Top 10 Facts About Kids' Shows That Will Ruin Your Childhood
Well, we wish we didn’t know that. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Facts About Children's Shows That Will Ruin Your Childhood.
For this list, we’ll only be looking at actual facts that have been reported about TV series aimed at a younger demographic or meant to be watchable by people of all ages and not fan theories or dark scenes.
#10: Phill Lewis Was Arrested
“The Suite Life of Zack & Cody” (2005-08)
On “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody”, Phill Lewis played Marion Moseby, the Tipton Hotel’s tightlaced manager. But Lewis’s real life is much darker. Long before appearing on the show, back in 1991, he was arrested for manslaughter after killing a woman in a drunk driving accident. At the time, his blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit. He was sentenced to five years in prison but only ended up serving a fraction of his sentence. By 2005, he had left his past behind him and become a Disney Channel star!
#9: Jaimee Foxworth Worked in Adult Entertainment
“Family Matters” (1989-98)
If you watched “Family Matters”, you certainly recognize Jaimee Foxworth as Judy Winslow, who was a little girl when the show began filming. After the show ended in 1998 however, Foxworth fell on some hard times and ended up working in the porn industry, using the name “Crave” and appearing in a handful of films between 2000 and 2002. She has also experienced issues with her mental health as well as substance abuse. Luckily, she seems to have turned things around and is now a mother to her son Michael Douglas Shaw, Jr..
#8: Curious George Is Not a Monkey
“Curious George” (2006-)
You probably know Curious George as the mischievous monkey who has appeared in books, television shows and movies over the decades. But our perception of him may have been wrong all this time. You might not have noticed that while George has a monkey-ish look, he doesn’t actually have a tail, which is what distinguishes monkeys from apes. There is one kind of tailless monkey: the Barbary macaque. But George doesn’t look like one of those, nor does he hail from the mountains of northern Africa like they do. So that must mean that he’s more likely an ape!
#7: Racist Imagery
“Rugrats” (1991-2004)
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“Rugrats” may at first seem like your typical wholesome kids’ show, but under the surface it’s definitely more complex than that. First, there’s the issue of Chuckie’s mom, who was mentioned off and on in the early episodes, but it was later stated that she was dead. Did she die during the show’s run? The series has also been accused of using racist imagery in the portrayal of Tommy’s grandfather, Grandpa Boris. He is Jewish, and is illustrated in a way that resembled what the Nazis showed Jews to look like during WWII. Many disagree though and say that the portrayal of Judaism in “Rugrats” was progressive and helpful to them growing up.
#6: “The Flintstones” Advertised Cigarettes
“The Flintstones” (1960-66)
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On commercial breaks for kids’ shows in more recent decades you’re probably used to seeing ads for toys, snack foods and other child-friendly products. But back in the ‘60s, advertising was basically the wild west. “The Flintstones” wasn’t strictly a show for youngsters, and aired during prime time, so the characters were often seen promoting some pretty adult products. While a beer promo was made for its employees only, it’s the smoking ads that went mainstream. The Winston cigarette ad seems particularly troubling, but it’s important to remember that at the time, perceptions about the dangers of smoking just weren’t what they are today.
#5: An Episode of “Tiny Toon Adventures” Was Banned
“Tiny Toon Adventures” (1990-92)
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“Tiny Toon Adventures” is an adorable show about young characters in the world of “Looney Tunes” who are attending Acme Looniversity. In one episode though, which was eventually banned, the characters decide to drink some beer and end up getting drunk, stealing a cop car and driving off a cliff. They land in a graveyard and die, going to heaven. Yep, you heard that right. Despite the fact that the segment was supposed to warn viewers about the dangers of drinking, we can all agree that they probably went too far.
#4: Characters Were Killed for Toy Sales
“The Transformers” (1984-87)
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In between the second and third season of “The Transformers” TV show, the creators released a movie set in the futuristic year of 2005. The film is a veritable bloodbath, with characters seeming to die left, right and center. It turns out that Hasbro, who was behind the Transformers line of toys, found that killing off characters ended up increasing toy sales, so they had a say on who lived and who died. This film even killed off the beloved Optimus Prime, but the fan letter campaign for his resurrection was luckily successful.
#3: David Yost Was Bullied on Set
“Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” (1993-96)
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David Yost played Billy Cranston, AKA The Blue Ranger on “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers”, but the character transitioned to becoming a technical advisor on“Power Rangers Zeo” until Yost left for good before the end of that season. It turns out that this wasn’t over a pay dispute, or at least not only because of one, as was originally thought, but was really because Yost had been persistently bullied on set by the crew due to his sexuality. He was even reportedly called homophobic slurs. The “Power Rangers” franchise seems to attract horrifying stories. Ricardo Medina Jr., who played the Red Wild Force Ranger, is currently serving time for pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter after his roommate was stabbed to death by a sword. And Thuy Trang, who played the first Yellow Ranger, was tragically killed in a car accident when she was just 27 years old.
#2: The Voice of Elmo Was Accused of Misconduct
“Sesame Street” (1969-)
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You may not recognize Kevin Clash, but you’ve certainly heard his voice before. Clash voiced Elmo on “Sesame Street” from 1985 all the way to 2012. But unfortunately, his reasons for leaving the show were disturbing ones. He resigned because there were several allegations against him for acting sexually inappropriately, including having a relationship with a minor. He denied all of the accusations, saying that the relationship was between “consenting adults,” and since the statute of limitations had passed, legal actions were not taken. But his relationship was definitely tarnished nonetheless.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
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“Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends” (2004-09)
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“Teen Titans” (2003-06)
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“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (1987-96)
#1: The Girl Who Voiced Caillou Died at 17
“Caillou” (1997-2010)
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Jaclyn Linetsky was the second person to voice the English version of the character Caillou in the Canadian TV show of the same name. She also acted in a number of other animated shows while she was a teen. She began the role of Caillou in 2000, and only continued for three years because on September 8th, 2003, she was tragically killed in a car accident. She was on her way to work on a live action acting job in St. Cesaire, Quebec when the van she was in lost control and hit a semi-truck. She was only 17 years old at the time of the incident.
