Cartoon Speech(12-2012)

Hardy HarCARTOON Har SPEECH By Kate Ross, MS CCC-SLP

created'by'several'artists'and' writers'beginning'in'the'1930’s' –'issues'that'over'the'years' have'caused'controversies.

Two'Looney'Tune'characters' are'stutterers:'Porky'Pig'and' Foghorn'Leghorn.'Stuttering'is' a'disruption'in'the'rhythm'of' speech,'characterized'by' repetitive'or'prolonged'sound,' word'and'phrase'productions.' The'original'voice'for'Porky'Pig' was'a'Warner'Brothers'actor' named'Joe'Dougherty,'a'real' stutterer.'Porky'debuted'in' Photo by Alena Ross Becker 1935'utilizing'Dougherty’s' voice'until'1937.'After'several' None the Worse for Wear episodes,'the'cartoon' productions'were'troubled' language'issue'or'a'learning' because'of'Dougherty’s' As a kid faithfully watching challenge.'Look'at'the' uncontrolled'stuttering.' Saturday morning cartoons in persistence'of'Wyle'E'Coyote,' Thereafter'the'studio'hired'Mel' the ‘60’s, and striving to talk like perseverating'on'getting'that' Blanc'whose'Oirst'voices'with' Road'Runner'after'numerous' the Jetson’s dog, Astro, who Looney'Tunes'were'drunken' catastrophic'poundings'on'his' bullOighters'in'Picador(Porky'in' initiated each word with /r/, I body.'Who'would'put'up'with' 1937.'Blanc'was'able'to'make'a' feel none the ‘rorse ror rear’ as such'physical'abuse?'' Astro dog would say. But maybe ' And'what'about'Pepe'Le' controlled'stutter'for'Porky,' there’s something to this as my Pew’s'persistence'to'woo'that' thus'was'hired.' chosen career path is speech black'and'white'feline?''He'just' http:// language pathology. ! will'not'take'‘no’'for'an'answer.'' toolooney.goldenagecartoons.com What'is'that'about? Several'years'ago,'while' ' Let’s'look'at'some'of'the' While'Porky'tended'to' teaching'graduate'students,'it' more'obvious'speech'and' repeat'sounds'at'the'beginning' dawned'on'me'that'almost'all'of' language'issues'brought'about' of'words,'such'as'“BRbRbut'my' the'Looney'Tune'characters' in'these'cartoon'characters' have'a'form'of'speech'or'

