2

Abstract
This paper focuses on the darker side of our beloved childhood cartoons as well as
current day cartoons and the impact they can produce on the children who watch, in
addition to the rationalization of the humor. One big fear that this topic gives off is that
children can become desensitized to violent acts and not be able to distinguish what is
right from wrong. In addition, this will highlight the social learning theory which states
that children are prone to modeling the behavior and actions they see others doing.
Depending on whether the actions the children are observing are good or bad, the
children will either benefit and become well-rounded individuals, or they will have a
disadvantage and will replicate harmful actions in their day-to-day lives. Also, the
cultivation theory, which displays how television and media have an influence in our
daily lives, shows how we go about forming relationships as well as our way of thinking
with forming stereotypes. The cartoons being observed and critiqued include The Looney
Tunes, Pepe Le Pew, Tom & Jerry, and SpongeBob SquarePants. The violent actions
displayed and other sensitive topics featured in the selected cartoons are discussed.
Therefore, a trigger warning for the following topics is in effect: depression, suicide,
racism, alcoholism, gun violence, sexual aggression, and physical harm. In addition, the
humor behind these acts is analyzed to show why we see no issue in watching the
cartoons over and over again. It is suggested humor is caused due to the relief theory,
benign violation theory, as well as resiliency. Here humor is justified due to the reduction
of stress and if the event violates how we think the world should be. Laughter can also be
produced based on resiliency, which is the ability to overcome an event and understand
the actions and responses of the characters, if it is used as a coping mechanism.

3

Impacts of Cartoons on Children & Humor Responses
Television is the most popular medium in which children are exposed (Mahmood,
2020). Growing up, children are spending hours a day watching cartoon after cartoon for
entertainment because cartoons are primarily viewed as innocent, child friendly shows.
This then allows parents to have a nice break from having to be the source of action and
the main focus of attention for their child. However, when taking a closer look into
cartoons of the past and present, our eyes are opened up to a darker, more violent world
than what is expected. Some of the violence as well as sensitive topics featured consists
of depression, suicide, racism, alcoholism, gun violence, sexual aggression, and physical
violence. The main focus here is that cartoons can have both significant positive and
negative impacts on children who watch when these topics are shown quite substantially.
This is done with support from the social learning and cultivation theory. Children are
prone to modeling actions and behavior that they see, so monitoring their cartoon content
might be something we, as the authoritative figure, need to pay more attention to
(Bandura, 1963) since media, especially television, can have influence in our lives
(Gerbner, 1969). Also, as human beings, we cannot help but to laugh at these harmful
events almost instantly when they are viewed because of the disassociation, violation, and
overall relation the event has on those who are watching. This will make sense by looking
at multiple humor theories and responses. Therefore, it is important to be mindful of what
is being shown to our youth if we want children to maintain a sense of innocence and a
good moral standpoint.

4

Violent Actions and Sensitive Topics In Cartoons
It is surprising to say that the frequency of violence in cartoons is higher than in
live-action dramas or comedies (Kirsh, 2006). It is important to note that for most
animated cartoons, violence is found at the beginning and end of disputes (Kirsh, 2006).
This is right as the cartoon short is climaxing as well as resolving. With both of these
moments being violent, it really shows that there is not really time left for peace in any
scenario. Violence appears in two-thirds to three-quarters of all television plays at a rate
of between six and ten incidents per hour in primetime, and at rates three or four times as
much in children’s programming which is mostly in cartoons (Signorielli, 1995).
Merriam-Webster (2020) defined violence as use of physical force to injure, abuse,
damage, or destroy. Sensitive topics can be defined as anything that would cause
someone to become easily upset in addition to things that people do not normally talk
about because it is not a norm, and/or it is something that makes them uncomfortable. So,
knowing what violence and sensitivity are, it’s time to take a jump backwards to discuss
one of the first cartoons that really showcases violence as well as the other sensitive
topics. This would be The Looney Tunes. This was a series of short films that ran from
1930 to 1969 produced by the Warner Bros. This cartoon features characters like Bugs
Bunny, Roadrunner, Daffy Duck, and Yosemite Sam as well as others not mentioned.
Throughout each series there are vivid images of characters beating each other to the
point where blood, bruises, and multiple missing teeth are revealed (Capoziello, 2020).
Starting off strong with the episode Ballot Box Bunny (1951). This episode shows Bugs
Bunny and Yosemite Sam competing against one another for the position of being the
town’s mayor. Towards the end of the episode, when the two are seen arguing and not

