Top 20 Most Controversial Cartoon Episodes Ever
#20: “The Littlest Tramp” “Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures” (1987)
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In Ralph Bakshi’s somewhat bizarre re-imagining of the classic ‘50s TV cartoon rodent, Mighty Mouse engages in his typical behavior of saving the city from various evil-doers. That is, until the episode known as “The Littlest Tramp,” in which he’s seen pulling a pink substance from his pocket and snorting it up his nose. While the name or the meaning behind this substance is never revealed in the episode, a member of the American Family Association alleged that it was clearly a substitute for cocaine. Though Bakshi denied this, CBS had the sequence permanently removed from future broadcasts.
#19: “Man’s Best Friend” “The Ren & Stimpy Show” (1992-96)
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Banned from Nickelodeon for depictions of extreme violence and tobacco usage, this episode was originally created for “The Ren & Stimpy Show”‘s second season. It features a sadistic drill sergeant as the new owner of the deranged animal duo, who has an affinity for giving cigars out as rewards for “good” behavior. It never aired as part of that series, and actually only saw airtime as part of the “Ren & Stimpy “Adult Party Cartoon”“ spinoff in 2003. Parents are shocked by the excessive brutality, particularly in the scene where Ren beats the pet owner senseless with a wooden oar, and as a result, the show’s creator was fired from the production.
#18: “SpongeBob, You’re Fired!” “SpongeBob SquarePants” (1999-)
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In this TV special serving as the 11th episode of the animated TV series’ 9thseason, Mr. Krabs discovers that he can save a nickel more by discharging his prized fry cook. This means that SpongeBob is forced out of his position and left unemployed. In an attempt to cheer him up, Patrick introduces his best friend to the joys of not having a job, describing the event as “Fun Employment.” The two then slack off for the rest of the day, ignoring all responsibilities and duties. Though SpongeBob eventually realizes what he’s doing and starts looking for a job at several fast food joints, the episode’s representation of unemployment sparked heavy political debate and pulled into question the real message it was sending to the youths and underprivileged.
#17: “One Beer” “Tiny Toon Adventures” (1990-92)
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While this segment of the “Tiny Toon Adventures” episode called “Elephant Issues” was intended to promote a stance against drinking, the producers’ self-awareness of “the evils of alcohol” certainly missed its mark. After facing peer pressure to consume beer, Buster, Plucky and Hamton quickly fall into a downward spiral as they arrive drunk at school, leer at women, steal a cop car and must face the consequences of driving under the influence. The graphic and careless behavior of characters designed to be watched by children was declared to be not only inappropriate, but irresponsible. Needless to say, this reckless PSA was banned from television for its alcoholic content.
#16: “Dial M for Monkey: Barbequor” “Dexter’s Laboratory” (1996-2003)
In this early episode of the Cartoon Network series, Monkey is celebrating his birthday with all of his Justice Friends at a barbecue they hosted for him. After being rudely interrupted by the titular evil alien and his partner Silver Spooner, Monkey is forced not only to save his birthday barbecue, but the whole universe. Why’d this episode get banned in countries like the U.S., Canada and the UK, you ask? Must have been because of the stereotypical depiction of homosexuals via the Silver Spooner character right? Nope, although that would make sense, it was actually banned because of a copyright dispute with Marvel and the creators of the Silver Surfer.
#15: “Bleep” Arthur (1996-)
Kids shows often deliberately steer away from serious topics, adult themes or language, but “Arthur” likes to face them head-on, or should we say fist-first. In the episode titled simply “Bleep”, our aardvark protagonist introduces audiences to the concept of cursing and censorship, and we are quickly thrown into scenarios involving D.W. and a naughty word she’s not supposed to use. The episode clearly was designed to discourage kids from using hurtful words, but the ‘bleeping’ method employed by “Arthur” showrunners actually made the episode feel raunchy instead of educational. In a Facebook Live interview, executive producer Carol Greenwald revealed it was the most controversial episode with viewers, and received more mailed-in feedback than any other Arthur episode.
