It's Looney & I Like It

Despite myself, I just can't hate The Looney Tunes Show.  It's just a really fun spin on a classic.  Given some of the recent manifestations of Bugs Bunny and his cohorts such as Loonatics Unleashed, we obviously could do far worse.


Loonatics Unleashed - Really?


But quite honestly, I can't find anything wrong with the new Merrie Melodies program.  And frankly, I laugh out loud at it consistently.  You see, they've managed to capture the what made the originals great.  Whether it be spot-on snide humor or the expression on the face of the characters and their personalities, it's tapping into the 'Old School.'

One of the aspects which make it different, of course, is the character and setting designs.  When first promoted, it didn't sit quite right with me.  I never outright disliked it.  But it seemed off... Well, that changed once I actually saw it in action.  It fits well with the whole package.  As do the voices.  Okay, yes, they're not dead ringers for the originals.  But really, how could they be?  No one, not even relatives, can be the master vocalizing genius Mel Blanc.  That said, they're more than unacceptable.  They're excellent.  A bit off, but again, like the newly drawn version, it's enough to pay homage but keep it as it own version.

What has really changed, however, is the entire premise.  Imagine if you will:  Bugs and Daffy are roommates.  Well, more like Daffy is mooching in Bugs's house.  Yes, house.  They live in suburbia, where their neighbors are the likes of Yosemite Sam, Porky Pig and Witch Hazel.  I know what you might be thinking... and I didn't think it would work either.  But it does.  It's as if the mundane life of everyday activity is precisely what these beloved characters needed to bring them into the spotlight again.  It's delightful to see these strong personalities evoked into minutia.

Perhaps you don't believe me or don't agree with me if you've seen it.  In fact, not so long ago I'd been "defending" to an acquaintance of mine.  She'd been saying, and rightly so, that Bugs and Daffy aren't meant to be shown in daily lives.  I told her I thought so, too.  Until I watched it happening.  She agreed to give it a try... as she also admitted that she avoided it on circumstance and preview alone.

One other thing... one of my favorite Looney Tunes characters has always been Wile E. Coyote.  In The Looney Tunes Show his misadventures with Road Runner are CGI.  That's just not right.  Looney Tunes shouldn't be computer renditions of themselves.  But, darn it.  It's funny.  It, too, harbors the core of what we love about the coyote's capers.  And darn it, it looks good.  It's not fully rendered to a horrific degree, nor is it watered down or "over-smooth" looking (if that makes sense.)  It's pleasing, and as I said, despite myself I just can't hate it.

They also have musical vignettes during the show.  They've written clever songs about characters and feature them in music videos for the tunes.  They're good, but not great.  But they are entertaining rather than annoying.

Another music mention:  The theme song is wonderful, too.  It's a tweaked version of the original.  It sounds familiar yet fresh and in my mind also matches the spin that's come to be so appealing.

So, yes, send me hate mail if you must, but I love The Looney Tunes Show.

And that's all, folks.

If Knowledge Is Power, Then Cartoons Are Mighty (Mouse)

Yesterday, I watched CA$H CAB. I do quite frequently, actually. I let the TiVo gather them up and when I need to “veg” with some intellectual pepper, they’re always there to watch. (If you don’t know the show, you’re missing out. Everyone I have ever suggested it to loves it or had already loved it…and I learned about it from Ellen. NUTSHELL: People earn cash money for answering trivia questions while on route to their destination in a taxi.)

Okay, well, one of the questions had been to the effect of: What childhood malady is associated with cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk? I knew the answer (yea me!) but the people in the cab did not. I don’t mean that as a jab at them. It’s not like one often hears of the Mumps. (And does it even occur with frequency anymore? I’m not sure.) But again, it’s not something that comes up every day. Also, their ages seemed comparable to mine, no more than five years younger. So I wondered… why did I know it?

After moments of searching, I realized that I saw it on a cartoon as a kid. I don’t remember which one, but that brings me to my point.

Cartoons, classic cartoons at the very least, are quite educational. By classic I mean such as Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry. Amid the craziness and shenanigans, there’s real information contained within them.

That’s how I knew about the Mumps, as I said. But there’s much more. Of course, there’s the ever popular exposure to classical music and operas. Spot-on caricatures of “old” celebrities abound. Weird historical trivia… such as the Zoot Suit that Tom “needed.” The expression “The Long Arm of the Law.” Poetry, like Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “Hiawatha.” Info on the World Wars. The Robin Hood legend (in both Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry). Wile E. Coyote’s personality and plight is based on Native American stories of coyotes. That’s just what came to mind right now… if I (or you) thought longer, I’m sure other bits would come to mind.

So don’t dismiss cartoons as useless visual gibberish… there’s plenty packed into them.