Do you prefer cartoons with idealistic or cynical natures?

[JoeMabbon]

Considering most of them are designed to sell toys, on some level they are.

Edit:

You show me an adult-oriented action cartoon with no toyline I'll show you a bloody and punishing affair. My post will stand pat even then.

I don't wanna see your bloody, punishing affair, but okay. Primal and Scavengers Reign. Oh, and that one mediocre Elvis show Titmouse put out last year. Also, Gen: Lock apparently. That's a surprise.

 

[Fone Bone]

Primal is both bloody and punishing. I'm seen and been traumatized by every episode. My complaint there stands.

 

[prpis]

I think the opposite, humor can be black and deal with heavy subjects and go unorthodox places, but it needs heart and sweetness to balance things and not make it brittle.

That is true for me. I enjoy optimism, but i also love cynical humor laced with hope.

 

[Neo Ultra Mike]

I feel like KaiserLemon is off on calling The Legend Of Korra a cynical show. Are Ed Edd n Eddy and Invader Zim cynical shows? Yes, totally but Legend of Korra though having very cynical and darker moments (even compared to Avatar) ultimately is about pushing past those for a happy more upbeat "learn from past mistakes to be a better person" kind of series that ultimately ends very happy. You really only got those in IZ and EEE in the DTV films that had a more standard journey compared to the series itself plus yeah Korra was always building to that happier ending anyway.

Admittedly there are some very cynical and mean spirited shows I enjoy (besides IZ and EEE, Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Space ghost Coast To Coast also have a lot of that and those are some of my favorite cartoons) but the older I get with very few exceptions the more I prefer a show that general has either more moments of upbeat positive attitudes, or the cynical side is reserved not for EVERYONE just for the worst characters. As yeah just cynical endings to those undeserved get to me more and more now and feel more off then they had before. Like South Park at it's worst is when it overall ends cynically which is why season 20 and 23 have such a bad taste and some of the recent eps soured me on their endings but at least that show still has good positive endings unlike say Family Guy which stews so much in that.

 

[Ace]

I think good entertainment has to have to good hook to keep you interested so I lean more on the side of cynicism. There's appeal to seeing someone go through events worse than yourself and it makes us root for them, feel for them and want to overcome it. Having things be rough and dirty and possibly dirtier than the real world makes things also way more relatable and have more weight to it. It also works better for comedy.



I don't think there's a fine line between the two because there's a lot of stuff with elements of both. I do think you can overdo cynicism if it gets too tired.

Dystopias, old timey 30s cartoons that's stuff that interests me.

 

[90'sKid]

I find shows that are too optimistic (stuff like MLP and SU) to be diabetes-inducingly too saccharine, you know? Like there's being optimistic to the point of comically naive. I'm personally not into the shows that have love and friendship conquer all. Something I have come to appreciate about shows like Rugrats is that it wasn't afraid to show that some people can just be little dicks to you for no reason. I can't help but feel like part of that was to show that these newer cartoons weren't going to be the oppressively positive bowls of sugar alot of cartoons from the 70's were (the Get Along Gang comes to mind).

But on the other hand, when your show has everyone being a royal buttmunch to one another it can be... I know some don't like this term (myself included)... Mean Spirited. CN particularly fell into that trope of having a show where the world just poops on the main character for no reason. MGPaM, Squirrel Boy even Fosters fell into this at times.* I know people will say that EEnE was like this, and while for some episodes I'm inclined to agree, other times it was moreso the Eds bringing it apon themselves, and lets be real, kids can be a bunch of spiteful boogers.

*Weird how all three shows featured a boy and his non-human companion where the companion would do something stupid or dickish and the boy would be the one to recieve the fallout, but I digest.

 

[KaiserLemon]

Since idealism seems to be the popular pick, I'd like to ask the people who voted for it, what gripes do you have with shows that run on cynicism?

 

[Fone Bone]

Since idealism seems to be the popular pick, I'd like to ask the people who voted for it, what gripes do you have with shows that run on cynicism?

They are overdone. It became a trend and now there is no variation. I hate the fact that entertainment doesn't just ape premises, but nihilism. And the worst part is usually entertainment that copies a popular but controversial aspect of a hit show misuses the idea and doesn't understand why it had resonance in the first place. This goes for live-action too by the way.

 

[KaiserLemon]

They are overdone. It became a trend and now there is no variation. I hate the fact that entertainment doesn't just ape premises, but nihilism. And the worst part is usually entertainment that copies a popular but controversial aspect of a hit show misuses the idea and doesn't understand why it had resonance in the first place. This goes for live-action too by the way.

The Sopranos and Mad Men are both VERY cynical, yet are considered among the greatest TV shows ever made. Ultimately, I think it all boils down to execution.

 

[Fone Bone]

The Sopranos and Mad Men are both VERY cynical, yet are considered among the greatest TV shows ever made. Ultimately, I think it all boils down to execution.

And how much crap (like say Game Of Thrones) occurred and flourished because the creators of said crap did not understand the reasons those shows resonated? I think there's been a LOT of it.

Randomly killing off a bunch of main characters is not drama. It's what a desperate show does when there is no real drama in the premise.

 

[Goldstar!]

Since idealism seems to be the popular pick, I'd like to ask the people who voted for it, what gripes do you have with shows that run on cynicism?

A little cynicism is fine. Like I said earlier, it doesn't need to be overly treacly, but when all there is to the show is cynicism, it quickly becomes unbearable. Especially when a show is cynical just for the same of being cynical. I don't want to watch a show in which the overall tone is bleak and dark. I like positive things.

The problem is that too many of the current writers and directors think negativity = depth and use negativity and cynicism as a substitute for good storytelling and character development.

 

[KaiserLemon]

The thing with cynicism is that it doesn't just consist of dark themes and characters being assholes, it also revolves around a critical view of specific ideals. Like the villain is redeemed through the power of friendship? That's idealism. But the villain is killed and nobody sheds a tear? That's cynicism.

Cynical works can also be silly and light-hearted. (Albeit in a darkly humorous manner) Likewise, idealistic works can be pretty dark as well. Don Bluth's movies are a fine example of that.

 

[Fone Bone]

Like the villain is redeemed through the power of friendship? That's idealism. But the villain is killed and nobody sheds a tear? That's cynicism.

How about where the villain is killed and everybody feels regret for the waste of life? Why does it have to be one or the other?

 

[Pooky]

Yeah, I'm not sure I agree with your definition of cynical there. Would we really call Sleeping Beauty cynical just because (Spoilers?) Malefecent dies at the end? Immoral maybe, but cynical?

 

[Fone Bone]

If Prince Philip were a cop, Maleficent's death would be what is known as a "clean shoot". I felt no moral qualms about it. And that's not cynicism. That's pragmatism.

 

[Sparklefan1234]

I like my cartoons to be idealistic because a lot of the cartoons I watch give me comfort and peace.