Adults getting angry about new cartoons being aimed at kids

[Cybersai]

If you've been online anywhere when a new show is introduced for the first time, especially based on an established franchise, it always receives the same level of backlash from 25-30+ year old adults. "This looks terrible," "This is too kiddy or dumbed down for me," "I hate the art style," "Why are they destroying my childhood and why can't it be the same as 10-20+ years ago?" etc.

This is what I don't get, why are the kids of today not allowed their own cartoons? They're too young to have ever been around for the older stuff, even cartoons made in the 2000's are now 15+ years old. The kids of today have nothing to compare it to. They're not going to think it's, "wrong" or the "art style is bad" or "This Batman is not the same as the Batman from 1992."

On top of that I don't get the "the humor is childish" type stuff. Again cartoons are primarily aimed at the 6-12 year old demographic, the same as it was our generation. Kids cartoons are made for kids, occasionally they have adult humor sneak in or good storylines, but they're supposed to be for children. They don't need continuity heavy storylines, fighting/death, etc. on-screen. I also don't get why people want kids cartoons to be so violent, when I was a kid we had the Ninja Turtles hit open fire hydrants to spray water on the enemies instead of using their weapons. Batman in B:TAS barely throws a punch in some episodes, same for Spiderman: TAS.

Why does this always happen? Kids cartoons shouldn't be violent, kids don't need to see blood splattered across the screen to enjoy something. Just curious.

 

[It’s Time To Go]

Cos adult nerds are dummies and don't want to accept their favourite properties from childhood are in fact intended for children, not for them.

 

[Byakuya769]

"Everything should cater to me!"

 

[Mr. Poolman]

"This is not about you" has been a lesson my generation has problems with.

 

[Kewlmyc]

Animation is still popular with a lot of adults, but yeah, children are still the main audience and fans of old series need to realize that. The new Thundercats and Teen Titans Go are good examples.

 

[wenis]

People get change, especially as they get older. Time is just gunna leave them in the dust, unfortunately they won't go quietly.

 

[PSqueak]

Most of the time it's because people are assholes.

Sometimes it's because people think kids today can do better.

I mean, there is cartoons aimed at kids today like Steven Universe which don't dumb down shit for the audience.

Then there is the announcement of Thundercats roar, which seems to be the dumbest the franchise has ever been. It's not that kids arent allowed to have things aimed at them, but i think we can agree that there is a lot of modern successful shows for kids that show us that we dont have to lower the bar for kids.

Just look at the new TMNT show, they put the first episode on youtube and despite the initial backlash for the art style, the show looks so far pretty damn good and it still has "childish humor" but also good animation and action.

 

[808s & Villainy]

The problem is if kids of 10-20 years ago could handle and appreciate more complex themes, ideas, etc in shows why can't kids of today? The reason adults today are even so passionate about those shows and why their popularity has endured is because they stood out among the sea of mindless childish shows and treated the intelligence of viewers with respect. It's the same thing with Avatar and why that will remain popular years from now while a lot of the wacky, flash animated cartoons of today will be forgotten once they've finished.

People get annoyed because there is PLENTY of simple, goofy shows for kids to watch so when shows that previously bucked that trend and brought back and radically changed, it feels like they're ignoring what made them so popular in the first place

 

[Messofanego]

If you've been online anywhere when a new show is introduced for the first time, especially based on an established franchise, it always receives the same level of backlash from 25-30+ year old adults. "This looks terrible," "This is too kiddy or dumbed down for me," "I hate the art style," "Why are they destroying my childhood and why can't it be the same as 10-20+ years ago?" etc.

This is what I don't get, why are the kids of today not allowed their own cartoons? They're too young to have ever been around for the older stuff, even cartoons made in the 2000's are now 15+ years old. The kids of today have nothing to compare it to. They're not going to think it's, "wrong" or the "art style is bad" or "This Batman is not the same as the Batman from 1992."

On top of that I don't get the "the humor is childish" type stuff. Again cartoons are primarily aimed at the 6-12 year old demographic, the same as it was our generation. Kids cartoons are made for kids, occasionally they have adult humor sneak in or good storylines, but they're supposed to be for children. They don't need continuity heavy storylines, fighting/death, etc. on-screen. I also don't get why people want kids cartoons to be so violent, when I was a kid we had the Ninja Turtles hit open fire hydrants to spray water on the enemies instead of using their weapons. Batman in B:TAS barely throws a punch in some episodes, same for Spiderman: TAS.

Why does this always happen? Kids cartoons shouldn't be violent, kids don't need to see blood splattered across the screen to enjoy something. Just curious.

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Agreed.

However, people who grew up on these cartoons think they're entitled to be the main target demographic for the revivals instead of realising it's not for them anymore.

 

[Firemind]

Have you seen Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, OP?

 

[Wafflinson]

"Everything should cater to me!"

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You pretty much just summed up Era's communal music tastes and disdain for ANY media targeted at women.

All while pretending to be progressive.

 

[killerrin]

People have a hard time accepting that the entire Animation industry in North America/Western World is dedicated towards children first, Adult Comedy Second... And maybe another genre type every couple years. Really, if people want adult cartoons, they need to be looking at either CG Movies, or some of the more Adult-focussed Anime which comes out on a more regular basis.

 

[SigmasonicX]

There is definitely room to be critical of children's shows. Several shows like that have and continue to be good for both kids and adults. You do have to be careful about your standards, though. For instance, moral ambiguity should be a pleasant surprise and not an expectation.

I don't think art style is necessarily an invalid complaint. A kids show doesn't get a pass for being ugly. But that's often tied up in complaints about the tone, which can fall into being a bad complaint, yes.

 

[Hellwarden]

"Everything should cater to me!"

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"I mean, I know it's for young girls, but I don't see why the new She-Ra can't be sexier?"

Spoiler

Fire the people who unironically say the above statement into the sun.

 

[julia crawford]

No one cares about the kids. And even less people care about teens.

 

[Rackham]

All I'm saying is I grew up with Mega Man and he should grow up with me. Check m8 kids

 

[Messofanego]

Most of the time it's because people are assholes.

Sometimes it's because people think kids today can do better.

I mean, there is cartoons aimed at kids today like Steven Universe which don't dumb down shit for the audience.

Then there is the announcement of Thundercats roar, which seems to be the dumbest the franchise has ever been. It's not that kids arent allowed to have things aimed at them, but i think we can agree that there is a lot of modern successful shows for kids that show us that we dont have to lower the bar for kids.

Just look at the new TMNT show, they put the first episode on youtube and despite the initial backlash for the art style, the show looks so far pretty damn good and it still has "childish humor" but also good animation and action.

Click to shrink...

The problem is if kids of 10-20 years ago could handle and appreciate more complex themes, ideas, etc in shows why can't kids of today? The reason adults today are even so passionate about those shows and why their popularity has endured is because they stood out among the sea of mindless childish shows and treated the intelligence of viewers with respect. It's the same thing with Avatar and why that will remain popular years from now while a lot of the wacky, flash animated cartoons of today will be forgotten once they've finished.

People get annoyed because there is PLENTY of simple, goofy shows for kids to watch so when shows that previously bucked that trend and brought back and radically changed, it feels like they're ignoring what made them so popular in the first place

Click to shrink...

Despite being really good shows, Avatar and Steven Universe weren't revivals based on established franchises.

 

[Burrman]

Ya it's pretty funny. My son loved ultimate Spider-Man. Much more then spectacular and everyone on GAF would cry about these Disney decisions.

 

[Medalion]

This is the same mentality to people's reactions to Nintendo Labo

It boils down to the conversation

Adult 1: "This looks stupid and kiddy, I hate it!"
Adult 2: "But this is not aimed for you, this is for kids"
Adult 1: "Yeah but it's so childish... how can I use it?"
Adult 2: "Again, this is not for you!"
Adult 1: "But HOW DOES IT work for someone like me?"

 

[dennett316]

Not keen on the art styles of either Thundercats or She-Ra, but that's where it ends..."Those pictures aren't appealing to look at, oh well". Seeing people throwing tantrums and talking about the "soul" of the old shows being stripped away, it's really damn embarrassing.
I wonder if those throwing fits have ever actually tried going back and watching the old shows they're defending for no reason? I've tried a few times to go back and watch stuff I liked as a kid - Real Ghostbusters, Thundercats, He-Man, G1 Transformers etc - Yeesh, they were crappy. Ropey as hell animation, naff dialogue....just disappointing all round. An awesome theme and decently animated intro that's WAY better than anything in the actual show really tickles the nostalgia gland, but that's about it. Defending that as some kind of defining pillar of your childhood to the point where you're yelling at clouds about how they "Don't make 'em like that anymore" and berating today's creators for trying to update things, it's really kind of pathetic.

