To the '80s and '90s babies...welcome to adulthood. Our lives as adults seem to get more stressful and more complicated each day that passes by, and my parents definitely failed to tell me that part. Life was sweet and easy when we were younger but now that we have to work for our own survival, it seems to get more tiring than enjoyable. Stress then comes in. But there's a surprising remedy for this. Simple things in life like watching children's shows can actually give us an instant relief.
How is that even possible?
We may not always notice it but every day, we have to deal with stress. Usually, the source of our stress comes from our jobs, our home environment, our own family and partners, and more. And as we all know by now, stress can have a such a negative impact on our body, mind, and overall health if we don't find some outlet to relieve it.
There might be numerous ways to relieve stress, but an interesting one that you may not know (or may know but haven't confirmed) is to try to see cartoon shows.
Cartoons are usually packed with humor, and as the old saying goes, "Laughter is the best medicine." This is why when things get rough, you may consider sitting down to watch some good shows, specifically episodes of cartoon shows that offer a good laugh.
Here are ten kids' cartoon shows from yesteryears and from the present that offer timeless humor and are definitely cool to see to ease your mood and relax your mind.
"Rocko's Modern Life"
This cartoon features a wallaby who's trying his best to make it big in the city. He has a best friend, Heffer, who is an overweight cow. Rocko works for a comic book store and he faces a daily challenge in dealing with a daft dog, Spunky, who literally eats anything he can find on the floor. Rocko actually enjoyed a massive popularity among kids and adults alike. The show even got The B-52s to do its theme song for its final seasons.
Why is it funny?
Everything the characters in the show do is quite silly. There are dirty jokes thrown in a lot of its episodes. The adventures of the animal characters show how mentally unstable they are, that they doing crazy things seems just normal to them. It's indeed good for a few laughs.
"Phineas And Ferb"
This is a story of two stepbrothers out on an adventure over their summer vacation. The boys are constantly busted by their sister Candace. Their pet platypus, Perry, plays as a secret agent for O.W.C.A. ("Organization Without a Cool Acronym") and this is where the running gags in the show offer its viewers a great time.
"My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic"
Friendship themes for cartoons are timeless. I actually prefer watching funny, peaceful cartoons than the funny-morbid shows like "Tom and Jerry" or "Ogie and the Cockroaches." There is a bit of competition happening in this show but the bright colors, the creative shapes and designs of the characters are very mesmerizing that viewers can get their eyes so much relaxed with the episodes. There are only a few funny scenes in the show, but the fact that the adventures of the ponies promote positivity and camaraderie makes me feel so relieved that there are a lot of good things in this world that are far more powerful than stress.
"Johnny Bravo"
This is epic. The series focuses on Johnny Bravo who is boorish, muscular, a self-proclaimed womanizer, popular for his pompadour hairstyle, and the best of all...he is a dimwit. The story goes around Johnny's attempt of trying to win women but with his "mental" gifts, the girls always end up causing him harm but in a comedic way. His lines are quite hilarious and his thoughts are quite stupendous that there is no wonder why his body was made so big and his head so small. Good thing he has the bright Little Suzy who seems to admire him a lot despite his nonsensical ideas.
"Flintstones"
I like this better than "The Simpsons" and I started liking this cartoon during my childhood days. There was even a promo of a Flintstones character-shaped vitamin that made me love being healthy everyday.
It's ancient and that's what's making it lovely since it includes friendly dinosaurs in the show. Fred and Wilma were a perfect couple, anyone can sigh out their stress with the light feeling they can get from seeing true love winning over challenges during the Stone Age. Plus the Fred and Barney tandem can turn your "darn" into an energetic "yaba-dabba-doo," invigorating you to push harder on your own set of life challenges.
Plus the costume...the costume can be a great idea for a fun party or a Halloween get up.
"Rugrats"
The babies who seem so innocent but are actually not when their parents already leave them behind their play pen. This show focuses on the adventures of a one-year-old baby Tommy and his infant and toddler playmates. These kids always go on a "Baby's Day Out" escapade with challenges brought about by Tommy's older cousin Angelica.
The way Tommy, Chuckie, Phil and Lil take over the world would somehow make us wonder if childhood is indeed easy and worry-free because these little "men" are consuming their time worrying and resolving baby issues.
So that is actually where this show becomes funny. The way the creator presents how a baby is supposed to survive by himself tries to spark our deepest imagination and takes us away from our adult issues at least while we are enjoying "Rugrats."
"Peanuts"
Charlie Brown and Snoopy are love. Charlie is a picture of a meek, less self-confident, and nervous boy who finds a solid friendship with his dog Snoopy. The show's humor is a bit psychologically complex, I think you would need a deeper understanding to get what the show is trying to be funny about.
"Peanuts" is still airing on Cartoon Network, and though time has substantially decreased its lovers because of the plenty other animated shows available these days, those who were born in the '80s like me will surely appreciate the nostalgic beauty of the show.
"Steven Universe"
This mega-popular anime series has earned a lot of adult viewers these days. Its potential of showcasing deep and mature themes hidden under the creative sketches of the characters has engrossed both kids and adults alike. It is considered one of the best cartoon shows these days and fans are actually disappointed when it was again put on hiatus while it was airing its fourth season.
For Steven and his Gem and human friends, they all want the viewers to know that "Love wins." Love wins over LGBT acceptance issues; love wins over racial discrimination; love wins over self-acceptance struggles; love wins over all the harsh issues that this new era is currently facing. It's actually amazing how "Steven Universe" is able to pack all of these lessons into a kids' show.
The show features Steven and his Gem friends who are out on daily adventures to protect the world from cruel gems who are attempting to destroy the beauty of the Earth. The significant lines and the killer original songs are only some of the things that will help ease your troubles.
"Adventure Time"
The first time I saw this, I thought it was weird. It actually is but in a lot of ways, the characters become hilarious. Like "Steven Universe," this show has the tendency to become deep for a kid's understanding. It conveys a lot of life lessons about love and friendship. The tandem of human and non-human characters portrayed through creative sketches are perfect ingredients for catching viewers' interest.
Finn is possibly the last boy left in the world and he has a talking dog Jake. They both live in a magical place called Land of Ooo and they share it with other strange characters like a bubblegum princess, a crazy old man who sees himself a king and a goth-rocker vampire.
Why you should watch it?
You will be surprised that every element in the show is a creative representation of the world as a whole. For instance, the magical land refers to the remnants of society that was left behind from a past nuclear war. The insane old man is a representation of someone who suffers from Alzheimer's which he might have gotten from saving someone he used to love. The beautiful princess, on the other hand, is said to represent a mad scientist. While the vampire represents the lesbian feminists in the society. Our present world might by weirdly represented in the show, but maybe you would want to focus on the series' creativity instead.
"SpongeBob Squarepants"
Do you possibly know anyone who doesn't love Spongebob? While it was criticized in the past as a cartoon that promotes ignorance among kids, I still know of people in their 40s and 50s who enjoy the show. "SpongeBob" is unlike "Steven Universe" or "Adventure Time" that are capable of challenging the minds of viewers. Our Bikini Bottom hero is basically meant to deliver pure entertainment.
Spongebob and Patrick are very endearing and comical that if you want to shake off all the stresses in your body, these characters are a natural in giving the silliest jokes to help you get through a tiring day.
The crazy adventures that these best friends get into always get them into mindless decisions and that is where all the fun begins. Spongebob is my savior from my stresses and surely for a lot of other fans too. It's actually no wonder why both kids and adults love these Bikini Bottom regulars.
