Top 10 '90s Animated Shows That Rotted Your Brain

#10: Timon & Pumbaa (1995-99)

Havent seen The Lion King? No worries. It doesnt seem like the minds behind Timon & Pumbaa have either. The Disney Afternoon series ditched the deep emotions and musicality of its predecessor and traded them in for generic cartoon hijinks. Simba, Rafiki, and the hyenas do make occasional cameos, but so do human characters, and animals with far more unrealistic designs than the main cast. By the end of an average episode, its hard to understand why Lion King characters were used at all. One things for sure though - it doesnt take too much brain power to appreciate the episode to episode antics of this broad, slapstick comedy.

#9: Dumb and Dumber (1995-96)

Whats dumber than Dumb and Dumber? Dumb and Dumber: the Animated Series - an ABC series based on the film that included none of its original cast and added a purple pet beaver. Despite being written by the films co-writer, Bennett Yellin, the PG Saturday morning cartoon just couldnt live up to the hype of its more adult predecessor. Its plots were uninspired to the point of being boring to watch, and the characters lacked the charm of Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels original duo. Unsurprisingly, the show didnt do well with audiences, lasting just thirteen episodes before being unceremoniously cancelled less than a year after it began.

#8: 2 Stupid Dogs (1993-95)

It doesnt get simpler than this. 2 Stupid Dogs focused, as its title implies, on the exploits of a duo of dumb dogs whose low intelligence often got them into trouble. The series was something of a warm up for Hanna-Barbera before the Cartoon Network era, influenced by the runaway success of Nickelodeons Ren & Stimpy. The protagonists, simply called The Big Dog and The Little Dog, were often motivated by their stomachs, with more than one episode revolving around their quest for the oversized food shown in advertisements. While some of the series set-ups were undeniably clever, like its silent film-inspired finale, a typical episode of 2 Stupid Dogs left viewers just as empty headed as its two main characters.

#7: Celebrity Deathmatch (1998-2002; 2006-07)

In 2005, the world was introduced to Robot Chicken, an adult-oriented stop motion sketch show known for its pop culture parodies. Chock full of hits and misses, the series remarkable staying power can likely be attributed to its variety - in set ups, references, and style of humor. In contrast, the earlier Celebrity Deathmatch only offered one scenario: two famous people duking it out in the ring. It was violent, gory, and, occasionally, just plain bad taste. No one was safe - from then-teen stars Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen to former Clinton staffer Monica Lewinsky. One cursory glance at the weeks tabloids would leave you well-versed enough for the next match-up, ready to watch another episode of mind-numbing cartoon carnage.

#6: Ed, Edd n Eddy (1999-2009)

This Cartoon Network classic starts out strong, with a whistling theme tune that introduces its three protagonists alongside dynamic, personality-filled animation. Its the kind of intro that seems to promise a once-in-a-generation type of cartoon, with big laughs and memorable characters - and, for many, it was exactly that. But that doesnt mean it didnt also rot our brains. As with many kids shows in the early, edgy 90s, there were no strong life lessons to be learned from Ed, Edd n Eddy. Characters like Kevin and the Kanker sisters were often cruel, or even downright abusive, but failed to face any form of punishment or cosmic comeuppance. You werent expected to care too deeply for their victims, just laugh and move on.

#5: Action League Now! (1995-2002)

Youve likely heard of stop motion animation, but what about chuckimation? The tongue-in-cheek term refers to animating figures by dropping, wiggling, and, yes, even chucking them into the frame - similarly to how a kid would play with their toys. This rudimentary style was used in combination with traditional stop motion to create Action League Now! a comedic series about superheroes that starred a variety of action figures. Originating as short segments on the shows All That and Kablam!, the charming dumbness of Action League Now! eventually allowed it to graduate from short to series. 90s kids could finally appreciate the no-brainer brilliance of the super naked Flesh and toilet-dwelling Stinky Diver for a full half hour blockand learn absolutely nothing from it.

#4: Cow and Chicken (1997-99)

The opening lines of Cow and Chickens theme song immediately let its viewers know that logic should be thrown out the window. Yes, a human woman birthed a chicken and a cow. No, her similarly human husband doesnt know or care how this happened - and, frankly, neither should you. Getting hung up on such specifics will only slow you down. Youve just gotta turn your brain off and relax. This is pretty much the only way to enjoy Cow and Chicken, a series where chaos rules and the young animal protagonists are constantly tormented by a naked, devilish man simply called The Red Guy. Parents were understandably mixed, with one Common Sense Media review bluntly calling it a "waste of time."

#3: Space Ghost Coast to Coast (1993-2012)

In many ways, Space Ghost Coast to Coast was ahead of its time. It was like The Eric Andre Show before anyone knew who Eric Andre was, and brought surreal, outsider humor into the living rooms of the average American public. To the kids watching, however, it was pure and absolute brain rot television. Many of the shows clever subversions of the late night format were likely lost on younger audience members, making the already bizarre experience all the more incomprehensible. Even knowing the celebrities featured was unlikely to help much, as the interviews were often some of the show's strangest segments. Thankfully, it's a fun time regardless of how much you understand. Sometimes random works!

#2: The Ren & Stimpy Show (1991-96)

When Nickelodeon debuted their first three original Nicktoons, The Ren & Stimpy Show was easily the stand-out. While contemporaries Doug and Rugrats certainly had their fans, Ren & Stimpy was unlike anything that had ever been seen on childrens television before. And while its possible that this was because it was barely childrens television at all, its success ushered in a new era of edgy toons all the same. The series was the antithesis of educational children's series like Sesame Street or Mister Rogers Neighborhood, featuring crass protagonists that were as gross as they were violent. There were no lessons to be learned here - audiences were too busy laughing and cringing instead.

#1: Beavis and Butt-Head (1993-2011; 2022-23)

In 1993, Newsweek wrote of Beavis and Butt-Head, the downward spiral of the living white male surely ends here. Harsh? Maybe. But it was only the tip of the iceberg. Beavis and Butt-Head was not only rotting brains, it was influencing them - at least, according to the series most vocal critics. Although the series was made with an adult audience in mind, that didnt stop kids from watching, or from mimicking everything from the boys obnoxious laugh to their dangerous antics. At least two deaths were thought to be caused by the series, forcing MTV to push it to a later time slot and accompany its more controversial scenes with explicit warnings. Maybe there is such a thing as too much brain rot!

Do you think any shows from your childhood rotted your brain? Let us know in the comments!