Table of Contents
Cartoon Network
Debuted on October 1, 1992
The channel, which debuted on October 1, 1992, mostly shows animated television series, particularly for children, ranging from action to animated humor. It is now open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT) and is aimed towards youngsters aged 7 to 15. Adult Swim, its midnight daypart block, is intended towards adults and is considered as a different entity for promotional purposes as well as by Nielsen as a distinct channel for rating purposes. 1)
Flinstones sponsored by Winston
Originally, the show was sponsored by Winston Cigarettes, and the characters smoked them on-air. The original broadcasts featuring Fred and Barney smoking are still available on YouTube. 2)
Ed, Edd, and Eddy not always appropiate
If you saw Ed, Edd, and Eddy as a child, you would never have noticed some of the adult comedy that creeps into the animation. In one episode, the lads are seen reading a magazine while surrounded by used tissues, with quizzical smiles on their faces. That is not a kid-friendly reference! 3)
Some Negative Stereotypes in The Looney Tunes
For nearly 90 years, children all around the country have grown up with characters like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck from Looney Tunes. Though the show has brought joy to generations of children, it is also responsible for the perpetuation of some racist prejudices. The show, in particular, featured extremely troubling representations of African Americans. 4)
Censorship in Australia
Despite the fact that most adult references in Cartoon Network shows are minor, several of the network's programming has been prohibited in Australia. The country is very harsh on the network, and even bans items that would be acceptable in the United States, such as the sentence “this sucks” or the premise of two characters dating. 5)
Adventure Time And Steven Universe Have Been Banned In Many Countries
Adventure Time and Steven Universe are two shows that have had a lot of problems in other countries. The shows have been prohibited in South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as several other culturally conservative nations, due to their pro-LGBTQ+ themes. Despite this, Cartoon Network is still broadcast in over fifty countries worldwide. 6)
CN Is Specifically Designed For Boys Rather Than Girls
According to writer and producer Paul Dini, the majority of shows are aimed toward boys because tiny girls do not buy enough toys. Dini also alleges that his show Young Justice was canceled as he attempted to include more female characters. 7)
The Creative Director Of Adult Swim Only Wants Men To Write Cartoons
Discrimination does not end there. According to anonymous Adult Swim staffers, Mike Lazzo, the creative director, feels that women should leave comic writing to men. Lazzo verified the allegations on Reddit, stating that because women “don't tend to like confrontation,” his network rarely picks up female-led series. 8)
Teen Titans Has a Few Dark Easter Eggs
When you rewatch Teen Titans as an adult, you might notice a few grim references and Easter eggs you didn't see previously. In one episode, Robin shows the Titans all of their souvenirs and mementos that they've amassed throughout the years. An urn carrying the ashes of the former Robin, who was killed by The Joker, is one of these objects. 9)
Some sinister characters appeared in The Cowardly Dog
Courage the Cowardly Dog, although being a children's program, has some quite frightening characters. Freak Fred is one that stands out. We quickly discover that Fred, Muriel's nephew, is infatuated with hair and wants to shave Courage. Fred appears innocent enough for a cartoon, but he is actually exhibiting classic psychopath and serial murderer characteristics. 10)
In Cow And Chicken, There Were A Few Inappropriate Innuendos
Cow and Chicken was another show that contained a few innuendos that were completely improper for children. Cow's udders are used to create adult-themed references on multiple occasions. She rubs and shakes them suggestively, even asking people to count her teats. Not the best stuff for a children's show! 11)
Some Bugs Bunny Cartoons Were Too Controversial
Bugs Bunny specials were initially planned for Cartoon Network, but some of the iconic rabbit's Bunny cartoons were simply too unpleasant to telecast. Racism was prevalent in some episodes centered on the famous character, while others were politically incorrect in different ways. They agreed to let the marathon go on as long as they were able to carefully select which episodes would be included. 12)
Wartime Cartoons
ToonHeads was a feature on Cartoon Network that broadcast sequences from its most provocative cartoons. They illustrated how WWII was presented through animation and included some offensive things during this. Looney Tunes episodes depicting inappropriate caricatures of Japanese and German people that initially aired in the 1940s are still available online. 13)
Some Shows Are Heavily Improvised
Though it's difficult to envision a cartoon being improvised, The Regular Show does just that. JG Quintel, the show's creator, admitted that the show doesn't even have a script. The animators are given a broad notion of how the program will unfold, and then fill in the spaces after the actors improvise their lines. 14)
Teen Titans GO Doubted By Voice Actors
When it comes to Teen Titans GO, the voice actors had the same reservations that many critics had. They simply did not believe that the authors would make the relaunch as good as the original Teen Titans show, and they frequently questioned the chosen dialogue. Despite these reservations, the show is doing well as a relaunch. 15)