Don’t you just love to come home after a long day; kick off your shoes, turn on Netflix, and watch your favorite cartoon? Yes, a cartoon, but not any cartoon, I’m talking about the good cartoons like Family Guy, American Dad, and Bob’s Burgers. No cartoon beats those cartoons, besides Spongebob. Everyone loves Spongebob no matter what age you are. But isn’t there always that one person that says “aren’t you too old to be watching cartoons?” I laugh every time I hear that because I am “old” but I am never “too old” for cartoons.
All I do is watch cartoons, I’ve seen every episode of Family Guy and American Dad over ten times, and Bob’s Burgers at least twice and I know everything that has happened in each episode. Since I’m almost twenty and watch cartoons I must be immature, right? Wrong, I’m very mature. I actually learned from watching cartoons. In my opinion, it is actually a better way of learning. In today’s world technology takes over the minds of children whether it be the use of cell phones, computers TV, etc. Most people have access to the internet, therefore, able to connect to Netflix, Hulu, or other internet based TV, with all this technology people ought to learn something from it. Believe it or not, we learn more from watching TV, how else do children get influenced?
Still not convinced? Okay, allow me to give you an example, in American Dad, there is an episode that Stan ( the main character) becomes friends with his son, Steve. A father and son relationship is good but when it comes time to being a parent Stan chose to be parent or friend. Of course in the average episode of American Dad, this does not happen until Steve talks Stan into allowing him to go into a gorilla exhibit (being face-to-face with a gorilla). Steve nearly gets himself killed, Stan tries to rescue him but happens to get himself into some trouble with the gorilla as well. It isn’t until the gorilla’s father comes into view after waking from a long nap that makes Stan realize that being a parent is more important than being a friend. Children have many friends, but only one parent (or parents), who are we to take that away from them?
Just because cartoons seem childish and full of humor, it does not mean they are meaningless. People have a different way of learning and teaching. This form is teaching life lessons without introducing it as “teaching” because most people do not want to watch something that is educational. So it is taught in the form of comedy, which in my opinion is the best way of learning. This is why we allow children to watch TV because they do not know they are learning so they enjoy every moment of it. It is the same with Family Guy, American Dad, and Bob’s Burgers, it is a TV-14 way of teaching teens and young adults, you are never too old to watch cartoons.
