Though on a surface level working on a kid’s’ cartoon show seems idyllic, I’m sure it gets boring. Having to draw the same characters day after day without being allowed to dramatically change the format sounds insanity-inducing. Add in the fact that creative teams for kid’s shows have to walk a tightrope made of fishing line when it comes to standards and practices, and the whole thing is a recipe for a stress-fueled breakdown. Fortunately for these animators’ sanity and our future enjoyment, several of your favorite shows battled through the workday by injecting some adult-oriented humor into their work. Your favorite childhood shows are way dirtier than you realized.
Adding filthy jokes to kid’s shows is nothing new, but the ‘90s Nicktoon Hey Arnold! recently brought the trend back into the internet conversation when a Vine from the show, that was posted in 2013, started making the internet rounds. It’s unclear what these two background character are doing, but we’re guessing the cast of GIRLSwould approve:
The Vine gained so much attention that Hey Arnold!’s creator, Craig Bartlett, was asked to clarify the scene for The A.V. Club. According to Bartlett, an awkward cutaway paired with Mr. Simmons eating turkey is what led to the inappropriate looking clip. However, there are plenty of shows who have been very deliberate with their adult humor. Below is our collection of the 20 moments in kid’s shows that made us say “WTF.” Sorry in advance for any scarred childhoods.