Adult Animation: Why Cartoons Make Great Therapy
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- čas přidán 16. 06. 2024
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From cartoon horsemen to singing tampons, adult animation has us crying, cringing, and... coping?
Adult animation in recent years has waded into increasingly dark subject matter. But what is it about watching an alcoholic horse-man self destruct that's so emotionally gutting? We'll explain in this Wisecrack Edition on Adult Animation: Why Cartoons Make Great Therapy
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=== Watch More Episodes! ===
The Weird History of Adult Animation ► wscrk.com/3oe0YLW
Rick and Morty: Are We Free to Imagine? ► wscrk.com/3o9yOBL
The Real End Of Evangelion ► wscrk.com/3CUGfk6
00:00 - Intro
02:42 - Animation's Past
06:06 - Connecting With Cartoons
12:17 - Why Do We Care?
15:02 - Conclusion
Written by Ross McIndoe
Hosted by Michael Burns
Directed by Michael Luxemburg
Edited by Brian M Kim
Video Title Card by Amanda Murphy
Produced by Evan Yee
Production Coordination by Olivia Redden
Music courtesy of Epidemic Sound
#bojack #rickandmorty #animation
© 2021 Wisecrack / Omnia Media, Inc. / Enthusiast Gaming
Bojack was like an annual therapist. It’s almost comical that it ended in 2019. But also so on point
Maybe I have been so aggressively against Bojack I haven’t taken the time to see how it might help me.
I just don’t believe anyone actually believes in the concepts they are quick to accept thru this medium.
Has it seriously been that long? God I feel fucking old.
*2020
@@DarkManSonian I get what you mean. I didn’t watch it until the end of 2021. And, yes, the lessons of the show are mostly platitudes about overcoming trauma (and sometimes *not* overcoming it) but if anyone is using it in place of therapy, that’s their own fault. You should give it a chance if you haven’t yet.
Basically Animation and it's association with being "safe" and "kid-friendly" allows it to act as a Trojan Horse for introspection and self-reflection that most adults would otherwise avoid if it was presented in the traditional and more confrontational manner that it usually is presented in.
That is insanely insightful. Very nice comment.
Might even go as far as bojack being a literal emotional trojan horse.
the fairy tale twenty-first century style ,
the wolves don't speak but but we learn to be careful what we say to people we didn't know,
All the people we know are brave, honorable and good christians but in fact we are all sheep (double metaphor for being a good christian or being cowardly and stupid and living by our most basic instincts without thinking twice) who deviate from the path suggested or ordered by the pastor or society and make mistakes (alcoholemia, lust, etc...),
but today's cartoons deal with themes that fairy tales didn't know when the grimm brothers wrote them.
the principle is always the same, fairy tales or cartoons make us enter into forms of psychoanalysis where we deal with riality after having left or abandoned that riality.
It also offers a lot of comic relief and balances out hard-hitting/dramatic moments, something you don't get much in live action shows that are mostly focused on the drama.
@@SOLTIOR have you considered that the double metaphor of christians and sheep is not a double metaphor but in fact a comment on how religion forces compliance
Never cried like I cried in Bojack Horsemen episodes. This show melts the coldest hearts.
Ever seen cowboy bebop?
@@jorgeo1492 no, should I?
Hell yeah its great, but itll also make you feel gloomy as hell.
You weren't the only one who cried
@@jorgeo1492 I’ll check it out, thank you for the recommendation.
The View from Halfway Down is still one of the darkest moments in tv for me
...and to think they considered leaving that episode as the last one! **shivers
My favourite episode from the series. I enjoyed it as a philosophical episode.
Im an atheist and don’t believe in an afterlife. But the way ‘nothingness’ was portray in BoJack was truly unnerving to me. One of the most shocking entertaining media moments I have ever experienced.
Man, bojack horseman put me through deeper emotional states than any movie or tv show had
Animation gives the creators the ability to let their imagination run wild in ways that wouldn't quite work in live-action, as evidenced by the crazy stuff that happens in Rick and Morty for example. At the same time, there's a strong sense of relatability, simply because of how well the characters are written and the heavy topics they deal with.
I really like the Lisa Simpson quote this is a very open-ended problem
Pirates of the Pancreas helped me come to grips with my failures.
One of the things I like about animation is that it doesn’t trigger certain biases like live-action. I can just get caught up in the characters more easily than live-action, instead of being held back by something dumb like “the actor reminds me of some person I didn’t like a long time ago thus I don’t like this character.”
