Are current cartoons on television REALLY all that bad?
245 replies, posted
the best example is Spongebob
it used to have such great humor and now it just has garbage to make 5 year olds laugh
Here's a rundown of modern day cartoons.
1. LOL SO RANDUM XDXDXD!!1!
2. Total shit, doesn't even try to be funny or witty. Usually includes pop culture references.
3. Something that's actually good.
4. Something that's not bad but has a massive fanbase of spergy adults(usually ponyfags).
3 and 4 could be combined, depending on the show.
I like some shows, Spongebob is funny but some of the newer shows are lame (RODEO!). Cartoon Network should reinstate Toonami and get rid of that Bakugan bullshit.
Even if you don't like the show hear me out.
I think it also has to do with how much a company wants to spend on the writers, The Hub is a good example of this. The Hub has a few shows on it that carry the network, Transformers Prime, Dan vs., and MLP. All of these Hub spent a good deal of money getting the writers, giving them the resources, and time to make quality shows. Even if you don't watch the show, MLP is such a hit most people on the internet have heard of it or seen some pics/memes from it. If more networks put as much time and effort into the shows like the hub did for those, chances are we would have more quality cartoons.
BUT,
Business men run the networks and look more at dollar signs so it is easier and more profitable to have 3-4 lead shows and have a whole bunch of crap filler shows, since you can higher nobody's for 1/3rd the price of say someone like Lauren Faust have a show that brings in some revenue and is a space filler for the network.
At least that is what I think
[QUOTE=Hidole555;33584743]Bakugan[/QUOTE]
That reminds me of the whole "nostalgia makes things better" situation. I'm sure that Bakugan, Duel Masters etc are no different cartoons than stuff like Pokemon or Yu-Gi-Oh! but we instantly think it's a terrible show and support the ones we used to watch. They're really the same thing, just a show to support a toy market.
I really like a couple of shows. Like Adventure Time. It's original, humorous and I like the animation. But really, there's a lot of stupid shit nowadays.
[QUOTE=The Baconator;33582218]Shows these days are all sitcoms and about stereotypicsl teen problems.
There used to be some badass shows but now it's all comedy, sitcom, or reality Tv.
Also realize TV is allot more female oriented. No long is the key to success Dragon Ball Z, Batman, Spiderman, etc. Serious shows are looked down on.
[editline]5th December 2011[/editline]
Allot of shows did really grow up though, Rugrats did, and the DC Animated universe (Justice League was shown later at night, and is the more dark and graphic followup to the Batman and Superman shows, because we were now older)[/QUOTE]
Megas XLR was fucking awesome.
[editline]5th December 2011[/editline]
[QUOTE=Ziirxia;33585224]I really like a couple of shows. Like Adventure Time. It's original, humorous and I like the animation. But really, there's a lot of stupid shit nowadays.[/QUOTE]
Adventure time is pretty good
[QUOTE=salty peanut v2;33584475]the best example is Spongebob
it used to have such great humor and now it just has garbage to make 5 year olds laugh[/QUOTE]
But it's like I was saying, it was always that the whole time, there was never any kind of moral or anything, and the humor wasn't really anything more than just funny things for kids, we just remember it as such a great show because it was meant for people that age group, it's funny to people that age group.
[editline]5th December 2011[/editline]
[QUOTE=Rhodry;33584888]That reminds me of the whole "nostalgia makes things better" situation. I'm sure that Bakugan, Duel Masters etc are no different cartoons than stuff like Pokemon or Yu-Gi-Oh! but we instantly think it's a terrible show and support the ones we used to watch. They're really the same thing, just a show to support a toy market.[/QUOTE]
Exactly.
[QUOTE=JohnFisher89;33584867]Business men run the networks and look more at dollar signs so it is easier and more profitable to have 3-4 lead shows and have a whole bunch of crap filler shows, since you can higher nobody's for 1/3rd the price of say someone like Lauren Faust have a show that brings in some revenue and is a space filler for the network. [/QUOTE]
This. You have to remember, cartoon entertainment is an business. Their goal is to make money. If a show happens to be good while making money, then good for them.
