Saturday Morning Cartoons: Bugs Bunny, Bullwinkle, and Big Business in the 1960s

Presenter: Margo Burns

Many kids in the second half of the 20th century shared a common Saturday morning ritual: watching Yogi Bear, Bugs Bunny, and Rocky & Bullwinkle while eating a bowl of Captain Crunch. This practice, however, was a relatively recent development, brought about by the advent of television. Before the 1960s, cartoons were shown in theaters before feature films for adults. As more American families acquired TVs, animation studios retooled their storehouses to respond to the demand for new shows and Madison Avenue advertising executives shifted their focus to a lucrative new demographic: children. Soon after-school and Saturday-morning time slots were flooded with cartoons – and advertisements for sugary cereals and plastic toys. In this program, we will watch some clips from classic cartoons that will be sure to spark some nostalgia while taking a peek behind the TV screen, to learn how the classic Saturday morning was created.  

Join us as we celebrate 50 years of bringing the humanities to your community!