# What's the usual level of difficulty in solving a Scooby Doo mystery? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 15, 2007, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-usual-level-of-difficulty-in-solving-a-scooby-doo-mystery/392339 "2007-02-15T14:14:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2009, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-usual-level-of-difficulty-in-solving-a-scooby-doo-mystery/392339/61 "2009-02-09T07:27:33Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > Am I the first to notice that this is a _two year old_ thread resurrected by **dougie-monty** this morning? > > Not that I mind, I just thought it was funny. What happened, Dougie? > > -FrL- [coldly] What happened is that the characters, whom I remember as fit for impressionable kids watching Saturday morning cartoons, seem–in the specific setting I referred to–to have sold out to characterizations more befitting Underground comics, whose writers (and editors) take the copyrighted characters and pervert them (Velma and “lesbianism”). This seems more to suit the intellectual snobs and other little minds–if you get my drift. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2009, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-usual-level-of-difficulty-in-solving-a-scooby-doo-mystery/392339/62 "2009-02-09T14:36:11Z")
Or maybe it makes some people laugh. Whichever. People have been making those kinds of jokes about the characters for decades. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2009, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-usual-level-of-difficulty-in-solving-a-scooby-doo-mystery/392339/63 "2009-02-09T15:25:20Z")
> [@Scissorjack](#): > > And he would’ve gotten away with it if it hadn’t been for you meddling mods! Maybe they’re… _gulp_ _ **Ghost Moderators!** _ ---
**Author:** ![the\_Lady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@the\_Lady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_Lady)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-usual-level-of-difficulty-in-solving-a-scooby-doo-mystery/392339/64 "2009-02-09T15:35:32Z")
All I know is I have a two and half year old who is positively addicted, and has been since about 18 months. It’s going to be an ugly scene when she gets to the stage where it occurs to her that there could be monsters and zombies in HER closet. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2009, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-usual-level-of-difficulty-in-solving-a-scooby-doo-mystery/392339/65 "2009-02-09T17:04:27Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > [coldly] > What happened is that the characters, whom I remember as fit for impressionable kids watching Saturday morning cartoons, seem–in the specific setting I referred to–to have sold out to characterizations more befitting Underground comics, whose writers (and editors) take the copyrighted characters and pervert them (Velma and “lesbianism”). This seems more to suit the intellectual snobs and other little minds–if you get my drift. “What’s New Scooby Doo” is not a perversion of Scooby Doo. They don’t show anything of the sort you’re imagining. Yes, there have been _spoofs_ of Scooby Doo that do what you’re alleging, but the cartoon itself does not. It is wholesome entertainment that can be watched by six year olds. I’ve never seen the Venture Brothers, but perhaps you’re under the impression that all animated shows must be kid’s shows? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-usual-level-of-difficulty-in-solving-a-scooby-doo-mystery/392339/66 "2009-02-09T17:14:51Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > “What’s New Scooby Doo” is not a perversion of Scooby Doo. They don’t show anything of the sort you’re imagining. Yes, there have been _spoofs_ of Scooby Doo that do what you’re alleging, but the cartoon itself does not. It is wholesome entertainment that can be watched by six year olds. > > I’ve never seen the Venture Brothers, but perhaps you’re under the impression that all animated shows must be kid’s shows? I think he was talking about the Venture Brothers specifically. They are not meant for kids but for adults and teens that stay up late to watch them. I am not a fan, but I also don’t care about what they do. As to “What’s New Scooby Doo”, I think they are the only part of the franchise that improved on the original series. My kids love both the original and the “What’s New Scooby Doo” series and watching both with them I have to admit the newer series is better done, better animated and better written than the original that I loved as a kid. I’m in that age group that saw them new and hated Scrappy when he came along later. The “What’s New Scooby Doo” series captured the feel of the original with a slight update and was generally better done and 100% appropriate for kids but also layered in some humor for adults like myself that were watching. There was almost none of this in the original series. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-usual-level-of-difficulty-in-solving-a-scooby-doo-mystery/392339/67 "2009-02-09T17:53:17Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > [coldly] > What happened is that the characters, whom I remember as fit for impressionable kids watching Saturday morning cartoons, seem–in the specific setting I referred to–to have sold out to characterizations more befitting Underground comics, whose writers (and editors) take the copyrighted characters and pervert them (Velma and “lesbianism”). This seems more to suit the intellectual snobs and other little minds–if you get my drift. 😕 When I asked what happened, I was asking what led you to revive a thread that was two years old. I’ve done that before, for example, when I had opened up several old threads due to a search, and then forgotten that they were old threads. I was wondering if something like that happened with you. Basically, I was giving you an opportunity to say “oops” with a self deprecating smile of some sort. As to your comments above, maybe you didn’t realize that the Venture Brothers episode you were talking about in your first post doesn’t actually use the Scooby Doo characters but rather parodies of them. In fact, the characters in the parody have the names and characteristics of several famous serial killers, so that’s the more direct reference in the episode. The scooby doo franchise hasn’t “sold out” to anything like what you’re talking about. -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2009, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-usual-level-of-difficulty-in-solving-a-scooby-doo-mystery/392339/68 "2009-02-09T20:37:18Z")
