Cartoons when I was growing up seemed to have more intelligence behind them. The ones on air now seem to ... just not. They're amusing to watch as a time killer. But should I really put something like chowder on for my daughter?

Or should i spend the money to go out and get the old shows like the good looney tunes, scooby doo before it was ruined. Hey Arnold.


And my big complaint is the new disney shows. I remember good, CARTOON shows being on disney. now its all live action, teenage dramas that are sub par at best.

I'm going to be raising my children through this age of bad television. What are your opinions on these new shows?
Do you like the old shows better?
Do you have any suggestions for cartoons I should raise my daughter on? (and the child unborn since i'm pregnant)

i love pinkie and the brain
NOT!

loony toons are priceless!

the warner brothers was interesting. and i still know the theme to pinkie and the brain. xD but the show was only decent because of pinky being just ridiculous.

Love love love looney tunes though. And Space Jam is the only reason i even slightly like basketball

lol i love hime

i... don't think i actually know who that is. please show :D

90s and early 2000s television was the best. Though, I may be biased because I grew up with it.

I think that's because it was made before everything was censored to crap.
Veggie monster? Seriously?
GTFO.

I kind of think every age group is biased to find more value in the shows they grew up watching. If you examined Hey Arnold and Chowder objectively, are you really sure that you'd find the former is actually more intelligent than the latter, or did you just think it was intelligent when you watched it as a kid?

I would say raising your children with less television overall is probably the best idea. Give them something to do that stimulates their brains.

I noticed this... that modern cartoons are basically turning into "Americanized anime with a story" instead of "cartoon with a lesson".

Like tom and jerry, there was always a lesson to learn from it.

I think many of the modern cartoons (my niece watches them) are absolute rubbish. Sure a few teach you math or language or something but some of them it's just like.... dafuq did I just watch?

Tom and Jerry...had a lesson? Could have fooled me...

Anyway, as someone said people are biased to what they enjoyed. Like when parents call modern music garbage or whatever. I look back on some of the stuff I liked when I was younger and I'm like...wtf was I thinking. Oh right, I was a kid I wasn't thinking. Times change, tastes change, generations change it's just what happens. Not all new cartoons are bad and not all old cartoons were good.

And the new Scooby Doo is totally not ruined, I've watched every episode of Mystery Inc. and love it.

Yeah... it did. It's called don't try to catch mice yourself

I like the same music I did 15 years ago o.o my preferences never really changed...

Scooby Doo is still going? O.o

I'd argue there are still some good cartoons on television. I'm actually a bit annoyed at people always insisting that there isn't.

Take for example, Gravity Falls. It's smart, rib-crackingly funny and definitely teaches some kind of moral at the end, especially in Mabel heavy episodes. Plus it has all sorts of secrets and codes hidden in the show, which I personally have a lot of fun trying to solve.

And it's on Disney XD, as I recall.
Only thing is that it's currently on hiatus

i love the new transformer one

YES! TV has really downgraded!
I know EXACTLY how you feel.
I tend to put on Nick Jr and Disney Jr for my girls.
The old Scooby Doo still airs for one or two episodes a day, so that is good. There is also the new Scooby Doo, but it has a more teen-age feel to it than the original.

@ Shadami - Yes! Space Jam! ^_^

@ DaniCalifornia - Yes! It is so cute! I love it!

I also like Adventure Time and Regular Show. Even if they are kinda dumb sometimes, but a funny kind of dumb.

I know how you feel.
Especially with Disney. It seems they're trying to push teenage drama stuff onto kids nowadays, and never releasing animations. I really loved the old Disney cartoons, like the Donald Duck animations. I still had some laser-discs of them, but no laser-disc player.

I definitely remmeber those old cartoons like Scooby-doo and Looney Toons.

For me growing up in the 90's, I think the most memorable cartoons were the 90's Nickelodeon cartoons(like Hey Arnold), Warner Brothers(Histeria being my favorite), and Hannah Barbara cartoons(Dexter's Lab, Powerpuff Girls, etc).
I also liked the young anime which came out during the late-kid years, such as Pokemon, Sailor Moon, and Digimon.

I remember even before I moved to America, and I was still 5 or younger, I would watch children's/family anime like Doraemon, Sazae san, and Chibi Maruko Chan.

I find Japanese children's anime tends to have a more "everyday life lesson"-ish feel to it that can be related to real life. However, Japan is less strict on censorship for children, so certain things are seen as fine for kids that would not in the west. I know for example, they can show uncensored "baby man-parts" in some cartoons, and it's not considered offensive to Japanese kids/parents.

