Top 10 Hidden Jokes in Nickelodeon Shows
For this list, we're looking at inappropriate jokes in both animated and live-action shows aired on Nickelodeon.
#10: Timmy’s Me-Time “The Fairly OddParents” (2001-17)
Ten year old Timmy Turner got up to all sorts of hilarious hijinks on “The Fairly OddParents”. However, for the most part he kept things rated G. Well, in the season six episode “Poof’s Playdate” things got a little too XXX for our liking and in your younger years you might have had no idea what he was up to! Well, hindsight being 20/20 it’s now pretty obvious that when Timmy told his parents not to bother him as he walked up to his room with a roll of paper towels, he was clearly moments away from, uh, well a little Timmy-time. Nothing like a masturbation joke in the middle of a children’s show!
#9: Helga Gives TMI “Hey Arnold!” (1996-2004)
Despite her tough exterior Helga was really just a girl with a crush. A crush that often led her down a pretty weird path. She built a shrine to Arnold in her bedroom closet and often pined for him when she was alone. However, seeing as how she’s a fourth grader we find it a little odd that she’s talking about her “girlhood trembling” while writing about Arnold in her diary. She also calls him her “sultry pre-teen” while hugging a watermelon bust of his head. Hey, nobody said your first crush would be easy.
#8: A Fine Pair of Tomatoes “Drake & Josh” (2004-07)
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Despite its short run “Drake & Josh” is often regarded as one of Nickelodeon’s funniest shows. This has a lot to do with the acting of Josh Peck, who was never afraid to put himself out there for a scene. Case in point: the time he went along with a mature joke about tomatoes while attempting to make salsa. While listen to a cooking tape, Josh is told by the oddly sensuous narrator to appreciate the ingredients as if they were a fine woman. The fact that Josh is holding a couple of tomatoes at this exact moment was definitely not a mistake. Classy!
#7: Glory Days “Sanjay and Craig” (2013-16)
Given that it premiered in 2013 and only lasted three seasons, “Sanjay and Craig” isn’t what you would call a Nickelodeon classic. However, the show had its moments and wasn’t afraid to toss in a joke for the adults now and then. Take this scene, in which Sanjay and his pet snake Craig are sitting in a bathroom stall. The stall is filthy and covered in stains and graffiti, but on one of the walls you can clearly make out a hole that’s been taped over. The only hole of this kind we’ve ever heard of is of the “glory” variety, which makes this gag pretty dirty for a kid’s show…not that any of them noticed . . . we hope.
#6: Nifty Shades of Beige “iCarly” (2007-12)
Since it’s adults who write children’s shows, and not the kids themselves, it’s only right that they slip in a little something for the older crowd once in a while. For example, in the “iCarly” episode “iBust a Thief” Guppy can clearly be seen reading a book titled “Nifty Shades of Beige”, an obvious reference to E.L. James’ erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey. The serious look on Guppy’s face as he indulges in a little light reading leads us to believe that he’s pretty engaged in the content of the book; making the scene that much weirder.
#5: Getting From A to D “Victorious” (2010-13)
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Nowadays “Victorious” is best known for introducing Ariana Grande to the world, but when it first aired it was one of Nickelodeon’s most successful live action shows. Well, the writers must have felt pretty confident, because in the season two episode “A Christmas Tori” they decided to throw in a boob joke. The moment occurs after André laments the fact that his music grade went from an A to a D. Jade responds with a quip about her own experiences about BIG changes. Guess it was just too tempting of a setup for the writers to resist.
#4: SpongeBob Watching Adult Content “SpongeBob SquarePants” (1999-)
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“SpongeBob SquarePants” never shied away from jokes that were clearly aimed at an older audience. In fact, one need look no further than the KRUSTY KRAB, a restaurant that resides in BIKINI BOTTOM. Need we say more? However, things got a little too real the time Gary walked in on SpongeBob while he was watching a little deep-sea erotica. From the way he inches closer to the TV as the on-screen sea creature wriggles around, to his reaction when Gary slides into the room, it’s pretty clear that everyone’s favorite sea sponge was up to no good!
#3: That Closet Scene “The Ren & Stimpy Show” (1991-95)
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This classic Nickelodeon show from the early 90s drummed up its fair share of controversy during its five-season run thanks to a plethora of adult jokes and sexual innuendos. One of its worst offences occurred in the season two episode “Svën Höek". After finding themselves alone in a closet, Stimpy and Sven decide to play “circus”, with Stimpy proudly proclaiming that he’s a sword swallower. Next, we hear gagging and laughter from the two characters. Seeing as how “sword swallower” is also a euphemism for a very particular skill, we’d say this joke was not for the kids.
#2: Lonely Space Vixens “Rugrats” (1991-2004)
Following the misadventures of a group of toddlers, “Rugrats” was one of Nickelodeon’s most popular shows for more than a decade. And while the babies were often the primary source of entertainment for viewers, you’d be hard pressed to ignore the eccentricities of the hilarious Grandpa Lou. However, in the episode “Grandpa’s Date” old Lou took his humor a little too far during a trip to the video store. As a kid you probably had no idea what a title like “Lonely Space Vixens” really meant, but as adult, well, it’s pretty obvious what Grandpa Lou was going to get up to after the kids went to bed. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: Grandpa's Hippie Days “Hey Arnold!” (1996-04) Playslug “Rocko’s Modern Life” (1993-96) SpongeBob Blowing Up 'Balloons' “SpongeBob SquarePants” (1999-) Trying Sausage “Hey Arnold!” (1996-04) Don't Drop the Soap “SpongeBob SquarePants” (1999-)
#1: Making Ends Meet “Rocko’s Modern Life” (1993-96)
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Truth be told, we could have devoted an entire video to the adult jokes found in “Rocko’s Modern Life”. This bizarre animated sitcom took inspiration from “The Ren & Stimpy Show” in that many of the jokes would have been better suited for late night television. There’s the time that Rocko and friends Heffer and Filbert play Spank the Monkey . . . literally. And then there’s the episode in which Rocko gets a job as a “specialty phone operator”, with explicit instructions on his cubicle telling him to be “hot, naughty and courteous”. Childhood ruined.