You guys must be sick of it, but it is a very great example; but MLP being what it is just happened to be a series of convenient coincidences (funnily enough, starting from Michael Bay). Hasbro only cares about selling toys, so the show is just a tool to get people to buy them. It's effectiveness is working because now you have a larger range of people, plus the target audience, buying the toys therefore continuing the show.
Being artistic will seldom get you anywhere in industry, so long as businessmen control it. A really recent example of this is Symbionic Titan. It was a new Genndy Tartakovsky show that had really great production values and was setting up a lot of great story elements. The show was cancelled after one season. The reason: marketing couldn't figure out a way to sell toys.
In short, quality doesn't necessarily make money. If people keep watching Spongebob and buying DVDs and licensed products, then they'll keep making it; likewise with any other franchise.
They aren't REALLY bad, but some shows turned into shit, best example is Spongebob. It used to be so good. Still got good cartoons out there, Futurama being my favorite, Regular Show. That's about it.
[editline]5th December 2011[/editline]
Problem Solvers, oh God.
The majority of modern stuff (ben ten, recent sponge bob, pretty much every show mimicking japan) is goddamn awful
There are a few diamonds in the rough, though. Namely, Regular Show and Adventure Time (arguably, the miniature equine related show that shall not be named, aswell). Shit is cash.
It is a shame to think that while I remember shit from Megas XLR and Samurai Jack as the most badass stuff you would see on TV, kids nowadays have Ben 10 and Generator Rex. It's just not the same.
Honestly, yeah, there's a much lower quantity of good cartoons on major networks than there used to be. Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon used to be loaded with good shit, but now the good is the exception rather than the given.
The exceptions are always amazing though: Adventure Time, Regular Show (or so I've heard), that one show that will remain unnamed, etc.
[editline]5th December 2011[/editline]
[QUOTE=rosthouse;33582592]There's alot of bullshit floating around. Although there still are some good things
<---- Hinthint[/QUOTE]
Honestly I just stopped watching the new season of Futurama after a while, the writing has lost a certain something that I can't quite put my finger on. The eyePhone episode in particular was horrible, it was like a new Simpsons episode (i.e. shit) with all the unnecessary pop-culture references. There's some gems in there but ultimately it's just not the same.
[QUOTE=C0linSSX;33590394]Honestly, yeah, there's a much lower quantity of good cartoons on major networks than there used to be. Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon used to be loaded with good shit, but now the good is the exception rather than the given.
The exceptions are always amazing though: Adventure Time, Regular Show (or so I've heard), that one show that will remain unnamed, etc.
[/QUOTE]
I watched a few episodes of that one show that shall remain unnamed and I really don't see where all the hype or hate for it comes from. It is very average.
[QUOTE=squids_eye;33590502]I watched a few episodes of that one show that shall remain unnamed and I really don't see where all the hype or hate for it comes from. It is very average.[/QUOTE]
I don't think anybody's really managed to trace where the appeal comes from, quite frankly even as a rabid fan I don't understand it entirely. I know why I like it so much in a way, but I can't help but feel that my opinions are swayed by some inherent love for the show and that I may be overrating it. What's weirdest is that when the threads first started cropping up on here, I gave it a try and I initially hated it. I only started watching a few months ago after giving it another try. There was nothing really different about the second try, other than the fact that I watched a whole episode instead of giving up after 10 minutes.
So really I have no idea why some of us love it as much as we do and others don't see the appeal.
[editline]5th December 2011[/editline]
Come to think of it, the orchestrated BGM is the one thing I think everyone can appreciate about the show:
[url]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3865654/Files/MLPBGM/Celebration%20of%20Harmony.mp3[/url]
[url]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3865654/Files/MLPBGM/Once%20Upon%20a%20Time%20In%20Equestria.mp3[/url]
[url]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3865654/Files/MLPBGM/Restoring%20the%20Elements.mp3[/url]
[url]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3865654/Files/MLPBGM/The%20End%20of%20Discord.mp3[/url]
[url]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3865654/Files/MLPBGM/The%20Fall%20of%20the%20Spark.mp3[/url]
[url]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3865654/Files/MLPBGM/The%20Return%20of%20Harmony%20%28Ceremony%20and%20End%20Credits%29.mp3[/url]
[editline]5th December 2011[/editline]
[QUOTE=KillerJaguar;33586954]In short, quality doesn't necessarily make money. If people keep watching Spongebob and buying DVDs and licensed products, then they'll keep making it; likewise with any other franchise.[/QUOTE]
This is unfortunately quite true, the Simpsons is still going after nothing but shit seasons for 10 years just because it's profitable.
