Boomers, Gen-Xers, and Millennials all grew up watching cartoons with hidden adult humor, dark themes, and controversial subject matter. While some cartoons–Regular Show, Adventure Time, etc.–have turned back to these more mature methods of teaching object lessons to children, the vast majority of children's cartoons seem dumbed-down and overly saccharine. Exploring a wide handful of Western children's cartoons, answer the question: do animated shows question our children's intelligence?
I think this topic is undeniably interesting...especially when comparing the animated shows of the 1990s/early 2000s to now. There might be a huge contrast that is well worth looking into. Have shows been dumbed down for current generations? Or, have they been more subliminal with their humor than ever before? Also, another thing worth analyzing is the evolution of the broadcast schedule throughout these last two decades. Is the era of Saturday morning cartoons (when the same, popular shows would play) over? Or is there just more of a cluster of shows that over-saturate the market? – Giovanni Insignares10 years ago
Which shows do you consider "dumbed-down" and what past shows are you comparing them to? – LaurenCarr10 years ago
It may also be interesting to see if shows are actually being dumbed-down or if they are being censored. I suspect that some shows are being censored due to parents seemingly being more sensitive about mature content in children's shows. – Schmerica1110 years ago