These kids TV shows got unexpectedly dark fast. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most surprisingly unsettling scenes in kids shows.
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00:00What have we done?
00:05Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most surprisingly unsettling scenes in kids shows.
00:12Beware of spoilers.
00:14See Robin, there's no one here.
00:17There never was.
00:20Number 10.
00:21Racist hiring practices. That's so Raven. When Raven and Chelsea apply to the same job at a store,
00:28the latter secures the gig, despite Raven clearly being more qualified.
00:33The reason for Chelsea getting the job is shown during a psychic vision where the manager reveals her racist hiring practices.
00:40The truth is, I don't hire black people.
00:44Most of the time, That's So Raven is filled with wacky comic adventures and goofy situations.
00:49But the show also addresses serious issues, though perhaps many didn't expect racism to be tackled.
00:56And I saw Chloe straight-up say I do not hire black people.
01:02That's discrimination.
01:04I don't believe this.
01:06Though it's unexpected, it's an important topic worth exploring. While the gang gets things sorted in the end,
01:12it's a sobering depiction of issues that are unfortunately still common today.
01:17I always knew about racism, but...
01:21I never knew how much it could hurt.
01:23Number 9.
01:24Humiliating himself for chocolate.
01:26Hey Arnold, who knew that something as sweet as chocolate could turn sour? In this episode of Hey Arnold,
01:33Chocolate Boy is picked on by other school kids. During the hazing, his love for the treat gets put to the test.
01:39You have to go two weeks without eating any chocolate. No chocolate? None? Two weeks?
01:46Right, but then ten pounds of chocolate. The kids push him to do humiliating tasks in order to get it all, while laughing at him.
01:54It gets so bad that they eventually start throwing the candies at him like they're pennies.
02:10This moment is both cruel for the treatment of Chocolate Boy and highlights the awful situation
02:15he's in. The episode as a whole also sees the character getting to the root of his problem.
02:20It could be interpreted as a pretty close mirror to substance use disorder.
02:25I miss my nanny! I miss my nanny!
02:29It's okay that you miss your nanny, but eating chocolate is not going to bring her back. I know!
02:35Number 8. Lapis opens up about her toxic relationship, Steven Universe.
02:40Though Steven Universe is mostly light-hearted,
02:43it's never been afraid to delve into serious topics, and this moment is no exception. In Alone at Sea,
02:51Lapis and Steven spend time together on a boat trip after she is no longer fused to Jasper.
02:56You don't have to be with Jasper. That's not it.
03:01I miss her.
03:02What?
03:04We were fused for so long. Though their fusion as Malachite was pretty disastrous,
03:10Lapis reveals that she actually misses Jasper, but when the latter shockingly arrives,
03:16conflict quickly follows. The situation shines a light on the all-too-real problems of dysfunctional toxic relationships.
03:24Let's be Malachite again.
03:27Why would you want that? I was wrong about fusion. You made me understand!
03:34While Lapis recognizes how horrible of a partner Jasper was,
03:38she also felt a sense of power in their fusion.
03:41Her feelings are complex, and the intensity of the moment just shows the messiness of the trauma and emotional manipulation
03:48she's endured. No!
03:50What? What we had wasn't healthy. I never want to feel like I felt with you, never again!
03:57So just go!
03:59Number seven, Sean Hurts Angela, Boy Meets World.
04:03Reeling from his breakup with Topanga, Corey decides to get wasted while at a party,
04:08but this choice ends up having dire consequences when he gets Sean drunk in the process as well.
04:14Why would I want to do this?
04:16Because your goody-goody friend Corey did it, and you will not be able to live with yourself unless you do it, too.
04:21I'm not falling for that peer pressure crap. The latter then begins to spiral into an entire week of drinking, and naturally,
04:29everyone grows worried. When his girlfriend Angela tries taking him elsewhere, he reacts angrily by shoving her.
04:36I don't like that you drink.
04:39Call me when you don't.
04:41It's a dark moment that makes Sean see the error of his ways.
04:45However, it's disappointing that the realization came at the expense of his girlfriend. While he thankfully gets help later,
04:52it's a sad scene to watch unfold. I don't like me when I drink either.
04:58Good, because I sure like you when you don't.
05:01Number six, writing a dark poem. As told by Ginger,
05:05the written word is a powerful way to share complex emotions and intense feelings.
05:11In fact, those sorts of things bubble up to the surface in an episode called, And She Was Gone.
05:17Ginger writes a poem for a school contest, but the story isn't exactly cheery.
05:32It's about a girl who wants to escape from the world. The bleak piece gains the attention of her teacher,
05:38fellow classmates, and later a psychologist who thinks Ginger might be depressed.
05:43It's a brilliant portrayal of her emotional frustrations.
05:47But even though it's a somber poem, her mom notably still ends up seeing the beauty in it.
05:52Mental health is a sensitive subject, especially for a kid's cartoon, but the episode explores it wonderfully.
06:00Number five, Townsville is controlled by him, the Powerpuff Girls.
06:05Things are bleak in Speed Demon. The episode sees the Powerpuff Girls accidentally travel to the city of Townsville.
