The Golden Age of Animated Comedy

For diehard fans of animated comedy such as myself, we are in the midst of the golden age. It is also not far removed from a time where we were stuck with shows like The Cleveland Show or even one season failures like Allen Gregory. Those days, however, feel so far behind us as there are now are so many hilarious and well done animated shows that it is almost hard to pick the best ones. There are some mainstays still churning out episodes like Family Guy, and some shows that have burst on to the scene in recent years such as BoJack Horseman and Rick and Morty. This is the best thing that could happen for the industry because it forces older shows to adapt and remain fresh, while adding more variety and creativity. The result has been some of the most well done, wittiest, and most topical humor in the animated format that we have ever seen. I am no TV critic by any means, but I wanted to look into two shows that can help to make sense of this golden age: South Park and Big Mouth.

These two shows are the perfect ones to look at because it is the combination of old and new. If South Park were a professional athlete it would be Kobe Bryant, but instead of having two primes this show has had at least three. The thing that is so different about the show from what it used to be is that it is not dumb anymore, not even close. When I tell people how topical and satirical the show is of current events, they just ignore it or assume I switched to a different show. It really is a smart and funny combination I did not think I would ever see in that show! What the show does so perfectly in its 21^st season this year, is that it combines this new found social role in todays political climate with its roots that go back to the first season. I really can’t say enough about how well this show literally makes fun of everyone on all sides of our most pressing issues in a way that is still funny even if you are a very political person by nature. They also do it with their old silly and stupid jokes like having Cartman transform his girlfriend Heidi into basically a female Cartman. The show is peaking in season 21 and I just can’t wait to see where they go next.

The next show is Big Mouth, which is so different than South Park yet still so effective. Big Mouth is just a completely mindless show, but one that so effectively makes fun of such an awkward period in everyone’s life that it becomes so easy to watch. It takes the viewer back into a time where out of nowhere our hormones (or hormone monsters) overtake a lot of our better judgment. I think the show also perfectly demonstrates how many of us perceived ourselves acting as adolescents in its main characters of Nick and Andrew. They are awkward and unable to express themselves yet, but man do they try.

I hope nobody else reading this is struck with the disease of overthinking shows like this that require literally zero thought. However, let’s all enjoy this period of animated comedy excellence for however long it may continue. Also let’s hope that the abundance of quality leads to these show creators to somehow top themselves in upcoming seasons. Needless to say if you are not watching the 2017 versions of animated comedy for some reason, you should go change that immediately.