Top 10 Times Kids Shows Were Censored

“Gravity Falls” (2012-16)

Grunkle Stan wears an iconic fez, which originally had a yellow crescent symbol on the front. This is called a “Shriners Fez”, and creator Alex Hirsch described the symbol as being “a random amalgamation of what white dudes in the ‘30s thought Middle Eastern culture looked like”. It was a simplified version and wasn’t supposed to have any meaning. However, about halfway through the first season, executives were worried the Shriners would take legal action. The logo was then changed, but plenty of other censorship occurred in other countries, such as the word “butt-faces” being altered in Southeast Asia.

“Pingu” (1990-2000, 2003-06)

Pingu is an adorable, stop-motion animated, five-year-old penguin. In the episode “Little Accidents”, he struggles to find a bathroom after consuming too much liquid and, by the time he does, the toilet ends up being too high for him. You can guess what happens next. Animated or not, the uncensored urinating was considered inappropriate for children’s television and censorship measures were implemented in many places around the world. The BBC shortened the scene and it’s banned from broadcast or home video, with the only exceptions being in the UK and Canada.

“Sailor Moon” (English Dub) (1992-97)

This is a shojo manga, detailing the adventures of Usagi Tsukino, also known as Sailor Moon. The original media features a variety of LGBTQIA+ characters; however, they were almost entirely censored in the English dub. Zoisite was originally a gay man with feminine traits but, in the dub they swapped his gender. The biggest change was Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune’s relationship. They were heavily implied to be lovers in the original Japanese version but, in the international version, they retconned this entirely. Instead, they were said to be cousins as an explanation for why they were so close.

“Arthur” (1996-2022)

“Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone” is an Arthur episode so controversial it wasn’t aired at all in the states of Alabama and Arkansas. This is due to its depiction of a gay wedding between Arthur’s teacher, Mr. Ratburn, and Patrick the chocolatier. The episode received overwhelming praise, but some less inclusive groups, such as the Protestant fundamentalist group “One Million Moms”, called for it to be banned entirely. While it’s an incredibly impactful moment in children’s TV, we do wonder why Mr. Ratburn decided to invite an entire class of third graders to his wedding. Then again, he did teach them for 26 years or so.

“Mickey Mouse” (1933)

This is one of only a handful of Disney animations to enter the public domain early because Disney actually didn’t care to renew its copyright. Yeah, it’s that bad. We follow Mickey Mouse as he tries to rescue his dog, Pluto, from an evil doctor who wants to turn Pluto into a monster. Specifically, he would like to put Pluto’s head onto a chicken’s body, so that he can see if the resulting eggs will hatch puppies. Unsurprisingly, this disturbing plot and unsettling imagery was deemed too frightening for the target audience. It’s one of the most notable examples of early censorship, and the first time a Disney production was criticized for dark themes.

“Tiny Toon Adventures” (1990-92)

It’s easy to see how this episode was controversial, since its storyline centers entirely around underage drinking. It begins with Plucky and Hamton spotting a beer bottle in the refrigerator, and Buster peer pressuring them into drinking it. It was intended to highlight the negative side of alcohol, with the tiny toons becoming intoxicated and acting erratically. The writers probably should have stopped before the whole ‘joyride in a police car’ scene, but it actually gets much worse. The episode ends with them driving off of “Death Mountain” and, you guessed it, literally passing away. The whole message about drinking being uncool was kind of undermined after how humorously it was portrayed, and the episode was ultimately pulled.

“SpongeBob SquarePants” (1999-)

“SpongeBob SquarePants” has been censored many a time, but the panty raid episode has to be the most notable example. SpongeBob and Patrick spend the episode helping Mr. Krabs feel young again. None of their efforts work, until Patrick mentions the panty raid, which is exactly what it sounds like. The trio breaks into a woman’s home and begins ransacking her undergarments. It turns out to be Mr. Krabs’ mother’s home, who catches them in the act. As you might expect, this episode is either censored or outright banned in most countries, for its obvious overtones of harassment.

“Teen Titans Go” (2013-)

It makes no sense how this episode was ever greenlit with such an absurdly offensive plot. It focuses on Robin trying to save his friends from British mind control, caused by drinking “hot salad water”, Robin’s term for tea. Robin also recounts an extremely inaccurate history of America, and sings a song about how much better the USA is than the UK. Eventually, Robin has to fight off the Queen, who is on a mission to recolonize America. It features exaggerated British stereotypes and was predictably met with backlash. Humor around cultural differences is tricky and should generally be avoided, especially in children’s TV.

“Pokémon” (1997-)

This was the earliest Pokémon episode cut from the English dub, since it has loads of guns. Ash and his friends arrive at the Kanto Safari Zone, and the Safari Warden immediately pulls a gun on them, threatening to shoot them. Unfortunately, the threats only increase as the episode goes on. Team Rocket is also equipped with firearms here, but the episode’s worst offense has to be Meowth dressing up as Adolf Hitler. At least no viewers ended up in hospital, unlike the episode “Electric Soldier Porygon”, which had intense flashing lights that hospitalized more than 600 children.

“Bluey” (2018-)

This widely acclaimed program has one controversial episode about pregnancy. During their game of ‘Dad Baby’, Bandit pretends to give birth to Bingo. The episode was never aired on Disney+ and, although no official reason was given, we can guess it was the depiction of childbirth that ultimately resulted in the decision. Some parents expressed concern that the storyline might lead their children to ask questions about pregnancy and birth before they felt ready to address them. However, many continue to dispute these criticisms, arguing it’s harmless fun and an imaginative episode. In any case, the episode is up on the official “Bluey” YouTube channel if you’re interested.


Did you think any of these censors were unjustified? Let us know in the comments section!