5

paying attention to the election, the position is won by another contestant. Since their
running was then viewed as pointless because they did not get their way, Bugs suggests
they play a game of Russian Roulette and proceeds to pulls out a gun. Sam fires a blank
shot, the screen fades to black as Bugs puts it up to his head, and a loud shot is fired.
Then they come back on screen, and it shows that Bugs had then shot Sam instead
(Figure 1). Keep in mind the Russian Roulette is a game promoting suicide as random
since they do not know where the bullet falls in the barrel. The cartoon depicts firearms
as fun toys which are deployed for petty revenge (Stern, 2014). This use of gun violence
comes across uncomfortably now due to the ever-changing world we are living in; guns
usage is a topic that comes across heavily with there being so many arguments for or
against. Circling back, Russian Roulette is not something that should be encouraged in
cartoons, or in general, because it is conveyed to be an easy way out when conflict arises
rather than approaching it civilly, even if a situation is one you would rather not deal
with.

Figure 1
The Pepe Le Pew series exhibits violence in the form of sexually aggressive
behavior. Pepe Le Pew was created in 1945. Pepe Le Pew exhibits many controversial

6

actions throughout his cartoon. Throughout his series he is persistent in trying to win over
the love of Penelope, the cat, even though she is seen resisting and trying to escape his
sexually aggressive stalking behavior. You can even go as far to say that it also focuses
on misrepresenting the species of Penelope since Pepe Le Pew assumes she is also a
skunk. Below you can see Penelope trying to push away from Pepe’s embrace as well as
a picture of her having a look of terror across her face (Rauser, 2019). She is noticeably
uncomfortable and is easily displaying to Pepe her discomfort, but he is in a sense
blinded by love and continues to disrespect her boundaries (Figure 2 & 3). The Pepe Le
Pew cartoon is just a series featuring sexual assault. This ultimately shows that consent
and respect is not needed, and that by using force you can continue to pursue and get
what you want from someone [especially women]. This shows that there is really no
escape for women.

Figure 2

Figure 3

Next, Tom & Jerry, created in 1940, showcases a cat in constant conflict trying to
catch a mouse, but when analyzing, the darker and scarier plot is left in plain view. Let us
look at a variety of episodes that showcase racism. The focus of racism shows the

7

underlying issue of social and cultural struggles that ethnic groups, such as the blacks,
have. In the episode “Blue Cat Blues,” in order to pay off a car he had purchased for his
girlfriend, Tom is shown signing a series of documents and one of them is a slavery
clause for 20 years of his life (Figure 4). Also, in the original episodes of Tom & Jerry,
the character Mammy Two Shoes was depicted as a black, grown-up housemaid (Figure
5). Mammy is the offensive term that has been defined as a black nursemaid or nanny and
servant to white families. Mammies were shown as a caricature to display that blacks are
happy and content being slaves (Pilgrim, 2012). Tom & Jerry was created in 1940 before
the civil rights movement for black ethnic groups began to arise. The civil rights
movement allowed for blacks to gain equal rights under the law in the United States. So
based on the heavy discrimination, in their article on racial stereotypes in cartoons,
Aravind argues that it was seemingly okay for the producers to show characters that were
represented as “physically unattractive” and rely mainly on the stereotypical idea that
blacks would care for the higher-class people (Aravind, 2011). With that being said, the
producers ranked both Tom and Jerry in a higher class than Mammy Two Shoes even
though she was a human. In the episode “Happy Go Ducky,” there were towels displayed
in the bathroom with the letters “T” and “J” monogrammed onto them, which implies that
Tom and Jerry are the actual owners of the house (Aravind, 2011). This created even
more hardships for black women to deal with, such as being molested and abused, due to
them seemingly having no ownership or possession of anything of value to those in a
higher status. The higher-class people viewed the blacks as being significantly below
them with black women on the very bottom tier, thinking that their only purpose was to
be the caregiver that bends over backwards to complete any and every request that the

