Why is Captain Planet so hated?

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pizzaman257

New member
Back in the 90's when Cartoon Network aired the show regularly, I saw it and never understood what was so bad about it. It wasn't the best show in the world but it certainly wasn't the worst show I ever watched either.

Yet I see constant hatred for this show everywhere now. Why so much hate?
 
You remember those two minute PSAs at the end of old 80s toons, where Bumblebee or Miles Mayhem would warn kids about the dangers of playing with matches or child molesters? Every episode of Captain Planet was basically one of those streched out for 22 mins.
 
I don't think it's hated as much as people acknowledge it's annoying. I remember being 10 and constantly feeling bad for Wheeler (specifically the episode where they try to tackle overpopulation).

Also, that theme song, ugghh it never leaves.
 
Are you talking about "Captain Planet, he's a hero" song? Because that's not the theme song. That's the ending credits. Really CP is one of the few cartoons I know of who has far more interesting end credits then an actual opener which was pretty much just the announcer talking about the 5 kids getting the rings.

The thing is that Capltain Planet wasn't terrible, but it was very poorly constructed. The animation wasn't really that good, the characters were pretty basic cliches with only little if any growth to them, the villians had no depth nor were remarkably entertaining and a lot of the show hinged around the title character appearing in the last five minutes to save the day. So usually it was a matter of waiting for him to appear before getting into an interesting "battle" when before it was just the kids usually talking with some group, running from the badides, using their rings to occasionally escape from a trap and you know summoning captain planet at the end of every show. It is also a very easy cartoon to mock considering how preachy and in your face the morals are, and the ridicolous concept of magic rings shooting a beam to create an eco friendly super hero.
 
Watching the show was kind of like being hit over the head with a sledgehammer with the words 'THE LESSON' etched on the side was probably the big one.

'The American is stupid and always wrong, even when he's right' bit was also rather grating. There was an episode where Wheeler protested taking animals away from their natural habitats (this would be the 'even when he's right' part) and he was browbeaten into submission on the issue.
 
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I found the show pretty educational and I think it's just the show didn't seem right on the network with all the Cartoon Cartoons.

From robot chicken.. CAPTAIN PLANETTTTTTTTTT
 
I remember the G.I. Joe one where Roadblock told some kids to say away from downed power lines, because "they can cook an elephant" or something like that.

Yeah, Captain Planet was like a 22-minute version of those PSAs. Its heart was in the right place, but sometimes that's not enough.

On a side note: How much does anybody here think Captain Planet would've been improved if the elemental rings worked like Green Lantern's power ring: The fire ring would've let Wheeler create fire constructs, the water ring water constructs, and so on?

Just a thought.
 
...because it's stupid. That's why.

Captain Planet was nothing but a politically motivated PSA, courtesy of one Ted Turner. It was basically all of his views crammed into one awful cartoon that features some of the WORST of everything, whether it be heroes, villians (or any other character in general), jokes (not to mention, joke execution)... just... EVERYTHING about this show sucks (execpt the end title theme... that's pretty good).

I mean, take the villians for example. This is one of my biggest pet peeves regarding CP; they all pollute and destroy the environment because the enjoy doing so. That's apparently how Ted Turner views the world (or, more specifically, the US of A), and that whole point of view honestly couldn't be more idiotic. I mean, really; who in the world actually pollutes just for the fun of it? People litter because they're lazy, and corperations/factories pollute because they're cheap. Nobody actually does it for fun.

It goes without saying that Captain Planet is one of the worst cartoons ever conceived. They could have made it somewhat enjoyable (better characters, better writing, better plots... and that's just the tip of the iceberg), but they didn't even try. Had it been more of an action-based cartoon, with a friendly message at the end to remind people not to pollute, it could have been OK... but instead, we got... well, you already know.
 
the show was actully really good
the problem was it was also preachy
it made me feel gultry about air condenting useing paper plates and throwing a half eaten sandwitch away

it was really a horror show that scared kids green

it had good intentions and tried

but now I don't want to feel gultey about overuseing electricity and drinking soda from a can which I'm doing right now
 
To reinstate the previous responses as well as adding my own:

1. The show insinuates and even says outright that every American aside from Ted Turner is at fault for the planet's problem. And let's face it, environmental damage is caused by any nationality.

2. Sonic The Hedgehog Satam shows how to give a proenvironmental message, Be subtle about it. This show's approach "Now remember numbskull, pick up the trash".

3. The show paints environmental damage as a result of deliberate pollution. Far from the truth. The reason pollution occurs is due to neglect and the desire to save some money. Not admirable reasons, but I doubt these people twirl their mustaches and laugh as they litter.

4. The show tries to tell us that anyone can make a difference, but in the end, The Planeteers can't accomplish anything without calling forth Captain Planet.

Take the Care Bears Movie. As corny as it is, they actually beat the enemy through caring rather than brute force/violence. Meaning they practice what they preach. So with CP you'd think that the Planeteers could accomplish something on their own.
 
Yes thank you. I also remember when Wheeler didn't want to remove the animals and he's still wrong. That one just made me want to pull out my hair.

Ma-Ti was always my favorite, he was for me, the most tolerable of the crew and upon review possibly the most powerful.
 
Well, it was made when DIC would be cheap (doesn't explain the amount of well known celebrity and professional voice actors though)...

Then Ted Turner picked it up.

In my opinion, if it mattered that is, I'd most likely say that this show is a bit annoying. If not fun to watch if you make fun of it. But yeah, I'm agreeing that this show was poorly constructed.

But you do have to remember that these guys hired celebrities like Meg Ryan in the cast, so that might explain the rather iffy animation, but not, of course the basic outline.

[Sarcasm]And guys, thanks for reminding me of the end credits theme.[/Sarcasm]
 
I never saw Captain Plantet as a kid. I can teel ya, I regret nothing.
The first time I heard of him was on robotchicken.
So I got intreasted and started searching "information" of it.
I can just say, posting links to that site is pure evil:ack:.
That is If you take the words from the Toon zone crew very seriously.

Anyway, I thought the show seemed terrible, so I didn't bother more than watching one episode or atleast chunks of it and It was really something I don't want to see again:shrug:.
Later on I saw the hilarious review by the Nostalgia critic and I basically agreed on everything he said.
 
Speaking of care bears, remember the Indian kid actually had THE POWER OF HEART! meaning, he didn't have to use violence (and never did) to uh escape traps and such. Plus he had a monkey side kick and could "feel" animals.

Also: This show had the best super villian ever. CAPTAIN POLLUTION!

thats right. This show had an EVIL VERSION of captain america.
 
Don't you mean Captain Planet? well the evil doppelgangers is not really new, i mean mostly every cartoon has an evil counterpart of themselves.

Anyway i kinda think it was because Ted Turner was forcing us to watch the cartoon, mostly i hate him when he said this:

"We have more cartoons than anybody: The Flintstones, The Jetsons, the Smurfs, Scooby-Doo. They're nonviolent. We don't have to worry that we're encouraging kids to kill each other - like SOME of the other cartoon programs do"

That's when Swat Kats got canceled, i mean he talks about not worrying about cartoons that have violence so what does Captain Planet has?
 
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