Why I Still Love Watching Old Cartoons as an Adult

When I was younger, weekends had their own special magic. The alarm clock wasn’t set, but my body always seemed to know when it was Saturday morning. I’d wake up, shuffle into the living room, grab a blanket, and plop myself in front of the TV. Waiting for me there were my best friends—the cartoons. Characters like Scooby-Doo, Bugs Bunny, Tom and Jerry, and the Looney Tunes gang filled my mornings with laughter and adventure. Back then, I didn’t know words like “nostalgia” or “timelessness.” I just knew that those shows made me happy.

Now, years later, I’m an adult with responsibilities—bills to pay, a job to show up for, and a never-ending list of “shoulds” hanging over my head. And yet, whenever I stumble upon an old cartoon, I feel like I’m transported back to that living room floor. Suddenly, I’m a kid again, munching on cereal and laughing so hard that milk threatens to shoot out of my nose. That’s the thing about old cartoons: they don’t just make you laugh, they take you back to a time when laughter came easier.

One of the biggest reasons I still love watching those classics is their simplicity. Modern shows are often packed with flashy graphics, layered storylines, and sometimes even a bit too much “trying to be clever.” But with Tom and Jerry, for example, it’s just a cat chasing a mouse, over and over again. On paper, it sounds repetitive. But somehow, every chase feels new, every prank feels hilarious, and every gag still lands even though I know what’s coming. That’s the magic—simplicity done right.

Scooby-Doo is another one I’ll never let go of. Sure, the formula was predictable: a group of teens, a creepy location, a “monster,” and the big reveal that it was always just some cranky guy in a mask. But that predictability was comforting. It taught me, in its own way, that sometimes life’s scariest problems are just disguises waiting to be unmasked. And as silly as it sounds, that’s a lesson I’ve carried with me into adulthood.

Then there’s Bugs Bunny and the whole Looney Tunes universe. Bugs wasn’t just funny—he was clever. He outsmarted everyone, from Elmer Fudd to Yosemite Sam, all while chomping on a carrot with the kind of confidence most of us can only dream of. Watching him as a kid made me laugh; watching him as an adult makes me admire the wit behind the writing. Looney Tunes didn’t just create slapstick humor—it pioneered it. The timing, the expressions, the exaggerated reactions… all of it laid the foundation for comedy in ways I didn’t appreciate until I grew older.

Of course, I can’t forget about how cartoons connected us. Back then, it wasn’t just me watching alone. Sometimes my siblings would join me, and we’d argue over which episode of Scooby-Doo was the best or who got to sit closest to the TV. Even my parents would occasionally sit down, pretending not to be interested, only to chuckle when Wile E. Coyote’s latest trap backfired. Cartoons were a family glue, even when we didn’t realize it.

Now, as an adult, cartoons serve a different purpose. They’re not just entertainment; they’re a form of comfort. Life has a way of becoming overwhelming—work stress, bills, relationships, and the constant noise of social media. In moments like that, watching an old cartoon feels like taking a deep breath. It’s like pressing pause on adulthood and reminding myself that joy doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes, joy is just a rabbit saying, “Eh, what’s up, doc?”

Another reason I hold onto cartoons is the artistry. As kids, we didn’t think about how much work went into those hand-drawn frames or clever scripts. But now, I can appreciate the effort. Animators didn’t have advanced technology back then. They relied on creativity, timing, and raw talent. Every exaggerated expression, every pratfall, every perfectly timed silence was crafted with intention. It’s humbling to realize how much genius went into making something that seemed so simple on the surface.

That’s not to say I don’t enjoy modern cartoons. Some of them are brilliant in their own right. But there’s something different about the classics. They weren’t trying to be educational, they weren’t chasing awards, and they weren’t made to sell merchandise (well, not always). They were just made to entertain, and that purity still shines through.

Sometimes people joke with me when I mention rewatching old cartoons. “Aren’t you too old for that?” they ask. But honestly, I don’t think anyone can outgrow laughter. If something makes you laugh, makes you feel lighter, and reminds you of simpler times, why give it up? Growing older doesn’t mean you have to stop enjoying the things that once brought you happiness. In fact, maybe it means you should hold onto them even tighter.

The truth is, cartoons taught me more than I realized. They taught me timing and humor, the value of creativity, and the importance of not taking life too seriously. They reminded me that problems can be solved with clever thinking (or at least laughed at along the way). Most of all, they showed me that imagination has no age limit.

So yes, I still watch old cartoons as an adult, and I don’t plan to stop anytime soon. They remind me of who I was, who I am, and the importance of holding onto joy wherever I can find it. Life will always have its stresses, but as long as I can laugh at a coyote chasing a roadrunner, I think I’ll be okay.