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Chances are that if you’re reading this, you’re not part of the population who had fun Tom & Jerry during its prime. Created in 1940 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, the franchise ran for about 30 years until more powerful media franchises captured the market. We understand that the television industry worked differently back in the day, but what many people don’t know is that at one point this small but very basic show existed alongside Disney’s Silly Symphonies and Looney Tunes. Yes, that was big.
However, the show has regained popularity through reruns and syndication as the decades go by. We are no longer in the golden age of American animation, however Tom & Jerry They grab our attention every time they appear on the small screen. It doesn’t matter if the short episode (or “episode,” as we might also refer to it) is one we’ve seen before, we’d watch Tom get humiliated, and Jerry scared to death. There have been some generations that have been raised to this tune. Some still follow the cat-and-mouse adventures as the movies are still being played to this day. Sure, it’s been “refined” to meet current expectations, but the spirit of the show remains.
Is there a secret that the show is still so popular? There is no specific answer. Some are still criticizing the show for the same reasons as before, and they’ll probably never stop. On the flip side, we’re still celebrating the lack of restraints that the Animation Age was known for. But that’s not the only reason why the rivalry is still as fresh as it is today in the minds of adults who look back nostalgically to mornings when cartoons were simply different.
Competition in the form of anything goes
We woke up every morning to find a couple of animals trying to exterminate each other. On the one hand we had Tom, a cat whose peace was constantly disturbed by the presence of a little mouse who defied the laws of physics and was able to stand against him with all his might and gadgets he could get his hands on. Was Tom a victim? probably.
Then we had Jerry, a mouse whose sole purpose is to survive inside the hole that the house has provided. His house looked insanely comfortable. His sleep was always interrupted by Tom’s shenanigans, who wanted to get rid of him. The shorts were based on this premise and this premise alone. Yes, there were other players in the picture, but at the heart of the show, all that was left was a competition that only Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner could compare.
There is no other way to put it. We enjoyed watching them come up with ways to hurt each other. This creativity went to extremes when considering the physics of animation and whatever limitations the rating system used back in the day. We are talking about weapons like axes, rifles, pistols, etc. or dynamite, gunpowder, and fire. Everything was good. Even the fury in the dog that occasionally got involved in the fight was fine.
Each short word was a collection of ways you can take down your worst enemies. To say the violence was attractive is to drill into dangerous territory, but that’s the main reason we got stuck with TV. When Tom broke through to bits we laughed hysterically. Needless to say, such a show did not exist today. Today’s version of Tom & Jerry He doesn’t even try to show that kind of violence.
Beyond that, there was cleverness to the way Tom and Jerry got away with everything. They even have the ability to be friends and conspire to fight a common enemy. When this happened, it was like magic flooding the screen as the two highly creative animals went to great lengths to achieve their mission. Yes, we loved their rivalry, but their chemistry seems to be the reason the franchise still has agency.
Can Tom and Jerry’s popularity save her from everything?
Not to say that there are no risks. The show may be popular, and it can keep popping up with fans and newcomers, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be a problem. The highly racist portrayal of humans and some animals would be a stain on the show that will never be erased. The violence is controversial and some of the content may seem too much for the current audience. But is it worth going so far as to deny its existence? This is a point for another conversation. One that will likely start at some point
Meanwhile, there are only 166 short films and about 15 feature films for you to enjoy the adventures of Tom and Jerry. More than enough to see why it’s so popular when its premise is so simple. The chaos, the violence, the secondary characters, and Tom’s resilience. These are the factors that still make us pause when we surf the channel.
Tom & Jerry It has been a part of pop culture for many decades. But today, it has become embedded in our minds as a media concept that was part of our process of growing up. He is more present than you can imagine. Up to the point where people still name their cat Tom and their mouse… Well, we guess if mice were ever welcomed as pets, a few of them would be named Jerry, in honor of Tom and his greatest enemies friend at the same time.
