We’ve all enjoyed cartoons at some point, and many of us still do today. Shows like Adventure Time, The Amazing World of Gumball, We Bare Bears, SpongeBob SquarePants, and The Regular Show offer a variety of animated entertainment. You might notice that these examples lean toward kid-friendly programming, avoiding R-rated content. However, despite being aimed at younger audiences, these “kids'” cartoons often slip into subtle adult humour, occasionally surfacing in hilariously unexpected ways. The team at Fortress of Solitude has taken a look back at some of the cheekiest, most eyebrow-raising and inappropriate but funny moments in kids’ cartoons.
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1. Yakko asked Dot to do what to Prince?
The original show aired in 1993. While Animaniacs was filled with many dirty jokes, there was one moment that has always stood out for me. In this particular episode titled Hercule Yakko, a parody of Agatha Christie’s Poirot, the siblings are looking for clues when Yakko instructs Dot to dust the crime scene for prints. You can watch how it plays out in the clip above. How was this approved? It’s definitely inappropriate for a cartoon.
2. Banana Joe is caught watching adult content
In The Amazing World of Gumball episode The Shell, Gumball searches through Banana Joe’s house looking for his girlfriend, Penny, who literally comes out of her shell and loses control of her new-found powers. As Gumball stumbles through the home, he goes into three different rooms, one with Banana Joe’s mother painting a bizarre scene from the actual episode, and the second being the father in the bathtub. The third room, Banana Joe’s bedroom, is where something really strange happens. As Gumball storms in, the two lock eyes as Banana Joe is seemingly watching adult content.
What plays out on the screen is footage of an orange being opened in the middle, which may not seem like much, but given that Banana Joe is a fruit watching a fruit being manhandled, it becomes pretty clear what is actually happening in that scene. Take a look for yourself above. It’s definitely inappropriate for a cartoon dedicated to kids.
3. Rocko and Heffer go to a jackhammer festival
In the Nickelodeon cartoon Rocko’s Modern Life, Rocko, a wallaby, and his pal Heffer, a cow, decide to go to a jackhammer festival. Now, the first thing that went through my mind as a kid was, “Why a jackhammer festival?” I still remember being utterly confused as to what the joke was. It was only later when I was a bit older and re-watched the episode, that I noticed the “cleverly” written sign above the jackhammer ride that read: “Demo Pit. Jack All-U-Want”.
At first, I was a bit flabbergasted as to how this made its way into a cartoon, but my shock was soon replaced with laughter as I finally got the joke after all these years. This was just one of the many dirty and inappropriate little secrets in the Rocko’s Modern Life cartoon.
4. Looney Tunes, I think (I Got Plenty of Mutton)
A ram stares at a sexy ewe (really a male wolf in drag), and his curled horns go, um, erect. And red. What the hell?! Yeah, this is about as subtle as an innuendo as a brick through a plate-glass window. It’s one of the dirtiest cartoon moments.
5. Goofy (Father’s Day Off)
Disney gets a bad rap as being all family-friendly these days, but they used to push the envelope. In Father’s Day Off, Goofy stays at home while his wife is away, and gets a flirty visit from the milkman, indicating his wife is cheating on him.
6. The Rescuers – the naked lady in the background
Ah, this is a classic! I don’t know how this got past the censors and I’d never advocate it in this day and age, but…seriously, as a kid I never even noticed, or if I did, I didn’t care. Looking at it now… Wow! It’s definitely inappropriate for a cartoon movie. It’s one of the dirtiest cartoon moments.
7. Bugs Bunny and the Three Bears – a nude picture on the wall
As a kid, I never noticed. As an adult, seeing it on a classic DVD collection it was a WTF moment and I had to rewind to double-check.
8. Private Snafu 1944 (Coming)
They actually wrote “SNAFU” on the screen and explained what the acronym means. Well, they pause on the F before saying it means, uh, fouled. Wow! Seriously, that’s just wrong! Why am I not surprised Chuck Jones did this?! But they could get away with so much more then!
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Do you recall encountering any inappropriate cartoon moments while watching your favourite show as a kid?
Wow I didn’t even understand this when I was little
My whole life has been a lie