Stay Tooned

Cartoon Villains! We love to hate them, but do we also love… to love them? Ben Schwartz, Angelo Muredda and Lake Bell discuss our love affair with villains in M.O.D.O.K. Batman and Harley Quinn.

Cartoons have tried to sell us stuff since the beginning. Russell Peters, Selma Purac and Lauren Faust discuss how consumerism in shows like Transformers and My Little Pony shaped our childhoods.

There has always been queerness just under the surface of cartoons. James Adomian, Nic Sammond and N.D. Stevenson explore queer characters and caricatures in shows like He-Man, Bugs Bunny and She-Ra.

Stay in school, don’t do drugs, and definitely don’t talk to strangers! Bobby Moynihan, Natalie Coulter and Elamin Abdelmahmoud explore PSAs and messages in G.I. Joe, Jem and Paw Patrol.

Remember meeting Cleveland on Family Guy or Apu in The Simpsons? Lamorne Morris, Jesse Wente and Domee Shi unpack the past, present, and future of representation in these shows and more.

Whether it was Jessica Rabbit or Ned Flanders, cartoons likely shaped your sexual awakening. Tara Strong, Kim Wilson and Cree Summer explore sex and sexiness in The Powerpuff Girls and Drawn Together.