Reflections on: Doug
“Dear Journal, it’s me Doug. You’ll never guess what happened today.” If you are familiar with this saying, you like myself probably watched the Nickelodeon series “Doug”. It was one of the first cartoons along with “Rugrats” and “Ren & Stimpy” that not only helped start a new network primarily made for kids, but still continues to this day as new generations of kids are discovering these shows and more.
Growing up as a kid, there were several shows that I didn’t watch because my parents didn’t have certain channels like Cartoon Network. So of course, if you don’t have access to certain shows, you watch the same ones over and over again. If anyone needs a refresher, “Doug” was about the trials and tribulations of an 11 and a half year old boy named Doug Funnie as he goes through various events of growing up, such as moving to a new town, dealing with a bully, and having a first crush.
“Doug” was very important to me because I remember it being one of the first shows watching as a kid. I think I enjoyed it because it was different from all the other nicktoons out at that time. While a lot of the other ones tried to push the boundaries as much as they could, “Doug” just focused on trying to tell a good story. It was also one I could relate to as well because I myself felt like Doug and sometimes I still do.
Growing up, I’ll admit I was an awkward child. I didn’t play sports, but yet I was on the creative side. I was more of a reader, and not an athlete. I usually stayed inside, and spent a lot of time in the backyard. Like Doug, I had an active imagination. But also like Doug, I tended to overthink things a lot. I took things really personal, and was really gun shy, especially around girls. But I think by finding solace in this show, I was able to realize that I wasn’t alone, and that there were others out there like myself.
This leads me into my favorite episode of the series, which ironically was the first episode I ever saw. It was called “Doug’s In the Money.” In the episode, Doug and his dog Pork chop are going to the bank, and come across an envelope full of money on the street. Doug decides that the right thing to do is to turn the money into the police. His friends and his family give him a hard time for not just keeping the money for himself.
A month goes by, and no one claims the money, so the law says that Doug gets to keep the money. Just as he is at home counting the money, on the TV is a lady on the news who says she lost the same amount of money that Doug just got. He is distraught with the decision, until he decides to returns the money to the lady. He thinks he will get a reward, but all he gets is a pack of gum in return. Yes, that is right. All he gets is a pack of gum. But his sister Judy decides to treat him with a shake afterwards.
I think this episode really reflects the theme of the show, and that theme is honesty. This show tries to teach kids the value of honesty and its many meanings. Even if you may not get what you want out of life by being honest, you can at least feel better about yourself knowing that you did the right thing. Or at least that is what I tried to get out of the show. But you don’t have to take my word for it.
So, those are my thoughts on the Nicktoons series “Doug”. I feel that while the animation has aged a little bit, the message is still timeless. It is just a simple cartoon trying to tell a good story. I feel that is something that is sorely lacking in today’s animation world. Thankfully, Teen Nick keeps the reruns going. If I ever get married and have children someday, I will be sure to introduce them to this show. I just hope they get a lot out of it as I did as a child. “Doug” has a special place in my heart that can never go away, and it never will.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5upVqLXdhw
“Dear Journal, it’s me Doug. You’ll never guess what happened today.” If you are familiar with this saying, you like myself probably watched the Nickelodeon series “Doug”. It was one of the first cartoons along with “Rugrats” and “Ren & Stimpy” that not only helped start a new network primarily made for kids, but still continues to this day as new generations of kids are discovering these shows and more.
Growing up as a kid, there were several shows that I didn’t watch because my parents didn’t have certain channels like Cartoon Network. So of course, if you don’t have access to certain shows, you watch the same ones over and over again. If anyone needs a refresher, “Doug” was about the trials and tribulations of an 11 and a half year old boy named Doug Funnie as he goes through various events of growing up, such as moving to a new town, dealing with a bully, and having a first crush.
“Doug” was very important to me because I remember it being one of the first shows watching as a kid. I think I enjoyed it because it was different from all the other nicktoons out at that time. While a lot of the other ones tried to push the boundaries as much as they could, “Doug” just focused on trying to tell a good story. It was also one I could relate to as well because I myself felt like Doug and sometimes I still do.
Growing up, I’ll admit I was an awkward child. I didn’t play sports, but yet I was on the creative side. I was more of a reader, and not an athlete. I usually stayed inside, and spent a lot of time in the backyard. Like Doug, I had an active imagination. But also like Doug, I tended to overthink things a lot. I took things really personal, and was really gun shy, especially around girls. But I think by finding solace in this show, I was able to realize that I wasn’t alone, and that there were others out there like myself.
This leads me into my favorite episode of the series, which ironically was the first episode I ever saw. It was called “Doug’s In the Money.” In the episode, Doug and his dog Pork chop are going to the bank, and come across an envelope full of money on the street. Doug decides that the right thing to do is to turn the money into the police. His friends and his family give him a hard time for not just keeping the money for himself.
A month goes by, and no one claims the money, so the law says that Doug gets to keep the money. Just as he is at home counting the money, on the TV is a lady on the news who says she lost the same amount of money that Doug just got. He is distraught with the decision, until he decides to returns the money to the lady. He thinks he will get a reward, but all he gets is a pack of gum in return. Yes, that is right. All he gets is a pack of gum. But his sister Judy decides to treat him with a shake afterwards.
I think this episode really reflects the theme of the show, and that theme is honesty. This show tries to teach kids the value of honesty and its many meanings. Even if you may not get what you want out of life by being honest, you can at least feel better about yourself knowing that you did the right thing. Or at least that is what I tried to get out of the show. But you don’t have to take my word for it.
So, those are my thoughts on the Nicktoons series “Doug”. I feel that while the animation has aged a little bit, the message is still timeless. It is just a simple cartoon trying to tell a good story. I feel that is something that is sorely lacking in today’s animation world. Thankfully, Teen Nick keeps the reruns going. If I ever get married and have children someday, I will be sure to introduce them to this show. I just hope they get a lot out of it as I did as a child. “Doug” has a special place in my heart that can never go away, and it never will.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5upVqLXdhw