“Adult Swim”: Taking a dive

 

By Ken Mueller

 

Cartoons are for kids. At least they used to be. But times have changed and now there are plenty of cartoons being made and marketed specifically for the adult market, with one of the hottest properties being the Cartoon Network’s overnight programming block, “Adult Swim.” Six nights a week (Saturday through Thursday from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.), “Adult Swim” (AS) offers an assortment of animated programming selected from a pool of over three dozen shows geared primarily toward young male adults. And hot doesn’t even begin to describe how popular the programs are, as “AS” has moved from cult status to certified hit. In addition to being popular among college students, “Adult Swim” regularly beats out the late night talk shows (Letterman, Leno, Conan, etc.) among its core demographic, 18-24 year old guys. It has also broken just about every record for cable programs among its prime audience, with seven months at number one. The numbers are huge, and certainly advertisers are taking notice.

 

But if you look closely at the ratings, it is interesting to see who is really watching. While the programs are introduced with content warnings, and the network says it is programming for the over-18 crowd, there are plenty of younger kids tuning in. According to information from Nielsen Media Research, during one recent week, six of the top 25 programs for 12- to 17-year-olds were from “Adult Swim,” including two in the top 10. And while we talk about the “MTV Generation,” nearly twice as many teens are tuning into “Adult Swim” than are watching MTV (NY Post, 4/27/05). So while it may be designated as the time for “adult swim,” younger kids are definitely jumping into the pool.

 

A brief history

Cartoons were once relegated to the after-school hours and Saturday mornings. That began to change with the prime time placement of “The Flintstones” and “The Jetsons” (1960s) and the slightly more political “Wait Till Your Father Gets Home” (1970s). Those programs were family friendly (despite Fred Flintstone smoking in some of the earliest episodes). The revolution began in 1989 with the introduction of Matt Groening’s “The Simpsons,” which continues to deliver strong ratings for Fox. Older kids and adults are drawn to the ironic and witty story lines, while younger kids live vicariously through the acid-tongued (and fresh-mouthed) Bart Simpson.

 

Groening paved the way for Mike Judge and the juvenile locker-room humor of “Beavis and Butthead” on MTV (1993), followed by the more accessible and socially satirical “King of the Hill” in 1997. That same year, cable’s Comedy Network pushed the envelope even further with the introduction of “South Park.” Nothing was sacred and no topic was taboo as creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone used black humor and parody to skewer anyone and everyone. Politics, religion and sexuality are all fair game for Cartman and the boys, and the show continues to do well, particularly among a young male audience.

 

Parallel with this television revolution, edgy animation and artwork began popping up all over the Internet with “shows” like “Homestar Runner,” “Weebl and Bob,” “Exploding Dog,” “Toothpaste for Dinner” and “Happy Tree Friends.” The common denominator was low budget, crude artwork featuring a postmodern ironic sensibility indicative of the Internet generation.

 

Everybody into the pool

Enter “Adult Swim,” the low-budget offspring of the aforementioned programs. Billed by the network as its “sleazier side,” “AS” is designed to appeal to “a grown-up sense of humor and other adult sensibilities” (www.cartoonnetwork.com).

 

The anchor program of the network is actually a cast-off: Fox’s “Family Guy.” Originally airing in 1999, Fox cancelled it in 2002. “Adult Swim” picked up reruns, which—combined with record-breaking sales of DVDs—caused Fox to resurrect the show. Multiple airings of “Family Guy” on “AS” are regularly among the top programs among young viewers. The show tells the story of Peter and Lois Griffin, their two teenage children, the one-year-old foul-talking, tyrannical baby Stewie, and a sophisticated talking dog named Brian. The writing on the program is quite good and it features a rather traditional animation style. One hallmark of the program is its humorous, yet often nonsensical use of cutaways and flashbacks. In typical “AS” fashion, anything is fair game as targets of humor, from race and sex to disabilities and drug use.

 

Another popular program on “AS” is the highly rated “American Dad!” (from the creators of “Family Guy” and also airing on Fox). The program features the idiosyncratic family of CIA Agent Stan Smith, and is, to an extent, a parody of the U.S. and its treatment of international and homeland security in a post-9/11 world. In one episode, the ultra conservative agent overlooks the fact that his boss is sleeping with his teenage hippie daughter (and wearing her clothes) because he thinks it will help him get a promotion. Again, the program is very well written, but features a liberal dose of political satire and sexual humor.

