Gotta love the 90s

As a kid, my sole desire for Saturday morning was to wake up and watch cartoons.

I found myself captivated by Cartoon Network, and watching the shows became part of my daily routine. On weeknights I would watch cartoons after homework, after a bath and just before bed.  

When I was a child, Dexter was a red-haired kid-scientist with an undercover “la-boooratory.” These days, Dexter is a pretty boy serial killer who just happens to be a forensic bloodstain pattern analyst for Miami Metro Police Department.

Prior to the drama-filled “Keeping up with the Kardashians,” my Alpha-females were the Powerpuff Girls. The Powerpuff Girls taught me to be strong, and they were far from scandalous.  

Thankfully, Boomerang harvests many of the classic shows we all grew up with. Their specialty seems to be the classic Warner Brothers cartoons like Looney Tunes featuring the quintessential characters Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.  

While I loved Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon was also key to my cartoon fix. Some of the best shows were on Nickelodeon and, in a sense, have become cult classics.

Who doesn’t love the diverse line up that always taught some sort of moral or lesson – “Doug,” “SpongeBob SquarePants,” “Rocko’s Modern Life,” “Aaahh!!! Real Monsters,” “CatDog,” “Hey Arnold!,” “The Wild Thornberrys” and “Rugrats.”

Sometimes I catch myself humming the opening notes of the Rugrats theme song, and I will never forget the hilarious names of Doug characters – Patty Mayonnaise, need I say more?

My younger sister just started middle school, and as heart breaking as it is to say, she has not seen any of the beloved cartoons I grew up on aside from the long-running “SpongeBob SquarePants.” While we cut our teeth on “Sesame Street” and “Blue’s Clues,” she cut hers with shows like “Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends.”

Thanks to technology, she can record all her favorite shows with the press of a button. The TiVo is now plagued with episodes of “El Tigre,” “Phineas and Ferb” and “Total Drama Island.”  

Kids have it easy these days. When I wanted to record a show, it was quite an ordeal. I had to find a blank VHS cassette, set the VCR to record and make sure the TV didn’t get changed from the desired channel.  

Now, back to the point, although I’m certainly no professional cartoon analyst, I sense a difference in the humor of today’s cartoons.

Back in the day, Tom and Jerry dueled with pots, pans and ironing boards; cartoon violence was perfectly acceptable. In the 1990s and early 2000s, cartoons resembled sitcoms: Humor and adventure took place in everyday life, and there was always a moral at the end.

Now, cartoons are just random. Things don’t necessarily go along with a theme or real life.

Even though I think our 90s shows were more humorous, modern cartoons do win the animation war. New technology has made the viewing experience more enjoyable. There were never chances for 3D viewing, surround sound or interactive learning on any of my childhood Saturday mornings.  

Despite the advancements that are sure to come, I will remain faithful to my classics. Call me sentimental, but the 90s cartoons will always hold a place in my heart.