Why The Jetsons still matters (2012)

>Public approval of funding for the Apollo program peaked at 53 percent (around the first moon landing) but pretty much hovered between 35-45 percent for most of the 1960s

I had no idea. The article is right in saying that if you were a kid at that time (and I was just old enough to be aware of the moon landing as it was happening, although I was surprised at the time that it hadn't happened before), of course you approved. But if you were an adult, you didn't necessarily see the value.

> but today “The Jetsons” stands as the single most important piece of 20th century futurism.

Only a single, off-hand mention of Star Trek in the whole article?

From 2012 so AI doesn't factor in which would be more interesting in comparison.

Having watched the Jetsons as a kid I remember that George Jetson worked for Spaceley Sprockets where his only job was to push a single button. He worked with a computer personality called Rudy (an AI) who from memory was always depressed and had a crush on a female computer personality of rival company Cogsworth Cogs.

It would be interesting to revisit this with a focus on the relationship and interactions between humans and their AI/robotics.

"1975 and the Changes to Come" [1], a book from 1962 that was mentioned as inspirational to the creator of the show.

[1] https://archive.org/details/1975changestocom0000arno/page/32...

I always wondered what the earth looked like below? Were the Jetson's part of a breakaway civilization like in the movie Elysium?

Caring about jetpacks, flying cars, or robot maids is such modern-day capitalist brain rot. George is the family's breadwinner and works only two days a week for one hour a day in the show.

Maybe I was stupid or maybe it just doesn’t hit the same way if you don’t grow up in the US, but I remember not being terribly fascinated by it as a 90s kid. In fact, I found it kind of uncanny that the world felt so… disconnected. I later learned this was called “modernist architecture”.

Interestingly, if we could do floating orbital platforms above Venus, it could perhaps look a little like the Jetsons.

The Jetsons was honored by the Power Puff girls with a number of Easter egg appearances. Just search ‘power puff firms and jetsons’ for examples.

> “The Jetsons” stands as the single most important piece of 20th century futurism.

LOL. Perhaps it's important to Americans.

I'm not sure I've seen a single episode, I certainly didn't see it when it was broadcast.