Random Nostalgic Cartoons You Never Realized Were Actually Super Progressive (13 items)

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  (#13) Cow and Chicken

  • Charles Adler, Candi Milo, Dee Bradley Baker

  Cow and Chicken left a lasting impression on many viewers who came of age in the late '90s. The show was proudly ludicrous, centering on a cow and chicken who are somehow siblings and the offspring of two human parents.

  Perhaps the most progressive character is the Red Guy. He takes on a variety of different guises and is always tormenting Cow and Chicken, but Red Guy's commitment to his different personas subtly teaches kids in the audience to maintain their childlike wonder and defy traditional, fixed ideas of identity. Whether he's Major Wedgie, Geraldo Rearviewa, Larry Lackapants, or Baron Von Non-Lederhosen, he's a proud source of creativity and adventure for children.
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  (#5) Recess

  • Andrew Lawrence, Ashley Johnson, Jason Davis

  Recess focuses on the misadventures of six elementary school students. Luckily for them, they have Miss Grotke as a teacher. Miss Grotke is one of the show's regulars, and she never shies away from telling it like it is. She challenges conventional thinking on everything from Thanksgiving and the Founding Fathers to Beowulf and other sacred cows, sliding social commentary and even radical literary criticism into her lessons.

  How many other kid-friendly animated teachers would advise their students to be wary of the white and Western male perspective of their history books?
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  (#1) The Proud Family

  • Kyla Pratt, Tommy Davidson, Jo Marie Payton

  Premiering in September 2001, The Proud Family was notable not only for being the Disney Channel's first animated original series, but also one of the very few animated shows (along with The Boondocks) to feature a mainly all-black cast. 

  The series dealt with issues of race and equality using humor and clever plotlines, such as when Penny Proud travels back in time to better understand the value of Black History Month. One of the standout episodes, "Culture Shock," is a direct response to the rise in Islamophobia in a post-9/11 world. As part of a cultural exchange program, Penny must spend a week with the Zamins, a Muslim Pakistani family. Though she is initially hesitant, and even frightened by the family's differing cultural practices, she is horrified when their home is vandalized by bigots who tell them to "go back to their country."

  In the end, Penny gives a school presentation on the Zamins and how they are just as American as any member of her community. Though the episode has its critics in the Muslim community, it is generally regarded as a well-meaning and sincere gesture toward cultural solidarity. 

  Disney Plus has announced a revival of The Proud Family, titled Louder and Prouder Than Ever, and fans are eagerly anticipating the return of the culturally inclusive and minority-focused series.
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  (#8) X-Men: The Animated Series

  • Norm Spencer, Cathal J. Dodd, Lenore Zann, Iona Morris, Alison Sealy-Smith, George Buza, Chris Potter, Tony Daniels, Alyson Court, Catherine Disher, Cedric Smith

  X-Men: The Animated Series has progressive themes in both outside-the-box storylines and character development. An abundance of strong female characters fights alongside a set of diverse personalities that don't limit the team's strength but, rather, force it to grow. The series also, on more than one occasion, dealt with the passing of central characters in real and serious ways.

  Of course, the show also continues the themes of persecution and tolerance that define its Marvel Comics source material. Mutants have, over the decades, served as metaphors for marginalized communities, tackling racism, homophobia, and more. X-Men: The Animated Series didn't shy away from this, remaining complex and multilayered while providing young viewers with a perspective that was not as black and white as other adventure cartoons.
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  (#12) Invader Zim

  • Andy Berman, Richard Steven Horvitz, Rosearik Rikki Simons

  Jhonen Vasquez used his animation to challenge hard truths that most cartoons made for children would not address. Zim is an incompetent, self-obsessed alien who attempts to take over Earth. Although his plans always fail, Zim is somehow still considered an "invader," which baffles his female counterpart, Tak, who has put years of hard work into earning that title. Similarly, Gaz is often caught in the middle of Dib's pointless feud with Zim, and yet Dib takes the credit when Gaz succeeds in commandeering Tak's spaceship. 

  Vasquez is not shy about emphasizing the horrors of life on Earth, horrors like being ignored by a career-obsessed father or the fact that friendship is hard work and is easily stripped away... unless your only friend is actually a robot who dresses like a dog, eats a lot of waffles, and is obsessed with the concept of doom. 
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  (#10) Braceface

  • Alicia Silverstone, Vince Corazza, Peter Oldring

  Braceface was geared toward preteens and took on surprisingly mature and open-minded subject matter. The main character, Sharon Spitz, deals with many issues animated shows tend to shy away from, including her first period, unhappiness with her body, and even becoming a vegetarian (and staying one).

  Sharon wasn't the only character to inspire progressive conversations. Maria Wong, one of Sharon's best friends, endures racism and insensitivity at school. Braceface was also one of the first shows to include an openly LGBTQ+ character: high school student Dion, who is assigned to mentor Sharon.  

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