Media Literacy and Scooby Doo Questions


  1. What assumptions or beliefs do Scooby Doo’s creators have that are reflected in the content? One thing that I've inferred from the show is a message about corporate greed. Often at the end of each episode, the "monster" is unveiled to be just a person acting out of greed, either a con-man or business owner. 
  2. How does this make you feel, based on how similar or different you are from the people portrayed in the media product? Though I can sort of relate with certain aspects of the people portrayed in the show, the connection doesn't really invoke feeling because there are only a few similar things between myself and the characters. I do think the characters become more relateable in the newer versions as the characters personalities are more in depth. 
  3. How does the commercial purpose of Scooby Doo cartoons influence the content and how it's communicated? Because its a kids show, the audience they want to appeal to are kids. It's a comedy which makes it appealing to kids, and they include things like Scooby and Shaggy's love for food as comedic relief. They also keep things lighthearted and fun with music and constant positivity, especially in the older versions. 
  4. Who and what is not shown at all? What conclusions might audiences draw based on these facts? One thing I noticed about the older versions is the lack of diversity, as all the main characters are white, slim, and each character has about one distinct personality trait (Velma being the smart one, Daphne being the pretty one, Fred's the leader, Shaggy and Scooby being comedic relief). 
  5. Who and what is shown in a positive light? In a negative light? Why might these people and things be shown this way? Things that are shown in a positive light in the show are of course the 5 main characters, causing the audience to root for them as a way to keep the audience invested in the show. In a negative light, using the example of Daphne being cursed to become a few sizes bigger, there are a few times where the show is problematic. There's also plenty of stereotyping in the show as well, whether that be with gender roles or culture. 
  6.  How does Scooby Doo explain crime and gender roles to young people? The show in the earlier versions has a rather traditional view of gender roles, having Fred being the strong leader tell everyone what to do and have the two females stand behind him all the time. It also isn't very good at having three dimensional characters, for example having Daphne being the pretty one who always needs to be saved, and Velma who has glasses (so she must be smart). When it comes to explaining crime in the show, the villains are almost always men who occasionally have women involved in the scheme. 

Comments

  1. Geo TeacherMay 13, 2020 at 3:10 PM

    Indeed the characters are somewhat flat due to the nature of a half hour self contained episodic show format. There is a strong core of five characters that you can instantly understand - they don't need background and they are all typecast (Scooby & Shaggy are cowardly & hungry, Fred is a handsome lead taker, Daphne is sophisticated and aspirational yet clumsy & danger prone while Velma is a highly intelligent, book smart, scientific detective). Among the characters you'll find either a core leader (in early renditions Fred) or a core relationship (in early renditions Scoob and Shag). Check out https://www.wired.com/2011/02/psychology-of-cartoons-part-1-scooby-doo/

    Much changed with Mystery Inc. Fred turns into a brave but emotionally stunted trapster, Daphne into a complex character in her love story with Fred, Velma into a Teen Genius, Shaggy and Scooby into people with braver sides. The monsters are far more scary. There's love stories and story arcs that last beyond one episode

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