Top 10 Hidden Adult Jokes in Popular Kids Cartoons
#10: Can’t Get a Date
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“Justice League” (2001-04) Even with all the superhero content we get today, the DCAU still holds up. In fact, the writing only gets better with age. That can partly be attributed to innuendos we only now understand. Take this exchange between Hawkgirl and the Flash. As the Scarlet Speedster brags about his heroics, Shayera remarks that women may not be as impressed with his powers. Wally may or may have not gotten the hint. But hopefully she reminded him that going slow once in a while might not be so bad.
#9: Some Light Reading
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“Tiny Toon Adventures” (1990-92) The Looney Tunes are beloved for wacky antics that the whole family can enjoy. While they’re known for slapstick comedy, there are also more subtle jokes that are just as memorable. In this episode, Bugs and Daffy watch student films in a university theater. Daffy, however, is more interested in reading a magazine. Bugs tries to remove the distraction, only to glance at some pages himself. It’s a good bit of silent comedy. But look a little closer and you’ll see that their reading material is of the adult variety. The title “Playduck” probably won’t mean anything to young viewers. But to us, the joke is obvious.
#8: Extra Charge
“Dexter’s Laboratory” (1996-2003) After Dexter kicks Dee Dee out of his lab, he begins to miss her usual antics. In response, he seeks applications for older sisters. One of the replacements is a blonde bombshell named Candi. She gets the job and does pretty well. But when Dexter asks her to dance, she tells the young man that it’ll cost him an extra fee. Given her exaggerated proportions, the implication seems to be that she’s an exotic dancer. By the end, she leaves Dexter’s lab after learning that she’s not on a TV show. We hope that she eventually landed on her feet.
#7: How Old Are You?
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“The Fairly OddParents” (2001-17) For a show about wish fulfillment, this joke about growing up is a little dark. But it’s still pretty funny. When Timmy finds a small box in the attic, his dad tells him that it’s where he stores his dreams for safekeeping. And then Timmy accidentally drops it. But dad tells him to not worry, as his dreams were already destroyed. It’s a depressing confession. But what he says next is even sadder. When Timmy asks him when his dreams were shattered, his father tries to recall the age of his son. The implication here might have flown over our heads as kids. But as adults, we find Mr. Turner’s question to be kind of messed up.
#6: The Doctor Is In
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“Rocko’s Modern Life” (1993-96) This series from the 90s got away with a lot of suggestive humor. Many of its jokes could only be understood by grown ups. Take the scene where Rocko visits Doctor Bendova. The name is obviously a risqué pun. But the joke doesn’t stop there. The good doctor then examines his patient using the “turn your head and cough” method. It’s not until later that we learn he wasn’t a doctor at all, but an escaped mental patient. So Rocko essentially just let a complete stranger perform a pretty invasive exam on him. There’s a good chance this plot probably wouldn’t make it to air today. But apparently it was just subtle enough to be permitted at the time.
#5: SpongeBob & the Sea Anemone
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“SpongeBob SquarePants” (1999-) The titular sponge is known for his innocent shenanigans. But that doesn’t stop the writers from putting him in adult scenarios. In this opening scene, SpongeBob watches a sea anemone swaying to some jazzy music on the television. He leans in, enjoying the program, but as Gary enters the room, he quickly changes the channel, looking extremely guilty. We’re not sure what exactly the anemone was really doing. But given how embarrassed SpongeBob looks, it was clearly pretty racy.
#4: Grandpa's Hippie Days
“Hey Arnold!” (1996-2004) This episode of “Hey Arnold!” has our protagonist seeking help with his homework. He asks grandpa how to do long division but the latter freaks out, revealing that he never finished elementary school. Arnold tries to motivate him to go back and get his diploma. But Grandpa claims that he lost too many brain cells at Woodstock - the iconic music festival in 1969. It’s a safe assumption that this involved illicit substances of some kind or another. Makes us wonder what else Grandpa got up to back in the day. Or maybe we’re better off not knowing.
#3: Not That Kind of Accident
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“The Powerpuff Girls” (1998-2005) It’s pretty surprising that a show that seems so innocent got away with this many sexual overtones. One of its funniest ones can be found in the episode “Superfriends”. When the girls make a new friend in Robin, they introduce her to their dad: Professor Utonium. Bubbles explains that Utonium created his three daughters in a lab accident. Robin then reassures him that she was also unintentionally created. And the look on his face says it all. This was a pretty unexpected joke about surprise pregnancies. Good luck to the parents trying to explain this one to the kids.
#2: Lost Control
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“Rugrats” (1991-2004) Kids can’t fully understand what adults go through for them. So this joke from the Nickelodeon classic has got to be for them. When the bratty Angelica fakes a broken leg, her uncle Stu looks after her. She then grows mad with power and essentially forces him to make her a dessert - in the wee hours of the morning no less. The comedic bit is capped off by a now iconic and relatable line. Miserably getting up late at night to placate a loud and spoiled kid? Sounds a lot like adulthood. A concept we’re sure most of the viewers failed to understand at the time.
#1: Finger Prince
“Animaniacs” (1993-98) This Warner Bros. cartoon is praised for its family friendly humor. Adults enjoy it just as much as kids, if not more so. That’s due to its satire, pop culture references, and of course, its subtle innuendos. One of its most famous dirty jokes occurs when Yakko tells Dot to look for prints. She somehow retrieves for him the late and great musician Prince. Yakko then reiterates his request, emphasizing the “finger” in “finger prints” - which Dot politely refuses to do. If you don't get it by now, then you are probably too young to.
