# Hanna Barbera cartoons: Why the colored area around men's mouths **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 29, 2011, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanna-barbera-cartoons-why-the-colored-area-around-mens-mouths/576407 "2011-03-29T17:55:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![caligulathegod](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caligulathegod/32/9685_2.png) [@caligulathegod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligulathegod)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanna-barbera-cartoons-why-the-colored-area-around-mens-mouths/576407/21 "2011-03-30T08:35:31Z")
Fred and Barney had blank faces and the mouths were animated on a separate layer. Since they didn’t want to redraw the whole head each time, they separated the mouths from the head with the 5 o’clock shadow. Female characters didn’t move their whole mouths, just the lips, so they had blank faces and lips on a separate layer. Characters like Wilma’s mother had blank faces and they just animated simple lines for mouths. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanna-barbera-cartoons-why-the-colored-area-around-mens-mouths/576407/22 "2011-03-30T17:07:45Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > Fred, Barney, _et al_ would look very weird to me _without_ that patch. Not really, just a bit younger. [I present fresh shaven Fred and Barney!](http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5024/5574142971_5eb0371a2c.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanna-barbera-cartoons-why-the-colored-area-around-mens-mouths/576407/23 "2011-03-30T17:31:20Z")
Also, having just watched an episode on YouTube I’m not sure I buy the 5’oclock shadow breakpoint idea. Why not just color the face in and draw the mouths over it like a lot of other cartoons did. Everything about the mouth would cover over the face behind. The neck/head turn I agree with. [Example.](http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5030/5574201841_ed0edd18d7.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanna-barbera-cartoons-why-the-colored-area-around-mens-mouths/576407/24 "2011-03-30T18:43:56Z")
The shadow wasn’t necessary for the animation, just the style. Other HB characters didn’t have shadows. Check out [Mr. Ranger Sir](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:RangerSmith.png). I think the primary reason for the shadows was to identify Fred and Barney as laborers. There’s not much point in overthinking this, in the animation industry these type of characters are known as ‘ventriloquist dummies’. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanna-barbera-cartoons-why-the-colored-area-around-mens-mouths/576407/25 "2011-03-30T18:52:26Z")
I always interpreted it more as wrinkles. And, Mr. Ranger did have one–it’s just not a different color. ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanna-barbera-cartoons-why-the-colored-area-around-mens-mouths/576407/26 "2011-03-30T19:52:11Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > nobody could ever claim George or Fred were chiseled Of course they were chiseled, they were **Bedrock** men! ---
**Author:** ![Shark\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanna-barbera-cartoons-why-the-colored-area-around-mens-mouths/576407/27 "2011-03-30T20:03:22Z")
I never understood why Fred and Betty’s eyes are drawn with the sclera, but Barney and Wilma’s are just black. ---
**Author:** ![steveinphoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b19c9b/32.png) [@steveinphoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steveinphoenix)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2017, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanna-barbera-cartoons-why-the-colored-area-around-mens-mouths/576407/28 "2017-11-05T05:01:52Z")
If you ever notice Fred or Barney, or George Jetson or Spacely etc. And they are shown looking directly at the camera, their mouths are sideways!!! DRAW IT PROPERLY, im 54 now and that has bothered me and most friends since we were like 6 years old. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2017, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanna-barbera-cartoons-why-the-colored-area-around-mens-mouths/576407/29 "2017-11-05T05:40:05Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I always interpreted it more as wrinkles. Caused, no doubt, by all the Winstons they smoked in those commercials. :mad: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Bvt8skgm2l8/hqdefault.jpg "3 Flintstones Winston Cigarettes Commercials") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bvt8skgm2l8) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2017, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanna-barbera-cartoons-why-the-colored-area-around-mens-mouths/576407/30 "2017-11-05T06:28:04Z")
> [@steveinphoenix](#): > > If you ever notice Fred or Barney, or George Jetson or Spacely etc. And they are shown looking directly at the camera, their mouths are sideways!!! DRAW IT PROPERLY, im 54 now and that has bothered me and most friends since we were like 6 years old. Be thankful they didn’t do **this** : [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/iKYlitlKN6c/hqdefault.jpg "Clutch Cargo - Kangaroo Express pt 1") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKYlitlKN6c) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hanna-barbera-cartoons-why-the-colored-area-around-mens-mouths/576407.md?page=1)