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What Did That Wallaby Just Say?
Nick shows better enjoyed as an adult
Turn the page, wash your hands (Photo: Nick.com)
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Some shows are great, and everyone will let you know so (Mad Men, for instance). Rarer is a show that no one ever talks about, but turns out to be worth watching. I can’t remember why I started Avatar: The Last Airbender. Although I was an avid Nickelodeon fan growing up, I haven’t owned a TV in years (not because I’m a snob, but rather because I can’t afford one), so the televised Airbender came and went without me noticing. Then one day, I was looking for something new to watch on Netflix and saw this American anime show and must have thought, “Why not?” I instantly fell in love with it, and even though the movie is getting awful reviews (09% on Rotten Tomatoes), I’m still interested to see how Aang looks on the big screen.
One of the things I liked, and appreciated, so much about Airbender is that while it’s billed as a kid’s show, it doesn’t act like one. The plot’s complicated, the character’s have detailed back stories (one of them is taught how to “bloodbend,” which is just as terrifying as it sounds), and the show works as a book, meaning you can’t just start watching from the middle of season two; you have to start from the beginning.
Nickelodeon has a history of providing kid’s cartoon’s good enough for adults, whether it be because of the complexity of the show or the dirty jokes that go undetected by little ears, but the parents think are hilarious. Here is Encore’s list of Children’s Shows on Nickelodeon Better Enjoyed as Adults.
#5. The Penguins of Madagascar (2008-Present)
This spinoff of 2005’s Madagascar might be the funniest current Nick show. Four penguins have to protect their Central Park Zoo home, often from the bumbling King Julien XIII. The plot’s basic enough, but the jokes fly fast (unlike the penguins, rimshot!), the penguins are sarcastic, and the quote’s are clever (doubt many children would understand one of the characters saying, “I’m picking up good vibrations”).
#4. Doug (1991-1994)
The main character’s full name is Douglas Yancey Funnie. He’s desperately in love with Patti Mayonnaise. He writes in a journal. He plays the banjo. He’s basically bald. He dreams of being his alter-ego, Quailman. His favorite band is the Beets, a parody of the Beatles. Clearly, this show isn’t for kids; it’s for depressed teens.
#3. Kaput and Zösky (2002-2003)
The first time I saw this show, I was in high school and staying over at a friend’s house. It was around midnight and, because we were bored, we were flipping through the channels for something to watch. Then we saw Kaput and Zösky. At first, we enjoyed the show because the names were funny to say, although we give them a Russian accent, even though they’re French. But the more we watched, the odder the show became. Basically, the two titular characters are bloodthirsty tyrants who visit a different planet every week in the hopes of taking it over. They’re Pinky and the Brain, but neither lovable nor mice. They’re always thwarted in the end, but I’m still not sure of the show’s message. That the heroes are actually bad guys? Mind explosion for all the little children. Plus, there’s an umlaut in the show’s title!
#2. Ren and Stimpy (1991-1996)
There’s a reason this show was rebooted on Spike and called Ren and Stimpy “Adult Party Cartoon.” It’s dirty and gross and violent and Ren probably suffered from psychosis and, worst of all for overbearing parents and their innocent children, Ren and Stimpy may have been gay. Of course, I didn’t care about any of this child, and still don’t today. Fact is, that Chihuahua and red cat are funny, although I prefer Muddy Mudskipper.
#1. Rocko’s Modern Life (1993-1996)
Here are a few out-of-context quotes from Rocko’s Modern Life:
-“Is that a sausage in your pocket?”
-“Poop the deck and ruffle me winkie”
-“Oh, such a naughty bird
-“You shaved…for me”
-“That garden isn’t the only thing that needs attention”
-“We’re playing spank the monkey.”
There’s also a character named Dr. Bendover and an entire episode about a dog going through heat. How any of this got past the censors, I have no idea. But lucky for me, and millions of other children, it did, and we got to look into Really, Really Big Man’s Nipples of the Future.