All Those Dirty Adult Jokes Hidden in Kids’ Cartoons
Even though cartoons are made to entertain children, the creators of many of these beloved shows [...]
Even though cartoons are made to entertain children, the creators of many of these beloved shows like to throw in some adult humor. In fact, there are a number of series that sprinkled in dirty jokes in the kid's shows that went over the heads of the children but shocked the adults watching.
Check out all of the hidden adult jokes in cartoons that you missed here.
For '90s kids, Nickelodeon's Rugrats was a classic show that is typically referenced as a cornerstone of their childhood. While the cartoon is loved by many, most the kids watching the show were likely unaware of the jokes that were aimed at adults. Just like what would happen with the infant protagonists on Rugrats, the dirty quips went right over the heads of many young viewers.
One particular moment that stands out is when Grandpa Pickles is made to seem like a pervert. During an episode in which Grandpa Pickles is babysitting the kids, he rents some movies to watch. Most of them are Reptar flicks, but there is one that is drastically different from the rest.
Grandpa saves a movie to watch after the kids go to bed. The movie was entitled "Lonely Space Vixens." So, clearly, Grandpa had a thing for alien-themed porn and was planning on watching it once Tommy and Chucky went to bed.
Animaniacs
Animaniacs used one of the most clever, and dirty wordplays in pop culture. The show was a tribute to classic Looney Tunes and was known for making a seemingly endless number of Hollywood references and adult jokes.
The most famous quip on the show was featured in the 25th episode of the first season. The segment is titled "Hercule Yakko," and the Warner siblings parody an Agatha Christie story as they search for a stolen diamond.
Yakko says to search for prints. Dot then comes back carrying late musician Prince in her arms. Yakko then says, "no, no, no fingerprints."
While looking at the animated version of the "Purple Rain" singer, Dot replies "I don't think so."
Spectacular Spider-Man
Spectacular Spider-Man was regarded by many as one of the best Spider-Man cartoons of all time. Even though it was canceled after two seasons, the creators managed to toss in a dirty double entendre.
In one of the episodes, Spider-Man has his first encounter with the Black Cat. To stop her from stealing the Venom symbiote, Spidey shoots webs at the criminal.
Black Cat playfully says, "You better not get your goop in my hair."
Taking the sexual reference to another level, Spider-Man says, "Don't worry, it comes off with ice or peanut butter."
Ed, Edd n Eddy
Ed, Edd n Eddy ran for ten years and became the longest running Cartoon Network original series at the time it ended. Throughout the show, there is an underlying theme of adult humor. This is most likely due to the fact that creator Danny Antonucci was "dared" to make a show for children after being an adult cartoonist for years, according to CBR.
Easily one of the dirtiest jokes was featured in an episode called "The Day The Ed Stood Still," in which Ed dresses up as a monster and wreaks havoc on the cul-de-sac.
At the end of the episode, Ed hangs out under Eddy's bed, where he keeps "supplies." Some of the "supplies" hidden under the bed include porn mags and wadded-up tissues. This one is pretty self-explanatory.
The New Batman Adventures
The New Batman Adventures is beloved by audiences of all ages. However, the creators were confined to keep much of the material kid-friendly as it had to stick to the cartoon parameters. However, the crew injected several snippets of adult humor.
In an episode titled "Mad Love," Harley Quinn desires to destroy Batman in order to occupy The Joker's attention. The very beginning of the episode shows Harley wearing a night gown and voicing her sexual desires for The Joker.
"Don't you wanna rev up your Harley," she says.
This was clearly an innuendo that likely went over the heads of many youngsters, but stood as a surprisingly dirty joke for the adult viewers.
Justice League
As part of the DC animated universe, Justice League has become a favorite for many fans of modern animation. There are seven core members of the series including: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Hawkgirl, Green Lantern, and The Flash.
In this world, the scarlet speedster is Wally West rather than Barry Allen. The Flash serves as the comic relief of the team, but he was on the receiving end of an adult joke from his fellow Justice League member, Hawkgirl.
The episode titled "Injustice For All" shows The Flash boasting about being "the fastest man alive."
Hawkgirl then dampens The Flash's spirits by saying, "Which might explain why you can't get a date."
Rocko's Modern Life
The premise of Rocko's Modern Life itself had a late-night sitcom feel that featured a heavy dose of content suited for adults. However, because the show was on Nickelodeon, it was surprising to see the dirty jokes and adult humor that made it on the network.
One of the most memorable examples of adult humor came in an episode titled "Canned." Rocko loses his job and must find a new one. He comes across a job listing described as a "specialty phone worker."
At Rocko's work station, there is a sign that reads, "Remember: be hot, be naughty, be courteous." When he answers that phone, Rocko says, "Oh baby, oh baby, oh baby." Obviously, Rocko took a job as a phone sex operator.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Batman: The Brave and the Bold was most known for its classic-styled superhero storytelling and for throwing in an occasional musical number. One such musical number that was rife with adult humor featured the "Birds of Prey," which includes Catwoman, Huntress, and Black Canary.
