COLUMN: This geek toons in
I apologize in advance if I seem a bit testy in today’s column. I’ve been under a lot a stress lately. It has just come to my attention that only I can prevent forest fires. That’s a lot of pressure you know. Not only do I have to deal with school and work but know I am personally responsible for the well being of every tree in the country. I’m only one man people. I can only do so much.
Another reason I’ve been upset is that it seems like lately, more than ever, people are telling me what to do.
It seems like everywhere I go it’s “Steve, don’t climb on that,” or “Shinney, don’t poke the baby with that stick,” or “Sir, if you don’t put some pants I’m going to ask you to leave the restaurant.”
The one that really busts my joystick though is when people tell me that I’m too old to watch cartoons.
When I ask why, they always say I need to grow up. I’ve already grown up a whole lot. They just weren’t around for the process.
I have conquered my fear of vampires and I no longer need a nightlight to scare away the mummy.
It’s been over a year since I cried during “Homeward Bound, the Incredible Journey.”
I even eat my vegetables. I really don’t see what my problem is.
I like TV shows made for 10-year-olds. You struggle with math made for 10-year- olds. Let’s just call it even.
I love cartoons. Always have. And, if my current progress is any indication, I probably always will. From the original “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” to the new “Star Wars: the Clone Wars” series, I live for animated goodness.
I’m not sure why I love them so much. Some say that it’s a way to reconnect with your inner child. I think it might be because they prove my theory that you don’t need other people to have fun.
I also think that subconsciously I believe that if I train hard enough, I could be blown up with out getting hurt. I think it’s just a matter of practice.
You notice that I’m only talking about American cartoons here, not anime. For those of you not down in the geek kingdom, anime is a style of Japanese animation that has picked of great popularity in the United States lately.
Some anime is awesome, (i.e. “Cowboy Bebop”), some is lame (i.e. “DragonBallz”) and a large portion is downright perverted (i.e. pretty much all other anime). Check out the anime section at any video store and you’ll see what I mean. Nothing but anatomically impossible proportions as far as the eye can see.
I’m not against anime. I’m not against the majority of anime fans. There are just some that have a geek level so high that even I think it’s unhealthy.
I’m not talking about the fangirls who dress up like the overly scandalous female characters or the fanboys who only watch anime for said characters. I’m talking about the kids who learn Japanese for the sole purpose of being able to understand anime in its original language. That’s a sad person. That’s like someone from Japan learning English just so they could get a deeper insight into “Scooby-Doo.”
But hey, unless you are in that last group, if you still love cartoons then I will proudly call you brother. Let us all join together and say with one voice, “Hey world! Get down; you’re blocking my view of “Samurai Jack.”
As one, we will geek on.
Steve Shinney is a junior majoring in computer science and is currently running for president of USU’s Johnny Bravo fan club. Comments can be sent to steveshinney@usu.edu