Tom and Jerry

Our childhood experiences seem to get more utopian as we grow up. A time of little struggle and where our own way seemed to be much easier. One big part of my childhood fun is watching the show Tom and Jerry. The over-the-top antics and personalities of the characters is the beauty of the show. More than just crude humour, the personification of a cat and mouse living both in ultimate rivalry and yet, at times, the best of friends. Timeless stories, the show was made in batches as creators saw opportunities to continue this rolling mammoth of the cartoon world. In the 20th Century, Tom and Jerry was the highest grossing in its category, and for many others and myself it holds a nostalgic tune in our memories.

If you haven’t watched it, or it’s been a long time, the montage above showcases the uncanny and slapstick humour that has enticed and brought smiles to many people. It’s simple at heart. It really is just a domesticated cat talking to his arch enemy, and nature prey - a mouse. The question is, is it still adored now? Warner Media owns the property and seems to be making a bunch of cartoon series, reimagining the classic style of the MGM original Tom and Jerry artwork, and making a 2021 live-action movie. The cast isn’t half bad either, but time shall tell if the 2021 or postponed movie achieves the same success as the cartoons on TV have brought.

As a tale of storytelling, there’s a few notable characteristics of the show. Tom and Jerry are the main figures and while secondary characters join the fray, you can’t think about the name Tom and Jerry without thinking of the chaos of them together. And all it is silent, with no dialogue between the two leads, all emotions we feel from them and they express are through body and facial expressions. With the power of cartoon-styled art, these can range from explosive moments to a sort of sibling rivalry as ordinary household items are thrown at each other. And even as the decades change, the basis of Tom and Jerry has remained the same. Tom is the chaser and Jerry is a cheeky, hungry figure; then the roles switch, and both end up chasing each other.

As much as I love Disney, they have dominated the industry in recent years, and have bought some of the most marketable franchises, which can be good and bad news. Competition is as necessary as ever and back in the day Tom and Jerry have been vying for the top spot in the industry. The film industry needs to be kept on its feet to retain that creative flow and as more brands produce incredible content, everyone’s got to make sure that each release is special.

Current franchises could learn a lesson or two as well from MGM's child. Tom and Jerry has remained successful as it was produced in patches that could turn purple, but they didn’t sour their taste. The audience didn’t get that bloated feeling and after a few years the Tom and Jerry series would continue to thrive on its own. I didn't know before writing, but the brand even had comic books and video games on numerous Nintendo and Playstation variants. Francises like James Bond follow a similar structure with years between movies and that helps to keep its name unique and success continual. Marvel to an extent is pausing between phases, but Star Wars has shown signs of audience fatigue with its repetition. Tom and Jerry is repetition, but with detailed and meticulous focus on the down-to-earth nature and reliability of the home fighting that we are all a part of but somehow still engages time after time, or it wouldn’t have survived in Hollywood for so long. The lack of dialogue encourages our imagination to blossom and the jazz is a perfect partner for their continual duels.

Although, it isn't without controversy. Episodes relfected the social norms of the time with blackface at limted points throughout the cartoons, with negative connactions of their black housemaid also drawn.

"The cartoons you are about to see are products of their time. They may depict some of the ethnic and racial prejudices that were commonplace in the U.S. society. These depictions were wrong then and they are wrong today. While the following does not represent the Warner Bros. view of today's society, these cartoons are being presented as they were originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming that these prejudices never existed."

— Disclaimer by Whoopi Goldberg[61] {via Wikipedia}

A poor, poor mistake made by the creators and a scar of the historic nature of our societies. Warner Bros. and future creators aim to rise above the past and with its new releases of the comedic duo but sticking to their rivalry between them and stories they weave and making people smile more. I believe it has grown better and that is all we can expect and have room for.

The success and longevity of the show relate to its production and storyline quality and a focus to not overload the basic simple idea. It’s survived decades in cut-throat Hollywood and been the part of so many generations’ childhoods, it’s clear to see why the iconic duo are reborn time and time again. The fights are like a childish playground memory that we think we probably had. The two have superhuman strength and pain tolerances, and it’s ironic when the humans in the show barely do anything, and never show a face. Because no one can take away the spotlight from Tom and Jerry.