Many times throughout my life, I've seen Looney Tunes referred to as "classics," and as "timeless." They have an important role to play in animation history, were once seen by millions in theaters before the movie itself started, and are recognized around the world. They're iconic (under the true meaning of that word before it became overused), and they've survived the test of time.
Is that true?
There is a generation that's growing up without knowing who the Looney Tunes are, such as my niece, who learned of the characters via a 2000s movie I watched in front of her, Looney Tunes: Back in Action. And she was quick to declare that she liked Bugs Bunny after Daffy Duck complained about him: "You just have to munch on a carrot and people love you!"
But have the old Looney Tunes shorts aged well? Are they truly as "timeless" as once claimed? After all, they'd been seen by many generations, whether it's in theaters or on TV as filler for networks desperate for content.
Part of that "timelessness" comes from the fact that cartoons could be made and then show up in theaters years later. Referencing current events wasn't a good idea. That didn't stop them from doing it anyway from time to time. Other than that, there are many ways the cartoon shorts were products of their time, such as the fact that some of the characters were modeled after celebrities and live action TV characters (such as Foghorn Leghorn the rooster being modeled after a "Senator Claghorn" character from a TV show). There's the unfortunate stereotypes employed in some cartoons, that haven't aged well.
Aside from that, though, there's the humor and timing. It's slow by modern standards. Sometimes deliberately so, as one of the supposed Rules of Animation that was popular in that era was that whenever important writing appears onscreen, it should stay onscreen long enough for the audience to read it three times.
When I was a kid, I found Looney Tunes enjoyable enough but not particularly engaging. It filled time; that was it. I liked some of the characters at least.
So, as an adult, I decided to get ahold of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection. Hundreds of the cartoon shorts. I watched a handful every morning until I'd seen them all. And do they hold up?
I'm afraid not. They're slow. The comedy is not well timed or paced or well done. Visual jokes such as characters halting their movement to look at the camera in surprise just feel clunky and awkward. The cartoons aren't funny to me so much as they're just things that happen - and that's exactly how I saw them as a kid. I watched the modern (2020s) Looney Tunes cartoons and those actually got a few laughs out of me with their very different pacing and styles of jokes.
I think the Looney Tunes characters themselves can potentially live on if they're used differently. But timeless classics? Like classic franchises such as Batman that are still popular today, Looney Tunes will only stick around if they continue to be used in interesting ways that audiences take to. If they don't evolve, they'll be remembered in books and YouTube videos about the history of animation, appreciated by aficionados but forgotten by the masses.
Timeless, or product of their time?
Many times throughout my life, I've seen Looney Tunes referred to as "classics," and as "timeless." They have an important role to play in animation history, were once seen by millions in theaters before the movie itself started, and are recognized around the world. They're iconic (under the true meaning of that word before it became overused), and they've survived the test of time.
Is that true?
There is a generation that's growing up without knowing who the Looney Tunes are, such as my niece, who learned of the characters via a 2000s movie I watched in front of her, Looney Tunes: Back in Action. And she was quick to declare that she liked Bugs Bunny after Daffy Duck complained about him: "You just have to munch on a carrot and people love you!"
But have the old Looney Tunes shorts aged well? Are they truly as "timeless" as once claimed? After all, they'd been seen by many generations, whether it's in theaters or on TV as filler for networks desperate for content.
Part of that "timelessness" comes from the fact that cartoons could be made and then show up in theaters years later. Referencing current events wasn't a good idea. That didn't stop them from doing it anyway from time to time. Other than that, there are many ways the cartoon shorts were products of their time, such as the fact that some of the characters were modeled after celebrities and live action TV characters (such as Foghorn Leghorn the rooster being modeled after a "Senator Claghorn" character from a TV show). There's the unfortunate stereotypes employed in some cartoons, that haven't aged well.
Aside from that, though, there's the humor and timing. It's slow by modern standards. Sometimes deliberately so, as one of the supposed Rules of Animation that was popular in that era was that whenever important writing appears onscreen, it should stay onscreen long enough for the audience to read it three times.
When I was a kid, I found Looney Tunes enjoyable enough but not particularly engaging. It filled time; that was it. I liked some of the characters at least.
So, as an adult, I decided to get ahold of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection. Hundreds of the cartoon shorts. I watched a handful every morning until I'd seen them all. And do they hold up?
I'm afraid not. They're slow. The comedy is not well timed or paced or well done. Visual jokes such as characters halting their movement to look at the camera in surprise just feel clunky and awkward. The cartoons aren't funny to me so much as they're just things that happen - and that's exactly how I saw them as a kid. I watched the modern (2020s) Looney Tunes cartoons and those actually got a few laughs out of me with their very different pacing and styles of jokes.
I think the Looney Tunes characters themselves can potentially live on if they're used differently. But timeless classics? Like classic franchises such as Batman that are still popular today, Looney Tunes will only stick around if they continue to be used in interesting ways that audiences take to. If they don't evolve, they'll be remembered in books and YouTube videos about the history of animation, appreciated by aficionados but forgotten by the masses.