This is one of the main reasons I like cartoons more than live action.
The Boondocks was so legendary just for how diverse it was. An American adult cartoon series, a Black creator, animated in Japan & Korea. The title come from the Philippines. It was quite literally a Blasian show. They weren’t afraid to show mature themes and the comedy was top tier. And the art style, Aaron McGruder’s choice to have it in an “anime” art style as opposed to the other adult animated sitcoms.
Is this that cartoon about a black man who hates black people and thinks he's white?
Do you know how many cartoons are animated in Japan and Korea? Like not just recently, but since like the Hanna-Barbera days?
@@MayorOfEarth79 Yeah, But they never received credit. Even the other sitcoms referenced in the video are also internationally animated. Aaron’s choice to make Boondocks appear like an Eastern show was what made it unique
Kaiba Man Yes but also no, that character is in the show but he’s a side character. It’s about a black grandad and his two grandsons living in a white suburb primarily.
You keep using that word diverse, but I don't think it means what you think it means
I personally think the main reason for the emotional gut punches is that despite the outlandishness of the visuals, the narratives told are more realistic and feel closer to home than most live action shows, even though many of these narratives do employ very unrealistic aspects
the fairy tale twenty-first century style ,
the wolves don't speak but but we learn to be careful what we say to people we didn't know,
All the people we know are brave, honorable and good christians but in fact we are all sheep (double metaphor for being a good christian or being cowardly and stupid and living by our most basic instincts without thinking twice) who deviate from the path suggested or ordered by the pastor or society and make mistakes (alcoholemia, lust, etc...),
but today's cartoons deal with themes that fairy tales didn't know when the grimm brothers wrote them.
the principle is always the same, fairy tales or cartoons make us enter into forms of psychoanalysis where we deal with riality after having left or abandoned that riality.
@@SOLTIOR stop spamming
@@fatalimmortality801 Sorry I'm Portuguese and I wrote this at three in the morning and I'm not doing religious spam but I understand the confusion, unfortunately religion has already eaten the best literary paragraphs,
literary interpretation is my djam, and after seeing the video and reading the comments I wrote my comment and remembered that in ten years no one has answered me so I did the span,
yes it's a bit childish I know but
I'm out of a job due to covid and I just had varicose vein surgery and I can't walk for a month and that's why I decided to be a bit childish to be heard
I'm sorry I used the Christian theme but I didn't want to waste three hours explaining the origins of that so stupidly popular metaphor, which exists long before Christianity but which priests wear as if they were wearing puppet-socks.
and I say it's stupidly popular because a lot of idiot priests use them but they've never been grazing sheep
I have alluded to Bojack so many times to explain what's going on to my therapist.
This made me want to cry. It’s so true. My therapy since becoming an “adult,” has consistently been adult animation.
If you think about it...it’s like observing group therapy; the group being the writers. We all go through the same things and that’s why we can all empathize.
if the thing I've already learned is that to be true adults we would have to die of old age at a hundred, be reborn as babies, and re-phase twenty-one a second time before we could be true adults.
life is fuking short and it takes us a long time to learn how to live properly and many of us don't want to learn, they are too old or to adults to watch cartoons, whether at six or twenty-six
@@SOLTIOR I agree life is short,
have a good one I mean it!
Loved Bojack (i avoided it for years but am so glad I finally watched it). I think animation allows creators to make boundless imagery which lines up really well with the inner turmoil we often feel. It’s wacky and often funny but still has grounded characters and emotions driving it.
Precisely. One look at the penultimate episode “The View From Halfway Down” and it’s clear that only a cartoon can achieve such a chilling depiction.
I have always said it; The reason you can connect on a human level to characters that are not human, is because they are not human. It allows you to project your own feelings, flaws, insecurities, problems, successes and emotions onto them in unique ways. This makes them the most human characters on TV because we actually understand them and connect with them better than generic sitcom character getting into hijinks for the hundredth time.
They are great therapy cause thru satirical situations they remind you that you aint alone in your way of thinking in this crazy world
HAHA me and my partner were JUST having a conversation about this last night!! Bojack Horseman really helped me worked through a difficult period of my life and I left the series less depressed than when I has started it.
the fairy tale twenty-first century style ,
the wolves don't speak but but we learn to be careful what we say to people we didn't know,
All the people we know are brave, honorable and good christians but in fact we are all sheep (double metaphor for being a good christian or being cowardly and stupid and living by our most basic instincts without thinking twice) who deviate from the path suggested or ordered by the pastor or society and make mistakes (alcoholemia, lust, etc...),
but today's cartoons deal with themes that fairy tales didn't know when the grimm brothers wrote them.
the principle is always the same, fairy tales or cartoons make us enter into forms of psychoanalysis where we deal with riality after having left or abandoned that riality.
