Spongebob is goofy, idiotic, and pretty juvenile. And loving it. Still, I see why that show is so polarizing. Essentially, it's a less funny version of Rocko's Modern Life (considering the creative forces behind it were former Rocko writers and artists).
But I've notices with stuff like Adventure Time and Regular Show (shows you really have to get into to enjoy, BTW), they're very clever dealing with pretty heavy themes and they have an insane amount of character development that even most adult programming doesn't get into. The Power of Friendship in RS alone (something it took 3 seasons to do) gets very heartwarming. And never sappy, either. But I have to admit, those are shows that either appeal to you or don't. Trust me. I was willing to write both shows off (Adventure Time for the stupid reason that it annoyed me that Jake looked a little like Dogbert) until I gave them a real shot.
Then there's Dan Vs. A show that could easily give any adult series a run for its money. Too bad it was on the wrong venue (a network owned by a Toy company that made shows about their toys... mostly good ones). Seriously more fun than most adult swim shows, and it didn't need any sex or drug jokes.
I mean, we're no longer getting Animaniacs type shows, but... would we really want that? A lame Animaniacs knockoff that isn't as clever or funny that tries to replicate the humor and doesn't fit well? And let's not forget. Those who make the cartoons today were inspired by the very same cartoons we loved as well. They're just not untalented and lazy enough to copy them blindly.
But I've notices with stuff like Adventure Time and Regular Show (shows you really have to get into to enjoy, BTW), they're very clever dealing with pretty heavy themes and they have an insane amount of character development that even most adult programming doesn't get into. The Power of Friendship in RS alone (something it took 3 seasons to do) gets very heartwarming. And never sappy, either. But I have to admit, those are shows that either appeal to you or don't. Trust me. I was willing to write both shows off (Adventure Time for the stupid reason that it annoyed me that Jake looked a little like Dogbert) until I gave them a real shot.
Then there's Dan Vs. A show that could easily give any adult series a run for its money. Too bad it was on the wrong venue (a network owned by a Toy company that made shows about their toys... mostly good ones). Seriously more fun than most adult swim shows, and it didn't need any sex or drug jokes.
I mean, we're no longer getting Animaniacs type shows, but... would we really want that? A lame Animaniacs knockoff that isn't as clever or funny that tries to replicate the humor and doesn't fit well? And let's not forget. Those who make the cartoons today were inspired by the very same cartoons we loved as well. They're just not untalented and lazy enough to copy them blindly.