The Dark Age of Cartoons

[Afrohawkman]

They captivated our hearts and our funny bones. They gave us lessons we may have never learned from life in colorful, creative ways. They gave us vast amounts of entertainment, from the funniest violence to the strangest of strange. I am of course speaking of that wondrous media form we know as Cartoons.

At least, for a few years ago and beyond. Not today.

Cartoons from the golden age, from the time when the internet wasn't as huge as it is now and cartoons had just emerged on networks like Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon, were simply the best. They were quirky, funny, and original. They weren't as visually spectacular as some of the newer "3-D" movies as today, but they got the job done. Some of them, like "Hey Arnold!", a show about a kid learning life's lessons through every day life in the city, even taught us valuable lessons that, as aforementioned, may not have even came up in life. They were just there. Stealing, lying, cheating, you know. Those lessons. Even video game icon Sonic the Hedgehog had a segment at the end of the show that spoke about subjects like Smoking, Sexual Harassment, Strangers, and even Awareness of your Surroundings.

Even before those days were the classic cartoons like Tom and Jerry, a cartoon that taught absolutely nothing but senseless violence and bitter rivalry. Sure there was a lesson every now and then, and even some acts of kindness by the cat and mouse, but it was mostly just unexplained chaos. And it was great. It was simple, funny, and non-sequential, so you never really had to pay attention to enjoy the greatness of it.

So then, what exactly is the problem? Surely cartoons have grown and needed to branch out, meaning they couldn't have the same old tired jokes and such. And there are plenty of cartoon movies doing well. Disney/Pixar do excellent work nowadays. What's the problem? Are cartoons really that bad?

Yes. Cartoons have dropped so low in the past few years it's just not funny. Or, rather, they're not funny. At all. They're just dumb, uncharismatic, and void of sense even as cartoons. Some shows have their charm, but then there's others that just trample all over good cartoons. One cartoon named "The League of Super Evil" (Acronym: L.O.S.E.) makes it seem like evil isn't really doing anything nasty or diabolical, it's just being whiny and annoying.

That's not to say every cartoon is bad. Some of the newer ones have a couple lessons. "The Mighty Bee" does taught me this: If a baby has run away and somehow manages to climb on top of a bridge, instead of risking your life and reaching for it or getting the help of the real professionals, you just yell at it, tell it who is boss, and it will immediately jump back into your arms. Yup. The infant, who barely understands English or has the ability to climb, let alone jump, will immediately recognize who is the boss and obey you. I know it's a cartoon, but come on. There's gotta be some limits.

It's not just the new cartoons that are bad though. All the old, good cartoons have just...disappeared, literally and metaphorically. Shows that combine great humor with good plot like "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and "Danny Phantom" were just the cream of the crop, if not aimed at teens. Unfortunately, their endings were rushed and ended within a week. Then, they like never came on again. No reruns, no mention of them, nothing. Just...gone.

I can still remember my first cartoon: Pokemon. It was funny, exciting, and it had the best theme song ever. You didn't even have to watch to show just to know the song. It was just that amazing. Unfortunately...its route is so unclear. The show is still about catching Pokemon and winning battles, but the main character, Ash, has won so many times that I'm actually wondering whether he isn't the supreme master of Pokemon yet. Seriously. He either wins the match or he loses, goes off for an episode, and then comes back and wins. Yawn.

Alas, it's actually getting harder and harder to even find them. Disney Channel barely has 'em other than "Phineas and Ferb" and a few others, Nickelodeon is slowing being taken over by teen sitcoms, and Cartoon Network has become a realty TV network with 2 new teen 'reality' shows coming in this Summer and even a cartoon spoof of "Lost". The only time you can find reruns of the good shows is incredibly early in the morning, when no children are watching.

Speaking of early morning, what of Saturday morning cartoons? That 4 hour block of cartoons that featured our favorite cartoons every week? Can't say. It's so hard to follow any of them because every single one of them follows some kind of plot now. None of them exist just to have fun. They're all super serious.

There's still hope right? What about the cartoons that have lasted decades, like the Simpsons and Family Guy? Well...I just don't know anymore. The Simpsons actually has some lessons every now and then, which isn't bad, but the charm and the humor it had in its early years just isn't the same. Family Guy is just a disgrace. They've become nothing more than political commentators with random flashbacks and a gay baby.

Just what is the problem? Has the charm and humor of animation just dried up? Have we launched ourselves into an age where even fart jokes and scatological humor aren't funny? Is retarded the new medium for fun? Is it time to iron the drawing board and hang it up permanently? Or could this simply be the ramblings of an old man wondering where his nostalgia has gone? Whatever the answer is, cartoons just aren't what they used to be. Not at all.

[Mr Aids]

You take your values from cartoons?