The trio finds themselves crashing a night club and on stage performing a song. In the dirty tune, the Birds of Prey sing about the Justice League members such as Aquaman, Green Arrow, and The Flash.
Throughout the song, there are numerous lyrics that are clearly making reference to each of the superhero's manhood. They suggestively dance on the stage while cracking jokes at the expense of several of the Justice League members and their sexual shortcomings.
Hey Arnold!
Hey Arnold! is one of the only shows that made the list with non-sexual adult jokes. Over the course of its five seasons, the show had a fair share of innuendos, but there was one quip in the episode titled "Back to School" that was quite memorable.
The episode shows Arnold learning that his grandfather never finished grade school. Grandpa is feeling down on himself after not being able to help Arnold finish his homework and then admits that he never completed the 4th grade.
Grandpa says he has "lost too many brain cells" to go back to school. In an attempt to cheer him up, Arnold says, "You've still got plenty of brain cells."
Grandpa replies to the comment by saying, "No, not since Woodstock."
This was clearly a joke that Grandpa might have been into drugs in the days of his youth.
Freakazoid
Freakazoid was known for being a zany parody of other superhero characters. Even though the series was criticized for its similarity to Mike Allred's Madman, it still was a beloved cartoon of the '90s.
During its run, there was a slew of bizarre jokes as well as a collection of sexual innuendos. One such quip came during a conversation between Freakazoid and his "sidekick" Sgt. Cosgrove.
Freakazoid asks Cosgrove why he isn't married. Cosgrove replies by saying, "I like meat too much."
"You could be married and still eat a lot of meat," Freakazoid then says.
While it's possible that Cosgrove just genuinely enjoys meat products, it still came off like a sexual innuendo.
Johnny Bravo
It's difficult to pin down just one moment in Johnny Bravo that contained adult humor...that would be because the entire show follows a storyline that is not necessarily of a kid-friendly nature.
On the Cartoon Network series, the titular character tries to get women to "date him. Even though the character has bulging muscles, he isn't necessarily a smooth talker by any means. Bravo still lives with his mother, but it was clear that when he said "dating," it meant "one night stands."
The show launched the career of adult sitcom mogul Seth MacFarlane and was chock full of sexual innuendos and double entendres. Bravo would regularly spout pickup lines to girls and would ask women what they were wearing over the phone.
Dexter's Laboratory
On Dexter's Laboratory, the show followed a young boy genius and his various shenanigans. He was frequently trying to invent different contraptions but was dealing with the constant interference of his older sister, Dee Dee.
In an episode titled "Dee Dee and the Man," Dexter decides to fire Dee Dee from being his sister. Even though Dexter manages to get more work done, he finds that there is something missing in his life now that his sibling is gone.
Dexter decides to hire a new sister, which was an actress by the name of Candi. The character is a curvy blond whom Dexter pays to act like Dee Dee. He also requests that she dances like his sister.
When Dexter asks Candi to dance like Dee Dee, she says, "Okay, but it's fifty bucks extra." This was a subtle quip that Candi might be more than an "actress."
Powderpuff Girls
The Powderpuff Girls is a cartoon that was praised for depicting female characters in a strong and diverse way. Besides the Powderpuff Girls themselves, one character that stands out as one of the best was Ms. Bellum.
Ms. Bellum is the tall, intelligent secretary to the Mayor of Townsville. She is far smarter than the mayor and essentially runs the city for him.
In an episode titled "Something's a Ms.," villain Sedusa poses as Ms. Bellum. Sedusa assists the mayor with his broken pencil and does so in a sexually suggestive manner.
Sedusa takes the mayor's hand while still holding the pencil. She slowly pushes it into the sharpener and appears to be giving the mayor a pleasurable sensation. When he pulls the pencil out it is short and stubby. The creators clearly weren't going for subtlety with this sexual innuendo.
Regular Show
Regular Show is a modern cartoon that was created with an adult viewership in mind. The series follows two mid-twenties characters named Mordecai and Rigby who work dead-end jobs and do everything they can to avoid growing up.
Every time Mordecai and Rigby want to avoid responsibility, they go drink a massive amount of "soda." Most noticeably, every time that the two chug the "sodas," they become rowdy and make rash, ill-informed decisions.
The two also forget what they've done the following day after drinking a lot of "soda." Given this detail, it's pretty clear that this drink might be a brand of beer.
Spongebob Squarepants
Spongebob Squarepants is by far the most successful children's cartoon franchise. It has aired over 200 episodes and has inspired many merchandise products such as video games, comic books, and other apparel.
Over the course of the show, there have been a number of jokes that are aimed at the adult audience. One of the playful jokes features Spongebob being mesmerizing by an alluring video of a sea anemone dancing on TV.
When Gary enters the room, Spongebob quickly changes the channel. This clearly implies that the video was something to be ashamed of and that Spongebob didn't want people to know what he was watching. Seems that this could be the Spongebob Squarepants version of porn.
