The 1990's and early 2000's were a golden age for Nickelodeon animated series. The king of the Saturday morning cartoons had a stellar lineup, and many still remain popular to this day: Drake and Josh, Catdog, ICarly, Rugrats, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Rocko's Modern Life, Hey Arnold, Fairly Oddparents, Invader Zim, SpongeBob, and more.
Flash forward to today. What happened? This former pinnacle of sitcom and cartoon television has changed significantly from its once loved former self losing the social impact it had on children and adults alike in today's society. Why would Nickelodeon make these changes?
The most notable difference would have to be the demographic. Teens and adults today remember the amount of adult themes and innuendo the old Nick had. From Ren and Stimpy’s allegory to sex and domestic violence to Full House´s themes of preteen smoking, abuse, and dealing with loss of loved ones.
When asked about the topic, Daman Cusick said, “What about Spongebob? I mean have you seen their noses? Squidward is always depressed and gloomy so his is droopy, and Spongebob is always excited and energetic so his nose is pointy.”
Daman argues that Stephen Hillenburg's (the show's creator and writer) symbolic meaning is clear, and he went on to talk about the characters representation of the Seven Deadly Sins, theories about Bikini Bottom being a nuclear testing site, and so on.
Even when asking my grandmother, an anti-Spongebob enthusiast, on the subject she said, “It's phallic, and I’m surprised and it became a hit and a broadway musical.”
If it isn't clear enough, these shows weren't just made for kids. The young and old alike recognize the hidden meaning behind these shows. Additionally, shows like Rocko's Modern Life dealt with the responsibilities of growing up and the struggles of finding a job in the real world. The biggest struggle main characters face in the newer shows, like Nicky, Ricky, Dicky, and Dawn or Game Shakers, is keeping up with their homework.
The next notable difference is the repetitiveness of these shows. Most of these shows, especially the live-action sitcoms, follow a similar formula, usually following two to four friends of an unlikely pair, each falling into the cookie cutter mold: the unpopular main character, the smart/nerdy one, the cool/stupid one, and the ‘weird’ one. Each takes on the familiar struggles of everyday teenage life, striving to balance their schoolwork along with their rise into popularity. This should sound familiar because this trend has slowly taken over the better part of Nickelodeon’s programming. It first started with Kenan and Kel, then it was Drake and Josh, ICarly and Victorious. Now it’s Nicky, Ricky, Dicky, and Dawn, Kid Danger, and Game Shakers.
When talking to my parents about it, my mom said, “It's almost like they've just run out of ideas.”
These new shows are just blatant copies of their successful predecessors, which then had their own form of originality but now just seem dull, repetitive, and uninteresting.
Although this channel has changed significantly since its golden years, I still plan on holding onto the nostalgia of the shows I grew up with. Since most of the Nick Classics are reportedly coming back, there’s no time better to get back in those Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pajamas and relive sweet childhood memories.
By John Woodring
Flash forward to today. What happened? This former pinnacle of sitcom and cartoon television has changed significantly from its once loved former self losing the social impact it had on children and adults alike in today's society. Why would Nickelodeon make these changes?
The most notable difference would have to be the demographic. Teens and adults today remember the amount of adult themes and innuendo the old Nick had. From Ren and Stimpy’s allegory to sex and domestic violence to Full House´s themes of preteen smoking, abuse, and dealing with loss of loved ones.
When asked about the topic, Daman Cusick said, “What about Spongebob? I mean have you seen their noses? Squidward is always depressed and gloomy so his is droopy, and Spongebob is always excited and energetic so his nose is pointy.”
Daman argues that Stephen Hillenburg's (the show's creator and writer) symbolic meaning is clear, and he went on to talk about the characters representation of the Seven Deadly Sins, theories about Bikini Bottom being a nuclear testing site, and so on.
Even when asking my grandmother, an anti-Spongebob enthusiast, on the subject she said, “It's phallic, and I’m surprised and it became a hit and a broadway musical.”
If it isn't clear enough, these shows weren't just made for kids. The young and old alike recognize the hidden meaning behind these shows. Additionally, shows like Rocko's Modern Life dealt with the responsibilities of growing up and the struggles of finding a job in the real world. The biggest struggle main characters face in the newer shows, like Nicky, Ricky, Dicky, and Dawn or Game Shakers, is keeping up with their homework.
The next notable difference is the repetitiveness of these shows. Most of these shows, especially the live-action sitcoms, follow a similar formula, usually following two to four friends of an unlikely pair, each falling into the cookie cutter mold: the unpopular main character, the smart/nerdy one, the cool/stupid one, and the ‘weird’ one. Each takes on the familiar struggles of everyday teenage life, striving to balance their schoolwork along with their rise into popularity. This should sound familiar because this trend has slowly taken over the better part of Nickelodeon’s programming. It first started with Kenan and Kel, then it was Drake and Josh, ICarly and Victorious. Now it’s Nicky, Ricky, Dicky, and Dawn, Kid Danger, and Game Shakers.
When talking to my parents about it, my mom said, “It's almost like they've just run out of ideas.”
These new shows are just blatant copies of their successful predecessors, which then had their own form of originality but now just seem dull, repetitive, and uninteresting.
Although this channel has changed significantly since its golden years, I still plan on holding onto the nostalgia of the shows I grew up with. Since most of the Nick Classics are reportedly coming back, there’s no time better to get back in those Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pajamas and relive sweet childhood memories.
By John Woodring