[shi-chan]

I think cartoons from the past always seem way more amazing and better than [insert whatever comes on TV at whatever point in time is now] because we associate good memories/childhood with [insert past cartoon].

I never understood what was so awesome about Tom & Jerry.
But I never watched Tom & Jerry when I was little. x]

Right now, little kids are gaining childhood memories of [insert new show here], and when they grow up, they may or may not think of it the same way you think of Tom & Jerry and Hey Arnold!.


As for morals- honestly, that's something for the parents to be teaching. I seriously don't understand this. I never ever ever ever ever ever ever looked up to TV for life lessons when I was a kid. Am I a freak? >.> Really, I just copied my friends and family. Not TV/music/movie stars. Not TV characters. It's not something I would worry about.

[Kazuuu]

WAITWAITWAIT. An animated LOST spoof? Unless you mean TDI, which is a survivor spoof? Huh?

But on the main point, I don't necessarily think we should be getting morals from cartoons. Sure, a kid could take morals from a cartoon, but I think they'd be able to differentiate reality from fiction. No matter their age. Plus, I hope a kid never gets in a situation where a baby has just fallen off a bridge and they're the only hope to save them.

A lot of the cartoons get into very extreme situations, ones which most likely won't happen in a kid's life time. Even if it does, I don't think they would think: "Ohh, I remember that Tom and Jerry did this! I think I'll do that!".

But as for quality, I fully agree for the most part. All cartoons are nowadays are fart or booger jokes. Which, in some ways it can be applied in such a way where you still think it's hilarious. Billy and Mandy? Full of fart and snot jokes. Yet, they always make me laugh for whatever reason.

Flapjack still rocks my socks, though.

[tezzle]

Cartoon Network is pulling crap with that reality show thing, but a few years ago they also had to live-action Cartoon-Cartoon Friday segments, and those didn't last. I'm not concerned. Nickelodeon does suck, and all of Disney's shows are merely a means to get 10-year-old girls to buy merchandise, and I've stopped bothering with Saturday morning cartoons. They're all crap.

Avatar didn't get canceled or anything, it had a beginning, middle, and end, and you can't really knock it for telling a good story, just because it didn't go the "We're gonna milk this until people stop watching" plan like almost every other show does. Danny Phantom had a great run too. CN just ended a few shows recently, Kids Next Door, Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, because they don't have any of their original programming go over 80-something episodes. I like that idea. Keeps things fresh. Sad to see them end, but like I said, rather it end on its own terms than go stale & die out without any dignity left. Transformers Animated just showed up last year, and they actually finished the story after 2 measly seasons! It was awesome! Original, but still has some of that old Gen 1 charm while being its own show....Ooh! They should remake Best Wars next!...That'd be SWEET.

I do know of some good cartoons. I have no idea what you meant by "Lost" spoof. If you meant Total Drama Island, that's actually a reality show spoof, and it's actually pretty funny. Some of the jokes are more mature, and it has a kind of freedom in what it airs that gives me hope that future cartoons will also learn to lighten-up. There was on-camera puking, light sex jokes, and a girl's top accidentally came off. They pixilated it instead of just having it off-camera. Though, it's not a Cartoon Network original. I look forward to it's sequel show Total Drama Action.

Also, The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack is a phenomenal cartoon. At first glance it just looks like some Spongebob rip-off, but it's NOT. The humor can range anywhere from slapstick to just being so awkwardly creepy you wonder if kids actually watch it without being totally creeped out. Chowder's in somewhat of the same league as Flapjack, but not as creepy. They both have great original cartoon styles and various animation techniques.

Batman: The Brave & The Bold is great too. It's a completely different show than Batman: The Animated Series. It's more of a throwback to the old-school comic books, but without being ridiculously over-the-top campy like said comic books were. IT also gives props to a lot of the lesser-known B-list heroes & villains. It's a great show, even if it's not the same dark & brooding Batman voiced by Kevin Conroy I've grown up with. The Batman, in the 4 seasons it was around, was alright. It started out kind of iffy. Some of the villains redesigns ranged from cool to "They've ruined him," but then they switched Batmobiles, gave Batman a bigger chin, and teamed him up with other DC heroes, and it ended up being an all around good series.

I think, because a lot of those cartoons are from a long time ago, like Disney, Looney Tunes, Tom & Jerry, etc, and have been going on & compiling for going on 80+ years, it LOOKS like you couldn't turn your head without seeing a totally awesome cartoon back then! But...maybe that's because all the awesome cartoons stood the test of time. I like to think some of our modern-day shows will too, and these horrible travesties of animation will only live on in the horror stories we tell our children when THEY complain about how crappy the the 30th season of Pokemon is.

