In recent weeks, there has been a storm surrounding HBO Max’s new animated series. Both TV viewers and critics give the series an exceptionally hard ride. “It seems like everyone hates Velma,” Forbes wrote. The magazine has already managed to write six articles about the series, which they refer to as one of the worst of all time: “The only thing Velma has managed to do well – which is quite impressive – is that it has managed to gather the entire internet in a small moment”, writes the journalist Eric Cain. Why is a “Scooby Doo” TV series so popular? TV DEBUT: The mystery gang’s first encounter with the world was in 1969, in the series “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!”. The characters from left: Daphne, Shaggy, Velma, Fred and Scooby. Photo: Warner Bros Velma and the rest of the mystery gang first appeared in 1969. Since then, there have been 13 more films and series in the “Scooby Doo” universe, the last one as recently as 2020. Now the story was to be told once more time – but this time to an adult audience. The first thing viewers noticed was Scooby’s absence. Warner Bros., which owns the “Scooby Doo” trademark, thought the new tone of “Velma” was inappropriate for the dog to be associated with. Still, most expected that “Velma” would be another mediocre addition to the known universe. Instead, it became mincemeat after being butchered in both social and traditional media. On IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes, disappointed fans are raging, making it one of the lowest-rated TV series ever. Since “Scooby Doo”‘s debut, Velma has been portrayed in a number of drawing styles, by several voice actors, in her 52-year run. Photo: Warner Bros. Velma in the feature film “Scooby Doo” from 2002. Photo: Warner Bros. Velma in the new interpretation “Scoob!” from 2020. Photo: Warner Bros Velma in its own spin-off series of the same name. Her look in “Velma” is inspired by voice actress Mindy Kaling. Photo: HBO Max In “Velma”, the well-known characters go to high school and, as usual, try to unravel a mystery. Velma has become Southeast Asian, and Shaggy African American. In addition, Velma and Daphne begin a romantic relationship. These changes have led to accusations that the mystery gang has become more politically correct and “woke”. However, what has caused the most reactions is the series’ content. In its courtship of an adult audience, the cartoon’s Cartoon Network innocence has been traded for crude meta-jokes and sharp political commentary. The series is criticized for portraying Southeast Asian girls in a bad way, it jokes about “Me Too” and transgender people, and the portrayal of one of the main characters of the “Scooby Doo” gang, Fred, as a privileged white man has not gone down well either taste. But those who are most upset are the “Scooby-Doo” fans, who believe that “Velma” has turned the mystery gang into vulgar, political mouthpieces for an unknown cause. – Has managed to create a community In its attempt to joke about both today’s woke society and everyone who cares about it, “Velma” has ended up kicking in all directions – and thus everyone in the face. – It is difficult to imagine the audience here, and for whom it will be funny, says media researcher Vilde Schanket Sundet. She believes there are two explanations for why “Velma” has missed the mark so badly. – They strongly violate the expectations of the fans. And then there is this matter of navigating political humor with culture wars online. It doesn’t take much in some camps before something goes wrong. Sundet believes that the phenomenon of hate-watching is part of the reason why the series has become so popular to hate. Watching TV is still a social activity, and being able to get together to chat about it makes watching TV feel meaningful. If so in a comment field. Media researcher at the University of Oslo, Vilde Schanke Sundet. Photo: UiO In this way, by appealing to such a wide range of people, “Velma” has created a community, Sundet believes. – And this is good business for the streaming services. The more people talk about a series, the more people flock to them and start a trial on a subscription they end up forgetting to cancel. And she’s right. “Velma” has been confirmed for a second season, according to the website Deadline. BREWING ROMANCE: It has been hinted that Velma likes girls since the 2002 feature film, where a kiss between her and Daphne was cut at the last minute. The first film where she was out of the closet came in 2020. “Velma” is the first spin-off from the Scooby Doo universe where she and Daphne finally end up together. Photo: HBO Max Want to read more cultural stories? Check these out:
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