Honestly, we could do without this behind the scenes knowledge! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at behind-the-scenes secrets, scandals, or strange occurrences that could change the way you watch several Cartoon Network series.
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00:00Yeah, I'd like to get a 10-piece McNugget and a bunch of the Szechuan sauce.
00:03Like, as much as you're allowed to give me.
00:05Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at behind-the-scenes secrets,
00:09scandals, or strange occurrences that could change the way you watch several Cartoon Network series.
00:13As I said, they've been advised not to speak about the case.
00:17Have they been advised to act like they're not taking the series?
00:21Number 10. A more mature pitch.
00:24The Powerpuff Girls.
00:25Sugar, spice, and everything nice.
00:30These were the ingredients chosen to create the perfect little girl.
00:35While the fight scenes could get intense in the Powerpuff Girls,
00:38the show still knew how to keep the brand safe for the younger audience.
00:42However, when the series was conceived,
00:44creator Craig McCracken had a slightly more mature version for Townsville's heroes.
00:48They were originally called the Whoop-Ass Girls instead of Chemical X.
00:52The extra ingredient was a can of whoop-ass.
00:54The girls didn't have their unique personalities,
00:56and our heroes didn't just beat up the bad guys.
00:59They finished the job.
01:08Only one short of the concept was ever fully animated,
01:11before the Whoop-Ass Girls became the Powerpuff's audiences know and love.
01:15Number 9. Controversy after controversy.
01:18Dexter's Laboratory.
01:20Dexter's Laboratory still managed to find itself in hot water thanks to two banned episodes.
01:24Dial M for Monkey Barbecue-er and Rude Removal.
01:28It was rumored that Barbecue-er was banned for having one of its characters
01:31portrayed as a hurtful stereotype.
01:33The Master has chosen Planet Earth as his main course.
01:36So, let the feast begin!
01:39It was rumored that Barbecue-er was banned for having one of its characters
01:42portrayed as a hurtful stereotype.
01:44The Master has chosen Planet Earth as his main course.
01:47Let the feast begin!
01:49In reality, the episode was likely pulled due to Marvel claiming copyright infringement
01:54on the episode's parody of the Silver Surfer.
01:56While the mix-up for Barbecue-er was understandable,
01:58the reason for Rude Removal's shelving was as plain as day.
02:01Where the f*** are we?
02:03Beats the f*** out of me!
02:05It was deemed too crass for Cartoon Network's taste,
02:08and rarely saw the light of day until 2013, when it was uploaded online.
02:12Number 8. No toy sales, no show.
02:15Young Justice.
02:16Given its critical acclaim, one can only imagine how disappointed DC fans were
02:21when Young Justice was first canceled.
02:23This team has had successes, but much remains to be done.
02:27Rumors swirled that it was axed because it had more female viewers
02:30than the targeted male audience.
02:32Co-developer Greg Weissman confirmed this wasn't the case,
02:34but the actual reason wasn't any better.
02:36Mattel helped fund the show through merchandising,
02:39but they weren't happy with the toy sales.
02:41Yes, yes, but have you nothing more to offer?
02:47We do have more to offer.
02:49The company dropped out, forcing Cartoon Network to cancel the series
02:53after its second season.
02:54Corporate greed threatened to kill the art,
02:56but the show was eventually brought back to life through streaming services.
03:00Excellent work, Alpha Squad. Textbook op, truly.
03:03Number 7. Censorship down under.
03:06Various. Censorship is something that many cartoons have to face one way or another.
03:11Even if shows hide their more mature jokes well, not everything can sneak through.
03:15Coffee, coffee!
03:21In Australia, they tend to crack down hard on censoring Cartoon Network's programs.
03:25Along with the usual violent or lewd imagery,
03:28they tend to remove or edit anything that sounds like cursing.
03:31Must stay awake. Must see best band of all time.
03:36Aw, crap.
03:38Must see best band of all time.
03:42You probably won't hear anyone calling someone a sucker in Oz.
03:45Additionally, they've been known to remove instances of characters dating,
03:49no matter how innocent it is.
03:50It doesn't help that the cuts can get too obvious at times,
03:53especially when they take a chunk out of the episode's runtime.
03:56Why did you have to say all those rude things to them?
03:58What? I was helping you.
04:00Thanks a lot. They were right about to hand over the antidote.
04:02You're welcome a lot.
04:04Number 6. Inappropriate concept art.
04:06Steven Universe.
04:08We're not human, so who are we to speak for human people of color?
04:12Well, yeah, you can't do that, but you can speak for yourselves. You're allies.
04:17Fans of Steven Universe still praise the series for its art style and themes of acceptance,
04:21which might make this next entry a little surprising.
04:24The original print of the Steven Universe Art and Origins book
04:27featured concept art for an unused character named Concrete.
04:30Fans took note of how Concrete resembled a racist caricature
04:33and were understandably angered and confused.
04:36But you gotta realize it hurts to deal with racism,
04:39and when people act like it's not real, it makes it feel even worse.
04:43You have to acknowledge racism to work against it.
04:47Series creator Rebecca Sugar apologized for the drawing,
04:50calling its creation careless, and took full responsibility for the material
04:54making it through the approval process.
04:55The character was removed from subsequent printings of the book.
04:58Hey now.
05:00It's Garnet from Steven Universe!
05:03Kids, don't be racist.
05:05Number 5.
