The Flintstones turned a milestone 60 years old recently, and if that doesn’t make you feel old, get off my freakin’ page , it’s not for you.
Hey everyone! It’s your cotton candy-haired Aunty here, and this weekend I went back in time!
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Let me explain.
We all know old cartoons are the best, right? No questions asked!
Picture this— you’re 7 years old. It’s a Saturday morning and your parents are still sleeping. You pad downstairs quietly, careful not to wake anyone up. You get yourself the biggest, the coldest , bowl of cereal, switch on the TV and are greeted by your oldest cartoon friends.
Ahh , those perfect mornings… before bills, before stupid adult stuff took over. Hell, before stupid adults took over!
What I’d give to go back… and well, folks, I did!
Tired of letting nostalgic Saturday morning memories live rent free in my head, I decided to do just that— spend one more Saturday morning with a big bowl of cereal by my side watching cartoons all morning with no house chores, no cooking, no scrolling on my phone, and no stress!
Sure, kids might have more than five channels to watch these days, plus they’ve got YouTube and Netflix, but I’m certain none of that can beat the classics. If you want to take a trip down memory lane, I’ve listed all the vintage golden nuggets of cartoon television I watched in the morning back in childhood, plus, I share what re-watching them as an adult has taught me.
Maybe after reading this you’ll be inspired to yabba dabba doo the same…
1. The Flintstones
Honorable mention to this old bird who hit six decades old this year! From the iconic theme song to the bumbling patriarch, Fred Flintstone, this cartoon echoed modern families of the time in a prehistoric setting. I’m not ashamed to say Wilma was my earliest fashion icon.
While catching up with this ol’ dinosaur it got me to thinking, what would The Flintstones look like if it was made today? Would Bamm-Bamm be raised gender neutral? Would Betty Rubble be the main breadwinner?
One of the most fascinating things about cartoons is how they echo the time in which they’re made, don’t you think?
2. The Jetsons
Okay, maybe the future wasn’t filled with flying cars (it’s filled with idiots who don’t know how to wash their hands), but how nice it was to sit back and dream again, back when we were hopeful, excited for the future, and not— terrified of it.
The Jetsons followed a futuristic family of four, headed by George and Jane Jetson, who share two space-aged kids, Judy and Elroy. When I was a child I used to dream of being best friends with the pup of the family, Astro, but now I’d kill to have a robot housemaid like Rosie.
3. Scooby-Doo
Questions I have about Scooby-Doo that I never thought of as I was a child:
Why did Scooby snacks always sound so delicious even though they’re essentially dog biscuits?
Why didn’t we ever pick up on the main message of the show, that often in this world humans are the real monsters!
Why didn’t they ever tell Fred & Daphne to get a room?
4. The Smurfs
What did I want to be when I grew up? A smurf, obviously!
Smurfette, specifically.
It’s almost hard to believe that it’s been 59 years since we were introduced to this little gang of merry blue men and evil wizard Gargamel. After rewatching them, it is in my opinion that TROLLS can go stuff it! #vivalasmurfs!
5. Wacky Races
How do you get a 7-year-old Barbie-obsessed girl to take any interest in a cartoon about cars? Well, you introduce them to a pink car that can do your makeup for you, of course, among other great characters including its owner Penelope Pitstop! From Muttley’s iconic laugh, to the adorable Rock Slag, re-watching this cartoon had me smiling from ear to ear!
Plus, hey… World’s Wackiest Racer… I think I know them, in fact I think I’m married to him!
6. Tom and Jerry
You thought I’d forgotten, didn’t you?
There was always going to be room for this classic duo on my list and my vintage TV schedule. Did you know it’s been 80 years since we were first introduced to one innovative little mouse, and one mad old cat, and I have to admit re-watching this had me reaching for the tissues. I won’t forget the many happy memories I have watching this with my siblings, and how wonderful it is to have those memories to hold onto.
So gang, did I miss any?
I’d love to hear about your fondest memories with our cartoon counterparts. Don’t forget to tell me all about them in the comment section…
…That’s all folks, I’m off to whack Walt over the head with a frying pan and pretend it was the dog.
Aunty Acid xoxo