 

[One Eyed Willy]

No one cares about the kids. And even less people care about teens.

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Both kids and teens are larger markets with bigger margins than adult enthusiasts. Anyone who runs a successful business is constantly re-evaluating how they can pull in kids/teens since not only are they the largest market but they are the future of consumerism. Marketing to adults is niche and narrow.

 

[808s & Villainy]

Despite being really good shows, Avatar and Steven Universe weren't revivals based on established franchises.

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True, but read my last paragraph. People are largely annoyed because the revivals seem to miss what made the originals popular and seem to just be banking on the name. You can also look at the Powerpuff Girls revival versus the original and how poorly that was received

Also, in what world was Batman: TAS not a violent show, OP?!

 

[Wein Cruz]

I don't care who it is aimed at I'm allowed to have an opinion.

The artstyle for the new tmnt and thundercats is hideous.

 

[Deleted member 4034]

"This is not about you" has been a lesson my generation has problems with.

Click to shrink...

So many people I want to say to all the time.

 

[Chrome Hyena]

for new shows, i think its silly. its a new show, it can have any art style it wants. But for established brands from 30 years ago? those aren't "new shows". They are generally banking on nostalgia to get some older folks to watch.

 

[Deleted member 1086]

kids these days, they don't know

 

[HyperFerret]

Honestly I wish there was more animation catered to adults. It would make sense, that's the kind of audience that has the disposable income to spend on merch after all.

Not every adult fan is like these idiots, but it gets annoying after a while. It's best to tune them out and have them wallow in anger by themselves at not being the targeted demographic. I usually give new shows a chance, but I'm not gonna rant about it being trash if it isn't tuned to my tastes.

 

[julia crawford]

Both kids and teens are larger markets with bigger margins than adult enthusiasts. Anyone who runs a successful business is constantly re-evaluating how they can pull in kids/teens since not only are they the largest market but they are the future of consumerism. Marketing to adults is niche and narrow.

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Not meant in the sense that they are valuable investments (i wouldn't consider even consider that a proper way of caring for anyone honestly), but about their well being, their rights, their individuality, their tastes, their experiences, et al.

 

[Ottaro]

Capitalism has conditioned a bunch of dudes into thinking everything must be sold specifically to them and if it doesnt then its a failed product and its creators are failures.

 

[Deleted member 35446]

Cartoons can be enjoyable for both kids and adults if the writing is good. I don't think it's necessarily about the violence factor or w/e.

Getting mad over new cartoons without a history for having universal appeal is silly, I agree. But, and I don't know what you're specifically referring to, certain cartoons with a legacy for catering to all audiences and then later honing in on little children could be quite annoying. It's more rare but I believe that's a valid gripe to have. Dragon ball super's poor quality in story arcs, delivery, and characterization is annoying but I get that they're aiming to appeal to the stupidest of little kids and hipster man-children who missed out on DBZ when it was decent and didn't fry brain cells to watch.

 

[Deleted member 24118]

I think The Batman was fantastic, AMA.

 

[BoosterDuck]

because nostalgia is a powerful thing

yeah and all the media we consumed as kids was mostly garbage
I agree the Thundercats Roar art looks bad but it's basically guaranteed to have better animation, writing and plot elements than the OG series lol

 

[Crossing Eden]

"This is not about you" has been a lesson my generation has problems with.

Click to shrink...

 

[Platy]

The only legitimate criticism I ever heard is "Teen Titans Go is 90% of cartoon's schedule" which is not a complain ABOUT teen titans go

because nostalgia is a powerful thing

yeah and all the media we consumed as kids was mostly garbage
I agree the Thundercats Roar art looks bad but it's basically guaranteed to have better animation, writing and plot elements than the OG series lol

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Yeah, some people remember these shows WAY BETTER than they actualy were

 

[Book One]

for new shows, i think its silly. its a new show, it can have any art style it wants. But for established brands from 30 years ago? those aren't "new shows". They are generally banking on nostalgia to get some older folks to watch.