Originally Posted by Sansa

90s and early 2000s television was the best. Though, I may be biased because I grew up with it.

I think that's because it was made before everything was censored to crap.
Veggie monster? Seriously?
GTFO.

I grew up with 90s early 2000 cartoons as well. Though i think things like looney tunes were actually from the 70s and 80s. xD I still loved them though. But the new one they made is like they're trying to remake the style. but lost the characters.

Originally Posted by Vox

I kind of think every age group is biased to find more value in the shows they grew up watching. If you examined Hey Arnold and Chowder objectively, are you really sure that you'd find the former is actually more intelligent than the latter, or did you just think it was intelligent when you watched it as a kid?

I would say raising your children with less television overall is probably the best idea. Give them something to do that stimulates their brains.

no.. I still love hey arnold now, and i love the things it has in it. But when i watch chowder my mind is more going "so its fun to burp and be rude?"

I do completely agree with you on something more stimulating. We play with her and read to her all the time. And right now we only have netflix so there is no actual tv. When we do throw something on when we put her down for a nap its old cartoons though because she falls asleep to that background noise.
I'm just worried about when she actually starts choosing to be more into the tv as is the generation norm right now.

Originally Posted by The Wandering Poet

I noticed this... that modern cartoons are basically turning into "Americanized anime with a story" instead of "cartoon with a lesson".

Like tom and jerry, there was always a lesson to learn from it.

I think many of the modern cartoons (my niece watches them) are absolute rubbish. Sure a few teach you math or language or something but some of them it's just like.... dafuq did I just watch?

There really was a lesson in tom and jerry. Though sometimes you had to pick up the subtle hints. Especially there episodes where they would actually stop there fighting and be friends for something that was a higher cause.

i think Dora (which i've never really watched) may be one of the best kid shows out there now. But that's based on other parents testimonials.

Originally Posted by Usako

Tom and Jerry...had a lesson? Could have fooled me...

Anyway, as someone said people are biased to what they enjoyed. Like when parents call modern music garbage or whatever. I look back on some of the stuff I liked when I was younger and I'm like...wtf was I thinking. Oh right, I was a kid I wasn't thinking. Times change, tastes change, generations change it's just what happens. Not all new cartoons are bad and not all old cartoons were good.

And the new Scooby Doo is totally not ruined, I've watched every episode of Mystery Inc. and love it.

Amazingly.. i still listen to all of my music, even from when i was a kid. My music folder is.. yeah.. like 3000 songs long at least. And i have CDs and cassettes still. And occasionally i'll even have my 'kids songs" that i used to listen to stuck in my head. And be.. "whhhat where'd that come from?!?"

As for the Scooby Doo incorporated... it really is ruined. I have watched every episode. And yes the plot and story is incredibly intriguing. If i had never seen a scooby doo movie in my life... i MAY have liked mystery inc much better. But i can not STAND what they have done to the characterizations of Mystery Inc. Velma used to be my favorite character and this show makes me hate her.

Each character has been dumbed down to their most extreme features. Freddy was always the one who built traps, so instead of having the intelligence to come up with traps to catch the bad guy ... he is an idiot jock ONLY in absolute love with traps. Velma is obsessed with Shaggy, and nothing else. Not even her books, or the mysteries. She's so blah and obnoxious now. Daphne is really the only character that pretty much stayed the same. She has always been obsessed with Fred.

Originally Posted by The Wandering Poet

Yeah... it did. It's called don't try to catch mice yourself

I like the same music I did 15 years ago o.o my preferences never really changed...

Scooby Doo is still going? O.o

Yeah. New show though. And its more of a storyline show where each episode ends and the mystery is tied up, but there is a plot across the entire show, every episode. If it was just for the plot it would be a great show.

Originally Posted by DaniCalifornia

I'd argue there are still some good cartoons on television. I'm actually a bit annoyed at people always insisting that there isn't.

Take for example, Gravity Falls. It's smart, rib-crackingly funny and definitely teaches some kind of moral at the end, especially in Mabel heavy episodes. Plus it has all sorts of secrets and codes hidden in the show, which I personally have a lot of fun trying to solve.

