MovieChat Forums > Animaniacs (1993) Discussion > What separates Animaniacs from South Par...

What separates Animaniacs from South Park, Beavis + Butthead, etc.

posted 12 years ago by smakdaddy99999
9 replies | jump to latest

Animaniacs actually is not all that different from shows like South Park, Beavis & Butt-head, etc. Like those two shows, Animaniacs had a lot of adult oriented humor and cartoon violence. Animaniacs also pushed the envelope a bit in terms of what is acceptable to show in a cartoon.

However, unlike South Park and Beavis & Butt-Head, somehow, Animaniacs never really resorted to low-brow toilet humor. There was definitely toilet humor in Animaniacs, but somehow, the material was seldom disgusting as to offend parents. Parents still can feel comfortable having their kids watch Animaniacs, yet the parents themselves can enjoy the adult humor.

The adult humor in Animaniacs is a lot more subtle and clever. I think that's why this show has so much more appeal than the likes of Beavis & Butt-Head and South Park. Yes, Animaniacs has its share of raunchy moments, but it never goes so far as to gross the viewer out. Animaniacs somehow manages to be both a fun children's cartoon with clever adult humor that grown ups can enjoy. It's literally a show the whole family can enjoy, unlike South Park and Beavis & Butt-Head.

[–] MetFanMac 12 years ago

I always prefer when "adult" material is hinted at rather than explicitly portrayed, because it's invariably much more clever which enhances the joke itself.

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[–] smakdaddy99999 12 years ago

I think you nailed it. And what you said is precisely what separates Animaniacs from such shows as Beavis & Butt-Head, Ren & Stimpy, South Park, Family Guy, etc.

Animaniacs has that unique quality that separates it from its competition. It manages to retain the adult oriented humor of South Park, Beavis & Butt-Head, etc., but does so in a way that's inoffensive to children and parents, yet clever in such a way that it winks to its adult audiences.

Animaniacs is literally that one show that both kids and parents can enjoy watching together. Children will love the animation and the fun characters, and parents will enjoy the quality writing. Somehow, Animaniacs contains the adult oriented humor of other such shows, yet never has to resort to outright vulgarity.

[–] osaji922 12 years ago

Very good question. Personally Animaniacs is a tweener show. What I mean by that is you have cartoons that are completely kids cartoons and don't push the envelope at all. Then you have your adult humor cartoons like South Park Beavis and Butthead, Family Guy, American Dad, and Simpsons. Animaniacs and shows alike it back in the 90's will never be produced again sadly. They were self aware and made a lot of jokes on pop culture and current events. Shows like Animaniacs that are in the middle are Tiny Toons and quite honestly a plethora of other 90's cartoons.

[–] collin-reid 12 years ago

Obviously there is a huge difference of South Park & Animaniacs. Animaniacs was the closest we have seen of updating the great Looney Tunes for modern kid audiences while other animation was meant for general adult audiences. Considering a lot of the writers, directors, animators and voice talents worked on the Tiny Toons but Animaniacs were much better in following the footsteps of Termite Terrace. (It did help Slappy Squirrel was a nice character update if the LT characters were in retirement.) By coming up with orginal characters and ideas Animaniacs achieved much higher quality. Unfortunately, Animaniacs crew broke up into other projects and with network issues the show burned out too quickly. Unfortunately the animated short of the Looney Tunes is something no show since Animaniacs have been able to capture.

That said, let us not diminish The Simpsons of the accomplishments. As I remember my viewing of The Simpsons in January 1990 (The gag of nuclear waste being swept under the rug remains with me.) reminds how DREADFUL TV Animation generally was. (Frankly I considered the years of 1958, when LTs lost its edge, - 1988 as the US animation dark ages.) The early Simpsons are the gold standard of combining animated humor and traditional TV narratives while being the first very successful show not on the big 3 networks. After their success the scope of television and network interest in animation completely changed.

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[–] StarskyandChinaHutch 12 years ago

A comparison is hardly fair. Animaniacs isn't even attempting the kind of satire Beavis and Butthead or South Park do... and there's no reason they should. Sure, they're more subtle about the "toilet humor" but it's not as if they had a choice; it was created with kids in mind.

Honestly, this is like comparing Freakazoid to Adventure Time just because they both have crazy random humor that don't make no sense to nobody.

[–] solmaquina 11 years ago

What are you talking about?

The shows are different because one was made for a family audience whereas one is made for adults, among other things.

Animaniacs isn't even remotely close to being more subtle. I love Animaniacs, but we're talking about a show that sometimes had segments composed entirely of a character burping to a melody. And on the flip side, toilet humour aside, South Park and Beavis and Butthead both showed a great deal of intelligence in their time.

It's not fair to say that a show is better because the whole family can enjoy it if one of the shows isn't remotely intended for "the whole family".

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[–] Oddark123 11 years ago

This topic is sad. Please let Animaniacs have more normal fans. The delusions in this topic on a low level board don't bode well. How do some of you even get the writing of Animaniacs when you are so clueless to history and pop culture?

Gamefaqs has a far worse population than IMDB