The bizarre theory that suggests the ‘Scooby-Doo’ gang are Vietnam draft-dodgers
The story of Scooby-Doo is a well-recognised one, with fans of many generations finding solace in the children’s animated television series. Telling the story of four teenagers and their hungry pet dog, those meddling kids foiled many nefarious plots over the years.
Given the legacy that comes with a show launched over 50 years ago, there’s a great deal of discussion that surrounds Scooby-Doo, including director James Gunn’s intense hatred of Scrappy-Doo. One of the most interesting points, however, is the fan theory that suggests the gang of Fred, Daphne, Velma, and Shaggy are all attempting to escape the Vietnam war draft by driving their Mystery Machine to Canada – a claim stemming from the fact that the show premiered in 1969, a time when the conflict was at its height. The theory posits that Fred was actually drafted into the war, with him running away with fiancée Daphne, whilst the hippie Shaggy and activist Velma joined them based on their anti-war beliefs.
Nearly a decade ago, a Reddit user posted the theory for the first time. For Fred’s circumstances, the user corresponded: “Fred is the comically clean-cut suburban kid who seemingly has no reason to leave home and hit the highway. While you don’t question Shaggy’s decision to go nomad, you really have to wonder about him. But of course, there’s a reason: his draft number just came up, and he’s decided to leave home for a new life in Canada”. They then explained that Fred’s fiancée, Daphne, felt compelled to join her loved one to start a new life north of the border.
Of Shaggy, the fan wrote: “Shaggy is the classic hippie, a longhaired jive-talker with an eternal case of the munchies who only goes by his nickname. You don’t question his decision to go off the grid and live in a van with his dog because it seems completely natural for a kid like that in 1969. He named his van ‘The Mystery Machine’ because he dreamed of pulling a Jack Kerouac and finding the answers to life’s mysteries on the open road, and he took his beloved Great Dane with him.”
As for Velma, the theorist asserted that she is a student activist who supports Fred in dodging the draft. They also claimed that she joined the group to flee her college campus when a protest turned violent, much like the one that would occur at Kent State University in Ohio in 1970. The fan explained: “Velma is the rebellious young antiwar activist, devoted to standing up for her ideals at any cost. With the short hair, black glasses and baggy sweater, she looks like a caricature of a Vietnam protestor from 1969… because that’s exactly what she is. She joined Fred’s group to flee her old college campus when a protest turned violent, and she feels a protective instinct towards Fred because he’s a draftee in danger of being sent to his death in a war that she opposes.”