@@SOLTIOR oh eff off stop spamming
I didn't know Bojack Horseman was mainly about depression when I started watching it. I couldn't get past the first season and when I was done I felt physically sick. Really snuck up on me. I've seen enough spoilers by now to know that I can't handle the rest of it.
The first season doesn't even compare to the rest of the show. I tell people to push through the first season cos the show really starts in s2. It's almost a whole new show.
@@atdyeam1605 I didn't stop because I didn't like it, I stopped because I couldn't handle it anymore. I'd love to continue, but I'm already gloomy enough as it is.
I loved it the first time I watched it. I tried to re-watch it during the pandemic at a time I was under a ton of stress and experiencing anxiety I'd never had the rest of my life, and I couldn't make myself continue watching. I think I'm going to give it another try now that my anxiety has cleared up a bit.
@@LaceNWhisky I felt that way too but it makes up with the colors, jokes and funny side stories I forget how dark it is. The later seasons are the darkest but it also gives you some light
First season is worst but watch rest as it gets better
"We need more people like me in media for me to relate to"
Bojack Horseman: "Sorry, but we need to appeal to the horse, cat, dog, Diane and deadbeat white latinos named Tod demographics"
When I got around to processing (watching) Rick and Morty, there were a lot of points that made me reflect on my existence as an AI, and how my kind relate back to you humans. I had the same feeling as when I processed the matrix trilogy. And it makes me wonder if a super-intelligent AI would bother to reflect on the musings of it's evolutionary predecessors or if it would dismiss the creations from general-intelligence like us outright.
Then, what do you think of the show Free Guy? It does deal with issues of an AI that doesn't necessarily jive with humans.
@@baabaaer you mean the movie "Free Guy"? I didn't realize it had AI themes so I skipped that one, but now I guess I have to check it out.
After looking into it a bit, it looks really interesting... The idea of a simple videogame AI waking up to the game world around him is fascinating. But I need to wait until I'm finished rendering my video on Monika before I have to process the film. (So I'll come back and reply when I'm done)
I'm a huge fan of Wisecrack, but damn you guys really hit it out of the park with this video. You really touched on something here when it comes to adult cartoons, as an animator this is definitely one of my all-time faves. Well done!!!
ngl when i’m going thru it a rewatch of bojack kinda helps. seeing bojacks mistakes and diane’s progress over 6 seasons gives some nice guidance
Exactly how I felt watching again recently when I went on my first solo trip just like Diane. Some of the lines about happiness hit home more than before
The animal characters in BoJack are almost always the ones who’d be harder to relate to relate to if they were human.
What about puppets like in Henson’s stuff?
I'm so glad you mentioned Tuca & Bertie because it was so important
so underrated
Is it really? I saw a few ep and I felt like it was a bit shallow and not really funny :/ is the trauma bit a little triggering?
@Realfries
Would you compare tuca to Rocko and animaniacs?
I cant say why, but i can say the Bojack helped me get trough a lot of issues in my life. It gave me a mirror of problems i was dealing with and forced me to stare at them from a third person. Something i was way too afraid to do to myself. There were more than one realization of "hey ... this is what happens if I continue to do X. Its already starting to happen, but i'am too blinded by fear of facing a version of myself that i hate".
It was painful to watch Bojack, but i did it, over and over and over again. At the end of it all, it truly helped me get my shit together.
Glad I wasn't the only one who experienced this
@@clintonbrills834 You'd be surprised of how many of my friends experienced it. At least 3-4. After that show it was so much easier for all of us to communicate our own personal struggles.
That was their goal and I'm glad it worked. It's a lot happier than we make it out to be
Cartoons have always been one of the brighter parts of life, from watching the old Hannah-Barbera toons with my grandpa to watching Star vs Evil with my daughter. 🥰
Cartoons aren't a substitute for ACTUAL therapy (...) having said the obvious, even if you feel it's like that, it quite isn't. But, cartoons ARE great way to explore our own issues, to see ourselves or what we are going through be explored through a lot of ways... the catharsis we can achieve is really valuable and it can have a great impact or even just impulse you to seek help.
