Some old cartoons are no longer sold or streamed because they don’t line up with modern sensibilities. They may have negative racial tones or adult themes that kids probably shouldn’t be exposed to. Here are 30 controversial cartoons that just wouldn’t be made today.
Fritz the Cat
The 1972 Fritz the Cat is based on the R. Crumb comics of the same name. With its outdated depiction of African Americans and its extremely objectifying treatment of female characters, the film wouldn’t get very far in the modern era.
The Ren and Stimpy Show
The Ren and Stimpy Show was an exercise in seeing how much the animators could get past the censors. The answer was, apparently, “a lot.” After the series was cancelled, an explicitly adult-oriented and short-lived revival appeared on Spike TV but was canned after three episodes.
Song of the South
Song of the South is one of the small handful of Disney’s feature films you can’t easily find anymore. That’s mainly because it contains insensitive depictions of black characters and themes that Disney would rather people not associate with their company.
Hare Ribbin
This Looney Tunes short is considered one of the more controversial entries in Bugs Bunny’s oeuvre. In this caper, Bugs outwits a hound dog who chases him around. In the end, he seemingly convinces the dog to take its own life. An alternate ending is no better, ending with Bugs doing the deed himself. Needless to say, this one isn’t widely available.
Der Fuehrer’s Face
Another unusual Disney film, Der Fuehrer’s Face was created to raise money for the US government’s war bonds during the Second World War. Donald Duck is depicted as being sympathetic to the German war effort, with images of the character in military garb looking particularly out of place to modern audiences.
Blame it on Lisa
The Simpsons is no stranger to controversy, but this one is just weird. “Blame it on Lisa” follows the titular family on a trip to Brazil so Lisa can check on an orphan she’s sponsoring. Brazil is depicted as impoverished and dangerous—and the show’s creators conflate the country with Mexico in some truly baffling ways, including assuming The Macarena is from Brazil.
The Flintstones Winston Commercial
Smoking cigarettes has become so taboo in recent years that it’s unusual to even see movie characters smoking anymore. That’s why seeing Fed and Barney smoking cigarettes in this long-form Winston commercial is so strange. Kids mistaking this paid ad for an actual episode of The Flintstones would have definitely been confused!
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Deadly Force
In the Gargoyles episode “Deadly Force,” Broadway accidentally shoots the show’s protagonist, Elisa, with her own weapon. This somber episode is a deep meditation on the dangers of, well, deadly force, and the real-world issue of criminal violence. Because of its realistic depictions of violence, though, the episode has remained controversial.
Space Jam (1996)
The 1996 film Space Jam isn’t particularly bad for kids, but one new character introduced in the movie certainly wouldn’t be made today. At least, not with the personality she had in the finished film. Lola Bunny, a character introduced just to give Bugs a girlfriend, has essentially no personality aside from being a girl. When Lola reappeared in other Looney Tunes media, she was outfitted with a zany, out-there personality to make her more of an actual character.
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The Boondocks
Huey’s radical anarchist speeches, the characters’ penchant for using racial epithets, and a highly skeptical worldview makes The Boondocks a very singular show. It’s also not the kind of show that we could see getting made today, as it would be torn apart by internet trolls for being “too woke” or “too political.”
Invader Zim
The Millennial touchstone Invader Zim was controversial even in its own era. It featured a very dark tone, episodes dedicated to essentially body horror, and an extremely vicious ethos that seeped into every facet of the show. Kids loved it, parents hated it, and Nickelodeon was constantly in hot water over the series.
Beavis and Butthead
While Beavis and Butthead has been revived a few times, there’s nothing in the modern incarnation of the show that can match the outrage generated by an episode of the show in which Beavis sets fire to a comedy club. The episode allegedly caused a five-year-old in Ohio to burn down his trailer home, resulting in the episode being banned.
You’re a Sap, Mr. Jap
If you’ve ever seen old World War II era propaganda cartoons, you know the tone to expect from this antiquated Popeye short. In this one, the comically-powerful Popeye battles the Japanese Navy all by himself. It’s full of racist depictions of the Japanese military and has aged about as well as milk.
King of the Hill
The Season 2 finale of King of the Hill features a Walmart stand-in called Mega-Lo Mart exploding after an employee carelessly mishandles propane. The episode was pulled from the airwaves after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, due to the prominent explosion being considered potentially offensive.
Tin Pan Alley Cats
This jazz-themed cartoon hits all the 40s-era “offensive cartoon” checklist items. It’s got caricatures of black people, bizarre renditions of Hideki Tojo and Adolf Hitler, and so few actual jokes that watching it as actively painful. Tin Pan Alley Cats, like many of its racist contemporaries, is essentially devoid of any artistic merit.
Stark Raving Dad
The only banned Simpsons episode that doesn’t appear on Disney+ is “Stark Raving Dad,” a 1991 episode in which Homer is institutionalized and shares a room with a delusional man who thinks he is Michael Jackson. The mention of the controversial past of Jackson led to the episode being pulled from syndication.
Arthur
In a 2019 episode of the long-running children’s show Arthur, Mr. Ratburn gets married to another man. The episode caused controversy due to its depiction of same-sex relationships and was even banned in Alabama. It just goes to show, even recently-created shows can be controversial enough to get banned.
Mouse Cleaning
This 1948 short featuring the popular cat-and-mouse duo Tom and Jerry has been banned from airing on TV due to a scene in which Tom appears in blackface. If that sounds absurd, it’s because it is. The 30s and 40s had numerous scenes of shoehorned-in racist “humor,” which people apparently thought was riotously funny back then.
Aqua Teen Hunger Force
In 2007, a ridiculous misunderstanding of a viral marketing stunt led the authorities in Boston to mistake LED lights depicting two Aqua Teen Hunger Force characters for bombs. The show parodied this absurd incident with an episode called “Boston,” which was never aired and eventually leaked online in 2015. In the episode, the show’s characters strongly satirize the events, with a bomb squad mistaking everything from sandwiches to an adult human man for bombs.
Caillou
What could ever be controversial about the excessively laid-back children’s cartoon Caillou? Well, one episode in particular, “Caillou’s Getting Older,” was banned from TV due to its subject matter. It centers around the fear of aging, and the realities of death. This proved to be too heavy for kids, leading to the episode being pulled from airwaves.
Hittin’ the Trail for Hallelujah Land
This racist 1931 Merrie Melodies cartoon features absurdly offensive depictions of black people that are based on tired, outdated stereotypes. It’s been banned by United Artists and has only been released on home video in compilations of Public Domain cartoons.
Mickey’s Mellerdrammer
In this totally wholesome and family-friendly Disney short from 1933, Mickey Mouse and his pals do their rendition of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” Yeah, it’s as rough as you’re imagining. Did you ever want to see Mickey Mouse in blackface? Yeah, us neither.
Daffy The Commando
In this Looney Tunes short, Daffy Duck goes behind enemy lines during World War II to make things difficult for the German army. Unsurprisingly, this means it’s been pulled from syndication, as most parents don’t want their kids watching a cartoon duck mix it up with Nazi soldiers and Adolf Hitler. Go figure!
Making Stars
This Betty Boop short has the titular character officiating for a performance that showcases “future stars.” These characters are all infants, though many of them are harmful racial stereotypes. Like many Betty Boop cartoons, this one isn’t considered a good watch for kids.
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