[blackmoongirl2424]

I get what you mean, man. Now a days cartoons have been a dissapointment and I have boomarang and when I watch it (whenever I watch TV) I'm all like "LOLZ!! Why don't we have cartoons like this?!" XDD And I love watching the old Loony Tunes cartoons. Mmm...true there are some cartoons that teach you something but normally I'd focus on the humor XD Man I remember the good shows, Doug, Pepper Ann, Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, Wacky Races, Hey Arnold, ect XD Grim adventures of Billy and Mandy is pretty much the show I love the most that comes from "now a days" and naw it wasn't only "Booger/fart" jokes...(not my taste -_-; ) It was the idiocy of Billy and the harsh EVILNESS of Mandy and how Grim was such a pathetic Reaper XDD Avatar was also good I hated how when a season would end I would not hear from it for like...EVER! DX; DP was also pretty good in it's own ways XD IDK what I want to happen to cartoons it'd be so hard to let go forever but now a days it seems they might as well do so and let it die.

[Guest]

I hate disney cartoons with a passion especially Peni-- Phineas and Ferb. The cartoon network cartoons are still kinda ok, especially Flapjack. The only reason I watch Nickelodeon is because of Spongebob, Avatar and Fairly Odd parents.

I miss the old cartoons. I mean, the new seasons of the old shows suck, they were not funny anymore.

[SuperBiasedMan]

Um... wow. Unnecessarily long rant.
Look, there's some good and some bad cartoons from both now and the past.
If you don't like the new ones that probably just means you don't like the current style they are, and that's your opinion really, not a so-called 'dark age'.

Oh and, you thing Family Guy is too serious?
Actually, would people stop taking shots at Family Guy, just because it's got low brow humour. It actually has some really good, intelligent jokes, despite the fact that it has gotten hit and miss.

[Afrohawkman]

You take your values from cartoons?

No. I just said a lot of them had values in them, and good ones at that.

As for morals- honestly, that's something for the parents to be teaching. I seriously don't understand this. I never ever ever ever ever ever ever looked up to TV for life lessons when I was a kid. Am I a freak? >.> Really, I just copied my friends and family. Not TV/music/movie stars. Not TV characters. It's not something I would worry about.

I never said I got them as a kid either. Looking back, I treasure those cartoons because of what they taught me. Yeah, I know, I'm kind of a moron for getting some values from cartoons, but hey, it's not like they were bad values.

Batman: The Brave & The Bold is great too.

Oh yeah, it is! I forgot about that.

CN just ended a few shows recently, Kids Next Door, Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, because they don't have any of their original programming go over 80-something episodes. I like that idea. Keeps things fresh. Sad to see them end, but like I said, rather it end on its own terms than go stale & die out without any dignity left.

Yeah...that's true. They tried bringing back the Powerpuff Girls recently and that just destroyed any shred of dignity they had.

Um... wow. Unnecessarily long rant.
Look, there's some good and some bad cartoons from both now and the past.
If you don't like the new ones that probably just means you don't like the current style they are, and that's your opinion really, not a so-called 'dark age'.

This is one big opinion article dude. I even added at the end "Or could this simply be the ramblings of an old man wondering where his nostalgia has gone?". That was the point there.

However, I disagree when you say just because I don't like them that they aren't not bad. And honestly I'd prefer you to actually bring up why they're good if you're going to say that because it sounds like you really don't care about the subject at hand, you just don't like what I said. Please, elaborate. Is this a dark age to you, and if not, why?

Oh and, you thing Family Guy is too serious?
Actually, would people stop taking shots at Family Guy, just because it's got low brow humour. It actually has some really good, intelligent jokes, despite the fact that it has gotten hit and miss.

I never said serious, I said they have a bunch of bad political jokes. And recently, their "hit and miss" is getting annoying. It's not enough hits to make up for the dozens of misses.

[AyaneSensei]

I personally like (some) the current cartoons, to be honest.I adore Flapjack and Chowder; sorry I like dumb humor. <3 The older shows (South Park, Family Guy, Spongebob) with new season are still enjoyable to watch for me too, some episodes aren't as good as older ones, but I still like them.When it comes to the shows that aren't on anymore, I liked them, some anyway, though a lot of them I hated.Couldn't stand Hey! Arnold(for the most part), Rocket Power, Tom and Jerry (yeah I said it D<), Doug...so on and so forth. I hate everything on Disney Channel though. >>;

Most epic old shows, KABLAM!& Rock's Modern Life.

Anyway, the new shows aren't going anywhere and the old ones aren't coming back.
So, why fret? Watch something else, like House or something.

[SuperBiasedMan]

Um... wow. Unnecessarily long rant.
Look, there's some good and some bad cartoons from both now and the past.
If you don't like the new ones that probably just means you don't like the current style they are, and that's your opinion really, not a so-called 'dark age'.