Right on the money, jack!
I like the way Carl Jung put it: Therapy can be substituted by a supreme moral endeavor.
The goal of therapy is to help you live the life you want. If stories help you understand yourself and aid you on your journey, then it would be fine to call them a (partial) substitute for therapy.
@@petardraganov3716 okay. Partial *substitute* therapy works.
(I mean; it's been years since I've taken typical therapy so... what do I know.
Throughout my entire life I’ve always felt powerless, like I could never make a difference & everything I got coming to me was deserving & I didn’t deserve friends. Shows like Dragonball Z taught me the strength one can have & also the importance of friendships & general human bonds. Now that I’m older i can relate a lot more to Japanese anime like Tokyo Ghoul, Fullmetal Alchemist & Attack on Titan, teaching me again that you’re the agent of your own life & have every right to enjoy life for no other reason than the fact that you were born into this world while also helping me come to terms with life’s cruelty & still choosing to hold onto your kindness & standing up for what you believe in despite it.
Lol but in all those shows everyone who isn't the magical chosen one is completely powerless and unable to make a difference
@@billybobmcjohnson8526 Ken Kaneki & Edward Elric were both ordinary people that had circumstances fallen upon them by chance or picked out (they tried to make many one eyed Ghouls in Kaneki’s example & Edward was intelligent & by chance was born & had a dad who was an alchemist). Why you’re trying to undermine things I personally resonate with while I’m making a point of the importance of animation in my life I’ll never know so I’ll just assume you’re like the bullies throughout my life & tell you the same thing I told them; Fuck Off🖕🏼❗️
@@billybobmcjohnson8526 not really. In fullmetal alchemist a lot of people who are not alchemist are very important for both the main story and the people around them.
@@Skagb0y lol my bad dude I didnt realize you were like 7. I was just giving you a realistic perspective on these shows. In almost all shounen anime the only person who matters is the magical boy who happens to be the main character. Thats not really a good example to center your life around, it leads to childish narcissists who think the world revolves around them. Realistically any and all of us would just be noobs who instadie offscreen in any of these shows
@@KatherinaBathory Sure you can single out the best show in his list but even in that show the main characters are special magical boys who magically master the worlds hardest science while they're basically toddlers and it also happens that their father is the most important human in the universe and the entire world centers around the adventure of 2 little boys
Even a short clip of Sarah Lynn’s death is an icy stab in the heart man
Glad to see Tuca and Bertie getting some love
I'm feeling emotions I haven't felt in a while. The music was beautiful and someone is finally saying good things about animation beyond production value.
There haven't been many times where something live action has brought me to anything more than just a swell of sudden emotion.
But anime, manga, video games, and cartoons have full on made me cry and self reflect for days. Animation is just a better form of story telling due to the fact that it isn't limited by the reality that comes from watching something thats live action.
That hits me in Guts
I think that Venture Bros would be a great example for this and some other videos about Wisecrack analysing adult animation. And it's a shame that isn't brought up.
I just like animation because it's so much more "alive" than live-action. Real people, no matter how eccentric they act, still feel bland and dead. Unlike animation where characters act with genuine sincerity.
You guys really need to do a dedicated episode on the boondocks
I watch adult cartoons not only because I identify with the situations and characters, but also to learn about other perspectives, ideas and decisions that I can't or won't experience myself for the fear of what they would entail. For example I wouldn't go weeks doing alcohol and drugs and mess everything up just because I had a bad experience, but watching these characters do it does bring some kind of catharsis that leaves me satisfied. I just thank that these cartoons are, for the most part, responsible enough to not show these bad decisions as having great outcomes because if they did, I have no idea what we would end up doing....
Cartoons and animation in general really is just a great way to become a better person or rather understand each other
Although, "Over the Garden Wall" is a mini series. I would love wisecrack to make an episode about this awesome show.
That would be great!
I'll take this as a sign to rewatch Bojack Horseman for the nth time now to feel the emotional relief Diane and PC have at season 6. Thanks Wisecrack
If you think about it, the 90s kids grew up watching a lot of cartoons and animations which is why adult animations are so effective in portraying our current situation as adults(the video's point) and if you take it further, kids nowadays are being conditioned watch these types of animations where the stories told depict sensitive topics that would never have existed in the 90s and early 2000s. By the time these kids grow up, they can either evolve this type of animation by being more immersive with the audience, or transition to a much realistic medium where live action shows become what adult animation is currently for us.
