Waking up to see #RIPCartoonNetwork trending worldwide wasn’t the best feeling. However, the current generation, which grew up watching shows on OTT platforms, might find it hard to relate. But to us 90s kids, Cartoon Network was like our non-existent parent, who we loved spending time with.
Cartoon Network shows used to be the bargain to quickly complete the homework. On Holidays, be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner, our eyes used to be glued to television watching shows like Tom and Jerry, Johnny Bravo, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Dexter’s Laboratory, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, The Looney Tunes Show, among many others.
However, Cartoon Network is said to be shutting down; at least, that is what the trend seems to imply. But is it another fake news on the internet, or is it the truth? Let’s find out.
Did Cartoon Network Shut Down?
No, Cartoon Network is not shutting down. But that reality isn’t far, according to Animation Workers Ignited (AWI), a community-run account with over 41.5k followers on Twitter/X. AWI were the ones who encouraged the community to trend the hashtag #RIPCartoonNetwork with a video explaining why.
In the video, AWI talks about the apparent shutdown of Cartoon Network. Other giants producing animation, like Netflix, WB, and Paramount Animation, are not far behind.
Why is #RIPCartoonNetwork Trending?
This trend aims to spread awareness about the slow and painful death of the medium of animation we all love and have grown up watching. AWI has encouraged users to post about their favorite Cartoon Network shows they wish they were still around using #RIPCartoon Network. This post has received a lot of attention, going viral within a few hours with over 88K likes, 40k retweets, 1.1K comments and 13k saves with over a whopping 7.1 views.
It is fair to say that this trend has served its purpose, with countless people using the hashtag to share their favorite shows and thoughts on the apparent death of animation. At the end of the video, AWI asks a very important, “Animation is under attack. Which side are you on?”
Why Will Animation Studios like Cartoon Network Cease to Exist?
According to the video posted by AWI on Twitter/X, layoffs have been a record number in the past couple of years, leaving many unemployed animators who might change their jobs to survive.
But you might ask, wasn’t there an animation boom during the pandemic?
Well, yes, there WAS.
During the pandemic, when TV series and movie productions were halted, the animation industry was affected the least by that because animation can be completed remotely. Hence, the animation industry continued uninterruptedly.
Unfortunately, they were paid back with unemployment and canceled projects since the end of the pandemic. You might have seen news of at least one or two canceled animation projects since then. And, with giants like SONY, which owns Crunchyroll, stating that they are looking forward to using AI for animation as well as their other divisions of entertainment, the future of traditional animation is at risk.
If you’re naive enough, you will ask, why are these big studios doing this? Don’t they want to preserve this art form that brings joy to billions of people?
In short, capitalism is engulfing everything in its way. The greed of corporate heads has gone out of control for quite a while and bad decisions have become a trend for these renowned studios. And considering Cartoon Network is owned by Warner Bros Discovery, these decisions shouldn’t be surprising.
What Can You Do for the Survival of the Animation Industry?
Today, it’s Cartoon Network; tomorrow, it can be Nickelodeon; the future of animation isn’t looking good, and that’s the reality. However, we can turn these events for a bright future by raising our voices against these mass layoffs that might end the careers of talented animators who might quit and take up other jobs for survival.
Just like how Inside Out 2 easily surpassed Dune 2 in numerous box-office records, we need to support animation by not only tweeting or sharing our opinions but also contributing to the numbers that will show how loved the medium of animation is globally.
What do you think? Let me know in the comment section below.
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