I have a treasure box back at my parents’ house. What’s in it, you ask?
Tazos, wrestling cards, a torn diary which I made when I was in class 4 and lots of CDs. A very interesting bit about the CDs, hear me out, is that a lot of them are cartoon series.
I have always loved cartoons. As a 24-year-old, I might not watch as many cartoons as I did when I was a kid but I enjoy them now way more than any other adult I know. A significant part of my childhood has been spent watching cartoons, especially Tom & Jerry.
The mayhem really got me. It was funny, witty and worked wonders when it came to killing time. The one thing I never really looked into was the philosophy of Tom & Jerry. Well, honestly, no kid does.
But when you really look into the depth of it, you’d discover an underlying truth to the series that started back in 1940 and has won 7 Oscars. Mind blowing, isn’t it? Nope, it isn’t. The mind blowing bit lies in what I am going to reveal next.
The truth buried under the playful universe of Tom & Jerry is a reflection of all our real lives.
The twisted friendship between Tom and Jerry draws a brilliant analogy with the relationships we share with people in today’s world.
They’re hot then they’re cold, they’re yes then they’re no, they’re in then they’re out, they’re up then they’re down, they’re wrong when it’s right. It’s black and it’s white, they fight, they break up,they sip, they make up.
That sums up Tom & Jerry’s very twisted friendship just like all of our friendships. It also gives us an insight into our relationship with our siblings. Somehow, they never give up on each other even after going through the worse of the situations.
Our life is basically a maze with several blocks which is brilliantly illustrated in the show. We constantly juggle with problems of diverse nature and somehow, we meet them face-to-face when we least expect them. Tom and Jerry create those obstacles in this eccentric string of events which comes across as a mirror image of what happens to the best of us.
Is there ever a shortcut to success? Haven’t we all learned it the hard way?
There are instances in the show where Tom or Jerry try to take a shortcut, it ends up pretty bad. This is a slight hint towards a bigger lesson that there is absolutely no shorter way to achieve what we really want in life. Take it or leave it.
There will always be someone you will meet in your life who will make you feel ‘small’ or ‘big’.
Remember the last time you looked at yourself in the mirror thinking if you’re good enough? Honestly, I have felt that way, too. Sometimes, more than once in a single day. We always believe that there is someone better than us and we are, after all, not that great. We always tend to reflect more on our negatives than our positives and it is, in no way, your fault. Humans, especially Indians, are designed that way. And this very fact is beautifully demonstrated through the characters of the show.
Your strength and your might is not measured in physical attributes. You are bigger than you think you are!
The small can overcome the seemingly bigger and more powerful. It is a proven fact. But we forget. Pretty damn easily. And that is why we have Tom & Jerry who seem to scream this fact at the top of their voices.
At this point, I would like to take a moment to appreciate the thought that went behind the creation of Jerry. A very small creature with a conviction of the Gods.
Life will constantly push you. Change is the only constant.
We are always-on, 24/7 because we are afraid to unplug, for we may be misjudged for being less dedicated. We hardly take a moment to breathe. We don’t take enough breaks. We have reached a stage where when we do take moment to chill, we feel restless. Even though, this show was made way before the internet generation was born, it spectacularly sketches an image of something way ahead of its time.
Everyone goes through ups and downs. Don’t worry, hang in there!
In one of the 1956 episode called Blue Cat Blues, Tom signs on all his ‘will papers’ and is seen sitting on the railway tracks and one can hear train sounds. Tom says, “In a few minutes, it’ll all be over. It is better this way.” The same episode shows the reason why he commits suicide and it has to do with him falling in love with a girl cat and breaking his heart.
This is a display of a very weak moment in Tom’s life, just like the rest of us who have got our hearts broken at some point or the other. Interestingly, this episode gives us a unique sneak peek into the deeply rooted friendship between Tom & Jerry drawing an imagery of our friends who are right beside us in the time of adversity.
Every scar is a story to tell.
Going through all the hardships and crossing the obstacles makes for a strong personality. That is what Tom & Jerry stood for. No matter what happens, every scar is a story to tell and every experience is a lesson learnt. We keep moving ahead. We don’t quit.
Changing the way you look at a problem can prove to be a game-changer.
Another very interesting bit to observe is the way they attack each other. Imagine you’re stuck in a problem. You find solution A, then a B.. and perhaps a C. And then, probably you sleep on it. You ask people for advice. Several people sometimes. And then probably, you find a solution.
It is all about looking at a problem from a different perspective just like Tom & Jerry who never seem to give up.
You will meet all kinds of people in life, some you will love, and some you will hate. Keep your friends closer.
Even through all the fights and crazy mayhem that they created, Tom & Jerry never really hurt each other, emotionally. In the worse of times, they were there for each other. You will meet a variety of people in your life. You don’t need to like everyone but you need to find your ‘special’ people to make life bearable.
We fight with our friends but we are always there for them, just like Tom & Jerry.
That is all folks.