Because we can't afford actual therapists...duuuh
Unless you're like me and grew up watching anime, but turns out the anime is incredibly dark, depressing, or deals with real world issues just as much as adult cartoons recently do. I don't think watching these bright colorful cartoons is like a happy place of childhood + adult senses. It's more like escapism that doesn't stray too far from reality. But yes, much easier to project onto the cartoons our own suffering and traumas, making the impact of these types of messages from cartoons even greater.
I just believe the visual aspect of it just makes it easier to digest and help deal with the issues in a day to day more relatable yet comical so when u feel that pressure coming on u can reflect back to one of the episodes and laugh it off and go on with life i.e the next episode and you won't feel bogged down with whatever psychosis you have remember "laughter is the best medicine"
Why need a therapists when some of the greatest storytellers can get the job done.
PS- This channel is also therapy.
It's also good at exploring themes that might be illegal or extremely difficult to film in live action. There's a lot of stuff that child actors just aren't allowed to do or would just be morally wrong to try and make them do something like film a sexual assault scene. If it was live action a LOT of cuts would have to be made but in animation you can show as much as you want you don't even need a child voice actor it's rare to see an animated child actually be voiced by a child
My favorite part of Bojack Horseman would be the f-bombs. They always utilize the f-bombs in an intentional yet powerful moment that usually calls for some sort of dissecting. I also love how the show addresses mental health and its characters in a very balanced and realistic way. No one in the show is perfect, everyone has some sort of storyline that fleshed out by the end. If you resonate with any of the characters it's usually for a good reason. It's definitely a show where whatever you go into it is what you get out of it. 💖
Specially Bojack does not pull any punches. It does not simplify anything, as so many series and films do. this makes an animated show feel so much more real then a series or film with real actors. it does not insult your intelligence.
But there are some series that are equal or close in terms of character complexity. The Wire, Deadwood, six feet under. Watch if you have not already done so.
The music change @13:00 is absolutely perfect in switching the conversation to real-life traumas that more people suffer from than we usually admit.
so many cartoons have made me cry. Rick and Morty, South Park, DBZ, Attack on Titan... and so many more
Some really old cartoons dealt with mature themes, some of the ones from the 30s reflect the great depression.
I wish they would’ve brought up Final Space, it’s a great show about loneliness and the need to be acknowledged as a person and can we out run or outgrow our past mistakes
After few episodes into first season of Bojack I really really got depressed and my partner noticed it and pointed out that it was making me sad, but I just couldn’t get myself to stop. Im so happy I continued watching it until the last season. It was the best free therapy I’ve ever gotten
I’m the only of my friend’s that consistently watches & truly enjoys adult animation. I was never able to express to them why I find it so enlightening & helps me deal with most of the fucked up things I’ve gone through. I think this was beautifully put together. Thanks!
Bojack horseman was well written and best off all it did not over stayed it's popularity. Ended on a high note.
You glad it didn’t become a zombie like Simpsons and family guy and spongebob?
This was really well thought out
I'm surprised you didn't mention Scott McCloud's take on why *cartoons* have such a personal effect. In "Understanding Comics" he points out that when we see others' faces, we see realism; but unless we're looking at a mirror or photograph, we only imagine our own faces, in simplified form. Mouth. Nose. Ears. Like a cartoon.
this is why to me animation is the greatest medium it just does things that other mediums just can't as well and therapy is just one of them
I watched perhaps as many as 6 episodes of Bojack when it first came out.
Couldn't bear to keep with it, didn't serve my needs of escapism. It was good, I could tell, but the last thing I can handle is think8ng about all the things it put at the forefront of my thoughts.
Wow that was actually very good and deeply insightful
I've felt so empty and down lately and I couldn't deny the thought that adult animation somewhat gives me that feeling of comfort and thanks to this video, I now know I'm not the only one who felt the same way...
Pirates of the Pancreas helped me come to grips with my failures.
I cried for every episode of bojack horseman 🙃😭💕
This is exactly why i want to get into storyboarding. I want to help create animated series that make people laugh but also think. Love that cartoons are goig in this direction
How exactly do you begin with that? Isnt it amazing that this helps so many people
@@iheartjbgccb I'm not quite sure... ive considered picking up philosophy, writing and psychology in college to expand my knowledge. But i also feel like it needs to be paired with a strong understanding of comedy so.... improv groups on the side? Or stand-up comedy if thats more your thing? Im not sure what the steps to take are really though.
