Recess! The Cartoon! On My DVR!

[miketheasian]

It's not like I've run out of things to record on the DVR but I'm starting to record old cartoons I used to watch when I was a kid...you know, because I didn't have a childhood and was forced to grow up too soon, too quickly and I'm trying to recreate my childhood now. Don't blame me, you knew this rant was coming.

I just think it's interesting that these cartoons designed for children have so many odds and ends shoved into it that you could only appreciate as an adult. Perhaps this is intentional because the animators and creators knew that parents would be watching with their children OR as I wildly accept without even a shadow of a doubt: these animators knew that people like me who refuse to let go of the past would revisit some day in the future via DVDs or other means of media that would bring them royalties and warm fuzzies.



I present to you: Recess...a tale of kickball, smart kids, tattletales, cool kids, and whomps.



Mikey, my animated Caucasian Disney-self.

I think the allure of it has to do with our capacity to identify with the characters. I can't look back and see myself as a child and specifically noticing that I identified with Mikey but I can now. Perhaps that's why we can still like cartoons and not feel like sheepish for admitting such things because they tell us a little bit more about who we are.

I feel like Lavar Burton at the end of Reading Rainbow...you don't have to take my word for it...but seriously, take my word for it and check out the Wikipedia entry and see if you can see why I associated myself with Mikey:

• Michael "Mikey" Blumberg

Mikey is a chunky, mild mannered, and philosophical 10-year old. He is good at playing goalie in soccer due to his height. He writes poetry, performs ballet, and believes in notions of peace that are often dismissed by the others. Though Mikey is known for being a "sweet-souled giant," there have been times where Mikey is revealed to have a dark side (particularly apparent when others take advantage of him or don't take him seriously). One episode had Mikey start a rumor about himself that he pushed a boy into the girls' lavatory at a puppet theater. Mikey's speaking voice was provided by Jason Davis and his singing voice was provided by Robert Goulet.
Maybe it's a gay thing but Bruce identifies with Mikey too as well as our new friend down south we'll call John Smith. Correlation between homosexuality and identification with Mikey from Recess? I'll have to run some numbers ;)