Cartoons of yore: we want them back!

One morning I was scanning the newspaper casually when my eyes fell on a Garfield comic strip. I found it very amusing indeed. I experienced a sudden nostalgia about the cartoons of yester year. Back then cartoons belonged to the time when “Cartoon Network” was the King of children’s television in India. I remember growing up eating straight from the palm of great cartoon shows like Looney Toons. We missed growing up on Sesame Street, the Muppets and Barney and friends, unlike most American kids because Kermit channel was soon removed from viewership. Every phase of my growing up years had a cartoon to suit it up until the age of puberty. Ask any boy in college if he misses watching the Swat cats or Johnny Quest and he’ll reply in the affirmative.

Gone are the days when the Flintstones could take a kid back to the prehistoric times or The Jetsons transport him to somewhere in the future. What happened to the weirdest family in cartoon history? The Adam’s family could make your hair stand on end. Nobody remembers Top cat-the swaggering alley cat that always wore a purple hat? What about Josie and the Pussy cats and how much little girls loved to groove to their tunes? Probably the title for longest surviving cat cartoon would undoubtedly go to Tom and Jerry (by MGM) the present corrupted version of Tom and Jerry tales is not even close to the original nor is the other version shown on Indian Television named "Chuha Billi Police chor". When was it the first time any of us had an insight into a sailor’s life? It had to be after watching Popeye the sailor man. 

I could mention some more cartoons that need to be raised from the dead. We live in a world that is constantly facing environmental threats today. Now a cartoon like Captain Planet could really impact young minds to want to save the planet! 

The road runner show brought countless laughter to everyone in the family. There are so many of us who miss Acme products. The days when we used to come across Powerpuff girl merchandise in the markets seem so long ago because all we can find anywhere now is Ben10 pouches and lunch boxes. Suddenly there seems to have been an indigenization of Cartoon network. After they changed their logo everything changed. There was an invasion of cartoons like Tenali Raman, Chota Birbal, Vikram aur Betaal and the like. Parents felt this move was good so that children could now learn about Indian mythology and culture. But some of the episodes seemed as if they were mocking it. Another factor that led to the decline of Cartoon network in India was the introduction of several Japanese and Chinese cartoons. Lots of other cartoon channels today show Ninja Hattori, Kemon achi, Doremon etc. One finds these shows on Nickelodeon instead of old time favorites like, “As told by Ginger”, “Hey Arnold”, “Wild Thorn berries” or “The Rugrats” anymore and this is disappointing. Even shows like “Keenan and Kel”, “Drake and Josh” and “the Amanda Show” came to an abrupt standstill, much to the dismay of poor fans.

How many of us haven’t forgotten what Pogo once used to be? When it first came into being we had shows like “Round the twist” and this really cool science program. You don’t need me to illustrate what’s become of pogo now do you, what with the advent of Takeshi’s castle (laughs.)

Disney channel has also succumbed to this unnecessary change. It is no longer what it used to be when it first came to India. No more craziness of suite life of Zack and Cody, no more exhibition of Raven’s super confident self in That’s so Raven and no more Phil of the Future or Lizzie McGuire which used to rule the channel at one point. Then there was the double life living Hannah Montana that had several episodes with endless repetition. This was later joined by Wizards of Waverly place and suite life on deck which wasn’t much of a hit. Everything has vanished in mid Disney air now. All we see when we turn it on is lots and lots of Phineas and Ferb and believe me we are sure to get bored of that too.

The question is why did all this happen? Someone should worry about what the kids of this generation get to watch. It’s not fair that some of us got to watch great cartoon while the others sufficed with below average ones. Besides we learnt a lot from watching television that may come in handy at any time anywhere. I believe that people have thus far underestimated the importance of good children’s T.V. nobody knows what happened and nobody has bothered to find out! All we want are quality cartoons that will make kid’s imaginations go beyond this world that can show them the true potential and power of imagination. Even if we have to resurrect them from the past two decades!

Oh for the love of a star!

I’m one of those people who grew up watching Disney on Television. So don’t be surprised when I declare that I do very much believe in their theme song “when you wish upon a star…”

Disney is all about dreams coming true, fairytales and happy endings. It’s natural for all little girls who read and watch Disney to have hopes and wishes which they believe will someday be fulfilled.

Disney helped me create a habit. I couldn’t let go of this habit for a long time.

My bedroom has two windows and two beds. Although it’s a guest room, I’ve slept in it for as long as I can remember. My bed, the one I sleep on, is beside a big window. Since my room is on the top floor of the house, I have always been able to see the sky and always will unless skyscrapers start soaring around town. Almost every night I wouldn’t close my eyes without taking a final glimpse of the night sky. It was probably my way of saying a little prayer for the world. At times I’d like to photograph that picture of the night sky in my mind’s eye and take it with me until the morrow, so it would bring me good dreams. Despite the fact that it did not offer an extraordinary views (for I could only see the moon at times.) I simply couldn’t sleep without doing this.

There were never any stars, I could see however. This was unfortunate but I knew that it was due to the city’s lights that the stars remained hidden from view.

But like most children I had hope that someday I’d be able to see a real starry night sky, perhaps the Milky Way itself. That day has not come yet. But I was able to see two to three stars among which one stood out prominently. I couldn’t differentiate between planets and stars back then so I guess I took them to be one and the same.

I don’t remember the date that specific star began to appear. But it always remained in the same place each night. Thus my night time ritual was enhanced. I now not only looked at the sky but I also searched for that star in particular. It was the sole determinant of my luck and fortune the following day would bring. Whenever I saw that star, I’d be reminded of those lines from the Disney song “all your dreams will come true…”

So, I’d take my chances and make a wish as often as I could, as if I had nothing to lose. The real surprise is that, those wishes did come true, each and every little one of them.

In this way, not a night would pass without me looking at that star and whenever a wish came true, I would send flying kisses as a token of thankfulness. Thus it became my guiding star. I would sometimes make decisions even with the help of that star.

 It had been two years now that the star stayed where it was each night continually appearing for me. So much so that I thought it was indeed created for me. That star became my friend in the course of time. I grew to love it, I loved to converse with it about my day because it would simply listen- in silence.

But something’s happen so suddenly refusing to offer any explanation.

Yes, my guiding star, my guardian angel call it what you may, disappeared.

One fine night, I happily drew my curtains to catch a glimpse of the star, but alas, it was nowhere to be seen. I was so much of a positive thinker at the time that a part of me wasn’t able to believe that it might never come back.

This sudden disappearance of the star marked an important phase in my growing up years. It meant that I need no longer be wholly dependent on that star to make life’s decisions. In time I learnt to be my own guide without being influenced by a non-living ball of fire miles and miles away.

Looking back I sometimes laugh upon my naivety and how easy it was for me to believe so strongly and get swayed by my own beliefs. But all of that has gone into making me who I am today which I’m proud of. The star has thought me an important lesson of faith, one that I will always remember. It could be faith in God, faith in the universe or some kind of force that holds the world together or perhaps even faith in my own self.

Last night on entering my bedroom I noticed, the curtains were drawn and I swear I saw the very same star in the very same place like it had always been, after all these years. I couldn’t help but say a silent prayer to myself and close my eyes.