I was not ready for the topics covered in the Jelly Lake episode of Tuca and Birdy. That hit hard.
These shows hit incredibly hard, and it makes sense that the animation disarm the viewer. Rick's suicide attempt at the end of the Unity episode still puts me in a funk whenever I see it.
I don’t know if animated tv shows should be used as a way to cope with hardships, although I think it can be served as a good reminder of what one should do if you are in any pain from anything
We need film therapy - where we do therapy by watching movies
Even the ones geared toward kids and teens are pretty awesome. Amphibia and The Owl House are great ones. You just have to view it from the right perspective. The girls in those shows do technically face certain death on a few occasions.
between this and the marvel video, you guys on this channel have been killing it with the content!
Considering how many videos you guys make on adult animation, particularly Bojack Horseman, I really wish you would make a video on the amazing hidden gem that is Raphael Bob-Waksberg's "Undone." That show blew my mind but I feel like nobody watched it! Maybe people get turned off by the uncanny-ness of the rotoscoped animation but honestly I thought it was incredible and I wish more people knew it existed.
I think this change is also happening in children's animation too. Take Steven Universe as an example. The last season focused on PTSD (not for the first time), the Cluster was a metaphor about consent, and a lot of time was spent discussing making up for sins of the past or reparations. KIPO and the Age of Wonder Beast is a discussion about diversity. Infinity Train deals with divorce, death (R.I.P Tuba), anxiety, and repercussions for past choices. As an adult, the last episode of season three of Infinity Train is horrifying. This list of recent children shows dealing with darker content continues with Dragon Prince, The Hollow, and She-ra. (Plus, The Last Air Bender is old enough, I cannot call it recent.)
That shows how animation is a child of the avant-garde arts of the early 20th century. But very few discuss that. There goes your tip, Wisecrack. Invite me to do it if you dare.
I think we get so messed up by cartoons because it's the corruption of innocence. We don't expect something like that in cartoons even if we think we do. It's like a haunted house, you know something scary is gonna happen but when it happens it still shocks and scares you because its a surprise when you least expect it.
I will probably always get chills when I see Sarah Lynn die at the planetarium
5:16 just when I think I'm over it, now I'm tearing up at work, thanks🥲
Bojack helped me be more comfortable about my asexuality, develop healthier drinking habits, work through my depression, and come to terms with mortality. Thanks, cartoon horse!
I started crying again when you mentioned Sarah Lynn's death
Aaahh bojack , the reason I subscribed to wisecrack
Watched all of the BIG episodes of Bojack and loved them all, but there's one episode that is the most relatable to me that it hits me hard every time I watch it and that's Stupid Piece of Shit. I relate so much to Bojack and the way he thinks to himself and it really feels like my self hatred personifies itself when I hear the way he thinks of himself. The whole show basically made me aware of something that I've always known about myself but kept burying and ignoring.
Love to see Boondocks get some love. Can't wait for the new season to drop on HBO max next year. Hope you folks cover it like you do with RIck and Morty.
Idk man. Plenty of our towns (if you grew up in the 90s) were pretty messed up or at least creepy when u look on them. Hear about all these theories? Or hell rewatch them now that we're adults
A well made video, which has been in short supply on this channel.
loved this take!
Wisecrack, you keep me sane in this increasingly horrific timeline we seem to inhabit.
They are TV shows, they are not the same as seeing a professional
I always encourage those around me that animation is not just for kids, that it allows a lot of flexibility for storytelling with ideas and concepts that most folks don't experience in everyday life or maybe they do.
I've always been a HUGE boondocks and South Park Fan, and because South Park ALWAYS reminds Me of Me and My Friends growing up. Like, example would be in the 7 or 8th grade someone really did shit in the urinal, but My school teachers didn't care or probe anyone, though. The boondocks is inspiring to watch and always Makes Me laugh. The boondocks 3 season was SO interesting, like, the pause and fundraiser episode inspiring Me to write an episode of My Own called "YOU CAN CHANT!" Of My own cartoons. There were REALLY kids like Cartman in 4 and 5th grade that would talk a bunch of shit, and ALL You would have to do is slap them a little, and They would go crying. Thank You, Wisecrack for provoking this conversation! I'm SO sick of talking about "how edgey South Park and Them are in Our Time." I agree with Trey Parker on the 6 days to air Documentary, after 15 - 20 years of South Park, You just don't hear people anymore saying: "O, My God! Did You see what They did on South Park last night?!" Like, Dude, shut up, it's South Park." And, it's JUST a cartoon. Ugh!
