That’s what keeps me going: dreaming, inventing, then hoping and dreaming some more in order to keep dreaming. – Joseph Barbera
This is the truth: I’d rather fail at this, whatever failure is, than waste my life doing something elses, and feeling empty. – William Hanna
If you grew up in the 1960’s through the 1990’s, then you are sure to remember the Hanna-Barbera produced cartoon series The Jetsons. The Jetsons is an American animated sitcom, which originally aired in primetime from September 23, 1962, to March 17, 1963, then later in syndication, with new episodes in 1985 to 1987 as part of The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera block. It was Hanna-Barbera’s Space Age counterpart to The Flintstones, another show they also produced.
In contrast to The Flintstones comical version “stone age” world, The Jetsons lived in a comical version of a futuristic world that was powered by gadgets, robots, and machinery.
The Jetson ran in reruns for decades on ABC starting in the 1963-64 season, and aired on Saturday mornings.
See my post What I loved about Saturday morning cartoons
The Jetsons stands as one of the single most important piece of 20th century futurism. The 24-episode first season has come to define the future of Americas present.
The Jetsons are a nuclear family in the “space age” future residing outer space in a place called Orbit City. The city’s architecture is Google style, and all homes and businesses are raised high above the ground on adjustable columns. The year is 2062. Although, the show always references it’s the 21st century. The family consists of a husband, wife, two kids and a dog.
Let’s meet the family.
“Meet George Jetson…”
George Jetson lives with his family in the Skypad Apartments: Jane his wife, daughter Judy, and his boy Elroy. He works at Spacely’s Space Sprockets where he has a (relatively stable job) *cough* *cough* sideways glance and air quotes insert here please.
Meet Jane his wife…
His wife Jane is a homemaker, a mother of two children, enjoys the latest fashion, has a robot named Rosie that actually does most of the housework, and is obsessed with new gadgetry.
Housekeeping is seen to by a robot maid, Rosie, which handles chores not otherwise rendered trivial by the home’s numerous push-button Space Age-envisioned conveniences. A show before it’s time. 😉
Her favorite department store is the Mooning Dales. She enjoys charity work as she is a member of the Galaxy Women Historical Society and is an avid art fan of Leonardo de Venus and Picasso Pia.
I love how they take things and make them their own version on this show. However, somethings need no modifications or improvements. For instance, in my opinion, I say pay cash for all appliances like they did before the invention of credit cards in the 1950’s.
However, some things do. A great response that a movie star once gave when asked about changing silent films to “talkies” that is films with words, was the following:
“Talking pictures are like lip rouge on the Venus de Milo.” – Mary Pickford (The Queen of the Movies)
Variant: Adding sound to movies would be like putting lipstick on the Venus de Milo.
And meet their kids…
Daughter Judy: their teenage daughter Judy attends Orbit High School. She enjoys buying clothes, hanging out with boys, listening to music, having fun, and talking to her digital diary she calls DiDi. (That ain’t nothing but FaceTime 😉
Some may even call it a Vlog or Vlogging, which is similar to a Blog and Blogging.
His boy Elroy: their son Elroy attends Little Dipper School. He is wicked smart. As sharp as they come, and just whip smart. He is a mild-mannered child that enjoys all space science such as astrophysics, star geometry, and space history. His best friend is his dog; the family pet dog named Astro.
Now, let’s talk about the future. Financially speaking of course.
Meet George Jetson . . . His boy Elroy . . . daughter Judy . . . . Jane his wife. I just love that song.
Fun Fact: The theme song to The Jetsons was a pop hit in 1986 on the Billboard charts.
MAKE THAT MONEY: FROM THE SALT MINES TO SPACE OFFICES
1. Earn a living
George Jetson works for Mr. Spacely and he owns Spacely’s Space Sprockets. R.U.D.I.: is George’s work computer and one of his best friends. His name is an acronym for Referential Universal Differential Indexer and he has a human personality.
Based on which version you have heard, George works either one-hour-a-day, two-day-a-week or three-hour-a-day, three-day-a-week job. Either way that’s a workweek of no more than 3-9 hours. Pretty sweet!
A common theme on the show was George being fired.
That is all too common in today’s time too.
The retail apocalypse, such as the recent closure of Payless shoe stores, has cost thousands of American jobs. Toys R’ Us resulted in about the loss of 30,000 jobs alone.
Here is some dialogue from the show.
Episode Unilab (Nov 25, 1962)
George Jetson: It’ll be easy. I’ll just tell Mr. Spacely I’m very sorry and that I’ll never call him names again.
[Nearly has a head-on collision with another car]
George Jetson: Why you big strata-jerk. It’s vacuum-heads like you who keep fuselage and fender shops in business. Come on out and face the music.
Mr. Spacely: [Emerges from the other car] ‘Morning, Jetson. Nice day isn’t it?
George Jetson: M-M-M-Mr. Spacely, I presume?
