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

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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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  (#2) Hey Arnold!

  • Francesca Marie Smith, Jamil Walker Smith, Dan Castellaneta

  Hey Arnold! aired on Nickelodeon at a time when nontraditional familial settings didn't receive much attention. The show has several subtly progressive elements, including the diverse supporting characters. Arnold himself was orphaned and is raised by his grandparents in a boarding house that includes a variety of characters not often represented in mainstream media; Arnold's surrogate family features a Vietnamese immigrant, for example.

  The adventures of Arnold and his friends often include unconventional settings and characters, such as Harold's bar mitzvah and the crew's regular run-ins with Pigeon Man.
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  (#3) Rugrats

  • Elizabeth Daily, Christine Cavanaugh, Nancy Cartwright

  The Nickelodeon cartoon Rugrats centers on a group of rambunctious babies and toddlers who are always getting into imaginative shenanigans, and the undercurrent of progressive commentary remains strong. Chuckie is raised by a single father. Angelica's mom is the breadwinner in the family, and her husband Drew is Angelica's main caretaker. Tommy's mom, too, is the family's main financial support system, while her husband struggles as an inventor.

  Notably, these husband aren't emasculated by this - it's simply their lives. Several supporting characters also represent cultures outside of the main cast. These characters are not presented as stereotypes or tokens; Kimi Watanabe, for one, becomes an assertive and vital part of the ensemble.

  Individual episodes also tackle subjects that have become far more relevant. In one, Phil and Chuckie question gender norms and are mocked for wearing dresses, which they don out of a curiosity the show portrays as innocent and in no way shameful.
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  (#4) The Powerpuff Girls

  • Cathy Cavadini, Elizabeth Daily, Tara Strong

  The Powerpuff Girls exposed young viewers to a hearty dose of feminism, packaged in kid-friendly animation with subtle pop cultural references that kept parents engaged as well. Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup are never ashamed to be strong, fearless girls who fight evil and, in the words of executive producer Nick Jennings, try "to do it all before bedtime."

  The Powerpuff Girls features three female characters with distinct personalities, each brave and flawed in real and relatable ways, subtly making a case for more complex representation in cartoons.
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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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  (#6) Futurama

  • Billy West, John DiMaggio, Katey Sagal

  Futurama, the beloved animated series from The Simpsons creator Matt Groening, was adored by adults and kids alike. During its intermittent seven-season run, Futurama made a lot of social commentary through the unique lens of sci-fi satire.

  In one notable episode from 2003, Bender becomes a "fembot" in order to compete against female robots at the Olympics. Bender encounters significant sexism throughout an episode full of clearly progressive remarks about clichéd femininity. He goes through some revelations about gender and emotion, as well, wooing and falling for Calculon, the male robot soap opera star. Even after Professor Farnsworth returns Bender to his original form, the bot holds onto affection for Calculon.
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  (#7) Aaahh!!! Real Monsters

  • Charles Adler, Christine Cavanaugh, David Eccles

  The short-lived Aaahh!!! Real Monsters was mostly silly fun, but there was one character that was a notable standout: The Gromble. The Gromble is the headmaster of the school. He is also a four-legged male monster always wearing two pairs of high heels and wielding a riding crop. The Gromble's choice of attire is never an issue for any of the other characters and is not a subject of ridicule.

  The show presents him as a ruthless taskmaster who happens to prefer clothing not typically associated with his gender. By treating this so casually, the show quietly made a case for withholding judgment and accepting others' personal preferences.
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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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  (#9) Pepper Ann

  • Kathleen Wilhoite, April Winchell, Danny Cooksey

  The sassy Pepper Ann Pearson is a middle-schooler who often has to navigate one pressing moral quandary or another. Pepper Ann doesn't skirt serious issues but instead tackles them head-on and without an overly heavy hand.

  Cultural appropriation, the gender pay gap, even the prospect of a female president are all explored in different Pepper Ann episodes. Executive producer and writer Nahnatchka Khan said:

  I would define her as a feminist, absolutely, in as much as a feminist to me is a strong woman who believes that women are just as equal to men in all aspects. I don’t think Pepper Ann would ever take a backseat or feel inferior to anybody.

  The show's creator, Sue Rose, however, didn't set out to write a TV show about feminism. Instead, she "set out to create a story about a girl. And a funny girl who makes mistakes and then has an opportunity to learn from them."
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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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  (#11) The Bugs Bunny Show

  • Mel Blanc, June Foray, Jim Backus

  Bugs Bunny is always the underdog up against the establishment, but he uses his brains and guile to win every time. He has exposed generations of young viewers to the beauty of opera and he may well be the animated world's first drag superstar, frequently donning dresses to seduce and outwit his enemies.

  He wears a dress and heels so often that it's difficult to keep track. Not to mention the dresses somehow always make him more powerful. 
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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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  (#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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