Saturday Mornings, Pyjamas, and Cartoons

Here's a favorite pleasure of mine from the (oh so distant) past:  spending Saturday mornings on the floor in front of the TV, in my pyjamas, watching the Bugs Bunny Road Runner Show.  I thought it was a treat worth waiting the whole week for - Bugs was as cool as they come, the visual gags were outrageous, the voices (thanks to Mel Blanc) were hilarious, and the music was perfect. I remember there was a lot of discussion among adults about the accessive violence in the show, but I don't think it left me that warped.  It's not like I go around putting sticks of dynamite under anyone's hat or running people over with steam rollers.   At least - not so far...

As I did some research on the subject for my blog, I discovered that many episodes and characters (including Speedy Gonzales) are no longer aired or available for sale due to their racial stereotypes.  Also, the graphic violence, dangerous pranks, suicide gags, sexual reference, and unhealthy lifestyle choices such as smoking cigarettes, popping pills and drinking alcohol have been censored out of the cartoons.  Jeez...when I put it all together in a list like that, it doesn't exactly sound like wholesome child entertainment, does it?  Well, I never claimed it was wholesome, just a whole lot of fun to watch. 

"Come back here, you widdle stinkers!" - Elmer Fudd