Lunch-time break post for you.Follow

If it makes you feel better Scooby is the most popular and the smartest of the charicters and therefore superior no matter what the 'white folks' think.

Oh and um if i had said that about 'Black folks' would you have been offended? and no i'm not i see irony and find it funny.

Better than Hong Kong Phooey? I think not.

I might remind you that Scooby Doo is a blood relative* of Scrappy Doo, whose swirling vortex of suckiness dims even the brightest stars. Next to him, that dog who hung out with Wendy and Marvin seems bearable.

* Given the 'Doo' surname, I'm guessing Scrappy comes from Scooby's brother

Scooby Doo is a very complicated and deep cartoon, Skeeter. I'm not sure you are ready for it.

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First of all, remember the cultural context of the first seasons of Scooby Doo; this was the sexual revolution at its height, when sex, drugs, and rock and roll dominated the American psyche. The youth of the country no longer idly accepted the traditional conceptions of "family values," "appropriate" sexual behavior, and "gender" which were so rigid and restrictive in the 50s. Scooby Doo ventured forth into this new, transitional era and is indelibly marked by a sense of gender and family re-definition.

Consider the cartoon from that cultural perspective, then; a group of four teen-agers and their dog roam the country, particularly late at night. But where were their parents during all of this? Where were their families? The few relatives we do see in a couple of episodes are remote, passive authority figures. These kids are on their own, treading new ground, constantly seeking self-sufficiency but essentially lacking that conventional sense of "home." Where are the 1950s family values here?

These values are radically deconstructed by Scooby Doo and his crew, and mainly because gender identity is so radically challenged. There are two men and two women in the van, but consider their sexuality. Fred, the superficially standard WASP golden boy, is passive, almost womanly. Not once does he make an advance toward Daphne, a clearly eligible young woman. Daphne, though, is more of your classic virgin/*****--beautiful and demure, seemingly brimming with sexuality, but forever naive and innocent. Fred and Daphne frequently pair up when the group splits up, but it's all business between these two sexually innocent young teen-agers.

Thelma is a more extreme case. Sexually androgynous, her book smarts are an obvious sexual sublimation of her absent sex life. Shaggy is little better. He's your standard non-assertive, tag-along slacker who's infinitely more interested in a juicy sandwich than a date or a kiss. The idea of them traveling in the Mystery Machine seems strangely accurate, but what ultimately are we to make of these virtually sexless teen-agers?

We are to commend them, for they represent a constructive deconstruction of gender roles that are outdated and limiting. For what Fred and Daphne may lack in a relationship, for example, they gain in an egalitarian friendship free of flirtatious distractions. Yes, Thelma is sexually ambiguous, but she is also the most assertive, clear-headed member of the group, completely unbound by stereotypical feminine characteristics. And Shaggy does not need a woman (or man) to validate his existence; he's one of the happiest human beings in all cartoons. Their interaction is not ultimately about boys and girls, or children and parents--it's about four equal friends doing their best to live happy lives.

Scooby Doo's primacy in the group shows just how liberated they really are. Do they care that he's a dog? Not in the slightest. He's an intelligent creature who deserves and receives every bit as much respect from his human counterparts. They never call or treat him like a "pet," and he always plays an active role in the adventures. Even minor signs that he's just an animal--feeding and bribing him with doggy treat Scooby Snacks, for example--are swiftly dispelled (after all, Shaggy is bribed by them just as often).

By taking man's best friend, the traditional family pet at the bottom of the totem pole in the standard American family, and making him the lead character of a cartoon series reflects the complete reversal of family values that makes Scooby Doo such a thematically rich series. This partnership of young friends excellently represents one possibility for the new postmodern family.

Even their misadventures with crime and the supernatural are better explained in this light. In virtually every episode, some greedy criminal preys upon the superstitiousness of conventional community. The common people are still bound by their outdated customs, so they are helpless to see through the charade. Enter the Mystery Machine and company. This redefined--and redefining--group of youngsters is in a position to see through the outmoded fears and beliefs upon which the criminals rely. They are certainly wary of a potential threat at first--they are still making that transition to an entirely enlightened state, after all--but it's just a question of time before they debunk the crooks and clear the air.