This is one big opinion article dude. I even added at the end "Or could this simply be the ramblings of an old man wondering where his nostalgia has gone?". That was the point there.

However, I disagree when you say just because I don't like them that they aren't not bad. And honestly I'd prefer you to actually bring up why they're good if you're going to say that because it sounds like you really don't care about the subject at hand, you just don't like what I said. Please, elaborate. Is this a dark age to you, and if not, why?

I understand this is an opinion thread, but it seemed to me as if you were talking like all of this was popular opinion, but that could just be how I read it.

Well, OK if you want me to start going on about what I like...
Family Guy has a good system, going, despite the criticism of it's non-sequitors and humour style, it works and it's also good at throwing out unexpected jokes.
American Dad has something I haven't seen anywhere else, a group of self serving bastards who don't learn lessons as its characters and it likes playing with the kind of 'canon' TV things (I can't think od the right word so that might not make sense).
Futurama may or may not still be going, but either way it's always been a good idea, because it can mock the past and the possibility of what the future might hold, but the story they keep trying to bring in is just annoying.
Simpsons, yeah now it's just crap and is milking it, but the old episodes are actually really good. SO wouldn't it have been better to stop the show back then before it went downhill?

So, what do I like about modern cartoons? Mostly it's that they're actually funny.
As much as I do like the older cartoons, a lot of the classic cartoons are predictable and similar. Watching old cartoons like the Flintstones and Top Cat, I predict where the show is going and I'm often right. Most of what I laugh at are the strange things and little mistakes in the old cartoons as opposed to the actual 'jokes' they have.

Oh and, you thing Family Guy is too serious?
Actually, would people stop taking shots at Family Guy, just because it's got low brow humour. It actually has some really good, intelligent jokes, despite the fact that it has gotten hit and miss.

I never said serious, I said they have a bunch of bad political jokes. And recently, their "hit and miss" is getting annoying. It's not enough hits to make up for the dozens of misses.

Ah right, my mistake. When you said serious you were talking about something else.
Though I don't really think they have that many political things really (then again being irish they'd pretty much all go over my head).
I agree, it is getting annoying and I was going to stop watching but they did pick up at the end of the last series, so their problems during and after the writer's strike seem to be resolved (I hope anyway).

[Vitotamito]

At school, I'm SO tempted to go into 2D animation right now just to make a TV show that isn't bad.

But you've failed to mention some of the better Adult-Themed shows on Adult Swim.

Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Superjail
Venture Bros.

I also kind of enjoyed "Sit Down, Shut Up" before it got cancelled on Fox.

TDI, if I remember, even had one episode where someone said Shit. It was beeped out but, you shill heard the Sh-.

I actually really enjoyed The Mighty Bee. I don't know, is it on anymore? That was a quality show.

It seems like a lot of shows have good ideas and then the writing just fails because people forgot how to write for kids. They should make everyone take a course in writing for TV with an emphasis on the 1980s and 1990s.

Also, Clone High is a great one from back in the day. 2002-ish. It was actually the sort of precursor to Scrubs, as all the same people who make scrubs made Clone High first.

[AyaneSensei]

TDI, if I remember, even had one episode where someone said Shit. It was beeped out but, you shill heard the Sh-.

The show's originally from Canada, I'm guessing cursing in cartoons isn't a big thing over there. O:

[ZeroTornado]

I ahte every thing on cartoon network. the shows the new logo.Everything. i miss the good old days.i hate ttd

[Afrohawkman]

TDI, if I remember, even had one episode where someone said Shit. It was beeped out but, you shill heard the Sh-.

The show's originally from Canada, I'm guessing cursing in cartoons isn't a big thing over there. O:

I think I remember one part of that show where the blonde girl got kicked off the show and she was calling that...girl with black hair (can't remember her name) a "bully of a girl". I'm pretty sure that was a long bleep.

Couldn't stand [...] Tom and Jerry (yeah I said it D<)

That's fair. You're entitled to your opinions. I'm kind of an old school guy so that's where my POV comes from.

Futurama may or may not still be going, but either way it's always been a good idea, because it can mock the past and the possibility of what the future might hold, but the story they keep trying to bring in is just annoying.
Simpsons, yeah now it's just crap and is milking it, but the old episodes are actually really good. SO wouldn't it have been better to stop the show back then before it went downhill?

Futurama is awesome. It's just...reruns, unfortunately. I think they had something newer recently.

And yeah, the Simpsons should have died eventually, but they're still around. Dunno.

But you've failed to mention some of the better Adult-Themed shows on Adult Swim.

Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Superjail
Venture Bros.

I think originally I was thinking about non-teenager cartoons at first, but then sorta branched out. But yeah, those are pretty good as well.