©Kate Ross, MS CCC-SLP Page One Of lisping /s/ and funky /l/ and /r/ sounds - What’s it all about? name’s'not'JRJRJRJack.'IR of'the'vocal'play'for'both' this'out.''A'speech'language' I’m'PRPRPRPorky'Pig”,'Foghorn' Sylvester'and'Daffy.' pathologist'could'have'helped' Leghorn'repeated'phrases.'' him'during'his'midRelementary' ''http:// Foghorn'Leghorn,'Oirst' years. toolooney.goldenagecartoons.com presented'in'1946'in'Walky( ' And'then'there’s'sweet' Talky(Hawky(created'by'Robert' ' Daffy'Duck'had'many' little'Tweety'Bird,'again'voice' McKimson'and'voiced'by'Mel' incarnations'in'the'cartoon' provided'by'Mel'Blanc.'A' Blanc,'is'a'loudRmouthed' world,'mostly'in'the'zany'duck' phonological'process'known'as' leghorn'rooster,'shouting'out' role'and'often'as'sidekick'for' stopping'is'Tweety’s'speech' aphorisms,'such'as'“You're' others,'such'as'Porky'Pig'with' challenge,'favoring'/t/'and'/d/' doing'a'lot'of'choppin','but'no' whom'he'Oirst'appeared.''Daffy’s' sounds'as'in'“I'taut'I'taw'a' chips'are'Olyin'.” And'try'this' voice'is'really'just'a'spedRup' puddy'tat.'I'did,'I'DID'tee'a' logical'math:'“Two'half'nuthin’s' version'of'Sylvester'–'thus'both' puddy'tat.”''Though'Tweety' is'a'whole'nuthin’.” carry'that'sloppy'lateral' goes'a'bit'overboard'with'these' http://onefoggy.tripod.com lisped''/s/'that'could'have'used' favored'sounds'likely'to'add' Often'squawking'at'his'innocent' the'expertise'of'a'speech' humor,'I'have'actually'heard' little'bespectacled'nephew,' language'pathologist.''http:// young'children'speak'like'this.'' Foghorn,'the'talkative'uncle,' toolooney.goldenagecartoons.com Is'it'because'they'watch'too' wasn’t'set'back'by'his'stutter.'‘I' Elmer'Fudd,'funny'little' many'cartoons?''I'don’t'think'so.'' say,'I'say,'I'say'now'why'don’t' old'bald'guy,'originally'named' This'phonological'process'is' we'get'on'with'it'already'.'.'.’ Egghead,'who'constantly' developmentally'typical' bickers'with'Bugs'Bunny,'has'a' because'it’s'easier'to'produce' babyish'voice,'most'often' ‘stopped’'/t,'d/'sounds'than'the' Sylvester)the)Cat)and)Daffy)Duck) spoken'by'Arthur'Q.'Bryan.' continuous'airOlow'of'frictionR articulate'lateral'lisping'/s/' Depending'on'the'cartoon,'you' produced'/s/'and'‘th’'sounds.'' productions'where'air'escapes' might'detect'a'bit'of'a'vocal'fry' Stopping'is'one'of'many' over'the'sides'of'the'tongue' or'raspiness'in'Fudd’s'vocal' phonological'processes'young' rather'than'the'more'accurate' quality.'“You'siwwy'wabbit,”' children'produce'to'help'them' air'passing'over'the'top'front'of' Fudd'often'says'in'his' make'sense'of'and'simplify'our' a'slightly'curved'tongue.'Lateral' frustration'with'Bugs.' sound'system.'Phonological' lisping'/s/’s'are'sloppy,' During'my'career'as'a' processes'are'essentially' excessively'juicy'sounds,'thus' speech'language'pathologist,' patterns'children'make.' teachers'often'ask'me'about' the'Olying'saliva'episodes'of' Typically'these'phonological' preschoolers'speaking'like' process'errors'are'selfR both'Sylvester'and'Daffy.' Elmer'Fudd;'is'it'ok?'Many' corrected'through'practice,'but' Sylvester'created'by'Friz' preschoolers,'kindergartners' occasionally'intervention'is' Freleng'in'1945,'began'his' and'even'Oirst'graders'speak'like' necessary'to'achieve'intelligible' cartoon'career'in'Life(with( Fudd,'distorting'/l/'and'/r/' speech. Feathers'with'his'Oirst'words' sounds.'Young'children'take'a' “Sufferin’'Succotash.”'These'Oirst' long'time'to'perfect'these' words'were'actually'‘thufferin’' ‘gliding’'sounds;'gliding'into' what'proceeds'and'succeeds' thuccotash’,'which'became' tilizing'children’s'speech' their'placement'in'words'and' U Sylvester’s'trademark'phrase.' phrases.'At'his'mature'age,' and'language'characteristics' Mel'Blanc'was'again'the'genius' Fudd'really'should'have'Oigured' within'cartoons'may'be'

