Discrediting the Past,Rubbishing the Future‐‐a critical comparison of The Flintstones and The Jetsons

It can be argued that television is responsible in some part for the socialization of children. In The Flintstones and The Jetsons cartoons is the young viewer encouraged to disregard the past as primitive and fear the over‐technologicalization of the future? Is the here (small town America) and now (mid‐20th century) best? In support of this argument the nature and history of cartooning are reviewed with particular reference to the work of Hanna‐Barbera productions. Analysis of the case studies throws a further political light on the intentions of the creators of Fred Flintstone and George Jetson.