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Do cartoon chronology issues bother you?

Jul 5, 2012 9:42 PM

So I’ve been thinking a bit recently about chronology in cartoons.

One thing I love about Futurama is that the clock is running. Episodes always take place exactly 1000 years in the future, so it’s the year 3012 in New New York. Fry arrived in the year 3000 and they’ve referenced that he’s been there for twelve years now. Now it would be nice if they made some attempt to make the characters look a bit older.

Then you’ve got the Simpsons who don’t age at all, and it’s pretty clear they’ve run out of stories for what can happen to Bart during his 4th grade year long ago.

Phineas and Ferb now seem to be around the 130th day of their 104-day summer vacation. OK, maybe they invented something to extend it.

And for us oldsters, why is it when Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm grew up, their parents didn’t look a single day older? Hell, they hadn’t even changed clothes.

So what I’m asking is: Do these things bug anyone else or do I watch too many cartoons? (Or both?)

elforman elforman

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vote-for2vote-against

too many cartoons ..... I never really thought about that though...

djbowman djbowman
vote-for3vote-against

You can keep the animations coming but I would try suspending reality whilst doing so.

I thought this was going to be a question about "showing cartoons in chronological order" then being mad that the networks scramble them all up. I do not enjoy that one when the show is a two-parter.

happyknappybeard happyknappybeard
vote-for5vote-against

I don't really mind it, in fact, some cartoons (Simpsons and Family Guy) re-write their own history.

conanthelibrarian conanthelibrarian
vote-for11vote-against

No, because they are CARTOONS....

tarasadies tarasadies
vote-for2vote-against

I've always noticed. It's interesting that the Simpson's have had stages of progression, especially in the early years. But it has its own rules, there just aren't many. It bothers me more when a show breaks its own rules.

But what really bothers me are multiple recreations of origin stories for comic book heroes. Especially when none of them are true to the comic.

thepenrod thepenrod
vote-for2vote-against

I have to agree with @tarasadies on this one.

jsimsace jsimsace
vote-for2vote-against

Actually, that's one of the reasons I like 'For Better or For Worse' so much. The characters and their parents age.

magic cave magic cave
vote-for1vote-against

As much as I would like to see Bart's antics as a teenager and see if Lisa tuns into a lesbian in college, I like them always having a clean slate every episode.

Some shows actually had character development. Transformers had Daniel Whitwicky grow up through the series. He was a kid in the start of the and was a man in the movie which was set 20 years later.
His dad was in the series also. Spike who also grew up during the series.

wickedd365 wickedd365
vote-for1vote-against

Not really. I like the consistency of the kids always being the same age. What bugs me (and my kids) is that no one gets 104 days of summer vacation, sorry Phineas & Ferb! It's more like 74. :P

phoenixgirrl phoenixgirrl

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