05:06Rick's Obsession.
05:08Rick and Morty.
05:09Anyone who says cartoons don't leave an impact
05:11is obviously unaware of the Great Szechuan Sauce debacle of 2017.
05:16In the Rick and Morty episode, The Rickshank Rickdemption,
05:19Rick mentions how much he's obsessed with the promotional sauce McDonald's made in 1998.
05:23In 1998, they had this promotion for the Disney film Mulan,
05:27where they created a new sauce for the McNuggets called Szechuan Sauce, and it's delicious.
05:33Soon, the concept became a meme, and fans became obsessed.
05:36McDonald's brought it back for a short time.
05:39Unfortunately, this marketing stunt turned into pandemonium
05:42as a few bad eggs caused riots to break out over the coveted sauce.
05:54The sauce returned a few more times, thankfully without the uproar,
05:57but it just goes to show how out of hand a meme can get.
06:00Number 4.
06:02No Love for Space Ghost.
06:03Space Ghost Coast to Coast.
06:15One of the more unique gems in Cartoon Network history,
06:18Space Ghost Coast to Coast was an animated parody talk show
06:22featuring live-action celebrity guest stars.
06:24However, it's honestly a miracle the show got made at all,
06:27since the studio wouldn't give them any money for production.
06:32Every time I move my arm, it costs the Cartoon Network 42 bucks.
06:38To make up for this, the creators had to rely on recycled footage
06:42from the original Space Ghost cartoon.
06:44Additionally, the celebrity guests on the show sometimes found the concept a little too bizarre,
06:49so the interviews had mixed results.
06:50In one infamous case, the Bee Gees interview only had around 19 seconds of usable footage
06:56because they couldn't take it seriously at all.
07:02This is the Bee Gees, boy.
07:03If only we could really just fry them.
07:07Number 3.
07:09Trust Issues.
07:10Teen Titans Go.
07:11Despite its long-term success,
07:13many viewers can't help but compare Teen Titans Go to the original Teen Titans.
07:17Look at those guys.
07:19So tall.
07:21Such big hands.
07:26Many argue that the spinoff is inferior to its critically acclaimed predecessor.
07:30Believe it or not, the voice actors allegedly shared these sentiments
07:34when the show was first announced.
07:35You know, I thought they were the baby versions of us,
07:38but I think they're actually the jerk versions of us.
07:41Having voiced their respective characters for so long,
07:44some had their doubts about the new series
07:46and may have even suggested dialogue tweaks to lines that felt out of character.
07:49But all worked out for the best,
07:51because in the final output,
07:52the actors' chemistry blends well with the show's irreverent humor.
07:55Whose voice does you do?
07:57Yours, fool.
07:57Ha ha ha!
07:58What's your real voice sound like, though?
08:00What are you talking about, Beast Boy?
08:02This is my real voice.
08:03Ha ha ha!
08:04Weird.
08:05Number 2.
08:06Foster's Sad Origins.
08:08Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.
08:10I'm sorry, but imaginary friends don't belong in the lost and found.
08:14But I am lost.
08:15My little girl left me here when she was gonna go visit her grandma.
08:20On the whole,
08:20the colorful and zany Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends
08:24is one of Cartoon Network's strongest programs.
08:26But where did the show's concept come from?
08:28Series creator Craig McCracken has said that he was inspired by
08:31when he and his wife adopted two dogs from an animal shelter.
08:34Bringing his new dogs home caused McCracken to wonder about their history.
08:38Eventually, he decided to explore those ideas with imaginary friends,
08:42and the rest was history.
08:43Man, I tell you, if it wasn't for this little lady,
08:45none of us would even be here.
08:46Because, you see,
08:47she's the one who had the bright idea to open up her own home
08:49and give us forgotten imaginary friends a second chance.
08:51I mean, how cool is that?
08:53While it isn't a dark show,
08:54knowing the origins of it could put it in a new light.
08:57Before we continue,
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09:13Number 1.
09:14The Mooninites Cause a Panic – Aqua Teen Hunger Force
09:17In 2007, Adult Swim's Aqua Teen Hunger Force caught the attention of the media,
09:22but not in a good way.
09:23It was January of 20 or 2007,
09:26dozens of electronic devices placed all around the city
09:29to promote the cartoon network show Aqua Teen Hunger Force,
09:32but they were mistaken to be bombs.
09:35To promote the show's upcoming movie,
09:36LED displays depicting the Mooninites were set up in several cities,
09:40including Boston.
09:41However, the displays were mistaken for explosives,
09:44and the city went into a panic.
09:46Now the city of Boston wants them to pay,
09:49but who else is responsible?
09:50What was Turner Broadcasting's role in the whole thing?
09:53The accidental bomb scare wound up costing Turner Broadcasting
09:57and guerrilla marketing group Interference Incorporated.
10:00Former Cartoon Network VP Jim Samples
10:02even resigned from the company in the aftermath.
10:04The show made an episode in response to the incident,
10:07but never aired it, for obvious reasons.
10:10Thank God they didn't find this.
10:12Who wants some?
10:16Some fans marked this as the end of Cartoon Network's golden age,
10:19all thanks to one small marketing campaign.
10:22What cartoon moment shocked you as a kid?
10:24Let us know in the comments.
10:26You want some more, man?
10:27Uh, uh, um, um.
10:28You do?
10:29No.
10:29Yeah?
10:30No.
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