10 Things: Cartoons, Cataclysm, Cranes
Things to watch, read, ponder, and appreciate this week.
Hello!
Every single newsletter I subscribe to right now is either (1) only about Twitter; or (2) only about Thanksgiving. This list has nothing about Twitter, and one thing about Thanksgiving (and the one thing is about having LESS Thanksgiving). In my mind, that was supposed to sell you on what I’ve written below, but I’m realizing that it actually makes me seem either snobby or out-of-touch. Well, anyway — there’s a lot to notice about being alive that has nothing to do with mash (potatoes) or Musk (Elon). Three for free, and ten for the paid subscribers (!!!). (If you want to be a paid subscriber but cannot pay, email me and I’ll hook you up.)
“Bee and Puppycat” and cartoons like that.
My high school seniors are allowed to share one piece of media each with the whole class for discussion, and yesterday a student brought in this:
As a person who likes to draw, it may come as a surprise to you that television cartoons generally scare me. The ones we had growing up in the 1990s were either really violent (it was in the interest of slapstick, so the violence was silly, but it still terrified me), or excessively gross. The limitlessness of cartoons — one of the qualities to love most about them — was too much for me. I never felt interested in Cartoon Network, and I basically only watched “Daria” (and only after it had been vetted by my friends).
This changed in 2012 when a first grader asked if we could watch “Adventure Time” during recess, and I conceded because we weren’t allowed to go outside that day and our classroom was so small. “Adventure Time” felt really different from the cartoons that were on when I was a kid; it felt magical but not scary. I watched it all, sometimes with my boyfriend, sometimes on the treadmill, and sometimes while I drew. Not every episode of “Adventure Time” is great, but some of them were written and storyboarded by my friend Sam (those ones ARE all great), and some of them have Weird Al voicing an animated banana. Eventually, “Adventure Time” got the highbrow treatment and was reviewed in snobby adult publications like The New Yorker. Later seasons get existential and philosophical, and grown-ups like that. (Right?)
Rebecca Sugar, who wrote for “Adventure Time,” spun off and made their own show, “Steven Universe,” in 2013. “Steven Universe” is even more intentional with its themes of belonging, queerness, PTSD, and growing up. Honestly, “Steven Universe” (which has a lot of action and adventure) is sometimes a little scary for me, but I appreciate what it has meant for the evolution of cartoons. (Rebecca Sugar is the first nonbinary person to run a cartoon, btw. More from them under number 2.)
Anyway, my cat is named Puppy (we came up with this BEFORE “Bee and Puppycat” came out), so I’d considered watching this show. (It has been adapted for Netflix since this original season came out.) However, as noted, cartoons are not my go-to; I have trouble trusting them. Now that I’ve watched this all the way through, I can confirm that it’s gorgeous, funny-cute, and filled with all the adult themes that “Adventure Time” and “Steven Universe” are. “Over The Garden Wall” is one that even my husband (another cartoon hater) loves for its visual poetry and existential meanderings.
If you’re a person who avoids cartoons because of “Ren and Stimpy,” as I was; or a person who avoids cartoons because you’re a grown up now, consider stretching outside your comfort zone and trying one of these shows. They’re surprisingly uplifting and advanced. Thanks, students! I never would have known.
The Cataclysm Sentence and Rebecca Sugar.
Wow, that last one was long. And it made me think of a great episode of Radiolab called “The Cataclysm Sentence,” about Richard Feynman’s question about if a cataclysm happened and all of scientific knowledge was destroyed, and only one sentence passed on to the next generation of creatures, what statement would contain the most information in the fewest words. Rebecca Sugar (see above) gave my favorite answer. They begin by saying, “I’d want to show that we loved it here, you know?” Then they talk about Pompeii, which DID have a cataclysm (obviously). Here’s my favorite part:
“But actually, I think the greatest thing to come out of the ruins of Pompeii is that they had toilet stalls where two people could sit together next to one another in conversation. It’s a fabulous idea. Why did we not learn from this? Why are we wasting time that we could be spending with our friends?”
Sandhill cranes.
Kat and Luke and T and I went to see the sandhill cranes last weekend. During this time of year, 20,000 (!!!) sandhill cranes spend some time dancing for each other and having sex about an hour and a half southwest of Chicago (Jasper Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Reserve, if you’re putting it in your phone for the drive). (Even MORE of them end up in Central Nebraska, so.) Many ornithologists have said that this is the most amazing migratory event on earth, and I agree. It feels spiritual: the sound alone, of stepping out of your car and hearing endless, ghostly laughter filling the sky from every corner. Pay attention to the birds flying overhead this time of year. You never know what you’ll see.
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