06:12The city of Townsville is a huge place, and the city is a big place.
06:16Even though the city is a big place, the city is a big place.
06:20The city is a big place, and the city is a big place.
06:22The Powerpuff Girls. Things are bleak in Speed Demon.
06:26The episode sees the Powerpuff Girls accidentally travel 50 years into an apocalyptic future,
06:32where Townsville has been permanently changed.
06:35To say that the place is in bad shape would be an understatement.
06:39It can't be! Oh, my mind played tricks on me again! Why won't you leave me alone?
06:49It's completely destroyed, and in the chaos has been taken over by the notoriously nightmarish villain, Him.
06:57The citizens who live under his tyrannical rule are shells of their former selves.
07:02As you race through time, the whole world went to...
07:07You lied! Don't believe him, girls!
07:10If that isn't bad enough, they all begin to blame the girls for abandoning them.
07:14It's a haunting future with an unsettling tone that terrifies the girls and shapes up to be one of the show's darkest moments.
07:21It was easy! Why'd you leave us, Powerpuff Girls?
07:32Just because the big bad of this series is suspected to be dead doesn't mean he isn't still a threat.
07:38In Haunted, Robin struggles with hallucinations that lead him to believe that Slade is alive.
07:44The paranoia makes him a volatile threat to both himself and his teammates,
07:49which culminates in a moment where he gets strapped down to a bed and put on surveillance.
07:54But must we keep him restrained?
07:57He threatened us, Stark. He's dangerous.
08:00Dangerous? Try totally flipped out Cuckoo the Banzai!
08:04Given the nature of superhero shows, this cartoon was expected to cross into some dark territories.
08:10In fact, the very next episode is essentially about Raven getting gaslit by a villain.
08:16He lied to me. He lied. And I gave him what he wanted.
08:22Still, representing such trauma, even though there ends up being an explanation, is next level.
08:28The mere idea of Slade's existence is torture.
08:32Some wounds are hard to heal.
08:34I've been fighting Slade for so long. I guess it's hard to just let it go.
08:39But sometimes I feel like I'm the only one still looking for him. The only one who can stop him.
08:50When the Tiny Toons gang gets their hands on some beer, it leads to disastrous results.
08:56Honestly, that description doesn't do this moment justice,
08:59because it's far darker if you really think about it.
09:12It shouldn't take an expert to see how a portrayal of kids consuming alcohol
09:17and then driving can be problematic.
09:19Even though the moment is meant to serve as a PSA against underage drinking,
09:24there probably could have been some more tasteful ways to go about it.
09:30How does it feel to be D.W.I.?
09:34D.W.I.? What's that?
09:36Whether you agree with the approach or not though,
09:39there's no denying it's heavy stuff for any show,
09:42let alone a cartoon like Tiny Toon Adventures.
09:45I hope the kids got the message.
09:47Yeah, drinking's uncool.
09:54Usually, SpongeBob gets into a little bit of mischief here and there.
09:58But then sometimes he and Mr. Krabs have to make a dead body go away?
10:02When Krabs mistakenly thinks that the health inspector is a scammer,
10:06he tries teaching him a lesson with his fry cook's help.
10:15That leads the pair to think they've committed murder,
10:17and they try disposing of the body.
10:20It's morbid stuff.
10:21The inspector isn't actually dead,
10:23but the pair's stupidity could have led to his demise.
10:26You know, this show is really not as squeaky clean as we thought.
10:30Remember that time Squidward's loneliness pushed him to the brink?
10:41Or how about the time his unhappiness leads to a seriously concerning spiral?
10:46Yeah, it's not all sunshine and rainbows.
10:49It's empty.
10:50Empty.
10:50Just like my miserable life.
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11:08In hindsight, maybe an entire sitcom revolving around dinosaurs was a bad idea.
11:14Sure, you can pull off a lot of comedic moments,
11:17but ultimately, these creatures are just destined for extinction.
11:21Indeed, that moment of total annihilation happens in Changing Nature.
11:26After an evil corporation wipes out an entire species of bugs,
11:30main character Earl gets involved.
11:32I guess I'll just have to say that I'm not a fan of this show.
11:37I guess I owe the rest of you an apology too.
11:40You know, for bringing on the end of the world and civilization and everything.
11:45Unfortunately, all he does is contribute to making the situation more dire.
11:49Like, end of the entire world dire.
11:52With the destruction of Earth's ecology,
11:55dinosaurs end with these characters essentially left to die.
11:59Daddy was put in charge of the world and he didn't take real good care of it.
12:04And now it looks like there won't be much of a world left
12:06for you or your brother and sister to live in.
12:10There's lots of ways to wrap up a kid's show,
12:12but a massive environmental disaster is an inspired choice.
12:16And by inspired, we mean incredibly depressing.
12:20Continued snow, darkness, and extreme cold.
12:25This is Howard Handupme.
12:28Good night.
12:28Is there a dark moment we completely spaced out on?
12:31Keep us posted in the comments.
12:33I'm dying very soon.
12:36Yes.
12:38I'm sorry.
12:40Do you agree with our picks?
12:42Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
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