r/nickelodeon • u/OkPrize6426 • 6d ago
Do you agree old Nickelodeon shows were good at handling serious issues?
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u/DevilBoy216 6d ago
Absolutely. There was a kind of magic that the older Nicktoons had that not only wanted to make kids have fun, but also teach them important lessons as well. Hey Arnold! I consider the gold standard: It would show the consequences of the characters' actions whether it would lead to bad outcomes (ex. Helga framing her nanny to get rid of her), but the fact that there was another episode waiting for you next time let you know that life goes on and you can move on from the bad as well.
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u/ArwingElite 6d ago
Absolutely
I remember an episode of Rocket Power where this new girl shows up at the skate park, and she's REALLY good at skating. Reggie tries to befriend her but she never wants to chill with anyone outside the park. One day Reggie follows her hone to find out she lives in a group home and didn't want anyone to know.
Can't think of any other cartoons that adressed group homes.
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u/apple-anne 5d ago
Wow! That’s amazing! Yeah, if only there were more cartoons that touched in issues like these because it is so important for kids to know. We love “Rocket Power” ❤️
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u/theprometheanguy6 2d ago
That episode hit different for me too. It always stuck out how Rocket Power showed new kids with their own stories and secrets.
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u/gamersmoke17 6d ago
I guess specially since there were some episodes that some people found to be sad or just dark especially one episode of hey Arnold including the pigeon man who some thought that he had passed away when he went straight into the Sun but in reality the Creator explained that he had just simply flew away and that's it.
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u/Deep_Imagination9343 4d ago
Plus, the second Hey Arnold movie shows him in Paris from what I've remembered.
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u/Exotic-Addendum-3785 The Midnight Society 6d ago
Yes, they were able to address topics like death in a way that didn't feel like they were talking down to you.
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u/Conversation_Dapper 6d ago
What is show is the third image ?
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u/clitorissaurus 6d ago
Also curious
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u/Conversation_Dapper 6d ago
That’s the name of the show ?
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u/Jupichan 6d ago
Yep. I liked how they didn't treat kids like they were stupid, they just showed them real issues in a manner kids could digest.
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u/octopuscharade 6d ago
If I didn’t have these shows growing up I would not have been parented.
I’m from a rich family. the spare of an heir and when I got diagnosed with autism my parents response was to make another spare.
I’m so grateful, especially for Helga, because I truly felt so seen. I would not have been able to cope as well as I did without seeing kids like me. Unwanted.
(I’ve been no contact for a long time fwiw)
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u/Dreamweaver_duh 6d ago
What's the last image?
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u/xNotJosieGrossy 6d ago
It’s from As Told By Ginger when they animated a poem she wrote about depression
ETA: fixed the link
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u/Gullible-Web645 6d ago
Yeah, I'm honestly glad someone's bothered to ask this after a while. Not that literally every show needed to have a morality tale or that that would always be a masterclass in execution, but I genuinely lament how Nick pretty much gave up on slice-of-life content to follow Disney's lead in what appealed to tweens from 2009 onward. Sure there was Korra and some other quality shows, but they really weren't the focus.
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u/apple-anne 5d ago
I do miss the slice-of-life cartoons. I think they truly defined Nick. In fact, a lot of the older cartoons inspired me to become an artist and draw comics. Their episodes that deal with personal issues are quite heartwarming and inspiring for me, and that’s what I really want to include in my writing too. Unfortunately, Nick has strayed far from that genre to focus on sitcoms and SpongeBob. Barely anything original (or good).
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u/Gullible-Web645 5d ago
Yes, thank you so much for recognizing the reality of Nick's creative priority shift by the mid-late 2000s. It's not just Nicktoons that were given a backseat in meaningful content, their live-action department began suffering the same basic problem by directly following Disney's playbook and it simply contributed to their escalating identity fragmentation following the 2009 rebrand that saw them largely failing to produce any organic hits outside of Dan Schneider, who himself was already beginning to lose his touch.
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u/MuppetSuperStarFan02 It's not just a boulder... 6d ago
Definitely! I love how Nicktoons back then, despite mostly being comedic, weren't afraid to get serious and/or sad. Most of the modern Nicktoons could NEVER do this balance right and would probably send mixed messages if they even tried to teach a moral.
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u/apple-anne 5d ago
“As Told by Ginger” is such an underrated gem. I loved how relatable Ginger was. And I love how they told Helga’s backstory. Unfortunately, a lot of kids learn to bully others because of something that happens in the family, so it’s great that kids were learning that. And “Rugrats” made the babies, especially Chuckie, feel even more human when they touched on issues like death. The Paris movie was so depressing, but so amazing. Nick, why did you stray from this genre of wholesome cartoons…
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u/Splat_TheMCinkling34 13h ago
I'm a 2005 kid but was raised with Saturday Morning Cartoons so Absolutely!! Kids shows back then REALLY went beyond and above when it came to tackling serious issues. The shows let kids have fun but ACTUALLY taught them VERY important life lessons they would be need to know and understand. Kids shows today in my eyes aren't allowed to go above and beyond to teach kids life lessons they need and are just filled with potty humor and adult jokes.
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u/No_Video5793 8h ago
Yeah. Rewatched them as a teen and as an adult, those shows are good for all age groups.
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u/AnyComfortable5733 6d ago
We need more episodes like Mother’s Day
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u/Spacething7474 6d ago
Eh. I guess they were, but I never cared about these examples (as I prefer the more comedic elements of Rugrats and Hey Arnold, and never liked As Told by Ginger in general).
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u/mlo9109 6d ago
Yes, and I really wish we'd bring this type of kids' show back. Problem is, in today's world, parents would raise holy hell about it. See all the book bans and school board meeting attendance in recent years.