Cartoon Time with the kid...

Sister Grace · August 27, 2008, 06:02:03 PM

Like all parents, I wind up watching quite a bit of cartoons. Most children's cartoons make me grind my teeth anymore. Don't get me wrong; I really enjoy animation and claymation but most of what's on television anymore is scraping the bottom of the barrel so to speak. So to all the parents out there, what cartoons do you watch with your kids that you actually enjoy? So far Isabela and I snuggle up and watch Ben 10: Alien Force and the Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack (which is just sick enough to be hilarious). Also, Chowder isn't too bad, not one of my favorites but I've seen worse.
However, when she turns on Johnny Test or the new George of the Jungle, I suddenly have dishes to do or homework I have suddenly remembered.

RCMerchant · August 27, 2008, 06:36:06 PM

My kids are pretty much out of the cartoon stage....but they were really into POKEMON (which I HATED) and DRAGON BALL Z (which I found I enjoyed.) They also loved Sponge Bob,Ren and Stimpy (Yay!) and...well...most anything,really. Not really a cartoon,but they loved the POWER RANGERS too...(I found it a guilty pleasure) and Beetle Borgs (ARGH!!!!!). Now Jed watches rap music and Pimp My Ride. Eddie...Eddie watches ANYTHING goofy. He still likes cartoons....mostly superhero and robot stuff.

ulthar · August 27, 2008, 07:03:06 PM

My children watch very little television. When they do, it's usually something like "Arthur" or "Cyberchase" on PBS.

We don't have cable, so when we are somewhere that we can get it, they do enjoy "Spongebob."

We get old animated shows from Netflix for them - "Looney Tunes," "Flintstones," etc. I recently introduced them to "Fat Albert," and my daughter fell in love with this one!!

As for most 'modern' cartoons that are currently broadcast? No way, no how.

Mostly if they watch anything, they watch movies.

In total, they probably watch less than 10 hours combined movies/tv per week - some weeks FAR less than 10 hours. Of the things they watch, I can sit through most of it.

Mr. DS · August 27, 2008, 07:36:55 PM

My son loves Curious George which I actually find relaxing to watch. I'm thinking its William H Macy's narration. For awhile he was obsessed with Go Diego Go which I quickly learned to detest. I always thought that having a kid who plays with anacondas and jaguars is simply a bad idea. I can honestly say my wife HATES Caliou. I can't say I blame her mainly due to his obnoxious voice.

Torgo · August 27, 2008, 07:47:33 PM

I don't have any kids but I do have 2 nephews. The youngest who is almost 4 has recently gotten positively hooked on the classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoons from the early 90's. He also really loves the movie The Incredibles and I think that he watches the movie Cars every single day a couple of times. He also loves both Toy Story flicks.

My other nephew who is turning 11 in September loves pretty much anything as long as it's animated. All he watches is Cartoon Network it seems like. But I recently showed him The Tick animated series and he now says that's his favorite cartoon now. I also got him addicted to Batman: the Animated Series from the 90's as well.

HappyGilmore · August 27, 2008, 08:39:54 PM

I personally don't have kids at the moment, but do watch cartoons. Good ones though. Of the current crop, I love SpongeBob, Ninja Turtles, and only a handful of others.

Quote from: Torgo on August 27, 2008, 07:47:33 PM
I don't have any kids but I do have 2 nephews. The youngest who is almost 4 has recently gotten positively hooked on the classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoons from the early 90's. He also really loves the movie The Incredibles and I think that he watches the movie Cars every single day a couple of times. He also loves both Toy Story flicks.

My other nephew who is turning 11 in September loves pretty much anything as long as it's animated. All he watches is Cartoon Network it seems like. But I recently showed him The Tick animated series and he now says that's his favorite cartoon now. I also got him addicted to Batman: the Animated Series from the 90's as well.

I know a kid about 5 who loves the old Ninja Turtles but doesn't really like the new one. I quite like both, but for different reasons myself. The Tick is awesome as well.

Quote from: RCMerchant on August 27, 2008, 06:36:06 PM
My kids are pretty much out of the cartoon stage....but they were really into POKEMON (which I HATED) and DRAGON BALL Z (which I found I enjoyed.) They also loved Sponge Bob,Ren and Stimpy (Yay!) and...well...most anything,really. Not really a cartoon,but they loved the POWER RANGERS too...(I found it a guilty pleasure) and Beetle Borgs (ARGH!!!!!). Now Jed watches rap music and Pimp My Ride. Eddie...Eddie watches ANYTHING goofy. He still likes cartoons....mostly superhero and robot stuff.

I have some Ren and Stimpy dvd's, as well as Power Rangers. I was quite the fan of both in my younger years. I liked Beetle Borgs at the time, but have since changed my opinion after seeing clips on YouTube. Not really. I liked Beetle Borgs and still do. Have you ever watched their cheesy counterparts: Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters From Beverly Hills or Super Human Samaurai Syber Squad? The Syber Squad show had Tim Curry on it.

RCMerchant · August 28, 2008, 04:46:16 AM

Happy-I don't think it was the Beetle Borgs themselves....I disliked so much as it was the idiotic blue guy....the comic relief thing....gave me the willies...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XdoMP23EKE

....ugh....nah my memory has been kind....after seeing that clip it all seems yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew....insufferable!

