Why Do We Still Like “Kids” Shows?

I’ve been doing something some people may find as juvenile the last few months. Specifically, I’ve been going back and re-watching a bunch of cartoons that I watched (or, didn’t get a chance to watch in some cases) back when I was still in school. Shows like Invader Zim, Chowder, Adventure Time… you know, “kid’s” shows. One thing I’ve noticed though, is that even though I’m older and like more mature content and themes, I still love these shows a lot more than a lot of the stuff I’m supposed to watch as an adult. I even have friends that share my opinions on that, but why?

Well, after talking a bit with other people with similar interests, I think I figured it out. See, a lot of adult shows really just show adult life, albeit sometimes a bit more inappropriate to appeal to people into that kind of thing. As such, the word “adult” in entertainment context becomes almost synonymous with sex, drugs, graphic violence… things that children can’t enjoy until they’re old enough. So shows will load as much of those themes in as they can to make themselves look more “mature” and “grown-up.” As such, shows that stay more to a PG rating then are seen as kid’s shows since anyone can watch them.

However, this thinking can bring people away from truly entertaining show. For example, one of the shows I binged and watched through was Regular Show, a cartoon that aired on Cartoon Network starting in 2009. Despite being marketed as a “kid’s” show, the episodes constantly show: bystanders and characters getting brutally killed, problems that people in adult life have (Being late to work, earning a paid day off, etc), and constant references to 80s culture. It was a show made for 80s kids who grew up into adults, but because of where it was shown, it was seen as a children’s show and thus slipped under the radar of people that would really enjoy it.

Bottom line: just because something is marketed or pushed to be for a certain group of people, doesn’t mean you have to be one to enjoy it. You watch shows, play games, and enjoy content that makes you happy, regardless of who it’s advertised and marketed to. As long as it’s legal for you to view that content, that is.​