As the Angry Video Game Nerd once so deftly put it, “The ’90s was the Barf Age.” It was a decade of extremes, and the gross-out jokes were no exception. It wasn’t just about the toilet humor but the social satire and politically incorrect jokes. What began on the big screen in the 1970s made its way to television by the 1990s, much of it in cartoon form and even more lewd and disgusting than what preceded it.
This was a confusing decade for animation. Japanese anime was making an impact on North American media and with the gross-out humor a feature in virtually every cartoon on TV, it was difficult to know what was for kids and what was for grown-ups. That line is a lot more clearly drawn than it used to be, which is why so much from certain 1990s cartoons would never make it past the drawing board today.
Gritty Kitty – The Ren & Stimpy Show
This infamous dog and cat team could easily have a list all their own, but one recurring theme that they kept shoveling in the audience’s face was Stimpy’s deep and endearing love of cat litter. The dirtier, the better, and if Stimpy was home, his big red behind was always parked in that litter box. There were whole episodes about the stuff, in particular Stmpy’s favorite brand, Gritty Kitty. Stimpy wrote a poem about it once, and no joke, won $47 million dollars which he promptly gave away. Imagine the pitch meeting for this today. At least there’s something decent to be found here.
Cornholio – Beavis and Butthead
The main criticism that this show suffered from was that it was totally nihilistic, and like its clueless protagonists had nothing to say. An example was one of Beavis’ favorite games, or maybe it was his alter ego, a character only known as Cornholio. This other personality didn’t have a very complex vocabulary and his wants were modest. All he wanted was “TP,” also known as “toilet paper.” Today, this type of writing is too nonsensical for audiences.
Washed Up Superhero – Space Ghost: Coast to Coast
Space Ghost: Coast to Coast is one of the few cartoons from the 1990s that was clearly made for adults. Kids would be entertained momentarily by the bright colors of the set and background, which is deliberately set up to look cheap and vintage in a comic book way, but the dialogue and format would go over their heads. Virtually no other cartoon has been made in this particular format because it barely even worked the first time.
It’s less about the jokes, which are actually pretty smart, but the way the show dates itself with old pop culture references. It’s Johnny Carson in cartoon form, and if viewers don’t know who that is, this show might not work for them. Part of the charm at the time was the novelty, but this cartoon should remain in the past unless they updated it.
Chicks Galore – Ed, Edd, n’ Eddy
There’s no way this not-so-subtle joke about an underage kid having a porno stash would fly today. A lot of what this notorious trio got up to was borderline anyway, living in a neighborhood that seemed suspiciously adult-free, and the occasional reference to “gentleman’s magazines” was pretty obvious.
It’s hysterical considering everyone grew up with a secret stash of whatever. Even so, there’s no way it would be in a cartoon today unless it was on HBO Max.
Everything About Heifer – Rocko’s Modern Life
Rocko, the main character of Rocko’s Modern Life, is a modest little wallaby who lives in a quaint little neighborhood. It sounds so idyllic, but watching the show will explain why it raised a few eyebrows back then and today.
Beyond the weirdness with the neighbors and instead examine Heifer, Rocko’s best friend. He’s not a Heifer, for one thing, since the character is male, but what was a play on words might sound like a transphobic or sexist joke now. The character also embodies all the show’s gross-out jokes, most of which are connected to food, and indulges happily in his gluttony. A bad example for kids and a tired stereotype to adults. There was also a controversial episode where Heifer was “milked,” and the end result was anything but free of innuendo.
Cartman’s Mom – South Park
The funny part of this was that Cartman seemed so clueless about what his mother did for a living. It was a glaring blind spot in his otherwise hyper-aware field of vision, so every time he was confronted with yet another one of her sexual escapades it never ceased to shock him. However, this joke kept coming back to the point where the show jumped the shark with it, a glaring example being the multi-part episode about the identity of Cartman’s father, actually entitled, “Cartman’s Mom is a Dirty Slut.”
The biggest issue with this is that the subject of the jokes was always Mrs. Cartman. It went beyond gross-out humor to full-on slut-shaming with the same scenarios playing out over and over again until it got tired. It likely wouldn’t work in any medium today, but alas, South Park is still running.
Just Another Incel – Johnny Bravo
The word “incel” wasn’t mainstream in the 1990s, but if it was, Johnny Bravo never would have made it past the concept stage. Even back in the day, only certain audiences thought Johnny’s antics were funny, and he got knocked around quite a bit on the show, so sometimes it was. In today’s more enlightened social climate, this show never get past the boardroom.
Lobotomies Aren’t Funny – Pinky and the Brain
In Pinky and the Brain, the Brain isn’t really all that smart, he’s just delusional, which explains why none of his schemes ever work. Didn’t anyone ever ask themselves what actually happened to them, especially Pinky? People are well aware of the cruel treatment lab animals endure so knowing that, it makes it hard to enjoy a series like this.
As for Pinky, laughing at his impaired intelligence doesn’t sit well with people today, either. Like the slapstick duos of old times, Pinky and the Brain were funny once but this wouldn’t work today.
The “Baby Got Back” Campaign – SpongeBob SquarePants
Speaking of beloved cartoons that are beloved by kids and adults, few can compete with SpongeBob SquarePants. Like so many other cartoons in the 1990s, however, it walked a fine line between being marketed to children and written for grown-ups. That was often the line between a show getting picked up or getting bumped. It was that kind of double-tiered marketing that got SpongeBob into trouble.
In 2009, Burger King made a parody of the Sir-Mix-A-Lot song Baby Got Back featuring their mascot and SpongeBob. The spot drew a lot of negative attention at the time. Watching the commercial now is a jaw-dropper, and even then it was considered controversial.
The Whoop-Ass Girls – The Powerpuff Girls
The Powerpuff Girls is a cartoon seemingly suitable for both kids and adults, but if viewers listen closely to some of the dialogue and look at some of the more colorful villains, they can tell this is supposed to be for adults.
In fact, the original title gives it away completely: The Whoop-Ass Girls. Whether or not this would work today can go either way, as a cartoon called The Whoop-Ass Girls marketed specifically for adults would get a warm welcome today. Back in the 1990s, however, when it was a kid’s show, this would never have worked. It survived as the name for the secret ingredient that Professor X added to his original concoction.
