Scooby Doo amazes me

[numbuheightbitstar]

For my birthday (which was on the 17th), one of the presents I recieved was Scooby Doo: the Complete First and Second Seasons. And every time I watch these episodes, I see something that is totally mind-blowing when you take it in the context of the image of Scooby Doo as a clumsy, cowardly dog who blunders his way through mysteries.

Take the following, for example:

- in What a Night for a Knight, Scooby sprays paint in the Knight's face, then laughs at it.

- In Jeepers, It's the Creeper! Velma kicks the Creeper. Later in the episode, Scooby also kicks the Creeper, several times.

- In Never Ape an Ape Man, Scooby not only hits the ape-man several times, he even knocks it off a cliff. Also, throughout this episode, Scooby and Shaggy willingly participate in the mystery without chickening out.

- In Bedlam in the Big-Top, Shaggy catches the episode's villain, and without Fred, Velma, and Daphne helping him and without blundering through it.

Most mind-blowing of all:

- In Foul Play in Funland, the culprit is an actual robot and not a badguy in a mask (and ironically, this is the one episode where they actually think they're chasing a normal human being).

Well, that's one more childhood image shattered.

[Shwoo]

So they didn't stick to the formula complety in the original series. I don't see the significance.

[numbuheightbitstar]

It just amazes me whenever classic characters step out of their usual roles and do something no one ever expects them to do. Like that time Mickey Mouse went totally bad@$$ on Pete.

That, and it also says something about how less creative the entertainment industry is today.

[28]

(I like your sig!)

I think glory on Scooby Doo's part is dumb luck.

No offense, but-----

[Shwoo]

Maybe it's my being raised on unimaginative cartoons, but that seems pretty in character for Scooby Doo. The show had a pretty strict formula, but that doesn't mean that the characters are robots.

[numbuheightbitstar]

In the more recent versions of the character, Scooby is essentially non-violent, unless the violence occurs by accident. You'll never see him intentionally hurting a monster. Likewise you'll never see him acting bravely simply of his own volition rather than because of some outside factor.

Same goes for Shaggy. Today's writers have drawn a strict line... only Fred, Velma, and Daphne are allowed to do anything brave or intelligent anymore, and even then within limits. Shag and Scoob are pretty much typecast into the roles of moronic cowards who are only along for the ride and generally have no real purpose except maybe to be bate or to *accidentally* solve the mystery.