Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Break Down Which Children's Shows Are Surprisingly Creepy

People Break Down Which Children's Shows Are Surprisingly Creepy
Image by Vidmir Raic from Pixabay
Make us preferred on Google

When we're little kids watching cartoons on TV, we rarely ever consider the adult human beings behind those creations. As kids, we like the bright blue light, the colors, the physical comedy, and the general silliness of it all.

But revisit those same old television shows as an adult and prepare for some new, shocking discoveries.


You'll quickly realize that adults were at the helm of those shows, and not just any adults. We're talking creators with absolutely bizarre imaginations, fascination with the visually grotesque, and, at worst, problematic ethical tendencies.

Some Redditors gathered to reminisce about the weirdest ones they could call to mind.

Classic_Contract7560 asked, "What children's shows are surprisingly creepy?"

Picking and Choosing

"My dad thought Invader Zim was creepy and weird, but we had the episodes on DVD where I would watch them a lot."

"They didn't mind CatDog, but my mom always said it was disturbing that a cat and dog were attached."

-- Lady03

Formative Influences

The Secret of Nimh is one of the darkest and creepiest things ever produced for children. I still love watching it."

"It's stuff like this that I watched as a kid that made me like scary stuff as an adult."

-- Anon-Ymous929

All About Setting

"Courage the cowardly dog" -- misochunky

"I was gonna mention that one. F*** me it's actually horrifying" -- GrigorijRasputin

"First saw Courage when I was a kid living in the rural desert filled with creepy stories and such. As far as I am concerned, that show was a historical account of my childhood." -- softdoorhandle

The Long Game 

"I'm sorry but flapjack and teletubbies are something different" -- oooglybooogly12

"Flapjack was from that weird era of Cartoon Network when they started making shows that would attract some Adult Swim viewers." -- eddmario

"Yes. Teletubbies is just creepy as sh!t. Especially the older ones. I see my nephew happily watching it like it's the best thing ever. And I'm sitting there disturbed." -- Not_A_Bot2020

A New Lens

"The animation on Jay Jay the Jet Plane is much more horrifying than I remember as a child." -- theSuburbanAstronaut

"JAY JAY THE JET PLANE. Just no...." -- psf919

#1 and #2

"Boobah. What the f*** even was that sh**?" -- AdolphDiddler

"Boobahs were created when a TV exec checked what demographics watch TV during a particular slot and discovered that the top two were children and people on drugs." -- SloanWarrior

Early 90s: the Wild West of Grotesque Cartoons

"Ren and Stimpy" -- SymphonyForTheDevil

"My god. When they did the close-ups. I still get nightmares. What even was the age rating for that show?" -- unbearablytolerable

"The one where Ren took off his fur to get in the bath and there was a crowd of people watching through the window messed me up pretty good. Still don't like bathrooms with windows." -- RobinMagic

Discoveries About Cheese

"Cow and Chicken" -- FultonHomes

"Their friend the devil who always had an a** crack and when their neighbouring town was in civil war and they used cheese as ammunition until they were shown that cheese is food. Brilliant show" -- Recessjoe

Yup, Totally Creepy 

"Some of the episodes of Hey Arnold legitimately still give me the creeps YEARS later when I think of them." -- abigiggle_n

"Him and Gerald fighting as old men on the bus, then his dead grandfather decomposing infront of him was f***ed." -- Soulger11

"I mean, Helga has a f***ing stalker shrine of Arnold with his hair and chewed gum that 'makes her girlhood tremble'" -- shewy92

Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Screenshots from @georgiamaythornley's TikTok video
@georgiamaythornley/TikTok

TikToker Lays Out 5 'Tiny Habits' She Stopped Doing After Realizing She Keeps Spending All Her Money

Most people are going to struggle to save money and maintain a budget at least once in their lives, and the most important thing they can do is be honest about their role in their own finances.

TikToker @georgiamaythornley, for example, finally admitted to herself that she was always spending all of her money before she could set any aside for savings, so she started tracking her spending habits.

Keep ReadingShow less
Marco Rubio and Kimberly Guilfoyle
Mark Schiefelbein / POOL / AFP via Getty Images

Marco Rubio Awkwardly Dodges Question About Kimberly Guilfoyle's Blatant Corruption—As She's Standing Just Feet Away

Secretary of State Marco Rubio was criticized after he shut down a question about former Fox News host and current U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle following a Wall Street Journal report alleging that she engaged in illegal conduct.

The WSJ reported that Guilfoyle asked Eric Deters, a Trump donor and former congressional candidate, to cover $100,000 in credit card debt before her Senate confirmation hearings. The report said she contacted him through Signal, pressing him to arrange the payment that day and explaining how to send the funds directly to American Express.

Keep ReadingShow less
U.S. President Donald Trump waves as he leaves the stage after speaking during a campaign rally at the Freeman Coliseum.
Win McNamee/Getty Images

Artist Brutally Rips Trump With Naked 'Orange Plague' Sculpture In European Parliament

President Donald Trump has finally received the golden treatment in Europe, although the 8.5-foot-tall naked statue now towering inside the European Parliament probably isn't the tribute he had in mind.

Unveiled in Strasbourg, France, the 23-karat-gold-coated sculpture depicts Trump perched on the shoulders of a smaller, visibly burdened man, clutching an oversized golf club in one hand and the scales of justice in the other.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @bsquaredtravels_'s Instagram reel
@bsquaredtravels_/Instagram

Swedish Man Goes Viral With Hack For Optimizing Taco Fillings—And It's Honestly Genius

There's a lot of discourse when it comes to tacos: what qualifes as a taco, what kind of shell to use, which fillings are acceptable... But one thing we can all agree on? You can never have too many tacos.

Instagrammer @bsquaredtravels_ shared a video of their Swedish brother-in-law totally hacking the system when it comes to tacos, and the internet has gone crazy for it.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @maddie_bado's TikTok video
@maddie_bado/TikTok

Woman Sparks Debate After Sharing The Signs That You Have A 'Loser Boyfriend' In Viral Videos

Every person who chooses to date will have a list of wished-for traits, attractive traits, and of course, dealbreakers that would likely end the relationship either immediately or, at least, eventually.

TikToker @maddie_bado shared a series on TikTok called "Signs of a Loser Boyfriend," which she believes more women should be aware of so that they can make the most informed decision about what they are gaining from their relationship and whether their partner is able to give them what they want, and vice versa.

Keep ReadingShow less