 

“Aqua Teen Hunger Force” (ATHF) is another of the more popular programs on “AS” that seems to defy categorization. The crudely drawn cartoon features a bumbling group of crime-fighting foods living in South Jersey. The stars are a milkshake (Master Shake), an order of fries (Frylock), and a wad of meat known simply as … yes … Meatwad. (You can even purchase a plastic Meatwad action figure online!) Sure you may scratch your head at the concept, but it strikes a chord with teens and college students.

 

Several of the programs featured on “AS” are repurposed resurrections of older, less-successful cartoon fare. “Space Ghost Coast to Coast” is a wry, postmodern remake of the 1960s Hanna-Barbera “Space Ghost” cartoon. This time around, “Space Ghost” is the smug host of his own talk show featuring interviews with real celebrities. Another resurrected Hanna-Barbera superhero is Birdman, who turns up as “Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law,” a superhero lawyer who represents other famous cartoon characters as clients in some rather unorthodox, yet newsworthy cases. In one recent episode Race Bannon and Dr. Quest (from “Jonny Quest”) seek to share health benefits, with the implication that the two are a homosexual couple. Sexual humor is a regular staple of the program, which has even included a storyline about a potentially incestuous relationship. Another Hanna-Barbera cartoon that gets the “AS” treatment is the environmentally themed “Sealab 2020,” which has been revived as “Sealab 2021.” Old footage is given new voice as the crew of underwater scientists is now a bickering group of misfits who don’t do much of anything. Creator Matt Thompson explains the popularity of the program among teens and twenty-somethings by saying, “You know all the rules, and we’re going to betray all those rules” (Chicago Tribune, 10/4/05).

 

The two newest, and most highly publicized, programs on “Adult Swim” are among the edgiest the network has to offer. “Squidbillies” features a group of foul-mouthed inbred squid living in the mountains of Georgia. Again, nothing is sacred, and it’s not uncommon to see and hear jokes dealing with sex, religion or disabilities. Meanwhile, the most expensive program to air on “AS” is the animated adaptation of the newspaper comic “Boondocks.” The program is the story of a leftist revolutionary 10-year old African-American kid (Huey) and his eight-year-old, gangsta wanna-be brother, Riley. The two move with their grandfather into a white suburban neighborhood, and obviously the worlds collide. There are plenty of controversial topics, dealing mostly with politics and race. This is evidenced by Huey’s introduction to the neighborhood during a garden party when he utters, “Jesus Christ was black, Ronald Reagan was the Devil and the government lied about 9/11.” While the show is new it is expected to do very well.

 

A few other shows deserve some mention:

  • “Robot Chicken” is a stop-motion animation program that feels like a sketch comedy show that uses dolls and action figures to parody popular culture. One particular skit features a parody of the Trix Rabbit and other cereal mascots as drug dealers—many of whom die in a shootout. Numerous celebrities from old school icons like Phyllis Diller and Don Knotts, to newer stars such as Rachel Leigh Cook and Scarlett Johansson, have lent their voices to the program. Creator Matt Seinrich says they “wanted to call it ADD-TV for attention deficit disorder,” but the network rejected the title.
  • The anime program “Super Milk Chan” has the look and feel of a kids program (like “Pokemon”), but the cute, innocent looking main character is known for her repeated catchphrase, “You dumbass!” Another character, the President, is often heard uttering the phrase “Let’s have sex,” particularly when speaking to his pet kitten.

Not all of the programs on “Adult Swim” are comedies. There are quite a few programs which fall into the anime genre. These programs tend to be dark and violent with themes of eastern spirituality, including reincarnation and demon possession. They also have a rather gothic feel. The animation of the characters is rather lush and exaggerated with female characters often drawn erotically and scantily clad. On occasion, the shows feature partial nudity of those female characters. Some of the more popular titles include “Fullmetal Alchemist,” “Paranoia Agent,” “Neon Genesis Evangelion” and “Inuyasha.” The popularity of anime in the United States is growing rapidly, especially among teen girls.

 

Why are kids swimming?

”Adult Swim” is popular among a growing group of teens and college students, and despite the late hour, there is anecdotal evidence that the audience may be getting a bit younger. A quick perusal of Xanga and MySpace sites reveals that many kids list these programs among their favorites. There are a number of reasons why these programs are popular.

 

First, most of the shows are well-written and funny! While it is easy to find fault with the content and language used, these programs strike a chord with kids by making them laugh.

 

Second, the humor is postmodernism at its best. The jokes are smug, self-referential and delivered in such a way that the viewer who “gets it” feels like an insider: they’re in on the joke. Add to that the heavy use of ironic pop culture references, and “Adult Swim” comes off as the poster child for postmodern entertainment. As one Internet columnist noted, the programs are “completely random and inane, badly animated and oftentimes violent” (www.ramcigar.com). And that is just what kids want.

