Violence in cartoons, and why cartoons suck now a-days.

[Jerethepaladin]

Okay, so I'm a millennial with a bit of roots in the 90's. I grew up watching everyone's favorite cartoons and to no surprise one of my favorites was Batman the animated series. I enjoyed the dark brooding nature of it, and it probably had more influence on my personality today more then anything else I was exposed to.

That being said, it seems like every other week I come across an article online on "how violence is making out kids into little shits", in my own words, and then goes on to say how violent videogames and violence cartoons are making our kids into anger driven rage machines. While yes, I do believe that the ESRB should be taken seriously and all those kids who play cod do end up turning into tiny assholes, I do not believe that cartoons are to blame.

I mean, the primary cartoon that's getting the gun pointed at it, no pun intended, is Tom and Jerry, a cartoon that's almost as old as dirt and was created in a time when there was different social norms. Hell, one could say that any cartoon created back then was created when there was different social norms. But I want to focus on the late nineties early two-thousands, the "golden age of Cartoon Network" as some call it.

I mean, lets take count. You had a cartoon about three swindlers trying to get people to part with their quarters, three accidental experiments who become super heroes who's major villain is a big-brained-baboon, a dog with some serious acid problems, and a group of kids fighting for the rights of kids every where against cosplaying adults. And that's just the original stuff, to name a few, and there's still all the super-hero shows that were amazing. And as time progressed, we got a number of other good shows, Teen Titans being one of my particular favorites for the same reason I enjoyed Batman the animated series.


Now to get to the point of this argument, rather then stand tall and spit defiantly in their critics faces, cartoon network, and Kids WB, folded. ((I don't count Disney since they've never released anything action related until they got a hold of marvel, and Nickelodeon is a joke)) Rather then continue to make interesting cartoons that spread across the genera, they fell into a pit of ink. I've caught glimpses of various cartoons, and while I will admit surely some of those are good for some particular audience, I see an abundance of crap; just has everyone and their mother...rather, siblings have complained about on the internet.

I honestly don't think that it was a lack of ideas, or longing for the past, I blame both increasingly strenuous censors, and all those uppity parents groups who haven't realized that Tom and Jerry hasn't been in production for years. I mean, come on America ((yes I'm one of them, deal with it)), you're suppose to be the bastion of the free world and free speech, and you're letting Japan get ahead of you in the cartoon market?

Admittedly, I don't know what the what the world of animated television is like for the E.U. , you guys have animated versions of Doctor Who or something, or do you have to put up with the crap that's put though the American censors as well?

[dbnerd]

"I've caught glimpses of various cartoons"

That's your problem. You're watching the wrong animation.

[Jerethepaladin]

To be fair I don't particularly care for Anime, if that's what you're getting at. That, and I find Family Guy overrated, and Southpark just plain stupid.

[Reeve]

Maybe you're just getting older? I know I have fond memories of watching Thundercats, He-Man, G.I. Joe, Exo-Squad, Darkwing Duck, Gargoyles, X-Men, Batman, Spiderman etc. but when I've gone back and looked at them as an adult to feed my nostalgia, I've been surprised at just how crappy they are.

[Florena]

Well we still have Adventure Time.

[Jerethepaladin]

Maybe you're just getting older? I know I have fond memories of watching Thundercats, He-Man, G.I. Joe, Exo-Squad, Darkwing Duck, Gargoyles, X-Men, Batman, Spiderman etc. but when I've gone back and looked at them as an adult to feed my nostalgia, I've been surprised at just how crappy they are.

Crappy in quality, or just don't remember them as well as you use to? to be fair, I will agree that what I remember seeing and what I watched recently, in regards to some cartoons, was quite different.

Although I will still argue that Batman is still as good as the day I first watched it.

[Kathandira]

We are led by example. It's not the cartoons, it's the social behavior of our elder peers.

In a world where shootings, stabbings and abuse is all over the news, which is mainly performed by adults i'd have to say this is where the influence comes from. Not some cartoons or video games which are animated and easily differentiated from the real world. The real world violence is where they need to be concerned. The same violence that has been occurring since long before cartoons were created.

- - - Updated - - -

Maybe you're just getting older? I know I have fond memories of watching Thundercats, He-Man, G.I. Joe, Exo-Squad, Darkwing Duck, Gargoyles, X-Men, Batman, Spiderman etc. but when I've gone back and looked at them as an adult to feed my nostalgia, I've been surprised at just how crappy they are.

