Which currently running cartoons have more of a timeless feel? By that i mean the show doesnt rely on modern technology/pop culture refs and could be taking place in any time. Chowder, Flapjack, Spongebob all come to mind, as does brave and the bold (ive rarely seen any mention of modern technology, which is odd considering all the work batman does at his computer).
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Which (current) cartoons have a "timeless" feel?
- Thread starter aerica4
- Start date
With the adult cartoons, I always go with The Simpsons, Futurama, and King Of The Hill. And although most say it won't, I feel South Park will age better than most people expect. A review on DVDTalk.com (in the 3rd paragraph) gives a great explanation as to why. I mean occasionally they'll have some cultural references in an episode, but they don't go overboard like Family Guy does with the 80's pop culture references.
Which (current) cartoons have a "timeless" feel?
I think SpongeBob will go down as this era?s all time classic.
On the other hand, even though I love it, Adventure Time has a certain modern attitude and sense of humor, I wonder if it will hold up as the years go by.
But any show that sports CGI characters or the latest and greatest gee-whiz computer gimmickry has sealed its fate to look dated, primitive and quite possibly laughable if they aren?t backed by skillful animators.
Looking at the first post again, maybe I?m not answering question.
But I think this era may be anomalous in finding humor in simply making a reference.
When I see ?LOL! Brian on Family Guy looked just like Muttley when he laughed!? I feel that is someday going to look as dated as Annette Fonicello in a 60?s movie.
I think SpongeBob will go down as this era?s all time classic.
On the other hand, even though I love it, Adventure Time has a certain modern attitude and sense of humor, I wonder if it will hold up as the years go by.
But any show that sports CGI characters or the latest and greatest gee-whiz computer gimmickry has sealed its fate to look dated, primitive and quite possibly laughable if they aren?t backed by skillful animators.
Looking at the first post again, maybe I?m not answering question.
But I think this era may be anomalous in finding humor in simply making a reference.
When I see ?LOL! Brian on Family Guy looked just like Muttley when he laughed!? I feel that is someday going to look as dated as Annette Fonicello in a 60?s movie.
Nah, I don't agree.
Family Guy's '80s pop culture references are based on things that are already 20-30 years old and are familiar to people who remember them from movies that still play today. Moreover, these are just jokes. Most Family Guy plots are of the standard sitcom variety.
South Park, however, has the tendency to base entire episodes on extremely recent current events in their lust to impress the media with how recent they are. South Park's reputation as one of most timely animated series in history is going to eventually make it one of the most dated.
Family Guy's '80s pop culture references are based on things that are already 20-30 years old and are familiar to people who remember them from movies that still play today. Moreover, these are just jokes. Most Family Guy plots are of the standard sitcom variety.
South Park, however, has the tendency to base entire episodes on extremely recent current events in their lust to impress the media with how recent they are. South Park's reputation as one of most timely animated series in history is going to eventually make it one of the most dated.
andrehamson
New member
Not really. Remember the episode where OJ Simpson came in and everybody automatically assumed he was a serial killer, something that no one would get if they weren't born in the 90s?
And some of the jokes are pretty easy to fly over someone's head. It took me a while to get all the John Hughes references in the show. The reference-heavy nature also leads to some confusion about several cutaways, like the Starlight Express one. While people from the 80s won't notice it, the show does require the viewer to know a lot about that era in order to fully enjoy some episodes.
And some of the jokes are pretty easy to fly over someone's head. It took me a while to get all the John Hughes references in the show. The reference-heavy nature also leads to some confusion about several cutaways, like the Starlight Express one. While people from the 80s won't notice it, the show does require the viewer to know a lot about that era in order to fully enjoy some episodes.
wildclover04
New member
You're really reaching with that example. The OJ Simpson murder/trial was one of the biggest courtroom fiascos in history and dominated the news for over a year. No one has forgotten who OJ Simpson is. And if you were born after the 1990s well, you're not really the target audience for this show anyway.
Shinigami Ceiling Cat
New member
But pop culture is fleeting. While the event hasn't been forgotten, it certainly isn't really cared about now.
lil_princess239
New member
Spongebob is basically like the new Looney Tunes. It will endure for a long time.
I don't think either South Park or Family Guy will be relevant within a few years after they end. Family Guy's audience is just the right age for 80s nostalgia, but younger people aren't going to get it. It'll feel like 70s nostalgia does to a child of the 80s, all the dated stupidness but none of the warm memories that give you that fuzzy feeling.