8

whites many have. Aravind continues to say that they have suffered major economic
exploitations for the way they have been depicted on the television screen. Since the
release of Tom & Jerry the creators have changed how they depict this character so that
people will better receive the cartoon. Since Mammy’s character was intentionally
created to attack racial groups, the versions have been edited using rotoscoping
techniques to replace Mammy on-screen with a thin white woman (Aravind, 2011). When
the civil rights movement did start to arise, Aravind also notes that producers began to
stray away from using black stereotypical characters in their shows to avoid troublesome
issues and groups, in essence, to avoid conflict. Mammy Two Shoes was seemingly
forced to retire in the cartoon in the episode “Push-Button Kitty” in 1952 since racism
was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, resulting in the new white nanny
becoming present in 1960s. Throughout the years the Warner Bros went back and dubbed
over the black images to help with the show’s overall appearance. Now that these images
were replaced, Tom & Jerry went back to being the so-called innocent animated cartoon
but has created a “hell” of a history [for black women] to live down (Aravind, 2011)
because, during that time, people have then started to grow up watching television that
became predominantly white. This allows for racial slurs and stereotypes to become even
more heavy hitting and insulting. This makes it difficult for the people of color,
specifically black women, to be respected in the world.

9

Figure 4

Figure 5
Tom & Jerry shows that even in almost complete silence, the characters set out to
do very harmful things to one another. Here are some episodes that convey the use of
alcoholism. For instance, the baby mouse, Nibbles (Tuffy), descended into Tom’s
stomach in the episode “Robin Hoodwinked” while he was asleep in order to retrieve a
key. When the string broke, Tom wakes up and swallows Nibbles, and then proceeds to
drink a large amount of wine which intoxicates Nibbles in the process. After Nibbles
escaped from Tom’s mouth he was shown to be stumbling around hiccupping with
bubbles around his head (Figure 6). In instances like these, Tom looks overly satisfied
with himself as if he has done something clever since it would seem to be easier, to him,
to catch as his prey [the mice] since one mouse is now intoxicated (Hodgen, 2008). Also,
in the very last episode of the series Tom had his girlfriend leave him for another cat that

10

was richer and overall better than Tom. Therefore, Tom sinks into depression and begins
to drink his sorrows away; the cartoon shows him being surrounded by empty bottles, of
what is pictured as milk, yet his head is sulked and eyes are dreary so these milk bottles
are used as symbols for alcohol (Figure 7).

Figure 6

Figure 7
Also, featured in this series, one of many examples of suicide being implied is
when Tom puts a shotgun in Jerry’s mouse hole to finish him off once and for all, but
Tom does not seem know that the barrel of the shotgun came out another mouse hole
right next to his head. He pulls the trigger with a big smile on his face, and he shoots
himself (Figure 8). Tom was so hopeful that he would have finally succeeded in

11

capturing his prey, but at the height of his glory [the cat] is knocked down (Hodgen,
2008). In addition, in the final episode, Tom and Jerry both went through a series of
unfortunate events, some previously mentioned, which led them both to the train tracks
where they sat down looking defeated, and as the screen went black the train whistle
could be heard approaching (Figure 9). Messages like this were deemed excessive, and
the images of drinking and representation of guns were all edited to create a more
appropriate show for family audiences (Mittell, 2004). Tom & Jerry still incorporated
these hidden messages throughout the rest of the series, but now had them play into the
theme of the show better. For example, when there is a gun on the screen the cartoon is
focused around the hunting of an animal that is in season. The series mostly focused on
physical violence, such as running into a door or stepping on a rake and having it hit the
character in their face, to move away from these more violent actions as well as the topics
such as alcoholism and depression.

