Cartoon all stars to the rescue.

[Yorick]

Thank you GonzoLeaper! (Too bad I overlooked a punctuation error in my previous post in this thread, but since we're all chatting here, not doing English homework, I'll let myself slide on this one. And of course I've never criticized anyone else for spelling or anything like that - I'm just tough on myself with that stuff sometimes.)

 

[Mo Frackle]

Time to shamefully bump this thread. Has anyone rewatched this special recently? Also, I'm curious if anyone actually watched it when it first premiered.

The first time I saw this special was way back in the second grade (around the time my Muppet fandom was just beginning). Our guidance counselor had a copy of the briefly-released VHS release.

 

[Hubert]

Wow, it's been years since I watched this...I wish I had a copy of it, but unfortunately I don't. I only watched someone else's copy a few times.

 

[mimitchi33]

I've seen this on YouTube. It was nice seeing all the cartoon characters together. Plus Corey, the little girl in the special, was cute.
Also, I remember that once on Wikipedia, somebody put up that there was a "Cartoon AllStars 2", with characters like Orson Pig from U.S. Acres, Optimus Prime from Transformers and Morning Glory from My Little Pony. That was a lie, but I still believed it, as I was 9 at the time I saw that rumor.

 

[GonzoWaltsfan]

HAHA I remember this, it was weird yet really cool. I enjoyed seeing all the characters together like that, it was kind of like Rodger Rabit. Man I'd kill for another Rodger Rabit like film, with a bunch of different characters appearing in it and helping save some one. Course with how films are done these days it wouldn't be able to get away with things like the last film was able to, that film was special, bit off topic that was sorry about that. Wonder why the Muppet characters weren't included in this? It would have sure been fun, or were both not around at the same time? I can't remember what times both films came out.

 

[Peace]

It astounds me that people here regard the special fondly. It was the most hackneyed piece of tripe to ever have a Mup- wait a second, no, that's The Lady Gaga Special.

Even still, this was pretty stupid. It's just exaggerated propaganda. They treat marijuana as if it's comparable to heroin and speed. Despite the fact that, without doubt, all the TV/movie executives in the 80s were Coke-fiends.

And it kind of gives off the wrong message anyway. Hey kids, wanna see your favourite cartoon characters? TRY SOME OF THIS!

If I could smoke something that conjured up Alf from thin air, you bet your Bork-Borks I'd be smoking it.

If the special had been about actual hard drugs, I wouldn't be so harsh on it, but as it stands, it's a propaganda piece, with a foreword by a Skull & Bones member. Maybe Bush Sr. should have stayed away from the cartoons and made sure that little George W. Bush wasn't touching coke instead. (And, as we all know, he was.)

...but uh... HEY, LOOK, TIGGER!

 

[Drtooth]

Even still, this was pretty stupid. It's just exaggerated propaganda. They treat marijuana as if it's comparable to heroin and speed. Despite the fact that, without doubt, all the TV/movie executives in the 80s were Coke-fiends.

The worst thing is, as good as the intentions were, they basically shoveled on a whole pile of drug myths, and founded the special on the same Anviliciousness that causes kids to grow up to be (quoting Abet's line in the G.I. Joe community) "cynical babies." I wish I could find that clip, but NBC appears to have deleted it.

Oh wait, found it

Pot essentially makes you goofy. You do NOT hallucinate, that's much harder stuff that the special didn't address. South Park's message was better. "There's a time and place for everything. It's called College."

It sucks that, for the longest time, this was the only way to get a glimpse of the awesome ALF cartoon. At least they're all on hulu plus now. Freakin' plus...

Also, I remember that once on Wikipedia, somebody put up that there was a "Cartoon AllStars 2", with characters like Orson Pig from U.S. Acres, Optimus Prime from Transformers and Morning Glory from My Little Pony. That was a lie, but I still believed it, as I was 9 at the time I saw that rumor.

UGH! Know what I hate? When some idiot posts their dumb fan fic ideas to Wikipedia like it's news and is too lazy to actually write the whole thing and post it on DA or something.

 

[Yorick]

As my posts from 2011 state, at least people tried to use television to possibly save lives back then. Nobody in "TV & movie land" cares anymore. It's more important for them to be "hip" than to spread a positive message. Think of the messages "Dinosaurs" had. Now try to think of a show with anything to say these days - never mind the fact that it's highly unlikely the writing will be anywhere near the same level as "Dinosaurs". Please correct me if I am wrong; even if I dislike the style of a new show, I'll give it credit for a positive message.

 

[beatnikchick300]

Which is why I prefer the fun, eco-friendly Toxic Crusaders to the uberpreachy, obnoxious Captain Planet. I swear, Captain Planet produced a generation of kids who grew up to think recycling was hippy crap and side with the gas powered "Global Warming is a Myth" types. Being overly preachy about something is the PERFECT way to get everyone against your message.

Sorry for the three-year-late reply, but at least Captain Planet was "preachy" about actual problems (you know, don't mess up the only livable planet we have), whereas most people actually know that pot isn't going to kill you, and the whole "gateway drug" thing is a farce.

 

[Drtooth]

As my posts from 2011 state, at least people tried to use television to possibly save lives back then. Nobody in "TV & movie land" cares anymore. It's more important for them to be "hip" than to spread a positive message. Think of the messages "Dinosaurs" had. Now try to think of a show with anything to say these days - never mind the fact that it's highly unlikely the writing will be anywhere near the same level as "Dinosaurs". Please correct me if I am wrong; even if I dislike the style of a new show, I'll give it credit for a positive message.

I'd agree if the anti-drug thing wasn't some soft government conspiracy where they paid TV execs to purposely follow the message, making it inorganic. Though I will say when Stan Lee stood up to the comics code to bring an anti-drug message to Spidey comics, that was pretty awesome. That said, you know when Dinosaurs did the drugs episode, they did it sarcastically, right?

The worst thing is, that you actually can't have anti-drug messages (at least in kid's shows) because that would require you to have to show drugs or an allegory for them. Even deglorifying them for a point gets your episode banned (see Buzz Lightyear of Star command).

But for a REAL, no nonsense anti-drug cartoon... the heck with Cartoon All Stars to the Rescue. Bravestarr did the best anti-drug episode of anything ever. They didn't fool around, used (fictitious) hard drugs, had a kid slowly go insane, steal money from his mother, and die at the end. Yep. They killed someone in a 1980's cartoon and a kid at that to make the point. That took guts. It wasn't preachy, it was downright horrifying!

And...for the record, the Brain Blast episode of Galaxy High is also pretty cool.

Sorry for the three-year-late reply, but at least Captain Planet was "preachy" about actual problems (you know, don't mess up the only livable planet we have), whereas most people actually know that pot isn't going to kill you, and the whole "gateway drug" thing is a farce.

Depending on the season. Captain Planet, once it changed hands from DIC to Turner. Then the messages got... weird. It's one thing about questioning consumerism, telling kids to recycle, and AIDS... but then they went all population control, IRA, and Hitler with a porn 'stache insane.....A for effort on DIC's part when the show was actually kinda good. But Turner made the show just... so... I'd say worse than what Family Guy did to Christianity in "Not All Dogs Go to Heaven." I give the show credit for trying, but when you get that preachy, you corrupt the message and make it sound insane. Like the South Park episode where the kids had to sit through an annoying anti-smoking assembly, and they started chain smoking behind the dumpster.

I personally refer to Captain Planet as singlehandedly launching millions of young Republicans.