#14: “Buffalo Gals” “Cow and Chicken” (1997-99)
Paired with a segment entitled “Cow and Chicken Reclining,” this first part of episode 7 from season 2 of the Cartoon Network series following the titular animals garnered such debate and criticism that it was only ever broadcast on TV once. While the show’s humor has always been unconventional, the sexually suggestive content featured on “Buffalo Gals,” along with the heavily implied stereotyping of lesbians, led the network to ban the segment and have the episode air with a replacement segment in the future instead.
#13: “When You Wish Upon a Weinstein” “Family Guy” (2003-)
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This FOX network favorite has come under fire more than once for its less-than politically correct humor, such as when Chris dated a girl with Down Syndrome in Season 8 - or when the show made light of the Boston Marathon attacks in Season 11. In this season 3 episode though, resident buffoon Peter Griffin squanders his family’s “rainy day fund,” then decides the only way to regain his financial stability is to hire a Jew. Peter’s prayers are answered when a Jewish man named Max Weinstein shows up and eventually leads to Peter’s attempt to convert Chris to Judaism. Due to its questionable anti-Semitic content, the episode was shelved from broadcast for several years. Several Fox divisions were also sued for the lyrics of the song “I Need a Jew” that parodied “When You Wish Upon a Star.”
#12: “Last Horizons” “TaleSpin” (1990-91)
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TaleSpin was a short lived spin-off of “The Jungle Book” that lasted one season. The Disney cartoon series came under some heat with the temporary ban of this particular episode. In “Last Horizons,” Baloo is welcomed into the legendary city of Panda-La with open arms only to realize that this reception was all a ruse for Emperor Wan Lo to overtake Cape Suzette. The fictitious Asian nation’s attack is dangerously reminiscent of Japan’s Pearl Harbor attack against the US Naval base in 1941. Aside from the WWII reference, the episode also contained various offensive Asian stereotypes, which led to the ban.
#11: “Homer’s Phobia” “The Simpsons” (1989-)
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The next episode on our list received pages of critique from network censors. Although the animated sitcom had already touched on gay/lesbian themes in previous episodes, this specific episode was the first to fully focus on them and thus was both the most praised and criticized. When Homer befriends a shop clerk named John and later figures out that he’s gay, the Simpson patriarch begins to adopt homophobic behavior towards him and develops fears that John’s sexuality will influence his son. Despite a lot of viewers being unimpressed with Homer’s character and the presentation of homosexuals in general, the episode received positive critical response for its anti-homophobia message.
#10: “Pause” “The Boondocks” (2005-14)
While this Cartoon Network adaptation of the popular comic strip has never been afraid of controversy and social commentary, this episode of “The Boondocks” took things to a whole other level. When Huey and Riley’s grandfather auditions to star in a new play by acclaimed playwright and spoof of real-life actor Tyler Perry, Winston Jerome, he quickly discovers that his desire for fame comes with a price. Featuring homophobic insinuations about Tyler Perry’s sexuality, this episode’s criticism of the popular actor and filmmaker was anything but subtle.
#9: “Rude Removal” “Dexter’s Laboratory” (1996-2003)
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Little kids swearing is never a good look for a children’s cartoon series. When Dexter comes up with the ingenious idea to separate the rudeness within him and his sister, their clones wreak havoc in their home lives and speak in a way we’ve never witnessed the characters speaking before. This banned episode ran into trouble with its excessive use of profanity and despite being censored with beeps, the bad words being said were still clearly decipherable. The characters also depicted various cultural stereotypes as the nice Dexter and Dee Dee spoke with English accents, while the rude clones spoke with a New York City one. As a result, “Rude Removal” never actually aired on TV and was only viewable online over a decade after its production via Adult Swim’s YouTube channel.
#8: “All This and Rabbit Stew” “Merrie Melodies” (1931-97)
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While the ‘40s were part of the “Golden Age” of cartoons, the decade was also a time of extreme racism and lack of civil rights for minorities, as evidenced in several cartoons from the era. This includes many of “Merrie Melodie”‘s war-themed cartoons, and more profoundly, in “All This and Rabbit Stew”. This one-reel cartoon short has Bugs Bunny being hunted by one of his would-be adversaries - however, this gun-toting woodsman is no Elmer Fudd. Portrayed as a big-lipped, dim-witted, and craps-crazy buffoon, the offensive caricature wasn’t uncommon, but was still disrespectful and remains insulting today. The shocking depiction of African-Americans landed the short on the infamous “Censored Eleven” list and remains a heart-breaking reminder of America’s racist history.