And it's on Disney XD, as I recall.
Only thing is that it's currently on hiatus

I'm not sure i've even heard of gravity falls. I'm (missed the link oops) gonna have to look that up and see what its all about. Thank you for the first actual tip FOR new shows. :]

Originally Posted by hummy

i love the new transformer one

What's the new transformers like? My favorite in my memory is the really old animal one. xD

Originally Posted by dragoness129

YES! TV has really downgraded!
I know EXACTLY how you feel.
I tend to put on Nick Jr and Disney Jr for my girls.
The old Scooby Doo still airs for one or two episodes a day, so that is good. There is also the new Scooby Doo, but it has a more teen-age feel to it than the original.

@ Shadami - Yes! Space Jam! ^_^

@ DaniCalifornia - Yes! It is so cute! I love it!

I also like Adventure Time and Regular Show. Even if they are kinda dumb sometimes, but a funny kind of dumb.

I'm a little sad that they took all of the old scooby doo's off of netflix. Zombie Island was one of my favorites to watch and its gone. :[

And that's my point with the new shows exactly! They're great for kill time, fry your brain entertainment. But I'm not sitting there being like. "i'd rather be watching this than outside playing. or reading a book." If i want to sit in front of a tv to just waste time, adventure time especially is interesting. But i'm just not seeing it as ... good as the old shows. (especially since both are based on hard drugs)

Originally Posted by Kouki

I know how you feel.
Especially with Disney. It seems they're trying to push teenage drama stuff onto kids nowadays, and never releasing animations. I really loved the old Disney cartoons, like the Donald Duck animations. I still had some laser-discs of them, but no laser-disc player.

I definitely remmeber those old cartoons like Scooby-doo and Looney Toons.

For me growing up in the 90's, I think the most memorable cartoons were the 90's Nickelodeon cartoons(like Hey Arnold), Warner Brothers(Histeria being my favorite), and Hannah Barbara cartoons(Dexter's Lab, Powerpuff Girls, etc).
I also liked the young anime which came out during the late-kid years, such as Pokemon, Sailor Moon, and Digimon.

I remember even before I moved to America, and I was still 5 or younger, I would watch children's/family anime like Doraemon, Sazae san, and Chibi Maruko Chan.

I find Japanese children's anime tends to have a more "everyday life lesson"-ish feel to it that can be related to real life. However, Japan is less strict on censorship for children, so certain things are seen as fine for kids that would not in the west. I know for example, they can show uncensored "baby man-parts" in some cartoons, and it's not considered offensive to Japanese kids/parents.

exactly what i mean about the new shows. thank you. And omg yes. the donald duck animations were fantastic. i think i may have some on a VHS somewhere... And yes yes yes again at all the cartoons you've listen. Though the anime i really don't know, cause i really couldn't get into many animes for some reason.

I did not know that about japanese shows though. that's very interesting. Though it makes complete sense.

Oh and digimon, the first generation was the best. The second gen was okay. but it made me stop watching.

Ah, I never really got too into Digimon, but I'd just watch random episodes from the first season on TV.
Mainly I liked Pokemon and Digimon for the cuteness factor, I must admit. Then I guess after that would be the whole adventure theme, and character designs.

What I do prefer about Hey Arnold over most modern cartoons is that it deals with real life, and school. The things kids really do deal with, and I loved how all the kids had a very wide variety of personalities and background stories. Even the adults had some pretty deep stories. They were really well thought out for a kids show.
Most of all, it was entertaining. XD I think that's the most important thing about cartoons, really.

A stimulating alternative to TV would be games. All kinds of games will be more stimulating than TV, since they're interactive. I grew up loving jigsaw and logic puzzles, and still do. There's a saying that people who are good at puzzles are good a math... well maybe true not for me. >_>
Even video/PC games are more stimulating than TV since the player makes all the choices and movements. I find educational video/PC games can be just as fun too. In particular, I think I learned the most from playing the Magic School Bus and Jumpstart School PC games as a kid. I don't know if they still sell them anymore, though.

Hey Arnold was one of the best cartoons on television. Too bad I never watched it as a kid. I liked the more glib, effeminate styles of Powerpuff girls and My Life as a Teenage Robot. But I maintain that Powerpuff Girls was awesome, and it's actually getting a reboot with a drool worthy art style

@dragoness129 I love those too, but they're really "new-age" cartoons, and not the sort that everyone here seem to be pining for. Gravity Falls is more of a nod to the classics :)

Powerpuff Girls reboot? I remember hearing about a more anime-style version called Powerpuff Girls Z, but never watched it.
I also remember My Life as a Teenage Robot, though only saw a few episodes. I think the art style used in those series is cute for western cartoons.