The success of their adventures reflects the optimistic force these youngsters have. They undeniably live in a hostile, strange world--note the cartoon's dark hues, ominous music, and cranky adult figures. But with healthy doses of courageous clue-seeking and fun--even a groovy song from time to time--the gang valiantly overcomes their environment. Even celebrities join in from time to time, and let's face it, anyone who can hold their own alongside the Dark Knight is a force to be reckoned with.

The introduction of the virile, macho Scrappy Doo could have represented a detrimental concession to standard masculinity, but in fact, it's a virtual mockery. For all his bravado, Scrappy was hardly taller than one foot and usually needed saving from his sober-minded uncle Scooby. We can also use A Pup Named Scooby Doo to see how these children evolved as human beings: the young Fred is accusing and confrontational, the young Daphne is subjugated by female fashion and other feminine concerns, the young Thelma is nerdier than ever. Each of these three clearly becomes more adjusted and mature as young adults, an enlightening contrast of character development.

So beneath the comedic, quasi-supernatural misadventures of Scooby Doo, a whole generation born during the sexual revolution were empowered by a positive role model of what a new, liberated, gender-free "family" could be. When the theme sang sounded out, "Scooby, Scooby Doo, Where are you?" a whole generation of children asked the same thing: where was their Scooby Doo, their sign that they too could transcend their family and their gender? The template was there all along in the episodes of Scooby Doo, the tales of that lovable dog who is far more than a cultural icon--he is a cultural pioneer.

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Edited, Wed Feb 25 14:28:00 2004 by Tare

With that being said, being up at ungodly early hours watching Scooby-Doo sounds like the work of an unemployed pothead. I can remember the days that I used to stay up till 8am watching **** like Dobie Gillis and **** van **** on Nik-at-Nite.

Yes Flea. Yes there was.

There was also a great episode of Futurama with the Harlem Globetrotters in it. Funny as hell, and the Globetrotters are the smartest people on the show. See Skeet? Not ALL shows discriminate against people of color.

On that note, I don't know about other white people, but if I find something scary or mysterious, I'm not going to 'take a closer look'. I'm gonna get the F*** outta there! We white people aren't all curious to a fault.

I think my boyfriend is working daily on cloning me for mass production! Yay!

O.o Whatchu talking about, Willis?

Tare: You scare me, get some sleep hon.



I've seen that episode actually. I wasn't "appalled", this thread's purpose wasn't to express any of my negative feelings towards the show, I happen to think the show is pretty stupid, but that isn't what I was trying to get at. This isn't like my thread about "whities", Scooby-Doo didn't take my glass cup and replace it with a dinky platic cup, we're cool.



Close, he does have a job, two actually(and no, he isn't Jamaican). He works for "American Cafe" as a waiter and at some Vet Clinic who's name escapes me at the moment(probably something like _______ pet clinic)




Have you seen the cartoon "Doug"? Well, let's assume you haven't, in that show, the main character is a boy named "Doug", he has a group of friends, out of that group, his best friend is a character named "Skeeter", this character is:

1. Taller than the rest of the friends
2. A different color than the rest of his friends
3. Says funny one-liners here and there

So, seeing as how I had a group of white friends, who happened to be shorter than me, and also thought I had my share of funny one-liners, add to that the fact that I'm Hispanic, and therefore a different color than them, the nic-name came pretty easily to them.

I remember the day I got it, I was in college, came to my best friends house after class and saw he and another friend of mine were sitting in a cloud of MJ smoke, watching "Doug" while laughing to each other about how "Skeeter from Doug reminds them of somebody, they just can't figure out who it is!"

Hey, you started it. I just wanted to make you feel better about Scoobs. <shrug>

You have a Mark III laying around? AWESOME!! I'll trade you for my Hyperactive De-bogglefier. It's a Class 7!!