[QUOTE=Capitalist Dog;33581974]Yes, they really are that bad. I took a peek at some of the garbage they are showing on Cartoon Network (the whole network went to shit after Toonami ended, imo) and it's absolutely disgusting. [b]Sexual references[/b] and cancerous humor galore.[/QUOTE]
Think of the children! :dawkins101:
Seriously though, I can't help but laugh when people criticize stuff like this when there was sexual reference galore in a lot of the cartoons many of you enjoyed in the past. Personally I find this hate of newer cartoons and other programs pretty dumb. Like others have mentioned, ofc your sense of humor will change, and the demand will change as well. I don't know about you guys but the only time I laugh at the old cartoons I enjoyed is usually because of nostalgia purposes. The quality of television can be debated, but I'm sure there were many who were shaking their heads when turning on their tv during, say, the 70's. It's stupid because then we have a lot of FPers like this when it regards tv nowadays, while most of them are young adults. :v:
[img]http://www.theblazingcenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/old-man-with-cane1.jpg[/img]
[I]"In my day, the sexual references in our cartoons had class!"[/I]
Regular Show is pretty much the only cartoon I still watch. I'll watch Futurama or South Park if it's on TV though.
I don't understand how that one show that shall be remained unnamed even interested me in the first place. I still think it's better than most stuff on TV. I don't watch TV as much anymore, nothing really interesting since I know most of the stuff are bad.
[QUOTE=C0linSSX;33590632]I don't think anybody's really managed to trace where the appeal comes from, quite frankly even as a rabid fan I don't understand it entirely. I know why I like it so much in a way, but I can't help but feel that my opinions are swayed by some inherent love for the show and that I may be overrating it. What's weirdest is that when the threads first started cropping up on here, I gave it a try and I initially hated it. I only started watching a few months ago after giving it another try. There was nothing really different about the second try, other than the fact that I watched a whole episode instead of giving up after 10 minutes.
So really I have no idea why some of us love it as much as we do and others don't see the appeal.
[editline]5th December 2011[/editline]
Come to think of it, the orchestrated BGM is the one thing I think everyone can appreciate about the show:
[url]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3865654/Files/MLPBGM/Celebration%20of%20Harmony.mp3[/url]
[url]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3865654/Files/MLPBGM/Once%20Upon%20a%20Time%20In%20Equestria.mp3[/url]
[url]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3865654/Files/MLPBGM/Restoring%20the%20Elements.mp3[/url]
[url]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3865654/Files/MLPBGM/The%20End%20of%20Discord.mp3[/url]
[url]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3865654/Files/MLPBGM/The%20Fall%20of%20the%20Spark.mp3[/url]
[url]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3865654/Files/MLPBGM/The%20Return%20of%20Harmony%20%28Ceremony%20and%20End%20Credits%29.mp3[/url]
[/QUOTE]
I disagree? The musical score in MLP is pretty average. I won't talk about the vocal songs because those are horrible. You wanna know shows with great background scores? Try Batman TAS, Animaniacs and Sonic satAM.
[QUOTE=garrynohome;33591235]I disagree? The musical score in MLP is pretty average. I won't talk about the vocal songs because those are horrible. You wanna know shows with great background scores? Try Batman TAS, Animaniacs and Sonic satAM.[/QUOTE]
It's not for everyone, that's for sure. Music is really more of a personal taste thing.
[QUOTE=Ardosos;33591261]It's not for everyone, that's for sure. Music is really more of a personal taste thing.[/QUOTE]
I agree. I was just responding to this statement to be honest.
