Nickelodeon has produced some of the most memorable children's cartoons and TV shows. They have given us everything from Legends of the Hidden Temple to Spongebob Squarepants. Children have loved each of Nickelodeon's hit productions. As a child of the 90's, I loved them all as well. My favorite show being the far-fetched: Rocko's Modern Life, a show about the bizarre life of an Australian wallaby from O-town.
Rocko's Modern Life was filled with sexual innuendos that I never grew to understand or appreciate until I found re-runs of the show perhaps 10 years after it's end. In one episode where Rocko is in search of a new job in the newspaper, he finds an add titled "Specialty Phone Operator." Rocko of course takes the job, and in the next scene is repeating the words "oh baby, oh baby" in a very monotone voice to another character on the show, Mrs. Bighead. There is also an episode of the show where Heffer, Rocko's best friend, walks out of Rocko's house naked. Rocko, looking out for Heffer's best interest, runs after him into his backyard, where he is left only to find a gathering of other naked characters having a nudist party. As a child, a bunch of naked animals is simply funny, because nudity is something out of the norm for children. Being older now, it is just hilarious because in a show created for children's entertainment, there are to be found such glorious and immense sexual innuendos like this one.
It is safe to say as fact that Rocko's Modern Life is a twisted and awkward children's cartoon, that children loved back in it's heyday. (Unfortunately the cartoon only ran from 1993 to 1996.) Everything about that show had what children love. Interesting characters, bizarre plots, insane laughter, and a catchy theme song (which was sung by Kate Pierson and Fred Schneider from the B52's from season two on.) With honest thinking, could there really be a stranger cartoon for children? What other cartoon actually sends its characters to "heck" and has an actual devil in it? There is no other children''s program quite like Rocko's Modern Life. No other cartoon that I have seen has been quite so awkward or intriguing. What is so great about this particular cartoon is that what made it such a hit with children was that distinct awkwardness about it.
I would recommend to anyone and everyone to find an episode of this show and either relive your childhood past or check it out for the first time. Within a few minutes of just about any episode you'll fall in love with this cartoon and wish it still ran on Nickelodeon today. It's funny for children and adults in entirely different ways, but equally awesome ways as well. Enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment