I’m sitting here watching Scooby-Doo with my eight year old, and it occurred to me that there are some valuable life lessons hidden in the series memes. Let’s explore, shall we?
1) Never raise a demon/bad guy/ghost/ghoul/otherworldly beasty. It will inevitably turn the tables on you. (This is one of those lessons that the bad guys learn.) The take-away? Don’t try to control the forces of evil. It really never works out.
2) All of your friends are archetypes. The take-away? If your smart friends says that something is true, she’s probably more likely to be correct than your stoner friend. But your stoner friend will inevitably get credit for resolving everything properly.
3) People will go jump through all sorts of crazy hoops in order to keep the property/hide the gold mine/inherit the castle. The take-away? Get a trusted real estate agent and avoid spooky houses in ghost towns.
4) Skill is not necessary; luck is essential. The take-away? This one may only apply if you’re a dog or a skinny kid with, ah, dubious chemical addictions.
5) Talking dogs make great companions. The take-away? I’m all over that one. First talking dog I find, and I ditch the silly no-dog-because-of-allergy rules.
6) Life is great if you live out of a van and travel the world solving mysteries. The take-away? An RV is better. It has it’s own built in toilet and shower. Other than that, though, point me toward the nearest mystery. I’m all over it.
Are you a Scooby fan? (Despite the tongue in cheek, I am…at least in the pre-Scrappy-Doo days!)
What are your favorite TV show life lessons?
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Oh, and Scrappy is a perfect example of why we should pay attention to Bob Barker’s exortation to spay and/or neuter your pets.
Let’s see . . . what did I learn? How about this:
Whenever Velma lost her glasses, she also seemed to suffer an immediate 20 point drop in IQ until she found them again.
Whenever coming up with a plan to trap the bad guy, if there is a way for the plan to go wrong, Danger-Prone Daphne will find it — the HARD way.
I love Scooby-Doo. I would watch it with my sons. Now I can watch it with the grandchildren. You can also learn valuable lessons from Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner. That would be to never ever give up. One of these days he may actually catch that road runner. Never buy anything from Acme.
Never buy anything from Acme–LOLOL!
for an easy escape route, all you need is black paint and a rock wall!
I am probably one of the few weirdos in this world who cannot stand Scooby Doo. I was always a Pink Panther fan, oh and the Blue Aardvark. And de cwazy ant.
But lifes lessons always came with great programming. I learned quite a lot from Laura Ingall’s and her Little House on the Prairie. And from Rose on Golden Girls. Dan was my idol on Night Court. And Diane was so smart on Cheers. Judge Judy still gives me great advice and I have learned an awful lot from Joey Greco on Cheaters. Basil Fawlty showed me how not to run a hotel like he did in Fawlty Towers. And I got my groove on from watching the Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooul Train.
Aw, pink panther and the aardvark. This is where we part ways, sister Ti. I was not into the panther. But Little House on the Prairie, oh yeah. Especially in the early Nellie Olsen days.
LOVE the pink panther!!!!!
I was more a Carla the snarky waitress fan on Cheers. But Dan on Night Court totally rocked!!
I remember animated series that played in prime time. The Flintstones on Friday night. Takeaway from that one is all the scheming Fred did was a lot of effort and never worked, so just do the right thing in the first place.
Nellie!!! She rawked in wickedness.
I’ve always loved Scooby Doo! Loved it when I used to watch it, then loved it again when my son was growing up. He was a HUGE fan. I used to take him to Checkers for lunch once a week because they gave away Scooby toys in their kid meals. I always wanted a dog like Scooby. Can’t someone cross pollinate or something to breed talking mystery-solving Scooby pups??
there must be ….
Scrappy-doo
{{holds up fingers in a cross and backs away}}
How about “If you’re Daphne all you have to do is stand there and look puzzled.” Thelma did all the heavy lifting.
Well, she was a redhead. And Thelma wore glasses. That’s the way of the world, you know.
I wonder why they never gave Thelma one of those makeovers where they took off her glasses and discovered that she was a stone-cold fox.
Oh, they totally should!
I always thought Thelma was a boy in a skirt.
7. Bad guys would get away with everything if not for meddling kids.
Hahaha. I love lessons learned from Scooby-Doo! I think it’s the best writing advice ever. Forget fancy books or pricey college courses.
Oh, the one we just watched (apparently today is marathon day) had some kids being the bad guys. “We woulda gotten away with it, too, if it wasn’t for you meddling grown-ups.” SNORT
Funny! Ooh, snap.
Trixie Beldon, Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys!! They always got their man!!