the lines and sing the songs. No matter how much fun it would be for me, I know how annoying that would probably be for my company. Luckily, I have none this morning. Along with the part of my brain that registers embarrassment and dictates acceptable/mature behavior, they’re both nowhere in sight.

I’ve only been a toon once. (Check under Voice-overs.) And it was glorious – hearing my voice come from a little girl who looked nothing like me. Finally, my inner nine-year-old was released. And her cartwheels invited praise instead of inducing impatience and nausea. I’ll have to do it again. (Note to self: next time, demand the character look just like me and also do somersaults.)

So, in a way I wish real life were more like the animated world – safe, where everyone gets along or problems can be easily cleared up with laughter or a sigh of appreciation for whatever heartwarming message was shared. (I'm talking Pixar not anime. Drama - jokes/fun - peril/adventure - resolution/more fun. Give or take. Not that those stories are ever predictable.)

I love happy endings. (Not the TV show or the kind that can land you in jail.) I tend to write them – realistically, in my opinion – when I can. But, I guess all’s not truly hunky-dory in a world where an artist can suddenly drop an anvil on your head for kicks. 

Luckily, the recovery time seems pretty quick. And when I can get the script in advance, I won't waste time flat-ironing my hair.

21 comments:

  1. Kenya, I wish I could say I've been a cartoon far since forever but the truth is I've disliked Looney Toones since I was a child. I never understood why my mother always though cartoon viewing was a treat for my sisters and me. The truth is I hated them. I thought they were the silliest thing ever and I never understood how the Coyote would get back up after having a steel weight dropped on his head. The Road Runner was the most annoying ever with his "Beep, beep!" However, now that I'm older and hopefully, wiser, I enjoy cartoon movies. I love Dory! Finding Nemo is one of my favorites as is the first part of Toy Story. :)

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  2. I wholeheartedly agree! My favorites as a kid were the Hanna Barbera cartoons--Flintsones, Jetsons and Top Cat. But I also adored Bugs Bunny (such a smart alec!) and Betty Boop. Come to think of it, I was also fond of Casper, the friendly ghost, Huckleberry Hound, Heckle & Jeckle...Am I dating myself? Cartoons have so much too offer.
    Thank you for bringing back such fond memories. Think I'll go check to see what's on the Cartoon Channel. ;)

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  3. Your last line had me LOL'ing!

    I hadn't realized that fairy tales and cartoons have so much in common. But with cartoons more likely to have humor, I might just switch allegiance.

    Imagine my delight when I was a 20-something mom and I happened upon my daughters watching Daria. Where had she been when I was an insecure teen? I wonder if Netflix rents out episodes.

    Gonna click on the link to your voice-over now!

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  4. Kenya! I was amazed, impressed, goo-goo-gaga speechless. How'd you get your voice to do that? I wouldn't ever have known the 9-year-old was really you. I can't even get my voice disguised enough for my hubby not to recognize me on the phone!

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  5. Yay for cartoons! From the Looney Tunes days (Daffy Duck was my favorite of those) to coming home from school and watching Darkwing Duck to Daria, Dexter's Lab, and Powerpuff Girls...I love me some cartoons.

    Glad I am not the only grown GIRL who admits it. ('Cause let's face it, it's common knowledge that boys continue to love cartoons. That's why the Cartoon Network has so many obviously adult cartoons in their lineup...not that I don't enjoy some Venture Bros from time to time...)

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  6. Bella - I'll admit that I was never much of a Road Runner fan. I always felt bad for Wile E. Coyote. He was just hungry! Plus, RR's dialogue was pretty terrible! (I also had issues with Inspector Gadget.) ;D

    Monica - One of the reasons I was excited to get DirecTV (besides the NFL Sunday Ticket) was the Boomerang channel! The Jetsons are on right now! But, I need more Bugs. When's the next Looney Tunes marathon? ;)

    Scrollwork - It's hard for me to look back on my life without remembering all the cartoons I've loved over the years. You don't have to switch allegiance, but please include them! :D

    Here's the link to "Daria: The Complete Series" on Netflix - http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Daria-The-Complete-Series/70132783?strkid=589037095_2_0&lnkctr=srchrd-sr&strackid=14846993b9646f52_2_srl&trkid=222336

    As far as the voice goes... I used to pretend to play characters from The Chipmunks when I was a kid. (Not Dave.) Let me know if you need me to make any prank calls! ;D

    Wosushi - I've never seen the Venture Bros. But, I just programmed my DVR to record two episodes. (I've gotta give it a chance!) :D I'm hooked on animation. And I think I always will be. I'm not ashamed! But, I'll occasionally pretend like I'm screening stuff to recommend for my niece and nephew. ;)

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  7. I LOVE cartoons, I have such good memories of watching cartoons early saturday and sunday mornings with my sister. Inspector Gadget, She-Ra, Sharky and George, Iron Man, X-Men, Looney Tunes.....So many awesome cartoons, Cow and Chicken, Angry Beavers, Dexter's Lab brilliant, Scooby Doo, The Flintstons, The Jetsons, I could go on and on.

    Right now I'm loving Phineas and Ferb, cracks me up, and my sister has sky, so whenever I go over there me and my nephew just watch it all day until it fries my brain (he seems to manage okay on a day of cartoons, I'm obviously getting old).

    Oh and I bought a dvd of Wacky Races not long ago, heaven!

    Okay, I'm done.

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  8. Rhi - I remember waking up early on Saturdays and falling asleep during some cartoons -- insisting that I was "still watching that" so no one would change the channel. (That probably explains some of my Smurf dreams.) ;) I might have to check out Phineas and Ferb. I only saw the opening. But, they had me at "Mom! Phineas and Ferb are making a title sequence!" :)

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  9. Hi Kenya! I love cartoons too. Life seems brighter and safer in a cartoon. I was also very impressed to hear your voice as a toon. What a performance! It looks like you are gifted for everything: acting, writing, maths, what else?

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  10. Muriel - Thank you! I'm also a black belt in procrastination. ;D

    Wosushi - After watching an episode, I think I can safely cross VB off my list. :)

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  11. Kenya - I completely understand. I can only watch once in a great while. (I grew up with three brothers...it's a contributing factor :) )

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  12. actually in our deepest self likes things simple. easy done, funny funny, and who they are.

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  13. You and Isabelle (of Actress-Bishop fame) should definitely take a combined show on the road!

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  14. Cartoons always calm me down and are hilarious sometimes.

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  15. Pleasure - Sometimes it's definitely the little things that bring us joy. :)

    Cathy - Isabelle and I will be the new Laurel and Hardy. Since, she's a size 0, I'll let her play Laurel. ;D

    Miss_agie1018 - I can't believe anything has the power to calm you down after a sugary, frozen yogurt and brownie break! ;)

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  16. I lost a lot of read comments that day.

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  17. I guess I got lucky, Kate. I was just waiting and writing... Did I mention waiting? :)

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  18. I just checked out your toon! So cool! If you smell something funky in your comment box in a couple of days, that will be me - dead from envy ;-)

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  19. You're too funny, Sam. I'm so glad you're back! And I'm stocking up on Febreze. ;D

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  20. I was amazed, impressed, goo-goo-gaga speechless. How'd you get your voice to do that? I wouldn't ever have known the 9-year-old was really you.
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