Why I Hate Cartoon Sound Effects (Most of the Time)

  This is a super weird thing to blog about, but it's a very arbitrary opinion of mine that has made me LOSE IT, and I also think it's kind of funny. I can barely keep it to myself.

 

    Ah, cartoon sound effects. It's the one trope found in hundreds of cartoons that nobody ever notices, except for me. Even as a kid, I couldn't hear these ridiculous, overused sound samples without being completely aware they exist within the cartoon. Whether the characters are slipping on a banana, getting hit on the head with a club, or scrambling their legs before they take off running, there's a sound effect for basically everything in the cartoon multiverse, and I think I have a unique outlook on it.

 

    My biggest problem with cartoon sound effects is they somehow embarrass me. Seriously, I can't sit down with my family and watch a cartoon without cringing super hard on the inside as I hear those goofy, reality-crushing sounds. If I had to come up with a reason why, it's because of what I said earlier. I'm hyperaware that cartoon sound effects exist—something nobody else seems to have in common with me. I'm ashamed they exist, and they make me feel like they're revolving around me. It's a self-inflicted mental prison, and I wish I knew how to ignore it.

 

    The pandemic-esque frequency of cartoon sound effects is another one of my problems. An example of a highly-used cartoon sound effects library is Hanna-Barbera's library. HB's library is very commonly used in many cartoons in the United States. Even memes use HB cartoon sound effects nowadays. They're EVERYWHERE. Personally, HB's cartoon sound effects are my least favorite cartoon sound effects, because not only do I think they're the cringiest sounds, but their sound effects are used so much.  (which, to their credit, isn't even Hanna-Barbera's fault) The diversity of cartoons that use the same SFX libraries makes me wonder something. Do all cartoons that use the same libraries exist in the same cartoon universe? I mean, I know they're just sound effects that the editors decided to put in the cartoons, but you know, it's just something to think about.

 

    Now, even though I've only criticized cartoon sound effects at this point, there are some instances that I'll put my feelings aside. I like to edit videos and make audio-only memes that I keep for myself and share with people I know. Occasionally, I do use cartoon sound effects in my videos or memes, and I only share them with people whom I've already expressed my feelings for cartoon sound effects with. (because again, I'm ashamed they exist)

 

    What's my favorite cartoon sound effect? It's a very simple answer. None of them. 

 

    But what about my least favorite? I think that title belongs to the sound known as "bawong." To be honest, bawong is like a category of multiple cartoon sound effects (anything that sounds like a drum with a high glissando at the end) but to be more specific, my least favorite one is called "heavy timp rise." (But I still like to call it bawong.) It's part of Hanna-Barbera's SFX library, and it's the one that always stuck out to me when I was younger, because I always thought it was the most ridiculous-sounding one. For example, it sometimes accompanies the impact of someone falling down or something falling on the ground and bouncing. Following bawong, the running sound effect is probably a close 2nd place. I know there are multiple cartoon running sound effects, but I'm talking about the cartoon running sound effect; the one that tends to be attributed with The Flintstones. That one is really cringey in my opinion. (by the way, ALL cartoon SFX are cringey)

 

    The simple presence of cartoon sound effects may annoy me, but I consider it an even worse crime for cartoon sound effects to corrode the things that I love and grew up with. More specifically, Super Mario. I know that Mario is riddled with jump sounds and other unrealistic sound effects, but I can make an exception for that, because those sound effects are not used in anything else. However, if some creative team decides to spoil something as sacred as Mario with Hanna-Barbera cartoon sound effects, (which has definitely happened before) they are walking on thin ice.

 

    Even though cartoon sound effects may be one of my biggest pet peeves, I do admit that cartoons would be super weird if they had realistic sound effects instead. They do get on my nerves, but maybe it's a thing I just need to get over and learn to respect. So in conclusion, I hope there is someone out there that I was able to relate to. If not, this must be a very hot take.

 

Don't be cringe! Be cool instead. 😎

-Evan

 

(Just kidding. It's healthy to be a little cringe every once in a while.)