These Are NOT the Cartoons of My Childhood

I don't know how many people have noticed how different cartoons are now but I have- on those few times we have seen them. In fact, I am disturbed when I have had the misfortune to watch them. Since when does Velma and Shaggy get crushes and kiss each other? What is that craziness? And when did the Smurfs start swearing- granted "smurfity smurf smurf and smurf" isn't cussing but it is close enough.-- Not that I am opposed to swearing in certain circumstances but still- it's a Smurf for goodness sake! Where's the innocence?

I'm going to date myself here but when I was a kid it was the Saturday morning cartoons on USA network- only for that one year my mom let us watch once in a while. The Grape Grape Ape was a favorite and the Smurfs, HeMan, She-Ra, My Little Pony and Rainbow Bright. All those old shows- not to mention the Flintstones, the Jetsons and others. Back when they were not digital and computerized. But now, it seems they can just bang them out without much thought or enthusiasm and though we don't even an own a tv, it is frustrating that on the rare occasions we want to watch an old cartoon of sorts, they are hard to find.

It's like the newer Nancy Drew and Hardy Boy books they brought out when I was a teen in hopes of catering to the new generation- a presumably less innocent generation by the books in that series I read. Suddenly, the Hardy Boys were toting machine guns (well, maybe not quite but it was close) and then there was the one book where Nancy makes out with one of the Hardy Boys. Where did that come from?? Is this perhaps a time when a sequel or spin off is a bad idea? I would have to vote yes on that one.

And as silly as it seems it kind of speaks to the fast pace we keep in this day and age- everything faster, more "convenient"-- and quality so often is left behind. Now, mind you, I am not saying cartoons are particularly quality but there is something to be said about the old Flintstones, the Jetsons and the like- there was this feeling that someone really put a lot into it- they drew them, wrote them and designed them. They were homemade cookies and now- well, now they are store bought and it's just sort of a sad thing.
I'm just not so into the store bought cookies and the various forms they take these days.