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By Emily Bevins
I love Scooby-Doo. I have always loved Scooby-Doo. The original 1969 cartoon was my favorite show when I was little. I can quote “Scooby-Doo in the Cyber Chase” in its entirety to this day. Little Emily saw herself as a meddling kid, helping the Mystery Gang catch bad guys.
As a senior in college prepping for the LSAT and grappling with the idea of adulthood outside undergrad, I have found myself nostalgic for a simpler time. I wanted to know if my favorite show still held up. Therefore, in order to cope with my impending future, I have spent the semester diving back into Scooby-Doo. I have now watched almost every Scooby-Doo property since the 60s—every TV show, special, and movie. With 60 years of crime-solving under my belt, I can safely say if a monster ever attacks the University of Louisville, you want me on the team to take it down. I can also safely say that Scooby-Doo has a lot more heart than people give it credit for.
As a child, I got sucked into the mysteries. However, as an adult understanding basic plot structure, I found myself less interested in the mysteries and more interested in the characters. I was amazed at how varied the portrayals of the same five characters actually were. In some iterations, Scooby can talk like a real human, but in others, he’s relegated to a few English phrases and mostly animal-like noises. Shaggy’s by far the most consistent character—his chill, 60s hippie vibe is iconic, and it does not falter through the years. Velma’s intelligence is her key defining trait, and that never changes. However, I was shocked at her cattiness. Her rudeness levels ebbed and flowed; she’s really mean to Daphne in several movies, which broke my heart to see. Speaking of Daphne, her character is weird. I don’t think a lot of the writers knew what to do with her. In some adaptations, she’s daft and superficial. In others, she’s a bona fide martial arts master. My personal favorite of Daphne is from the 2016 TV show “Be Cool, Scooby-Doo.” The show satirizes all the weird interests she’s had over the years, and they make her a little freak who has a new gimmick every episode. The funniest part of the bit is that Fred, the character who is normally her love interest (if the show/movie chooses to add romance), CANNOT stand her. He Daphne-proofs everything because, once again, she’s a little freak and constantly messes up his traps. Fred is the glue that holds the group together. He’s normally the one who is most invested in solving the mystery for the mystery’s sake. His intelligence varies. A lot. In a few adaptations, he’s a dude bro with misogynistic tendencies, while in others, he’s arguably smarter than Velma. Both can be trying, but Fred never lacks heart. It’s refreshing.
Growing up, I always identified with Velma, a dorky, little girl who couldn’t see anything without her glasses. Though I still cannot see anything without my glasses, I am not that dorky little girl anymore. I actually found myself identifying more with Daphne and Fred than I ever did as a child. Daphne often goes out of her way to make sure the victims affected by the monsters are okay. While it normally leads to her getting caught by said monsters, it shows how deeply she cares for those around her. Fred is very similar in that way. He is seen by the gang as their fearless leader, but he’s not fearless. He might not be as cowardly as Shaggy and Scooby, but he certainly is terrified of the monsters. It’s his healthy level of fear of the unknown that holds the group together. He is scared, but he persists for his friends.
Over the years, Scooby-Doo has taught me so many valuable lessons. It might be a children’s cartoon, but it contains so many valuable truths that are still applicable to my life. Graduating is a lot like fighting monsters. It’s just another mystery to solve. The real world won’t be easy, and I am terrified. However, if I remain kind and rely on my friends, I’ll be alright.