The Impacts Violent Actions and Sensitive Topics Featured in Cartoons have on the Children Watching

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Title: The Impacts Violent Actions and Sensitive Topics Featured in Cartoons have on the Children Watching: The Reasoning Behind the Laughter
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Description: This paper focuses on the darker side of our beloved childhood cartoons as well as current day cartoons and the impact they can produce on the children who watch, in addition to the rationalization of the humor. One big fear that this topic gives off is that children can become desensitized to violent acts and not be able to distinguish what is right from wrong. In addition, this will highlight the social learning theory which states that children are prone to modeling the behavior and actions they see others doing. Depending on whether the actions the children are observing are good or bad, the children will either benefit and become well-rounded individuals, or they will have a disadvantage and will replicate harmful actions in their day-to-day lives. Also, the cultivation theory, which displays how television and media have an influence in our daily lives, shows how we go about forming relationships as well as our way of thinking with forming stereotypes. The cartoons being observed and critiqued include The Looney Tunes, Pepe Le Pew, Tom & Jerry, and SpongeBob SquarePants. The violent actions displayed and other sensitive topics featured in the selected cartoons are discussed. Therefore, a trigger warning for the following topics is in effect: depression, suicide, racism, alcoholism, gun violence, sexual aggression, and physical harm. In addition, the humor behind these acts is analyzed to show why we see no issue in watching the cartoons over and over again. It is suggested humor is caused due to the relief theory, benign violation theory, as well as resiliency. Here humor is justified due to the reduction of stress and if the event violates how we think the world should be. Laughter can also be produced based on resiliency, which is the ability to overcome an event and understand the actions and responses of the characters, if it is used as a coping mechanism., Honors Thesis Advisor: Dr. Rebecca Regeth.
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Contributor: Groover, Sharena L. (Author), California University of Pennsylvania. Honors Program., (Author)
Date: 2021-12-01
Type: Text
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Identifier: cali:2229
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