I liked “A Pup Named…” myself. It was funny. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-usual-level-of-difficulty-in-solving-a-scooby-doo-mystery/392339/69 "2009-02-10T02:04:34Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > 😕 When I asked what happened, I was asking what led you to revive a thread that was two years old. I’ve done that before, for example, when I had opened up several old threads due to a search, and then forgotten that they were old threads. I was wondering if something like that happened with you. > > Basically, I was giving you an opportunity to say “oops” with a self deprecating smile of some sort. > > As to your comments above, maybe you didn’t realize that the Venture Brothers episode you were talking about in your first post doesn’t actually use the Scooby Doo characters but rather parodies of them. In fact, the characters in the parody have the names and characteristics of several famous serial killers, so that’s the more direct reference in the episode. > > The scooby doo franchise hasn’t “sold out” to anything like what you’re talking about. > > -FrL- My point exactly. I would want to be sure that one was distinguished from the other, especially if I were (actually I am not) a concerned parent wanting to “screen” things for his kids to watch. If something is distinctly titled The Venture Brothers and makes it clear that ‘this is a parody,’ fine. Otherwise they are certainly censurable and liable to lawsuit. Don’t you agree? ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-usual-level-of-difficulty-in-solving-a-scooby-doo-mystery/392339/70 "2009-02-10T02:18:59Z")
Hmm. I wonder if any fan has ever ranked the mysteries, ie. _these_ episode are at a level of difficulty of 4,\* these\* are at a level of difficulty 5. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-usual-level-of-difficulty-in-solving-a-scooby-doo-mystery/392339/71 "2009-02-10T06:58:15Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > My point exactly. I would want to be sure that one was distinguished from the other, especially if I were (actually I am not) a concerned parent wanting to “screen” things for his kids to watch. If something is distinctly titled The Venture Brothers and makes it clear that ‘this is a parody,’ fine. Otherwise they are certainly censurable and liable to lawsuit. Don’t you agree? Which brings us back to the crux of the matter: Venture Brothers and Scooby Doo are both made by companies owned by Time Warner, so anyone getting sued is very unlikely. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-usual-level-of-difficulty-in-solving-a-scooby-doo-mystery/392339/72 "2009-02-10T07:16:29Z")
Cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face, I can only say. (Shrug.) ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-usual-level-of-difficulty-in-solving-a-scooby-doo-mystery/392339/73 "2009-02-10T11:08:27Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Hint: In this show, what appears to be a supernatural phenomenon is **always** faked. > > For some reason, they broke with that august and venerable tradition when they made the movie. Well, Scooby Doo is what, almost 40 years old now? ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-usual-level-of-difficulty-in-solving-a-scooby-doo-mystery/392339/74 "2009-02-10T16:26:56Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > “What’s New, Scooby-Doo?” on the cartoon network was a good update on the original series and did away with the supernatural being real but showed a good wink and nod humor to the original now grown fans watching with their kids. Yep, and they have done away with the 3rd-lead-is-the-culprit formula. My kids watched one last night where all the suspects were guilty. It also seems that at least half of the new ones include a rock band. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-usual-level-of-difficulty-in-solving-a-scooby-doo-mystery/392339/75 "2009-02-10T17:13:58Z")
> [@CaveMike](#): > > Yep, and they have done away with the 3rd-lead-is-the-culprit formula. My kids watched one last night where all the suspects were guilty… Zoinks! Shades of _The Orient Express._ ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-usual-level-of-difficulty-in-solving-a-scooby-doo-mystery/392339/76 "2009-02-10T20:11:36Z")
[Here is a neat quiz.](http://www.mentalfloss.com/quiz/quiz.php?q=94) Scooby Doo plot or actual headline? ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-usual-level-of-difficulty-in-solving-a-scooby-doo-mystery/392339/77 "2009-02-10T20:27:56Z")
> [@Jolly\_Roger](#): > > Well, Scooby Doo is what, almost 40 years old now? _Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?_ premiered in 1969, so Scooby is 40 this year- or 280 in dog years. (Yes, I know dog years do not exist. But then again, neither does Scooby-Doo.) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-usual-level-of-difficulty-in-solving-a-scooby-doo-mystery/392339/78 "2009-02-10T20:28:21Z")
I got eight out of ten even though I’d only seen one of the episodes referred to. (I missed 7 and 10.) I think that quiz needs retooling, or perhaps Scooby Doo isn’t as realistic as the creators intended. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-usual-level-of-difficulty-in-solving-a-scooby-doo-mystery/392339/79 "2009-02-10T20:42:21Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > Otherwise they are certainly censurable and liable to lawsuit. Doubtful, because, as others have pointed out, the company that is making The Venture Brothers is the _same company_ that own the rights to Scooby-Doo. I’m sure it’s done with the copyright holder’s blessing. The Venture Brothers has also parodied Jonny Quest the same way. They’ve depicted grown-up Jonny as a heroin addict and they even killed off Race Bannon in one episode. There’s little danger of confusion. Adult Swim doesn’t come on the air until 10pm in most markets and The Venture Brothers usually doesn’t run before midnight. If your kids are watching TV then you’ve got bigger problems. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-usual-level-of-difficulty-in-solving-a-scooby-doo-mystery/392339/80 "2009-02-10T21:04:05Z")
> [@bmalion](#): > > maybe they’re… > > _gulp_ > > _ **ghost moderators!** _ Rhost Roderators!? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-usual-level-of-difficulty-in-solving-a-scooby-doo-mystery/392339.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-usual-level-of-difficulty-in-solving-a-scooby-doo-mystery/392339.md?page=5)