There are several kid cartoons that are really inappropriate that children watch regularly. We would like to think that the creators of cartoons and children shows would avoid incorporating any content that would need censoring, but what has been deemed inappropriate has changed over the years. If you want to make sure that the children around you are not being influenced by kid cartoons that are really inappropriate, then sit down and watch a few episodes with them. Make sure the cartoons they watch are not filled with things not meant for children. Here are a few cartoons known to have content that has been considered inappropriate for our youth.
This Canadian cartoon, which aired in the United States in 2008, is a parody of the reality show Survivor, which already deems it as one of the kid cartoons that are really inappropriate. It is a funny cartoon, but content was removed from it in order to keep the PG rating. There are episodes where long bleeps, to suggest that the characters were cursing, were taken out and replaced with actual words. It seems like the creator, who plans to have 10 seasons, wanted the cartoon to seem like a legit reality show. On top of the removed bleeps, the women characters are half dressed and hook up/make out with the male characters regularly.
2 Courage the Cowardly Dog
Courage is such a cute dog, and I actually liked this cartoon when I was younger. My friends however did not like the cartoon, because they thought it was too scary. Looking at it now I can see how a child might be frightened by its content. It’s an American horror animation that features purplish dog Courage and his elderly owners. A series of creepy events happen on their farm, in the middle of nowhere, and it is Courage’s responsibility to keep his owners safe and get rid of the problem.
3 Adventure Time
A fairly new cartoon, Adventure Time can be very scary and inappropriate for children as well. This toon, set in a post-apocalyptic land called Ooo, features a boy named Finn and his dog/adoptive brother Jake, who is able to change forms. The show seems harmless and childlike until you realize that Finn and Jake are constantly fighting off demons and the Ice King, who constantly kidnaps the princess characters. I think the scariest episode I’ve seen is where a character portrayed as Satan came to Ooo and sucked the souls out of every character he came into contact with, while the creepiest was an episode where the Ice King took a piece of every princess character and stitched them together to create his own princess. Not to mention there was an episode where Finn had split personalities and became a psychopath, all highly inappropriate for a kids' cartoon in my opinion.
4 The Regular Show
Being my favorite cartoon, I hate to admit that it is inappropriate, but then again I probably like it because the content is relatable to an older age group. It’s not really scary, but does deal with the paranormal a lot. It also has inappropriate sexual scenes where one of the main characters, Muscle Man, who is actually all fat, makes out with his girlfriend Darla. The scenes are often a minute or so long and include the couple tongue kissing and rubbing all over one another. Maybe I should consider a new favorite cartoon!
5 SpongeBob Squarepants
I know you’re probably thinking, SpongeBob? No way! But yes, it’s true. A lot of negative criticism has come along with the overly outgoing personality of the perfectly square sponge. A study in 2011 showed that children who watched SpongeBob, versus children who didn’t, had a much shorter attention span, and that upset some parents.
6 The Ren and Stimpy Show
This is an old cartoon, premiering in 1991, that only had five seasons. Even though it aired on Nickelodeon, it was known for its sexual content and vulgar humor. The cartoon focused on Ren, an unstable Chihuahua, and Stimpy, an idiotic cat, who disagreed on everything. In 2003 the creators actually made it into an adult cartoon for Spike, but it failed. The cartoon now airs on TeenNick as part of the '90s Are All That segment where cartoons from the '90s are showed.
7 Secret Mountain Fort Awesome
This cartoon is definitely the most unappealing of the ones I’ve listed. The main characters are called “disgustoids” and come to earth trying to create peace with humans. The characters are what make this cartoon inappropriate, consisting of five nasty characters. There is a character that is actually a butt and farts whenever touched or dancing. Thankfully this cartoon was cancelled after only 2 seasons and completely discontinued in March of 2013.
8 Rocko's Modern Life
Did you know that Rocko once worked at as a phone sex operator? What about that the name of the restaurant "Chokey Chicken" had to be changed after season four when they censors realized that it was a euphemism? These are just some of the reasons that this show is inappropriate for kids. One website even compiled a video of the 40 dirtiest moments from Rocko's Modern Life.
9 Cow and Chicken
This probably isn't one of the worst shows on this list, but that doesn't mean it doesn't belong here. One of the main characters in Cow and Chicken is a devil like creature that doesn't wear pants. Of course there are a lot of cartoon characters that don't wear pants, but do they all have a very outlined and accentuated rear end? No, well this devil character does. They also spend a lot of time talking about Cow's udders and on top of everything their parents (yes they're siblings) are missing the entire upper halves of their bodies.
10 Johnn Bravo
This is one of those shows you look back on and realize just how inappropriate it was for you to watch as a kid. Johnny Bravo is a show about a womanizer that is constantly making sexual innuendos. For example, in one episode he is going to be a human sacrifice and when someone says that they are sacrificing a virgin, Johnny looks right into the camera and says "virgin?" Maybe this show was targeted towards older kids, but that didn't stop young ones from watching.
11 Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy
As you can see by the picture, one of the main characters of this show is the Grimm Reaper. The antics of the episodes usually end up with the two children seriously injured or even dead, but reappear completely fine in the next episode. That might not be too bad because the main character getting hurt seems to be the norm for cartoons, but what about causing harm or even murder? The girl, Mindy, actually causes the death of a few secondary characters and the trio sometimes makes appearances in a shadowy underworld. This would be fine if it was on late at night for an older crowd, but a three in the afternoon time slot is definitely aimed towards children.
How disturbing is it that cartoons have to be monitored? Parents should be able to trust the cartoons that their children watch without the worry of negative influences. It seems that the creators of cartoons have decided that they are not crossing any lines when incorporating content that's not appropriate for children. Have you seen any of these cartoons? What do you think?
This article was written in collaboration with editor Lydia Sheehan.
