So there’s been recent movement by fans of the show Hey Arnold! to petition a continuation of the series.
For those that don’t know, I used to produce a podcast, The Vacant Lot Podcast, that was all about Hey Arnold!, a 90s Nicktoon about a boy with a football head living in the big city.
I’ve gone on record on numerous occasions to proclaim I used to be a Hey Arnold! superfan, but as of late this recent renaissance of nostalgic fans have not so implicitly implied I should back their cause.
To be quite blunt: my answer is no.
I loved this show. I was proud of my podcast. I enjoyed writing Hey Arnold! fanfiction. But that chapter of my life is over now. I can’t and won’t identify with these fans that so desperately cling to the past.
Perhaps you are a writer or a creative that has devoted time in energy in a cause that you no longer believe in.
I want you to know that that’s perfectly fine. You’re allowed to grow and change as an individual, and sometimes that means letting go of the past and moving on.
“Let the past die. Kill it if you have to” – Kylo Ren
Here are five reasons why you should let the past die:
- It no longer defines you
- The effort isn’t worth it
- You disagree with the cause
- It feels like no progress has been made
- Your past doesn’t dictate your future
1) It no longer defines you
I used to write Hey Arnold! fanfiction. I did it because I was good at it, but also because I wasn’t confident in writing my own story.
Now with a few published posts under my belt, as well as a short story, I no longer need the cartoon in order to define my identity as a writer.
2) The effort isn’t worth it
I’ve spent 20 years writing Hey Arnold! fanfiction. What can I do with that? I can’t sell them – the intellectual property belongs to someone else.
The most I can do is rework my ideas so they have nothing to do with Hey Arnold! – but then why not simply create original content from the outset?
As I’ve mentioned before: the time invested in elevating other people’s worth can be better spent improving your own creative ideas?
3) You disagree with the cause
Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie came out in 2017; it was the definitive closure of the series. But there were some fans that – despite getting what they wanted after over a decade – were still demanding a continuation for the series with a sixth season.
My thoughts: Not necessary. TJM properly wrapped up all the loose ends of Hey Arnold! – why not end on a high note instead of ruining it with a potentially lackluster product?
4) No progress has been made
In 2002: Hey Arnold: The Movie released to cinemas with a ho-hum 6th place showing, losing out to Disney’s Lilo & Stitch and Cartoon Network’s Powerpuff Girls Movie.
Fast-forward to 2017: TJM was released on Nickelodeon, and STILL underperformed, settling once again on 6th place during a busy Thanksgiving weekend.
The lesson here? Even in a different entertainment landscape, Hey Arnold! was still a cult classic for nostalgia enthusiasts and not really a program for mainstream viewers, particular in the demographics of young children.
If it appears that no progress has been made between a point in the past and your situation, cut your losses. Insanity is doing the same thing several times and expecting a different result. Don’t be that insane creative.
5) Your past doesn’t dictate your future
So here’s something I’ve never admitted: when I was busy with The Vacant Lot, I had a secret hope that the podcast would gain the attention of the people working on The Jungle Movie and it would lead to an opportunity to write for Hey Arnold! during a hypothetical sixth season.
Absurd, right? I now realize this thought process was severely flawed. My goals and ambitions are no longer aligned with wanting to work for Nickelodeon; instead, I want to promote my own stories and ideas, not someone else’s.
As creatives, it is our responsibility to check in with ourselves to see if our actions are still aligned with our goals. If not, then it’s time to either abandon the action or re-evaluate what you’re working with.
So what do you think? Do you agree? Is this the past something you should embrace or abandon? And do you think Hey Arnold! will ever get a sixth season? Leave your answer in the comments below!