I want my Exo-Squad back!

[Reeve]

Crappy in quality, or just don't remember them as well as you use to?

Both. The animation quality was worse than I remembered, and the storylines were dull and uninspired. It was perfect for kids, though, who thrive on that type of storytelling.

[mvaliz]

Crappy in quality, or just don't remember them as well as you use to? to be fair, I will agree that what I remember seeing and what I watched recently, in regards to some cartoons, was quite different.

Very VERY few cartoons get better with age.

I myself was a massive Voltron fan back in the 80s. Try watching that now... yeeesh...

However, there are plenty that do stand the test of time. Old Bugs bunny/Tom and Jerry (mind you, these were made for theater), Animaniacs and Batman the Animated series are a few.

[Darksoldierr]

Is this a Samurai Jack memory train? If so, count me in

[Reeve]

I want my Exo-Squad back!

It was a cool universe the story was set in. Our genetically engineered "neo-sapien" slaves rise up and overthrow us.

[Yunru]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2012 are not that bad. (lots of violence)

[Reeve]

Very VERY few cartoons get better with age.

I myself was a massive Voltron fan back in the 80s. Try watching that now... yeeesh...

However, there are plenty that do stand the test of time. Old Bugs bunny/Tom and Jerry (mind you, these were made for theater), Animaniacs and Batman the Animated series are a few.

Yeah, Looney Tunes don't get old, it's true. Animaniacs, I dunno, though I bet Pinky and the Brain are still awesome. Batman the Animated Series I could imagine still being good, but I haven't retried it. I don't think Darkwing Duck or Talespin or Gargoyles would stand up to adult scrutiny.

[soulkeeperx]

Don't forget Ren n Stimpy, I remember one episode where there was a ghost who couldn't scare people. He ends up trying to kill himself by driving a nail into his brain, Stimpy stops him and instead offers the alternative of drinking poison! As a kid you don't really realize just what exactly is going on and you don't care, all you know is you're watching a cartoon.

[zealo]

I think its just nostalgia as to why you remember older cartoons more fondly, some of the things i used to watch as a child and record with a VHS are not really all that different compared to modern cartoons.

As for violent cartoons and video games, bad parenting is what turns them into little shits, not the media in itself.

[Reeve]

Don't forget Ren n Stimpy, I remember one episode where there was a ghost who couldn't scare people. He ends up trying to kill himself by driving a nail into his brain, Stimpy stops him and instead offers the alternative of drinking poison! As a kid you don't really realize just what exactly is going on and you don't care, all you know is you're watching a cartoon.

God, I hated Ren and Stimpy even as a kid. Always hated that art style, and the gross out humor just never jived with me. The only things I liked about it were "Don't whiz on the electric fence" and "It's Log"

[Kalis]

The vast majority of cartoons made today are crap.

The vast majority of cartoons made 25 years ago were crap.

The vast majority of cartoons made 50 years ago were crap.

You may have forgotten all the crap, or have a rose tinted view of it, but there is little difference.

Thinking something like He-Man was actually any good is just nostalgia fucking with your head. Danger Mouse was good, but that wasn't really written for children.

[Jerethepaladin]

To touch on my opening post, I feel that part of the problem I have with channels, specifically cartoon network, is the lack of anything aside from comedy shows. I've tried to watch a few since they've been playing in the dorm lounge every now and then, and I just cant. I'm nor particularly a comedy person, and I definitely don't go to the movies to laugh( although the lego movie was an exception ), and I'm more of an action junky then anything. Probably what got me worked up the most, to nobody's surprise, is the treatment that they gave Teen Titans. I mean, not every show has to be a comedy, and that's exactly what's gone an happened It's so boring! T.T

[Raeph]

I still watch Courage from time to time on Netflix, my wife likes Grim Adventures of Billing and Mandy, when I want to watch something goofy.

I don't watch much TV anymore really, but from what I've seen the characters on cartoons in the US seem to be less...mutated and look more like average people with average proportions. Its like looking at a Tim Burton film (recently finally saw Nightmare before Christmas) and eyes and heads are big, legs are almost an after-thought. Compare that to say...Paranorman (last stop motion I can think of) and proportions of the characters are much more normalized.

The action and the moralism still seems to be there in spades though.

[THE Bigzoman]

I still watch CN occasionally and the only thing worth watching is Regular Show.

But I think thats because Mordocai and Rigby remind me of me and my old roomate during my first job at a casino. Our boss was also like a female Bensen.