Scooby-Doo's Dark Fan Theory

[DTux]

For draft dodgers, they seem extremely willing to give their full legal names to police on the regular; while working closely with them

[lissienicole]

I Never thought they were teenagers when I was younger, the way they looked made me think they were adults so whenever they were called kids I was very confused XD

[Dreddvoyd]

They are friends from high school who had a love of solving mysteries, so much so that after graduating they started a company that solves mysteries. Some episodes are random encounters but most are visiting family or friends and the occasional they get called in to help solve the mystery.

[aidanlynch]

In this era, young folks were always traveling the U.S.. There was a cultural zeitgeist of simply getting in your car and going somewhere. It resonated with the "free-spirit" part of being a hippie in the 60s and 70s. My mom hitchhiked across the country multiple times in this era.

[DigitalOzymandias]

My understanding was that Velma was doing her Masters thesis on the paranormal phenomenon, and the gang were her research assistants.

[hatchmaster_]

They work with law enforcement constantly. Like literally they are talking to cops and giving them their full, real legal names every episode

[nvfury]

The real reason is that they were meant to be a band, traveling all over to go to or find gigs, but would be caught up in these mysteries. They dropped the band element from the stories, but is why the team have cutaways during chases of the Scooby Gang playing the songs.

[magentawool]

Shaggy isn't just "the guy who carries the bags" or "the local hippie", he's like a multi-millionaire and the van was his.

[ghostsuru]

For how congenial and gregarious the scooby gang were...I really doubt they were draft dodgers. They seem too innocent and earnest to even consider breaking the law.

[WouldbeSage]

...and Scooby is an eldritch being of unimaginable power.

[gatodestructo]

Shaggy: "Like I didn't dodge the draft, man. The draft dodged me!"

[phirsty]

Hippie friend Shaggy and Scooby-Doo the talking dog. Much sense.

[winstonweiss]

In other words, were all lost in the fog. Shaggy pops up and says "you buzzed?" followed by canned laughter. One my of favorite lines.

[matthewlouissanico]

"Why do you keep remembering? "

[BOZOman-gpzz]

Honestly I thought the were just all hippies but Fred was a rich one and Daphne just dressed nice and Velma was a nerd

[trublgrl]

They basically give an explanation for their wanderings in the "Mystery Incorporated" series. Without actually telling us in advance, they set that series _before_ "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?" They were four normal kids from diverse backgrounds, in a relatively normal coastal city. Through the course of the series, they find out that there are real, occult phenomena out in the world, and while most mysteries are just fake, there are very dangerous, evil people out there, and when they solve the Mystery in Crystal Cove, they decide they don't want to break up their gang and go back to their normal lives, where, yes, there is nothing keeping them together. They jump in The Mystery Machine and go off in search of new adventures that they are now uniquely prepared to deal with. It's a great series, even for people like me who never liked Scooby-Doo.
[EDIT: Andreagizman7951 corrected me, they didn't just go off wandering, they went off on a cross-country road trip to their new school. That is when all the other Scooby Doo stuff happened.]

[Coswalker]

That won't be a bad show. Imagine a scooby show where they are not only helping the police. But also running away from them.

[anxia-tea]

this question is easily answered by simply watching mystery incorporated

[trinkab]

Video should be titled: How to say "I've never watched an episode." without **saying** "I've never watched an episode."

They all went to school together (in Scooby-Doo Where Are You?! Series, there are references to their high school talents.) Almost **every single episode** starts with an explanation of where they are, where they are headed, and why they are there. They were going to the beach to surf and party, they were going to visit Velma's uncle, they were lost getting to a music festival, Scooby might inherit a lot of money...etc.

[criticalthought]

This’d be an actually really neat adult prequel to the cartoon.. you know.. a good take on that premise.