[quote]Come to think of it, the orchestrated BGM is the one thing I think everyone can appreciate about the show:[/quote]
Because it's wrong.
As for the vocals, I don't know how anybody can argue that they're good. Maybe it's the writers or the pandering to young children, but the lyrics are simplistic and fairly meaningless. It's made far too obvious that they're there because they have to meet certain educational standards for television. Oh also it's blatantly obvious that they use different singers for the song portions than the actual voice actresses.
[QUOTE=garrynohome;33591316]Oh also it's blatantly obvious that they use different singers for the song portions than the actual voice actresses.[/QUOTE]
Thought that was autotune, to be honest. I know that there was at least one song that was actually sung by a character's voice actor, but that was for a promo and not actually on the show itself.
Again, people like it because of personal taste.
[QUOTE=Ardosos;33591353]Thought that was autotune, to be honest. I know that there was at least one song that was actually sung by a character's voice actor, but that was for a promo and not actually on the show itself.
Again, people like it because of personal taste.[/QUOTE]
Actually, I'm pretty sure that 3 of the 6 main characters' singing voices are performed by the regular voice actresses (so says the wiki at least). One of the voice actresses is the lead vocalist in a band, and she voices two of them, so it's not out of the question.
[editline]December 5th, 2011[/editline]
I think we're derailing this thread a bit
[QUOTE=Ardosos;33591353]Thought that was autotune, to be honest. I know that there was at least one song that was actually sung by a character's voice actor, but that was for a promo and not actually on the show itself.
Again, people like it because of personal taste.[/QUOTE]
Depends. The pink hyper one, the purple magic one, and the white dress designer one all have separate singing voice actresses. The sister/daughter of the white one also uses a different singer than the voice actress. Oh fun fact, the previously evil princess one is clearly voiced by the same woman who voices the dress designer one as well.
[editline]6th December 2011[/editline]
Yah you're right, we're derailing. I'll shut up.
So on topic, I feel that cartoons have indeed gotten worse. Growing up I never had cable so I didn't get to watch a lot of shows (everything on Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon, to name a few), and this gives me the rare opportunity to evaluate them without nostalgia obscuring my judgement.
I have observed that not only have the plots gotten more shallow, but the animation itself has become increasingly lower quality. There are, of course, some exceptions.
I guess I hate most of the current cartoons because I grew up, but cartoons have progressed a little since last year, I mean, stuff like regular show and adventure time was released.
And yeah, It's sad how some channels are full of (terrible) sitcoms for kids.
Cartoons of the 90s really aren't as good as most people remember them, turn off the nostalgia goggles and you'd see your favorites are outdated or not particularly funny.
Unless of course your sense of humor is exactly the same now as it was when you were 8-12, which would be pretty impressive
[QUOTE=SomTervo;33591563]Unless of course your sense of humor is exactly the same now as it was when you were 8-12, which would be pretty impressive[/QUOTE]
Well considering this is the internet and all
[QUOTE=SomTervo;33591563]Cartoons of the 90s really aren't as good as most people remember them, turn off the nostalgia goggles and you'd see your favorites are outdated or not particularly funny.
Unless of course your sense of humor is exactly the same now as it was when you were 8-12, which would be pretty impressive[/QUOTE]
I've got all the Animaniacs episodes on DVD. I've also got the Batman TAS episodes. They hold up pretty well, you should take a look at them. You don't need nostalgia goggles to recognize effort and passion.
You can also argue, that back in the 90s networks were still developing, and needed all the help they could get in starting up; so they poured more money into their shows to make sure they sold. Twenty years later, the networks are very much established and can simply choose who they want to air based on what they think will sell, rather than airing anything just to gain viewers.
Hub is a good modern example. The network is very new and has to compete with the other network giants. To gain viewers, you could arguably say they invested more money on making sure their shows sold; additionally, they bought licenses to old shows (such as Batman TAS and Batman Beyond) to fill up the rest of the time slots. To be honest, the only reason I know Hub even exists is because of MLP, meaning that it's working. If and when the Hub becomes established, they may fall into the same trap as Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon.
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