I don’t know why, but I was feeling nostalgic today. I popped in an old Bugs Bunny DVD and watched it on repeat. I really miss the days when Bugs Bunny was an afterschool treat and a Saturday morning staple. I have no idea how I can eat cereal without staring at those old Loony Tunes on the TV. I can’t let an opportunity go by where I can watch Bugs Bunny torment the likes of Yosemite Sam or Elmer Fudd, so it shouldn’t be any surprise that I would make sure my children fell in love with the old standards too.
So as I snuggled into my favorite chair, watching Bugs Bunny torture Yosemite Sam, yet again, I found myself thinking back to a time when my 19 year old daughter was barely three. She was sprawled out on the floor in her favorite dress (she only wore dresses back then) eyes glued to the TV, her little brain working overtime as she immersed herself in the cartoon world.
Like in most Bugs Bunny cartoons, Yosemite Sam is blown to smithereens and stands charred and battered to admit defeat to a smiling Bugs. This particular cartoon has Sam blown up on a pirate ship several times before the end.
My little girl enjoyed the episode greatly, and even stopped watching at the end to comment to me.
“Boy, I’ll bet he used a stuntman for THAT part!” She said with a giggle.
I had to laugh. I was very careful when the kids were small, making sure they understood that “movie magic” wasn’t real life, and that actors had stuntmen to do all of the dangerous stunts, and no one really got hurt. It was all make believe. But, it was funny that she missed the fact that this was an animated feature. No actors were harmed in the making of this cartoon.
So I attempted to explain this to her. “Sweetie…Sam didn’t need a stuntman. He’s a cartoon…they can’t get hurt.”
She just looked at me for a second before replying. “Oh, I know that Mommy…but did you see that explosion? He might not have needed a stuntman, but I’ll bet he got one anyway!”
The innocence of youth.
I wish I could still watch a cartoon with the belief that they were flesh and blood creatures (even actors as my daughter clearly understood.) I miss the magic of childhood…both my own and that of my children. But I suppose as long as I have the wonderful memories, the magic will live on.
As will Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam…with or without a stuntman!
Until the next time…I’ll be indulging in nostalgia for the rest of the day.