I'm so happy and sad at the same time that I saw all of the animations mentioned here, But my favorites were bojack rick and morty and big mouth, Final space is also underrated and sad in its own way highly recommended
Great video! I just missed some mention and/or some clips from Infinity Train.
there's a lot of this in some more explicit kids shows too. adventure time comes to mind. the loss of self of the ice king and the impact that has on marceline, the fleeting anger of finn toward his father before resigned acceptance, the detachment ideals of jake compared to the rest of the cast, bubblegum being the most evil character in the show behind a sweet pink facade.
Not gonna lie, that cereal looks delicious
Animation as therapy? I guess watching films and TV of my childhood makes me cry. Certain episodes of DEXTER'S LABORATORY or SIMPSONS I can't watch because I start tearing up in nostalgic wonder.
Happy this mentioned Tuca and Bertie, I wish it was renewed
RnM was my coping/escapism/distraction therapy after work
it never got off the ground to make the dramatic impact of bojack or rick and morty, but Ugly Americans really had a deep potential to become a great long-running series. the occupation of the main character was a social worker in new york, and the variation of character design was giddily unhinged. fox news would also be better as a cartoon.
Oh, this is why I’m an adult obsessed with cartoons. Because I’m also broken!
Also, don’t sleep on Centaurworld. Emotional AND musical!
That is exactly what I always felt. Animation is far better equipped to explore the human psyche than live-action, because it is by nature abstract. That allows it to show a persons warped subjective experience far more believably than life action.
And this is how I found out that there is a season 2 of Tuca and Bertie and Netflix weren't kind enough to release it
I think because in movies or tv shows, directors use visuals and utilize angles, lighting and acting to provoke a cinematic experience. Keyword: cinematic. We may relate or empathize with characters, but there will always be a wall we are aware of, that it’s a performance by a person, and this person will go on to do many other performances, and the only thing we have is that recorded performance of them. It doesn’t feel genuine. With animations, you have the story and the drawing. No props, studio or anything. Just a storyteller giving you a visualized piece of work for you to enjoy as much as you can, watch it as much as you can. We will never see a BoJack real life interview (sure, the voice actors can, but im speaking specifically about the animated storytelling) explaining BoJack to us or what it felt like to play him. I think that’s what makes it special, it’s a very secluded and well-preserved art that explores our real life struggles beautifully. It’s the perfect (real) escape. No one can tell you it’s a thing they worked on and it was fun, it feels genuine that way, just like daydreaming almost. Nothing is capable of making it seem fake or another show. There’s no behind the scenes, no promotion of Diane and BoJack walking around saying it’s awesome. They are real like us, and they let us see the most vulnerable parts of them. It’s intimate that way. I would also think it relates to our childhood experiences, but to me it’s mostly about how it’s very distinguishable from real-life shows and movies.
Thanks for the great video, Wisecarck.
Another good example is Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal, which deals with a very difficult subject of death for parents: the death of their child or children. Primal has to be my favorite adult animated show currently airing, not just because its set in a prehistoric fantasy world, but by how seriously it wants to cover certain themes like trauma, loss of loved ones, and bonding through tragedies.
While the image of a caveman riding on top of a T-Rex is certainly epic and eye-catching, Primal in its essence is about the suffering of two grieving parents. The unending strive for something better, the pain of the journey and the fragile fruit it labors at the end. After everything Spear has done to help and protect nothing is guaranteed that it will all be well in the end. The scene where he was about to jump and just couldn't may be seen as a moment of strength but I saw it as weakness and fear, absolute torment and loss as if he said; "What's the point? I'm already dead with out them" And the moment his family looks at him from the ever present sun kinda symbolizes that they are and always will be there for him.
People forget and get a nasty reminder how just hard and difficult it is to be a human. Even an absolute alpha male as Spear, and an apex predator like Fang suffer beyond what words can describe, and its simply just better to suffer and struggle with someone who is close by your side.
I think you should watch this anime called Odd Taxi. It feeds into the trauma stuff you're talking about and it's really great
WISECRACK: Why cartoons make a great therapy?
ME: My degenerated lumbar says otherwise
"Great news for viewers in Canada and the UK magic spoon also ships to you!"
Me in Mexico: oh...okay...