By Elizabeth Ackerley
Although the NJCU student population is busy balancing classes, work, and social lives, they still manage to set aside the time to be able to partake in one beloved childhood activity: watching cartoons.
Michael Mondanaro, 29, media major from Bayonne said that he likes to watch anime movies such as Vampire Hunter D and Fist of the North Star. He also noted that he enjoys viewing other forms of cartoons, some of which are intended for a younger audience.
“I tend to watch more adult oriented cartoons, but will watch SpongeBob SquarePants. I watch them for variety and to laugh,” Mondanaro said.
But not all of the students on campus watch cartoons for the factor of comedy. Some prefer to watch animated programs to be reminded of the many hours they used to spend in front of the television after school and on Saturday mornings.
“I haven’t really been watching cartoons. If I do watch something it would probably be Dragon Ball Z or Avatar: The Last Airbender since they are like my childhood shows,” says Ellicah Zacarias, 20, computer science major from Jersey City.
Cartoons are more accessible than ever thanks to modern technology. With innovations such as cable channels showing cartoons 24/7, on demand programs, and DVDs, many varieties of animation can be viewed at any moment of the day.
These programs can be geared towards children, adults, or both age groups. Some forms of cartoons include porn, sitcoms, anime, and full length features.
Zacarias mentioned that she enjoys viewing animated films, especially ones that include computer graphics and are released by one major animation company in particular.
“I am addicted to watching Mulan, Frozen, and Tangled because I like the plot of each movie, they all have strong female lead roles, and it is Disney,” she said.
The adult viewing of cartoons is not limited to NJCU students. Cartoon viewers include other college students and adults of varied ages.
A collegiate correspondent for USA Today, Dale Lavine, wrote an opinion piece entitled, “Cartoons serve up stress relief, nostalgia for students,” which talks about college aged individuals who watch animation targeted to children.
Lavine points out in his piece, “While the majority of Cartoon Network’s key audience is still under 18, viewers age 18-to-44 make up a combined 34 percent — more than a third — of the channel’s total audience.”
While many cartoon production companies target children to sell merchandise related to their programs, they still want to keep adult audiences interested.
Many children’s shows include adult references. In one episode of SpongeBob, the loveable yellow sponge makes a prison joke. He produces two bars of soap to his pet snail, Gary, and tells him not to drop them in the shower.
Disregarding age, cartoons can bring people together when they appeal to a large variety of people.
When Zacarias was asked why she thought adults watched cartoons, Zacarias responded, “It… serves as a way for parents to bond with their kids.”
