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Susan Wilking Horan on why Betty Boop still resonates today
At almost 100 years old, Betty Boop still has our hearts.
In an interview with Authority Magazine, Susan Wilking Horan was asked why Betty Boop still resonates with audiences today. As the Vice President of Operations at Fleischer Studios, a role Horan has held for over 25 years, she knows Betty Boop better than anyone.
Betty's impact, according to Horan, goes back to the very beginning: "Here’s an interesting fact: she was created in 1930 by Max Fleischer, just 10 years after the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote in 1920. So women had only had the vote for a decade when Betty Boop came onto the scene. One of the things she became known for was embracing this newfound independence and freedom that women everywhere were beginning to feel."
Betty was not only an independent woman, but a career woman too. While many today remember Betty as a flapper girl, in the cartoons, she works several different jobs. In her wide range of interests and activities, Betty Boop really set the stage for other pop culture characters to come, like Barbie. "In her cartoons, she was a lion tamer, an aviator, a race car driver — she did everything," Horan said, "And what she did every day was remind women they could do anything they wanted and be anything they wanted to be."
How does Boop still inspire today? Horan explores this subject in Betty Boop's Guide to a Bold and Balanced Life, a book she co-wrote with Kristi Ling Spencer. "So, with that theme and the values of kindness, positivity, and humor — which is such a big part of her character — we created a book with 10 chapters, each one focused on a different cartoon and the values it expressed. We explored why those values are still important today." From Horan's perspective, each Betty Boop cartoon had a lesson, including being kind, teamwork, standing up to bullies, and even lessons considered ahead of Boop's time, like recycling.
The positive lessons and values combined with a joyful approach to independence resulted in a character who has stuck with us for a century, spreading cheeky positivity to each generation. "The values shown in Betty Boop cartoons from a hundred years ago — positivity, humor, kindness, respect, love, family, friendship — those remain the same," Horan said, "They’re timeless. That’s why we believe Betty Boop is still so relevant today."
For those who only know Betty Boop from a pop culture icon perspective, it's understandable why they write her off as just a pretty character. But those who know and love her cartoons know a Betty Boop who is kind, fun, spirited, and fearless, and no obstacle ever slows her down. Betty didn't just bring something to the table, but she built the table that all iconic female cartoon characters now sit at.
