Owned by Warner Bros Entertainment, Cartoon Network is a channel that has earned a place in the hearts of children all around the world over the past 20 years. Mostly airing children’s programming, Cartoon Network is responsible for bringing us such classic shows as The Powerpuff Girls, Teen Titans, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Dexter’s Laboratory, and Peppa Pig.
Though the network is renowned for its services to children, there are a few facts regarding the many shows broadcast on the channel over the years that are surprising, to say the least. Be warned: you might not look at some of your favorite shows the same way after this!
Keep reading to find out 20 facts Cartoon Network wants to keep on the down-low.
20 The Powerpuff Girls Failed To Protect Townsville
Eagle-eyed fans have noticed in the pilot episode of Samurai Jack that the show actually takes place in the same universe as The Powerpuff Girls. Judging from the skyline and billboards seen in Samurai Jack, it’s been suggested that the show is set in the post-apocalyptic ruins of Townsville. That means that the Powerpuff Girls failed to protect the city.
19 The Flintstones Was Sponsored By A Cig Company
Airing since the 1960s, The Flintstones predates the current information we have about the realities of smoking. In the beginning, the show was actually sponsored by Winston Cigarettes and the characters actually smoked them on air. You can still the original broadcasts that include Fred and Barney smoking on YouTube.
18 Ed, Edd N Eddy Was Less Than Appropriate At Times
Watching Ed, Edd n Eddy as a child, you never would have picked up on some of the adult humor that seeps into the animation. One episode shows the boys reading a magazine with curious expressions on their faces while they’re surrounded by used tissues. That’s hardly a child-friendly reference!
17 The Looney Tunes Features Some Strong Negative Stereotypes
For nearly 90 years, children across the country have grown up with beloved Looney Tunes characters like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. Though the show has brought a lot of happiness to generations of kids, it’s also responsible for perpetuating some racist stereotypes. In particular, the show included incredibly problematic depictions of African Americans.
16 Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends Is Not Based On A Happy Story
Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends has provided a lot of children with a lot of happiness since it first aired, but its origins aren’t exactly happy. Cartoonist Craig McCracken started wondering about the lives of neglected pets before they are adopted, which is how he came up with the idea of a show about imaginary friends looking for their forever home.
15 The People At CN Didn’t Like Space Ghost Coast To Coast
Many Cartoon Network fans don’t realize that the people behind the scenes at CN were not fans of the show Space Ghost Coast to Coast. It was essentially a volunteer project and no funding was given to the program’s creators because nobody had any faith that it would perform well. This is why the show was constantly recycling old footage.
14 Many CN Shows Are Censored In Australia
Even though the adult references in Cartoon Network shows are mostly subtle, many of the network’s shows have been censored in Australia. The country is particularly tough on the network, and even censors things that would be passable in the US, like the line “this sucks” or the concept of two characters dating.
13 Adventure Time And Steven Universe Have Been Banned In Many Countries
Two shows that have run into a lot of trouble overseas are Adventure Time and Steven Universe. Due to the shows’ pro-LGBTQ+ themes, they have been banned in South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, in addition to several other culturally conservative countries. Despite this, Cartoon Network is still aired in more than fifty countries around the world.
12 CN Really Is Geared Towards Boys And Not Girls
If you’ve ever had an inkling that Cartoon Network gears its shows more towards boys than girls, you’re right. Writer and producer Paul Dini claims that little girls don’t buy enough toys, which is why the majority of shows are targeted toward boys. Dini also claims that his series Young Justice was cut after trying to include more female characters.
11 The Creative Director Of Adult Swim Only Wants Men To Write Cartoons
The discrimination doesn’t stop there. Anonymous employees at Adult Swim have claimed that the creative director Mike Lazzo believes that women should leave comedy writing to the men. Lazzo confirmed the allegations on Reddit, explaining that women “don’t tend to like conflict” and so his network rarely picks up series led by females.
10 There Are A Few Dark Easter Eggs In Teen Titans
Re-watching Teen Titans as an adult, you might notice a few grim references and Easter eggs that you never noticed before. In one episode, Robin shows the Titans all the memorabilia and mementos they’ve collected over the years. One of these items is an urn containing the remains of the previous Robin who was killed by The Joker.
9 Courage The Cowardly Dog Featured Some Sinister Characters
Although it’s a children’s show, Courage the Cowardly Dog features some rather sinister characters. One who stands out is Freak Fred. We soon learn that Fred, who is Muriel’s nephew, is obsessed with hair and wants to shave Courage. It seems innocent enough for a cartoon, but Fred is actually displaying classic behavior that’s associated with psychopaths and serial killers.
8 There Were A Few Inappropriate Innuendos In Cow And Chicken
Another show containing a few innuendos that were totally inappropriate for children was Cow and Chicken. On more than one occasion, the character of Cow makes adult-themed references with her udders. She rubs and shakes them suggestively and even asks people if they want to count her teats. Not the most appropriate material for a child’s show!
7 Some CN Shows Are Extremely Violent
You can’t avoid violence in action-packed adult shows, but you’d hope that shows created for children would be a little less graphic. Some Cartoon Network shows can be extremely violent, though, which isn’t great for the company’s image. An example is Steven Universe when Peedee’s costume forces people to eat fries.
6 Bunny The Powerpuff Girl Didn’t Get A Happy Ending
One Powerpuff Girls episode that few people talk about anymore is the one with Bunny, the fourth Powerpuff Girl. She’s larger and not as smart, and sadly, can’t fight properly or develop social skills. In the end, she explodes due to the fact that her DNA is unstable. Not the proudest moment of the show’s history.
5 They Couldn’t Air Every Bugs Bunny Cartoon Because They Were Too Offensive
Cartoon Network once intended to broadcast a Bugs Bunny special, but some of the famous rabbit’s Bunny cartoons were just too offensive to air. Some episodes centering on the famous character featured racism, while others were politically incorrect in other ways. They allowed the marathon to continue provided they were able to carefully choose which episodes made the cut.
4 CN Released Many Inappropriate Wartime Cartoons
Cartoon Network once aired scenes from its most provocative shows, calling the segment ToonHeads. During this, they showed how WWII was depicted through animation and included some offensive material. Still available online, you can see Looney Tunes episodes featuring insensitive caricatures of Japanese and German people that were originally aired in the 1940s.
3 The Characters From The Amazing World Of Gumball Aren’t Exactly Original
The creator of The Amazing World of Gumball, Benjamin Bocquelet, didn’t come up with totally original characters for his show. Instead, he reused characters that were rejected during his time working in advertising. Later, he admitted that he “sold to them characters that I had already been paid to do.”
2 Some Shows Are Heavily Improvised
Though it’s hard to imagine a cartoon being improvised, that’s exactly what happens with The Regular Show. Creator JG Quintel confessed that the show doesn’t even have a script. The animators are given a general idea of the way the show’s going to go, and then they fill in the blanks after the actors improvise their lines.
1 The Actors Of Teen Titans GO Didn’t Trust The Writers
The voice actors of Teen Titans GO shared the same concerns that many critics had when it came to their show. They just didn’t trust that the writers would make the reboot as good as the original Teen Titans show, and would often challenge the chosen dialog. Despite these concerns, the show is finding reasonable success as a reboot.
References: Screen Rant, The Gamer, CBR