#7: “Blame It on Lisa” “The Simpsons” (1989-)
In this episode of the acclaimed TV sitcom, the Simpson family travels to Brazil to find a missing orphan. However, it results in some problematic South American stereotypes, which include Homer getting kidnapped for ransom, Bart being devoured by a rainforest anaconda, and depictions of colorful rat-infested slums. After this episode aired, the tourist board of Rio Janeiro planned to sue the show for damaging the city’s international image. The Brazilian government was concerned about losing tourism revenue, so the creators issued an official apology to the city of Rio de Janeiro.
#6: “Return of the King” “The Boondocks” (2005-14)
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This satirical comedy took a very interesting stance on the famed activist and humanitarian Dr. Martin Luther King, and although the episode addressed many of the country’s socio-political issues, there were many viewers who couldn’t get past how it was all presented. In “Return of the King,” Dr. King awakens from a 32-year coma after surviving an assassination attempt and discovers the outcome of his years of civil rights activism. When he takes the stage to deliver a speech, he loses his temper and shouts the n-word - more than once. The episode was not received well by civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton, who claimed it desecrated black historical figures.
#5: “Trapped in the Closet” “South Park” (1997-)
During the height of Tom Cruise’s Scientology promotion, “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone decided to take their own stance on the religion’s cosmic origins. While the animated sitcom has never been the kind of show to shy away from touchy subjects, this episode left Scientologists everywhere utterly speechless. Featuring jabs at Tom Cruise’s sexuality, and portraying Scientology as a scam, “Trapped in the Closet” also resulted in the departure of Isaac Hayes as the voice of Chef who himself was a practicing scientologist. While there’s some dispute whether Hayes made this decision himself or faced external pressure, the episode was controversial enough to actually alter the cast of the show.
#4: “Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips” “Merrie Melodies” (1931-97)
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Yet another cartoon that was unfortunately a victim of its time. While we’ve all at one point enjoyed Bugs Bunny’s regular shtick, it comes off almost cringeworthy in this short’s racist depiction of the Japanese. For instance, one of the soldiers Bugs comes into contact with is drawn as a short man with exaggerated Asian features, and is shown wielding a machete while muttering stereotypical gibberish. The Bunny also uses racial slurs throughout. Back in the day, this WWII propaganda animated cartoon served to portray Japanese enemy soldiers as lesser and inferior. The only thing it serves as today is an embarrassing reminder of the past.
#3: “Electric Soldier Porygon” “Pokémon” (1997-)
This successful children’s program had kids glued to their TV screens thanks to Ash Ketchum and his many Pokémon adventures. But this wasn’t necessarily a good thing when “Electric Soldier Porygon” aired. The strobe light visuals during the scene in which Pikachu delivers his lightning bolt attack caused over 600 children in Japan to experience seizures so severe most had to be hospitalized. The controversy caused Pokémon to take a 4-month hiatus, and Japanese television broadcasters to enforce strict guidelines for their programs to ensure a similar event would never be repeated.
#2: “Heroes” “Beavis and Butt-head” (1993-97; 2011)
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America has tolerated a lot from these nonchalant teenage misfits, but this episode went a bit too far. After the boys watch a riveting episode of “COPS,” they illegally obtain guns from the owner of a skeet shooting establishment and haphazardly fire them outdoors. One of Butt-head’s shots hits a commercial airliner and sends it hurdling down to its doom. The banned episode was not only criticized for its blatant disregard of firearm safety, but also for the inhumane mocking of the trapped passengers of the demolished aircraft.
#1: “200” “South Park” (1997-)
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In this Emmy-nominated episode from “South Park”’s 14th season, the residents of the town are faced with the possibility of attacks for allowing the prophet Muhammad to appear in person. So they devise a plan to keep the image of the holy figure under wraps. A radical Muslim organization soon warned (or threatened - depending on who you ask) the series’ creators about the subplot, which caused Comedy Central to edit mentions of the prophet in the follow-up episode. When South Park moved to HBO Max in 2020, the episodes “200” and “201” were omitted along with “Super Best Friends” and “Cartoon Wars”, which also depicted the muslim prophet.
