'Cartoons Are So Ugly Now'

I hope you're ready for an emotional rollercoaster. I was surfing the web the other day and I came across some cartoon reboots that I somehow hadn't seen before. The animation styles for some of the shows I used to watch as a kid have changed pretty drastically. And not only that, some of these shows have changed fundamental traits of characters.

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0:00 Spongebob's Kamp Koral
4:18 Rugrats
8:42 Fairly Odder
9:51 Maybe I shouldn't care...

[kyoyameganebereznoff]

I think “soulless” is a better word than “ugly.” Lots of nineties cartoons were ugly, but the art styles were used to give the shows their tone and identity.

[paulgilbert]

Backyardigans was a 3D kids show from 2004 and it still manages to look better than most 3D kids shows today.

[bannles]

I feel like 3D-ifying 2D animated characters completely soils the charm that the original character had.

[MoonFairy]

I have been grieving the fall of old-school animation. The almost claymation look creates a creepy uncanny valley vibe.

[sarahstewart]

The thing about original Spongebob and other old shows is that parents can watch them *with* their kids and actually enjoy them. These new shows just have nothing to draw adults in and it feels as if they’re just made so you can let them take care of your kids for a few hours while also melting their brains

[Joel-Haver]

SpongeBob really fell off when they decided to animate it in GoAnimate

[RogueAstro]

Even though they're "made for kids" these shows are just so lazy and uninspired. Spongebob was so popular because it was absurd, original, and creative. Just taking the characters and putting them in a different show doesn't mean that it's any good.

While I don't watch it really, Gumball is pretty funny and original. It seems to connect with kids more than these soulless reboots ever will

Edit: There are plenty of great cartoons nowadays, I'm specifically referring to these cheap reboots. The only reason I picked Gumball was because it has a very modern sense of humor and would be what I'd consider the next generation's spongebob

[donnylurch]

I agree with Scott that this isn't *made for* adults... it's just, at the same time, it's so blatantly indicative of the cynical business-first decision making that went into rebooting these properties into an inferior form.

Me, I'm like, why reboot the original Rugrats cast but in the 2020s instead of the 1990s? Why not let the babies grow all the way up, become parents of their own children, and make a show about those new babies? Kids today have no attachment to the older characters, so why are you baiting millennials with nostalgia only to make a product with nothing for them? It doesn't make any sense to me, consarnit!

[YourGodEra]

we should be giving our children quality and mentally stimulating content. respect our kids not just trying to distract them.

[KayBbyXOXOXO]

I think it would have been better if Ms Puff and Mr Krabbs kept getting into comedic situations that prevented them from ever seeing and meeting each other.

[Mustangg]

well i feel like when 2d cartoons are changed to a 3d style, the juxtaposition of the more realistic rendering next to the cartoony proportions can tap into the uncanny valley if it’s not done right. on the other hand, recent 2d animation has seemed consistently appealing imo, like on cartoon network shows for example.

[TheSeriousPain]

When characters are designed with traditional animation in mind, traditional animation is going to be where the designs work best and it will never be possible to translate them to 3d without losing something.

[helixier]

The last time I enjoyed a 3D tv show was penguins of Madagascar, I think it was reruns at that point but I remember thinking, “how can they make so many high quality episodes?” Every episode was like a new movie

[angeldquintas]

I love how he said in that interview response that “a show with Patrick by himself might be a bit much” and now we have the Patrick Star Show 🙃

[jacksyoutubechannel]

The 90s was a beautiful time to be a child, because it was the first (and I'd say only) window of time when the entire country started to orient itself around children (thus the "think of the children" memes arriving out of this time period). For instance, McDonald's heavily marketed Happy Meals, to get kids to ask their parents to go there, and I think we all remember "Nickelodeon Magazine... _please_ !" Multiple channels of television were catering to the interests of children, movie studios were producing films for the sole purpose of child consumption, there were game shows specifically for the participation of and consumption by children, restaurants all had some perk or something special for kids, clothing stores for the tastes of boys or girls and _not_ their parents sprouted like wildflowers, and toy advertisements made up 75% of daytime commercials.

The guilt of the first major wave of divorce in world history, and the power of harnessing that guilt by directing kids to ask their parents for things, is what got us the 90s.

[taquitotexano]

Since Blues Clues & You is specifically billed as a children’s educational program it must meet certain criteria. Preschool television is highly regulated and run vastly different than the regular animated shows you mentioned. It feels different than the other money-grabs because it’s been legally mandated to be so lol

[griffin]

The Amazing World of Gumball actually had an incredibly unique art style. It was funny and original, too, with likable characters. Hard recommend.

[PurpleBrickfilms]

You should talk about the disappearing line of cartoons for teenagers, Cartoon Network used to have Adventure Time, but that ended. They used to have Infinity Train, but they cancelled that. They have Ninjago, but that show has been dumbed down in its dark themes to be more kiddy.
Everything is Cocomelon on CN now, I feel like that would make for a very interesting video.

[hackercow]

I was watching Blue's Clues with my young nephew and it honestly is great. You see Steve and Joe help Josh out from time to time, and they add a lot more to the show.

[clairelendvai]

this is random and i never leave comments, but im so impressed with the clips youre able to pull up

the clip of the grandpa in the original rugrats talking about hippies really was so fitting

idk who your editor is or if its you but i just wanna say youre doing a great job the attention to detail is paying off