 

Third, the humor is often juvenile. Teen comedies with sexual humor and “potty talk” do well at the box-office and kids, especially guys, seem to like that kind of “locker room” humor. Or as Juan Rodriguez says, “It’s dumb humor, but it cracks me up” (Boston Globe, 4/25/05). Even our Christian kids seem to connect with this type of comedy, and think nothing of repeating what they hear.

 

Fourth, they are edgy. Teens like to push the envelope and like shows of which their parents might not be too fond. It feeds into the “rebel” sensibility that many teens seem to like, and even if they don’t lead rebellious lives, they can live vicariously through “AS.”

 

Fifth, this is programming for a tech-savvy generation. In addition to its regular “Adult Swim” programming, the network shows that it knows its audience well by having a significant Internet presence. Since the programming only airs six nights a week, they now offer a seventh night of online programming known as the “Friday Night Fix.” There is also an Internet sensibility common to many “AS” programs. Much of the animation is rather crude or primitive looking, and a few of the programs even have their genesis on the Internet. Kids live media-saturated lives and in their minds all media is integrated. It is natural for them to mix television with Internet with music, etc. This is why “AS” is now planning on producing short form programming to be delivered to cell phones. There is also a new CD of music from Danger Doom (a collaboration of underground artists Danger Mouse and rapper MF Doom) called “The Mouse and the Mask” based on the network’s programming.

 

Sixth, the anime programs are well-drawn and sophisticated. While the humor on some programs is juvenile, the anime shows on “AS” have much more complicated story lines that attract a more thoughtful audience. The serious and dark tone attracts those who may be more interested in a “darker” type of lifestyle, or even elements of eastern spirituality.

 

How should we respond?

While kids are supposed to stay out of the pool when it is designated for “adult swim,” the fact is, many of our kids are getting wet. As Christian parents and adults who are concerned for the welfare of the kids under our care, we need to respond in a reasoned, loving manner.

 

First, we CAN and should affirm the creativity on these programs. As creatures created in the image of God, we too are creative beings. While we may not like the topics and content found on “Adult Swim,” there is much creativity to be found, from the writing to the artwork. This doesn’t mean we need to affirm the more objectionable content on these programs. But we can affirm artistic excellence. We should desire that our teens who are involved in the arts should strive to exhibit the same artistic excellence in their own work.

 

Second, we can affirm the entrepreneurial nature of the network. “Adult Swim” was started on a shoestring budget and the network’s executives were forced to be creative. Senior Vice President Mike Lazzo notes, “the lack of money improves your creativity. If you don’t have any money, you’ve got to be more clever about stuff.” We can encourage our Christian kids to have a similar work ethic, regardless of the financial hand they’ve been dealt, seeking to use their gifts to be salt and light in a dark and decaying world.

 

Third, we should watch alongside our kids and help them discern. As members of the Body of Christ we are exhorted by Paul to avoid “obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking” (Eph. 5:4). To laugh and be entertained by such humor is the same as engaging in it. Not all of the programs on “AS” are objectionable. We need to work with our kids to help them move from “mindless consumption” of the media, to a pattern of “mindful critique.” Our How to Use Your Head to Guard Your Heart 3-D Guide is a great tool for filtering these programs through the lens of a biblical world and life view. Rather than making choices for them, help them make wise choices on their own. Let’s find out what attracts them to “Adult Swim” and help them to discover for themselves where some of the content might not be in line with God’s will and Word.

 

Fourth, use “Adult Swim” as an opportunity to understand the new world of media, and therefore understand the lives of our kids. Our kids live in a highly mediated world. They no longer think in terms of television vs. the Internet. For them, all media are interconnected, from TVs to cell phones to computers. As a result, teens think differently than we did when we were their age. We need to understand their thought processes and mindset.

 

Fifth, affirm their spirituality. Teens that are drawn to the darker, more spiritual anime programs should be affirmed for their interest in spiritual things, and their search for truth. At the same time, however, we need to use this opportunity to direct them toward the One truth, which can only be found in Christ.

 

Sixth, find ministry touchpoints. Use “Adult Swim” as a tool for understanding the postmodern mindset. “AS” is successful because it strikes a chord with a younger generation, not just in content, but in design and sensibility. Kids tend to think in more abstract, non-linear terms, and while we may watch these programs and say “Huh?” they look at them and seem to “get it” right away. Understanding the postmodern sensibility will help us better communicate God’s unchanging Word to a rapidly changing world.

 

 

 

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For more information on resources to help you understand today's rapidly changing youth culture, contact the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding.

 

                ©2005, The Center for Parent/Youth Understanding