Though on a surface level working on a kid’s’ cartoon show seems idyllic, I’m sure it gets boring. Having to draw the same characters day after day without being allowed to dramatically change the format sounds insanity-inducing. Add in the fact that creative teams for kid’s shows have to walk a tightrope made of fishing line when it comes to standards and practices, and the whole thing is a recipe for a stress-fueled breakdown. Fortunately for these animators’ sanity and our future enjoyment, several of your favorite shows battled through the workday by injecting some adult-oriented humor into their work. Your favorite childhood shows are way dirtier than you realized.
Adding filthy jokes to kid’s shows is nothing new, but the ‘90s Nicktoon Hey Arnold! recently brought the trend back into the internet conversation when a Vine from the show, that was posted in 2013, started making the internet rounds. It’s unclear what these two background character are doing, but we’re guessing the cast of GIRLSwould approve:
The Vine gained so much attention that Hey Arnold!’s creator, Craig Bartlett, was asked to clarify the scene for The A.V. Club. According to Bartlett, an awkward cutaway paired with Mr. Simmons eating turkey is what led to the inappropriate looking clip. However, there are plenty of shows who have been very deliberate with their adult humor. Below is our collection of the 20 moments in kid’s shows that made us say “WTF.” Sorry in advance for any scarred childhoods.
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SpongeBob SquarePants: There was a period joke. In the episode "Spy Buddies," Squidward tells Mr. Krabs that it's "That time of the month" before pointing to a giant red blimp. We hate it too, Squidward.
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Regular Show: Technically, Regular Show is more for teenagers and preteens than kids, but one of the less appropriate callbacks is Mordecai and Rigby's fascination with "lady pecs."
SpongeBob SquarePants: SpongeBob and friends' panty raid wasn't just a throwaway joke. It was a major plot point of an episode. In "Mid-Life Crustacean," SpongeBob and Patrick take Mr. Krabs out and end up stealing underwear from Mr. Krabs' mother.
Madagascar: There's some pretty creative cursing in this Dreamworks movie. In one scene, when Alex the lion starts chasing Marty the zebra, Marty screams out "Sugar Honey Iced Tea!" Look at the first letter of those random words to see what he's really saying.
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Animaniacs: An aggravated pilgrim asks Wacko, Yakko, and Dot to give him the bird, to which Yakko responds, "We'd love to, really, but the Fox censors won't allow it."
The Rugrats Movie: Can you say circumcision joke? During the song "The World Is So New to Me," one of the babies says "Waa, they cut my cord," to which the guy above says "Consider yourself lucky."
SpongeBob SquarePants: Nick aired a prison rape joke. In the episode "Gary Takes a Bath," SpongeBob tells Gary that two bars of soap are actually doubloons before winking and saying "Don't drop them."
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Rugrats: There was a Rugrats episode called "Cradle Attraction," AND it had the above scene. Nope. Done. References to '80s sex thrillers is my limit.
Animaniacs: In "Taming of the Screwy," the doctor shows Yakko how to be polite by asking Hello Nurse, "How do you do?" When it's his turn, Yakko puts his own spin on the question, instead saying, "How do you do ... that thing with your mouth?" Hello Nurse, indeed.
Shrek: If you replace the "r" in Lord Farquaad's name with a "k" it makes a very different name. Add in the fact Farquaad was based on a Disney CEO the movie's creator hated, and this may be the most impressive diss in film history.
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SpongeBob SquarePants: Gary once caught SpongeBob watching porn. In "Your Shoe's Untied," Gary comes in while SpongeBob is watching a sea anemone dance. SpongeBob panics, claiming he was looking for the sports channel. Sure.
Rugrats: Tommy's Grandpa probably rented a porno. In "Grandpa's Date," Grandpa Lou rents two Reptar movies for the kids and Lonely Space Vixens for himself. Bow chika wow wow.
Rocko's Modern Life: Heffer REALLY being milked. In the show, Rocko is a male cow, and during several moments in the series, Heffer is either "milked" or "milks" himself under a sheet. Yeah, that white stuff coming out probably isn't actually milk.
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Shrek: There's a masturbation scene you probably missed. In one scene, Farquaad, alone in bed, asks the Mirror to show him Princess Fiona again, and Mirror looks oddly disgusted by the request. Then Farquaad makes that face.
Animaniacs: While annoying the Grim Reaper, Wacko, Yakko, and Dot pretend to be his channel. That's when Yakko asks their new "daddy" is they can watch the "adult channel."
Dexter's Laboratory: Dee Dee called her brother a dick in a very creative way. In "Decoder of Honor," she tells him that the anagram that describes Action Hank fans is "IDKSC."
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Johnny Bravo: According to this show, Farrah Fawcett is into some kinky stuff. While playing pin the tail on the donkey with her little cousin, fictional Farrah says. "I can't remember the last time I was blindfolded. Oh wait ... Yes I can."
Shrek: Farquaad has a small penis - at least according to Shrek. When Shrek and Donkey arrive at Farquaad's HUGE castle, Shrek says, "Do you think maybe he's compensating for something?"
Hey Arnold!: Helga is writing poetry expressing her love for Arnold, like she always does, but this line in "Helga's Parrot" is a bit intense. Bonus points: The parrot who gets loose repeats this particular line multiple times.
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Animaniacs: In this detective-themed episode, Yakko asks Dot to look for prints. Dot mishears and instead finds the singer, Prince. Yakko clarifies, telling Dot "Finger prints," and Dot mishears again. Hat tip to you, Yakko and Dot.
Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
