Cartoons are a popular form of entertainment for youngsters. However, some cartoons might depict inappropriate things that are unsuitable for children. Over the years, many cartoons have faced bans in the U.S. for various reasons.
Here’s a list of banned cartoons in the U.S. and the reason behind their censorship:
Dexter’s Laboratory: Rude Removal
Dexter’s Laboratory is a cartoon series that features a young genius in his secret lab. One of its episodes, ”Rude Removal,” faced a ban for having mature content. The episode used bleeps to replace several swear words. It is still unaired on TV, but you can find it on a few websites.
Tiny Toon Adventures: One Beer
Tiny Toon Adventures is a Warner Bros animated series whose episode “One Beer” faced a ban. As the name suggests, the episode depicted underage drinking by the little characters. Though it contained a moral lesson, Fox Kids decided it was inappropriate for kids.
Tom and Jerry: The Two Mouseketeers
Tom and Jerry is a popular cartoon with its fair share of bans. Cartoon Network banned its episode, “The Two Mouseketeers,” as it contained violence. The ending of the episode implied that the characters were being executed. The channel considered it too dark and violent for kids and stopped this episode from airing.
The Simpsons: The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson
The Simpsons is an animated series directed at young adults. Following the events of September 11, 2001, the creators decided not to air one of the episodes.
The episode “The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson” showed the World Trade Center. The creators decided to stop airing it out of sensitivity to the tragedy.
Pokémon: Electric Soldier Porygon
Pokémon is a Japanese cartoon series popular all over the world. However, one of its episodes, “Electric Soldier Porygon,” caused health concerns in America.
The episode used a technique called “paka paka,” which showcases flashy lights. This led to several people having epileptic seizures, leading to the ban of the episode.
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: Super Nova
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command is a well-known cartoon series in America. Its episode “Super Nova” faced a ban due to the character Mira’s behavior.
The actions were similar to real-life drug addictions, which were inappropriate for children. There were mentions of struggles with “energy addictions” as well.
The PowerPuff Girls: See Me, Feel Me, Gnomey
The episode of PowerPuff Girls faced a ban due to religious reasons. “See Me, Feel Me, Gnomey” is an episode that shows some religious background imagery. Initially, Cartoon Network had no issues with the entire episode. However, they later pulled it off the air as they had concerns about offending the audience.
Spongebob Squarepants: Mid-Life Crustacean
Spongebob Squarepants is one of the most-watched cartoons across the globe. However, one of its episodes faced censorship due to inappropriate content for children.
The episode “Mid-life Crustacean” showed Mr.Krabs raiding someone’s closet with Spongebob. Though the episode aired initially, the channel took it down later to make it kid-friendly.
Beavis and Butthead: Comedians
The episode of Beavis and Butthead faced a ban due to concerns about children’s behavior. Reportedly, a kid caused the death of his little sister after watching the episode.
This allegation was never proved. However, as many believed it influenced harmful behavior, the episode went off the air.
Gargoyles: Deadly Force
Gargoyles is a cartoon that shows several animated nocturnal creatures. Its episode, ” Deadly Force,” faced a ban due to the depiction of gun violence.
The episode intended to highlight the consequences of careless gun use. However, TV channels considered the episode to be violent and inappropriate for children.
TaleSpin: Flying Dupes
The cartoon TaleSpin is a sweet story of a bear pilot who goes on various adventures. However, its episode “Flying Dupes” was too dark and resembled real-world issues.
TV channels banned the episode as it depicted scenes of politics and terrorism. The ban reflects the challenges of addressing such serious themes in kids’ shows.
101 Dalmatians: Alive N’ Chicken
101 Dalmations is a popular kids’s cartoon show featuring a hundred and one dogs. However, the episode was too distressing for young viewers as it brushes the themes of death.
The episode “Alive n’ Chicken” depicts Spot fearing for its life as it thinks it is dying. As children are unfamiliar with death, the episode went off air.
Pokémon: Holiday Hi-Jynx
“Holiday Hi-Jynx” is another episode of Pokemon that faces a ban in America. Viewers have perceived the character Jynx to perpetuate racial stereotypes.
This episode highlighted the issues of racial sensitivity in character design and sparked a broader discussion on inclusivity, positivity, and diversity in media.
Bugs Bunny: Nips the Nips
On first view, Bugs Bunny is a harmless cartoon that shows the journey of a bunny. However, this cartoon has faced several bans due to racial stereotypes and inappropriateness.
The episode “Nips the Nips” was off-air due to its depiction of stereotypes related to the Japanese. The ban helped address the issue of racially insensitive content in media.
Bugs Bunny: What’s Cooking Doc?
Another banned Bugs Bunny episode, “What’s Cookin’ Doc?” depicts insensitive scenes related to obesity and body image. The episode promoted gluttony and influenced children to have unhealthy attitudes towards food. TV channels decided to ban the episode to reduce the negative impact of cartoons on young minds.
Batman: The Mask of Matches Malone
This Batman episode went off the air due to a song deemed too risque for its audience. This episode contained several suggestive scenes and inappropriate song lyrics. The content was not approved for a young audience. Eventually, Cartoon Network banned the episode from airing in the U.S.