Top 10 Pieces of Animation that Would Never Be Made Today
It takes a special kind of something to make animation very wacky. But this might never be allowed again in our present day. From racism to offensive stereotypes to violent endings, we have forms of media that may never be repeated. Hi I'm Pnut, and today I'll be telling you the Top 10 Pieces of Animation That Would Never Be Made Today.Even though they are children's cartoons, there are a total of 11 censored cartoons from the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies. Originally produced by Warner Brothers, these eleven shorts were withheld from syndication because of racial stereotypes presented in them. One of these shorts is "Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs."
All of the characters are black, and they all speak in rhyme. The short takes place during World War II, with the music replaced by hot jazz. Unsurprisingly, it's a parody of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." It was eventually banned, but it was announced in 2010 that a DVD of the uncut versions of all the shorts would be available the following year. However, it has not been released at all.
I talked about this in my last list and how it faced controversy. I'm doing it again because I love y'all. It was known as a mixture of live action and animation, and the plot revolved around Johnny, who is visiting his grandmother's plantation for an extended stay. He ends up befriending Uncle Remus, who tells stories about three adventures of different animals.
Even though it was very successful at the time of its release, it received massive controversy, mainly for its depiction of African-Americans happily working on this plantation. It isn't clear to the audience that they are not slaves.
American cartoonist Robert Crumb always had a weird way of depicting women, and they were often controversial. In 1972, this came to life in a feature-length film, Fritz the Cat. This film was based on a comic strip made by Crumb and directed by Ralph Bakshi.
The film is about a cat named Fritz who lives in excess in New York during the 1960s, and he makes fun of everything, from race relations to politics. It shocked audiences due to its violence, racism, explicit content, and much more.
Man, this was just downright dark. Released in 1944, the episode is about Bugs Bunny being chased by a dog with a Russian accent. Ok then. Eventually, he ends up tormenting the dog, and hijinks ensue, with him dressing up as Elmer Fudd, his rival.
But there were two endings made for this short. In the first ending, Bugs Bunny fakes his death, and the dog feels so guilty that he shoots himself. What? The second ending is no better. In the end, Bugs Bunny takes out a gun and shoots the dog right in the mouth. If this were made today, it would be too violent to be aired on children's television. Even though it was eventually banned, it would probably be banned from ever airing due to both endings.
Ren and Stimpy is probably known as one of Nickelodeon's most popular cartoons. Despite its popularity, its gross-out humor, adult jokes, and episodes being banned have put the show in hot water.
It revolves around two animals named Ren and Stimpy, who go on hijinks. During its run, it had several innuendos and adult jokes while being marketed as a kids' show. People also united over episodes that covered topics such as the burning of the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights. I'm not sure if this would be a good submission, but I'm going for it anyway.
First released in 1943, this film was made by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Pictures. The purpose of the cartoon was to encourage Americans to buy war bonds to help fund the war effort. Even though it isn't surprising that Disney would want to get the message out there, it literally has Donald Duck depicted as a Nazi. You know... for kids!
If this were made today, they would probably keep the anti-fascist message but not suit up Donald in a Nazi uniform.
Blame It on Lisa is an episode from The Simpsons. Due to its controversy, even the creators wish it was never made. The plot involves Lisa visiting Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to find an orphan who is her sponsor.
It gained much controversy in Brazil due to its offensive stereotypes and incorrect elements not representative of Brazil.
What do you get when a cartoon for kids (sort of) makes smoking references? Well, you get this. Since tobacco companies are banned today from advertising their products on TV due to causing cancer and heart diseases, it wouldn't be allowed today.
But in 1971, before the ban, a company named RJ Reynolds not only sponsored The Flintstones but also made an episode centered around advertising Winston cigarettes. When the baby character Pebbles was introduced, they stopped advertising and halted their involvement with The Flintstones.
Deadly Force was an episode of a kids' cartoon called Gargoyles that aired on Disney from 1994-1997. The episode was considered so hard-hitting that the chances of something similar being made again in a kids' show are slim.
In the episode, a gargoyle accidentally shoots Elisa, a human character. She is shown motionless, with blood coming out of her. While it was praised for tackling gun violence, many people thought it went too far, especially for a kids' show.
Mickey Mouse in Vietnam was a one-minute short made during the Vietnam War. It showed Mickey Mouse entering the war. He sees a sign for it, then decides to walk over to the signup place and is shown in a war uniform getting ready. He eventually arrives at the war location before being shot. It shows his final moments, where he's smiling but then frowns. This was shown once, but it became lost media after never being seen again. However, it was eventually found. Due to the topic of war and it involving Mickey Mouse, it probably wouldn't be made today.
Today, it would be called "degrading to women." That's why the Looney Tunes Show changed her into a crazy but lovable person instead of dumb eye candy for furries.
A film so politically incorrect and satirical that with how politically correct modern Hollywood is, it definitely wouldn't have gotten past the development stages without an NC-17 rating slapped on it.
Weirdmageddon is one of the most frightening episodes of all time. Something like this would not be made today.
Back in the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s, the angry chef trope was popular in entertainment. It was glamorized, and it was seen as normal for head chefs to behave aggressively towards other chefs, especially trainee chefs. Pixar's Ratatouille has several characters that epitomize this trope, and it is played for laughs. For more, check out the TV Tropes page.
Due to cultural changes in attitudes towards bullying and mental health, the angry chef is now being called into question. Works such as FX's The Bear play it for drama, and real-life angry chefs are either being forced to leave the profession or change their behavior to fit into the modern world. Even Gordon Ramsay has admitted to these recent changes.
Because of this, Pixar's Ratatouille would not be made today, as it would normalize bullying to impressionable children and glamorize toxic workplaces.
I meant to put the English dub since it basically feels like an abridged dub full of edgy and dark humor. The original is basically a kids' show.