TV Guidance

Jaime Weinman writes about all kinds of television and other kinds of popular culture. He does not write Gossip Girl episode reviews. Follow Jaime on Twitter: @weinmanj

Categories: TV Guidance

A Very Timely Cartoon

by Jaime Weinman on Monday, September 29, 2008 2:48pm - 7 Comments

In 1933, Walter Lantz made a cartoon starring Oswald the Lucky Rabbit called “Confidence,” where the Depression causes harm to Oswald and his barnyard friends, and so Oswald goes to Franklin Delano Roosevelt to get a lesson — in song! — about the only thing that can cure the Depression.

For some reason, I’ve been thinking about this cartoon a lot.

Here is a link to the cartoon (embedding disabled).

The Depression stuff starts at 2:21, and FDR appears at 5:00. BTW, Tex Avery was one of the animators.

Or if you want a less upbeat take on financial crisis, there’s always Bob and June Wheeler from Night Court.

Tags: Cartoons, depression, Night Court

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T. Thwim

If only all depressions were that obvious in their appearance.
http://carnewsandviews.com jwl

I, for one, am relieved they stopped making cinema cartoons that were little more than government propaganda.

I just finished Amity Shlaes’ Forgotten Man and I’m glad that those house repubs are feeling inspired by Buckley and decided to yell ‘Stop’ this morning.
Sisyphus

For cartoons, I prefer the video made of Tommy Douglas’ “Mouse” speech.

And given that the US House has rejected the “Saviour” bill, it may be that the fun has just begun. Not that it wasn’t gonna be fun anyway.
For everyone that has broker, his line is busy.
http://carnewsandviews.com jwl

Sisyphus

Had no idea what your comment was about and googled it. Found short clip from CBC miniseries about white/black cats and mice. Assume that’s what you are referring to.

I doubt very much I would agree with Douglas about what policies the mice should follow but I agree with the sentiment that mice should be voting for mice, and fewer cats.
Shenping

How about “Gremlins from the Kremlin” and “Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips”?

Start ‘em young, folks, start ‘em young.
Sean S.

that’s it, jwl – a pretty famous speech where he tells a story of mice who are fed up with the black cats, so they vote them out and install white cats in power instead. It’s sounds a bit dumb as I summarize it – the orginal audio shows Douglas’ in top oratory form…
http://carnewsandviews.com jwl

Thanks for tip Sean S. Will google and see if I can find original audio. I love populist rants about Ottawa panjandrums.