Sister Grace · August 28, 2008, 05:40:50 AM

i agree its cool to turn them on to things from our pasts. Bela really likes fraggle rock, but we've only got one VHS tape of them and she's played it over and over. I agree also about the idocracy of deigo and cauiou (sp?), that kid is the demon spawn of davey jones' locker.
I dread that when we first get to florida that it may be awhile before we can get the dish/cable hooked up. Personally, I don't watch that much television but I'm sure Bela will freak at first...

Mr. DS · August 28, 2008, 05:44:22 AM

We have the DVR box that records so we are loaded with taped episodes of George and Diego. Lately my son has been leaning towards Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Disney is a love/hate thing with me. After my disastrous vacation to Disney World this year, I haven't really been tolerating their stuff well.

RCMerchant · August 28, 2008, 06:03:38 AM

Quote from: SisterGrace on August 28, 2008, 05:40:50 AM
i agree its cool to turn them on to things from our pasts. Bela really likes fraggle rock, but we've only got one VHS tape of them and she's played it over and over. I agree also about the idocracy of deigo and cauiou (sp?), that kid is the demon spawn of davey jones' locker.
I dread that when we first get to florida that it may be awhile before we can get the dish/cable hooked up. Personally, I don't watch that much television but I'm sure Bela will freak at first...

You have a child named Bela?!?!?

Sister Grace · August 28, 2008, 06:33:53 AM

Quote from: RCMerchant on August 28, 2008, 06:03:38 AM
Quote from: SisterGrace on August 28, 2008, 05:40:50 AM
i agree its cool to turn them on to things from our pasts. Bela really likes fraggle rock, but we've only got one VHS tape of them and she's played it over and over. I agree also about the idocracy of deigo and cauiou (sp?), that kid is the demon spawn of davey jones' locker.
I dread that when we first get to florida that it may be awhile before we can get the dish/cable hooked up. Personally, I don't watch that much television but I'm sure Bela will freak at first...

You have a child named Bela?!?!?

Isabela which is the feminine version of bela which is what we usually call her. and yes, she was named after lugosi...

HappyGilmore · August 28, 2008, 08:28:21 AM

Quote from: RCMerchant on August 28, 2008, 04:46:16 AM
Happy-I don't think it was the Beetle Borgs themselves....I disliked so much as it was the idiotic blue guy....the comic relief thing....gave me the willies...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XdoMP23EKE

....ugh....nah my memory has been kind....after seeing that clip it all seems yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew....insufferable!

If you don't mind, how old were you when you watched it? I was young then, probably like, 10ish or so, so Flabber (the blue guys name), fit right in with me then. But, I was a kid. Nowadays, I would say yeah, he was pretty annoying.

I more or less liked the monsters more, the Frankenstein, the WOlf man, etc. who lived in the house with him.

Power Rangers was the better show of those live action/Japanese transfers that happened at the time. Especially the first 5-6 years, when it was an overall plot that held the seasons together. Nowadays each season is self contained, which detracts from it becoming a phenomenon again, I feel.

Rev. Powell · August 28, 2008, 11:35:49 AM

Quote from: SisterGrace on August 28, 2008, 06:33:53 AM
Quote from: RCMerchant on August 28, 2008, 06:03:38 AM
Quote from: SisterGrace on August 28, 2008, 05:40:50 AM
i agree its cool to turn them on to things from our pasts. Bela really likes fraggle rock, but we've only got one VHS tape of them and she's played it over and over. I agree also about the idocracy of deigo and cauiou (sp?), that kid is the demon spawn of davey jones' locker.
I dread that when we first get to florida that it may be awhile before we can get the dish/cable hooked up. Personally, I don't watch that much television but I'm sure Bela will freak at first...

You have a child named Bela?!?!?

Isabela which is the feminine version of bela which is what we usually call her. and yes, she was named after lugosi...

I thought the same thing... very cool.

schmendrik · August 28, 2008, 02:08:26 PM

Revealing my age: my kids are grown and out of the house now. But they (mostly) had pretty good taste in cartoons and TV shows, shows that were really well written, a lot better than most network sitcoms. Doug, Rugrats, Garfield, Kablam!, Rocko's Modern Life, Angry Beavers, Hey Arnold were all shows they loved that I enjoyed watching over their shoulders. I think almost all of that was Nickolodeon. Our TV spent a lot of time on Nick, and then later on Nick at Night as my younger daughter rediscovered *my* past. Daria and "Beavis and Butthead" on MTV when they got older. I loved Daria, hated B & B though I was tricked into a laugh sometimes.

Patient7 · August 28, 2008, 04:04:44 PM

Quote from: The DarkSider on August 27, 2008, 07:36:55 PM
I can honestly say my wife HATES Caliou. I can't say I blame her mainly due to his obnoxious voice.

That reminds me of the fact that my aunt hates her grandkids watching Caliou because it's a bad influence. We don't want our kids jumping into puddles on purpose now do we?

Surprisingly, my dad enjoyed watching Spongebob with me in the mornings a while back, unfortunatley I've pretty much stopped watching because I never see any new episodes.