Mr. Spacely: That’s correct. I hope you’re wearing your watch, Jetson, because you have exactly 5 MINUTES TO CLEAN OUT YOUR DESK!
Mr. Spacley: JETSON. YOU’RE FIRED.
Fun Fact: Forbes made a list in 2007 and figured out what 25 fictional companies would be worth in today’s market. Spacely Space Sprockets, where George Jetson worked, ranked number 25 on their list. Listing its worth as $1.3 billion. In the article it said, “[CEO] Cosmo Spacely’s coddled employees said to only work three-hour-a-day, three-day-a-week jobs, but workers must suffer his notoriously volatile temper and endure incessant termination threats.”
In the illustrious words of Charlie Brown, “Good Grief.”
See my post on Life Lessons from Race for your life Charlie Brown
Although, on the show its comedy fodder, in the real world this is no laughing matter. Due to the lack of financial teaching and literacy in public school (where like 90% of preK-12 students go), many people are left unprepared financially for setbacks. You must plan ahead.
I read this information on public versus private school enrollment predictions in the Huffington Post. According to the U.S. Department of Education, most preK-12 students, about 91 percent, go to public school.
I, personally, plan 2-3 years ahead or more if I can. I started by paying off debt, then rerouting that money to savings and investments. I have a minimum of 6 months’ emergency fund at all times, $100,000 invested in 1 out of 5 index funds, own a home that was way less than $1 million to buy, and am striving to have a 12-24-month emergency fund for those just in case moments.
THE GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICAN FUTURISM IN TECHNOLOGY
2. Automation is on the rise
The Jetsons it had everything our hearts could desire: jetpacks, video chats, e-books and electronic newspapers, flying cars, convertible objects, computerized watches (Apple Watch anyone?), robot maids, air chamber elevators, and moving sidewalks. They even predicted tanning beds! Tanning beds didn’t come into the U.S. until the 1970’s. This show first aired in 1962!
The Jetsons showed a technologically advanced culture where the largest concern of the middle class was getting “push-button finger.” And yes, The Jetsons were middle class! And still living paycheck to paycheck in the techno-savvy utopian future.
Grinding it out in the rat race.
” I told them 1,000 years from now or a million years, the problem is always going to be parking.” – Joseph Barbera
Think people don’t think much of this show or write it off as merely a cartoon. Think again.
James Cameron was once asked about interactivity for future movies. He concedes it is far off and replies: “You’re talking ‘Jetsons’ here.”
Your girl, Greenbacks Magnet, even recently did a shout out to The Jetsons in a tweet.
See my tweet
MILLIONAIRE PETS
3. Income Inequality
On the 15th episode of The Jetsons, which originally aired on January 6, 1963 and was titled “Millionaire Astro.”
This episode shows how their dog Astro came from money. Elroy found Astro on the street. His original owner wants him back. A custody battle over Astro ensues where the original owner wins and he is returned to the estate. Given a life of incredible wealth and boredom (All the steaks he can eat, all the bones he can gnaw on), Astro is depressed and drowned in wealth and extreme luxury.
Meanwhile, George teeters on the edge of middle and working class, while it seems that everyone is living in the lap of luxury, but tangible quality of life improvements have not funneled down to those at the bottom of the economic pyramid.
You may remember they did similar stuff like this at Walt Disney studios with the cartoon Ducktales.
See my post Money Lessons I Learned from Scrooge McDuck
Case in point, The Occupy Wall St. movement, Americans being reported to not have $400 to cover an emergency, little to no retirement savings, and living off meager Social Security and minimum wages.
If my memory serves correct, didn’t Real Estate Mogul Leona Helmsley leave her dog like $7 million? In addition, I recently heard rumblings that the recently deceased Karl Lagerfeld (House of Chanel) and worth over $100 million, may have left $2 million to his dog? Interesting and disturbing.
ENTERTAINERS ARE ALL THE RAGE OR A SCREAM
4. Rock star money
One of the funniest things I ever saw on The Jetsons had to be Judy’s obsession with celebrity. And one in particular: Jet Screamer.
He is the quintessential rock god. The sun, moon, and the stars revolve around him. People go wild when he comes in a room (as he always makes a grand entrance). You get to see first-hand that he is living a very different life than the average-joe.
In today’s time, that is still very relevant. I have nothing against people with talent or those that create something out of nothing. It’s like Shakespeare says, “I am a true laborer. I earn that I eat, get that I wear, owe no man hate, envy no man’s happiness, glad of other men’s good.”
However, after hearing so many stories of celebrities going broke, it makes me wonder if he really is making all the dough we think he is as a rock star. For all we know, Jet Screamer may be making $12,000 on 2.5 million downloads of music from Apple iTunes as I read something like that in an article online. Maybe, he is making $0 after all the money he owes to mangers, lawyers, stylists, and publicists. Who really knows?
See my post How Beyoncé and Jay-Z became a $1 billion couple
Regardless, this show was fun, vibrant, and cool to watch. It still is.