©Kate Ross, MS CCC-SLP Page Two What I hear and . . . what is my point? Utilizing children’s speech in cartoons controversial.'Adults'really' kitchen'sink'sponge,'added' should'model'good'speech' belted'brown'square'pants'and' habits,'clearly'enunciating' a'white'Oxford'shirt'topped'off' sounds'in'words'and'using' with'a'short'red'tie.'Originally' he'named'his'creation'Sponge' appropriate'grammar.'But'what' Boy,'but'that'name'was'already' sells'in'media,'prevails.'And'the' trademarked,'so'he'changed'to' Rugrats'add'to'this'controversy.' Sponge'Bob.''http:// The'Rugrats'created'by' ! Photo by Larry Becker www.factmonster.com/spot/ Arlene'Klasky','Gabor'Csupo'and' spongebobfacts.html''Square' Paul'Germain,'debuted'in'1991' One)of)my)favorite)cartoon) Pants'was'tagged'on'and'taR da'.'.'.'another'successful' for'Nickelodeon'cable'network.' character)names) is'Sponge'Bob' cartoon'character,'though'my' The'babies'and'toddlers'speak' Square'Pants'R'quite'a'mouthful' speech'language'pathologist' babyese,'while'fully' for'preschool'children.'I'once' understanding'what'adults'say' ears'are'offended. to'them.'However,'they'ageR visited'a'twoRyear'old'boy'at'his' Another'aspect'of'the' typically'take'Oigurative' home'because'his'mom'was' Sponge'Bob'cartoons'that'is' language'literally'R'‘I'don’t'see' concerned'he'wasn’t'saying'any' concerning'as'a'speech' the'cats'and'dogs'raining' words'yet.''Lo'and'behold,' language'pathologist'is'the' outside.'Where'the'heck'are' during'this'very'visit,'my'Oirst' frenetic'approach'–'reportedly' they?’'the'toddlers'might'say. with'this'child,'he'brought'a' contributing'to'the'attention' The'Rugrats’' picture'of'Sponge'Bob'Square' deOicit'of'our'youth.''Scenes'in' communications'consist'of' Pants'to'his'mother'and'said,' the'popular'cartoon'Oly'by' within'seconds.''How'can'a' developmentally'typical'sound' “Sponge'Bob”'–'not'that'clearly' young'child’s'brain'process'such' and'grammar'errors,'such'as' of'course'–'it'was'more'like'Bah' deleting'smaller'function'words' rapidROire'information?'A'very' (‘of’,'‘the’'and'‘to’).'Tommy' Bah,'but'we'all'knew'what'he' good'question,'but'I'also' Pickles,'still'in'diapers,'might' meant'due'to'the'contextual'cue' question'how'adults'process'the' say,'“Chuckie'go'byeRbye?”' of'that'picture.''The'mother'was' auctionRlike'speed'of'lists'of' Chuckie'Finster,'perhaps'three' beside'herself'with'joy.''Her'son' side'effects'in'the'every'tenR years'old,'might'respond,'“Yeah,' had'spoken!''Thanks'Steve' minute'pharmaceutical' I’m'goin’'byeRbye.”''Chuckie’s' Hillenburg'for'creating'Sponge' commercials'on'TV'during'peak' nasal'vocal'quality'is'not' Bob'Square'Pants!'' TV'watching'hours?''I'don’t' prevalent'in'preschool'aged' think'even'younger'adult'minds' children,'but'can'be'heard'in' I'hear'anywhere'from' can'keep'up'with'that'pace.''So' children'with'frequent'colds'or' “Bob'Bob”'to'“Wear'Pants”'to' why'is'Sponge'Bob'under' adenoid'issues.'http:// “Punge'Pant”.''It'takes'a'while' scrutiny'while'we'ignore'the' www.lonympics.co.uk/rugs.htm for'me'to'recognize'that'a'child' sometimes'lifeRthreatening'drug' is'speaking'of'Hillenburg’s' side'effects'Olying'by'in'TV'ads?' creation,'which'debuted'in' ''' 1999.'Hillenburg,'a'marine' biologist'and'artist,'thought'it' Just what, you ask, is my point? would'be'fun'to'develop'an' If'children'are'the'ultimate' ocean'sponge'cartoon'character.' He'chose'a'yellow'rectangular' users'of'the'names,'why'are'we'

©Kate Ross, MS CCC-SLP Page Three Share conversational bonding with your children . . . it’s rewarding! creating'such'phonologically' learned'just'a'small'handful'of' your'child.'Show'a'desire'to'be' difOicult'names'like'Sponge'Bob' those'names,'I'too'was'able'to' together.'At'the'same'time,' Square'Pants?''Why'are'we' widen'my'conversation'topics' media'needs'to'be'aware'of'the' allowing'cartoon'characters'like' with'this'child.'As'I'entered'his' names,'words,'and'language' world'of'media'knowledge'we' they'choose'in'their' the'Rugrats'and'Looney'Tune' related'better.''And'perhaps'this' programming'–encouraging' characters'to'speak'with' is'part'of'a'solution.' easy'pronunciation'and' articulation'errors'and' Over'the'years'as'I'listen' appropriate'grammar'to'foster' inappropriate'grammar'when' to'young'children'struggle'to' common'conversational' the'primary'audience'is'young' create'a'conversational'bond' bonding.'' children?'What'does'this'teach' with'caring'adults,'who'may'not' them? watch'the'same'TV'programs'or' movies'as'their'children,' And that is all folks! Several'years'ago'when' children'who'increasingly'rely' speaking'with'a'highly' on'technological'means'to' unintelligible'fourRyear'old'boy,' entertain'themselves'vs.' I'looked'to'the'mother'for' relishing'in'personal'contact' guidance'because'she'seemed' with'important'caring'adults,'I' fairly'conOident'in'her' question:'What'are'the' conversations'with'her'son.'She' connections'today’s'children'are' shared'that'he'faithfully' making?' watched'the'Pokemon'show'and' Adults'need'to'take'the' knew'the'names'of'all'the' time'to'learn'the'interests'of' Japanese'characters,'of'which' their'children.'Participate'in'TV' there'were'apparently'over'a' and'movie'watching'alongside' hundred.'Once'I'researched'and'

Website Resources http://www.factmonster.com/spot/spongebobfacts.html

http://www.lonympics.co.uk/rugs.htm

http://onefoggy.tripod.com

http://toolooney.goldenagecartoons.com

Kate Ross, MS, CCC-SLP Speech Language Pathologist

A 25 year veteran speech language pathologist and early childhood educator managing my own private practice for over a dozen years - I’ve heard much of it - I’m certain not all. I love my job because I get to play as I work! Who can ask for anything more? Hoping you ﬁnd this self-published article helpful. Check out more information at my website: http://www.edukater-slp.com