Click to shrink...

Some, but drawing in a brand new group of young (ie kid) fans is still the main goal. Survival of the show depends on it.

So the problem the OP describes still applies

 

[skeezx]

it's why i just don't bother with "kids cartoons" at all. not because i'm not interested, quite the contrary. really interested in the stuff out there now like steven universe, ducktales revival, ect.

but any show i watch i'm critical of. and i feel if i run to a message board to sound off about something i don't like about the new ninja turtles as a 35 year old man, well, joke's on me

 

[Sanjuro]

My father loves Rick and Morty and Two and a Half Men.

 

[Typhon]

If we were talking about a mediocre Disney film would you even be using this argument? A quality show is a quality show. IMO TTG is not a good show, it's just random nonsense. It's Family Guy for kids. They're both stupid lowest common denominator programming.

When show like Gravity Falls, Star Vs The Forces of Evil Steven Universe and even fucking My Little Pony Friendship is Magic exists, why should garbage children's programming be acceptable?

 

[Tetrinski]

I only want to say one thing: if you think a movie or cartoon or whatever being made is ruining your childhood, you are fucking wrong. Your childhood is over, it's been over for decades, and nothing that is over can be ruined, it's basic logic. Grow the fuck up and let others enjoy their childhoods now.

 

[Transistor]

I only want to say one thing: if you think a movie or cartoon or whatever being made is ruining your childhood, you are fucking wrong. Your childhood is over, it's been over for decades, and nothing that is over can be ruined, it's basic logic. Grow the fuck up and let others enjoy their childhoods now.

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God damn right. I might not like the new shit sometimes, but my childhood remains intact.

 

[Maquiladora]

Entitlement is a helluva thing.

 

[808s & Villainy]

Actually I have a question. Do most of you saying "This isn't for you" say the same about adaptations that make significant changes, as well?

 

[Doctoglethorpe]

There's still plenty of appealing cartoons though so there's plenty to go around. Like Steven Universe is one of the GOAT cartoons, and that appeals to all ages. And then there's literally a whole (half) channel dedicated to adult only cartoons, which include another GOAT in Rick and Morty. And then Netflix has Bojack. It's a complete nonissue when they don't all appeal to adults.

 

[Deleted member 176]

Saying "this ruined my childhood" will never not be stupid, but "it's for kids" has traditionally been an excuse to output low quality stuff.

 

[ScandiNavy]

Why can't it aim for both?

I grew up with Donald Duck shorts from the 40s. I wonder if children will grow up watching Edd, Ed and Eddy in 2040.

 

[HStallion]

Kids want to watch adult stuff and adults want to watch kids stuff.

 

[More_Badass]

Actually I have a question. Do most of you saying "This isn't for you" say the same about adaptations that make significant changes, as well?

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How are the two scenarios similar? An adaptation, a movie vs a book, is usually aimed at the same audience, if only in part, as the original.

A show or product for children isn't typically aimed at adults.

 

[PSqueak]

Despite being really good shows, Avatar and Steven Universe weren't revivals based on established franchises.

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I know, but they are shows that show your revivals don't have to be dumbed down, Avatar is superior to shows like he-man, Thundercats, etc. for example, so why not make your remake of old nostalgia shows in the same quality? Sure it's a risk, they actually did try with TC and it failed, but they also tried it with Voltron and it was a success.

My point is, reboot or not, we live in an age were cartoons for kids don't have to be dumb to be successful.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

I never got the hate for Teen Titans Go. I grew up on the Woldman/Perez comics, and TTG is great at sending up the hyper-seriousness of that era. I like it for that, my kids like it for random antics. Everybody wins.

I get that the style of humor isn't for everyone, but that's OK.

 

[Biske]

Yeah when you are past you teens and losing your shit over TMNT or whatever, yeah you got a problem.

It's one thing to be like "eh I'm not a fan of that" it's another to be like "OH MY GOD! THEY'VE BETRAYED US THE CORE FANS, THE 30+ YEAR OLDS WHO REALLY MAKE THE WORLD MOVE!!! ITS TIME FOR ATLAS TO SHRUG!"