I also liked Ren and Stimpy, and Sponegbob, though those are cartoons that I'd think most parents would not really like as much for their kids, especially the first...

I do remember also liking the French animations like Code Lyoko and Totally Spies. They have a sort of anime style to them, and Code Lyoko was pretty deep in terms of story-wise. I never really watched them in full, though.

Totally Spies was French? I had NO idea.
EDIT: Holy Crap! Marathon was a French company! They basically supplied my childhood

But as far as French cartoons go, anyone remember Kid Paddle? It was hilarious, but the English dub was sort of meh

Originally Posted by Kouki

Ah, I never really got too into Digimon, but I'd just watch random episodes from the first season on TV.
Mainly I liked Pokemon and Digimon for the cuteness factor, I must admit. Then I guess after that would be the whole adventure theme, and character designs.

What I do prefer about Hey Arnold over most modern cartoons is that it deals with real life, and school. The things kids really do deal with, and I loved how all the kids had a very wide variety of personalities and background stories. Even the adults had some pretty deep stories. They were really well thought out for a kids show.
Most of all, it was entertaining. XD I think that's the most important thing about cartoons, really.

A stimulating alternative to TV would be games. All kinds of games will be more stimulating than TV, since they're interactive. I grew up loving jigsaw and logic puzzles, and still do. There's a saying that people who are good at puzzles are good a math... well maybe true not for me. >_>
Even video/PC games are more stimulating than TV since the player makes all the choices and movements. I find educational video/PC games can be just as fun too. In particular, I think I learned the most from playing the Magic School Bus and Jumpstart School PC games as a kid. I don't know if they still sell them anymore, though.

That description of hey arnold is exactly what i was feeling, i just couldn't place it into words for some reason.
That's the stuff i miss with shows. For some things to actually make sense "have lessons" be about the kids. not make them want to be teenagers immedietly when they're 5.

Originally Posted by DaniCalifornia

Hey Arnold was one of the best cartoons on television. Too bad I never watched it as a kid. I liked the more glib, effeminate styles of Powerpuff girls and My Life as a Teenage Robot. But I maintain that Powerpuff Girls was awesome, and it's actually getting a reboot with a drool worthy art style

@dragoness129 I love those too, but they're really "new-age" cartoons, and not the sort that everyone here seem to be pining for. Gravity Falls is more of a nod to the classics :)

i still like those shows. mojojojo... i love randomly saying his name in crowded places and seeing what happens. It is amusing.

Originally Posted by Kouki

Powerpuff Girls reboot? I remember hearing about a more anime-style version called Powerpuff Girls Z, but never watched it.
I also remember My Life as a Teenage Robot, though only saw a few episodes. I think the art style used in those series is cute for western cartoons.

I also liked Ren and Stimpy, and Sponegbob, though those are cartoons that I'd think most parents would not really like as much for their kids, especially the first...

I do remember also liking the French animations like Code Lyoko and Totally Spies. They have a sort of anime style to them, and Code Lyoko was pretty deep in terms of story-wise. I never really watched them in full, though.

Code Lyoko and tottally spies <3 ahhh i need to find totally spies again. I loved that show.

The french make good shows... just like awesome asian movies like the monkey king. and detective Dee, ect. (but that's not cartoons and is kind of off topic oops/ )

Each character has been dumbed down to their most extreme features. Freddy was always the one who built traps, so instead of having the intelligence to come up with traps to catch the bad guy ... he is an idiot jock ONLY in absolute love with traps. Velma is obsessed with Shaggy, and nothing else. Not even her books, or the mysteries. She's so blah and obnoxious now. Daphne is really the only character that pretty much stayed the same. She has always been obsessed with Fred.

While I agree the characters have been...watered down, to say the least. I just wanted to point out I'm not too shocked about Fred. He reminds me a lot of his Pup Named Scooby Doo counter part, except he was even stupider then.

i- guess i need to watch that one again. i only really saw a few episodes since it came out right about the time i lo[st cable.

wo*w i+-*ts hard to 9*9*9*9*9*type with infant in you++r lap banging on key7s77777

Cow and Chicken :P
Ren & Stimpy is hilarious.

o god i remember those. Cow and chicken was so strange! Yet oddly fascinating.

For a young child (which it will be for a while, given that it is unborn). I'd hold off on a lot of the ones mentioned above, and recommend something soothing and slow, like the ones studio Ghibli puts out - like My Neighbor Totoro, or Ponyo. What about the kids shows PBS puts out? Like Arthur? Everyone loves Arthur.