And South Park, as Darth Gonzo pointed out, does shows about things that are currently happening in the news, they can turn an episode around in days. That's just a little too timely to be remembered well. Some of them are already dated, there's ones about presidential elections and people who the public hasn't really thought about in years, like that one about that guy who used to have a show where he claimed he talked to dead people. I can't even remember his name, that's how much he's fall out of popularity.
I don't think either South Park or Family Guy will be relevant within a few years after they end. Family Guy's audience is just the right age for 80s nostalgia, but younger people aren't going to get it. It'll feel like 70s nostalgia does to a child of the 80s, all the dated stupidness but none of the warm memories that give you that fuzzy feeling.
And South Park, as Darth Gonzo pointed out, does shows about things that are currently happening in the news, they can turn an episode around in days. That's just a little too timely to be remembered well. Some of them are already dated, there's ones about presidential elections and people who the public hasn't really thought about in years, like that one about that guy who used to have a show where he claimed he talked to dead people. I can't even remember his name, that's how much he's fall out of popularity.
Krishna Defier
New member
Spongebob. Fairly oddparents had their brief moment and it's just pretty safe to say that aside from this iconic hit none will be as recognized 20 years from now. I mean, the show is popular with people 1-90, you can't beat that.
Kingdomspaids
New member
Spngebob. He's on Mario/Mickey Mouse/Superman levels of popularity.
kazandrew2
New member
Spongebob all the way. I agree that he will go down in history as the most popular cartoon of this era. I can see Spongebob being like Looney Toons in a way. Maybe someday, a while from now, there will be Spongebob spin-offs after spin-offs after spin-offs. Spongbob really does have a timeless feel to it.
Nah, KOTH and Futurama have too many (though admittedly its not bogged down with) references to modern technology like the internet, napster, etc, and though the same cant be said for classic simpsons, the later ones with its refs to stuff like ipods is still too "in the moment".
MooglesSayKupo
New member
Napster I'll give you, but internet references threaten to make something dated? The internet has been around for decades. It's not going anywhere any time soon either.
I never said there was no chance of Family Guy being dated at some point. My stance is the South Park stands a much greater chance of being dated much sooner, as Shawn has already pointed out.
And again, Mr. Wednesday's OJ Simpson example doesn't work because of just how memorable the entire fiasco was. It's not something that has been forgotten, especially considering Simpson has found ways to keep himself in the news. It's far more likely that the man will go down in history as a criminal than he will a football player and movie star.
And again, Mr. Wednesday's OJ Simpson example doesn't work because of just how memorable the entire fiasco was. It's not something that has been forgotten, especially considering Simpson has found ways to keep himself in the news. It's far more likely that the man will go down in history as a criminal than he will a football player and movie star.
gc_level_17
New member
Being memorable isn't the same as being relevant. Yes, nobody has forgotten about the OJ Simpson case, but it has been discussed and lampooned so many times that a satire of it just comes off as unremarkable.
sxmxyogibear
New member
I didn't say anything regarding South Park, and I agree that show will definitely become dated quite shortly.
But about the OJ example, just because people remember it doesn't mean it's any less dated. People still remember World War II and 40s celebrities, but that doesn't make certain Looney Tunes from the 40s not dated.
The problem with Family Guy is that it relies too much on reference and a lot of its jokes are supposed to be "either you get the reference and laugh or you're left in the dark". I'm not saying the show can't be funny, and there are several episodes with humor that don't rely on references, but some of the pop-culture jokes are so reliant of the reference factor that they're dated even when they're new. An example would be the "Anchor's Aweigh" parody, which unless I missed an incredibly obscure joke, is nothing but Stewie replacing Jerry Mouse in a dance sequence.
But about the OJ example, just because people remember it doesn't mean it's any less dated. People still remember World War II and 40s celebrities, but that doesn't make certain Looney Tunes from the 40s not dated.
The problem with Family Guy is that it relies too much on reference and a lot of its jokes are supposed to be "either you get the reference and laugh or you're left in the dark". I'm not saying the show can't be funny, and there are several episodes with humor that don't rely on references, but some of the pop-culture jokes are so reliant of the reference factor that they're dated even when they're new. An example would be the "Anchor's Aweigh" parody, which unless I missed an incredibly obscure joke, is nothing but Stewie replacing Jerry Mouse in a dance sequence.
BabyGuRL2002
New member
Unlike The Fairly Oddparents and ESPECIALLY Rugrats, Spongebob has also stayed popular without the need for gimmicks or new characters to boost ratings. It's basically been the same show with the same focus on the same characters since 1999. THAT'S timeless.