Cracked #326

Comment from Mark Arnold:

Obviously, 1998 was the breakout year for South Park, a show like The Simpsons, that refuses to die. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but the amazing longevity of some animated series is astounding these days. Even King of the Hill and Dr. Katz had pretty healthy runs. It's a far cry from Saturday morning cartoons of the 1970s when 13 to 17 episodes might be the most ever made of a series.

Comment from Tom Smith:

Time for Tom Smith's soapbox. Warning: My opinions are my own, and don't represent the rest of this group. I speak only for myself. I know it's weird to dislike modern cartoon shows but still like Beavis and Butthead, but I'm a weird guy.

Firstly, in response to Mark's comment; the cartoons of today are nothing like the innocent Saturday morning cartoons of the 1970's, so it's a whole different ballgame. Those were for kids, while the modern ones are for adults, and kids should not be watching most of them. They are crude and offensive, which explains their longevity in a cynical popular culture which panders to base human tastes. That's not to say that some of them aren't funny at times. South Park is probably the best of the truly offensive lot, but it's still needlessly crude and juvenile.

Beavis and Butthead is the only cartoon show from modern times that I enjoy, as it's funnier than the rest, not offensive at all (you have to understand the jokes in the context of the two moronic characters; the show laughs at Beavis and Butthead, not with them) (edit: even though I don't find Beavis offensive, many people do so it's subjective!) and employs a comedy team dynamic which goes back to classic movie teams of the past. It's also a hilarious satire of modern junk pop culture and human relationships. Incredibly, I find it the least juvenile of all of these shows, as the voice acting is not grating to the ears as it is on the others and it doesn't feel like the viewer's intelligence level is being insulted when one watches it, as it does with most cartoons.

Although I'm not a fan of the Simpsons or South Park, the worst by far is Family Guy. That show achieves record levels of puerile, infantile, offensive, and not at all witty, humor. It's the most aggressively obnoxious in a genre where this is the norm.

Do I like this Cracked cover? I'm fairly indifferent toward it. It's all right, but not being a fan of the cartoons, it does nothing for me, pro or con. I do like the colors and it doesn't bother me in any way.

As a side note, surprisingly, I've never watched a full episode of King of the Hill, which is a little odd since it's a Mike Judge creation. From the little I have seen of it, it doesn't belong in the same category as the rest, as it's much classier and tamer.