Figure 8

12

Figure 9
One of the more modern cartoons that most children can recall watching is
SpongeBob SquarePants, especially since variations of this cartoon are still continuing to
be produced. SpongeBob SquarePants is notorious for slipping in not so appropriate
content throughout many episodes. Starting off with Squidward, during the episode of
SpongeBob SquarePants, “Are You Happy Now” (2012), it focuses on his depression. He
is shown saying “I just can't seem to get happy” as he swings a rope up into what is
hinted at becoming a noose, and he also sticks his head into his oven to bake himself.
Both of these situations end in a way that throws off the hidden meanings. When the rope
is swung up a bird house is revealed (Figure 10), and when he reaches into the oven, he
pulls a burnt loaf of bread (Figure 11). This is done to throw off the actual meaning
behind the so-called joke. These are both hinting that Squidward either was going to or at
least was tempted to commit suicide, but by having a light-hearted ending shown it
enabled the producers to feature it in the episode.

13

Figure 10

Figure 11
In addition, in the SpongeBob Movie (2004), SpongeBob and Patrick gorge on
Goofy Goober’s ice cream. The ice cream here is used as symbolism for alcohol
consumption. They even kept repeatedly shouting “waiter” which hints toward the
frequently used terminology “let’s get another round” which is the common language
used at bars for getting the waiter’s attention to order alcohol. Eventually SpongeBob’s
speech starts to slur, his vision blurs, and then he wakes up with a headache and
bloodshot eyes (Figure 13). This is a nod for alcoholism, showing that it is okay to get
extremely intoxicated with friends (Figure 12), and it shows that it can be a fun activity.
The whole reason SpongeBob got carried away with his consumption of the ice cream

14

was due to the fact he did not end up getting a job promotion he wanted. This is not
something that the younger audience needs to be seeing if the main goal in life is to teach
them responsibility as well as good behavior because drinking, or overindulging in any
substance, after something not turning out how you expected it is not a coping
mechanism that should be supported or promoted. It is also suggesting public indecency
in Figure 13 which is not something that anyone should be proud of and there could be
serious consequences to endure if the law enforcement got involved.

Figure 12

Figure 13

Even though most of these actions and topics have been edited out of shows it is
important to discuss that they were once prevalent in many childhood cartoons. It is
pretty obvious that these have been edited out for a reason, especially the episodes that
include a lot of gun violence. The assumption being that they are too violence and
sensitive for the younger audience that typically watches cartoons. For The Looney
Tunes, in most cases, and what most likely would be the same for Pepe Le Pew and Tom
& Jerry, the rating is TV-PG. This rating signifies that the program may be unsuitable for
younger children, the guidance of a parent is strongly encouraged. SpongeBob
SquarePants is mainly rated TV-Y and for some of the newer episode’s TV-Y7. TV-Y is

15

for all children and TV-Y7 is for children older than 7 years of age. Going off of these
television (TV) ratings you can see that some unsaid warning is given to show that the
cartoon may feature some more mature content. It is up to the parent or guardian to
regulate what children grow up watching since they [the children] do not start out
knowing how to read and interpret these ratings; children tend to just watch whatever is
on to keep them entertained. Keep in mind that violence is not an incidental part of the
cartoon form, it is the cartoon form (Staben, 2018).
On October 18th, 1990, United States Congress made a movement towards
reforming production for children’s media (Children’s Television Act, 2021). The
Children’s Television Act was meant to increase the amount of educational programing
shown, reduce the violent content, and limit production of material created explicitly for
the marketing of toys and merchandise (Staben, 2018). In 1991, the task of regulating this
type of content fell into the hands of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC),
where it remains today. Networks are required to have their content approved by the FCC
before broadcast, and the FCC decides what is “educational and informational” (Staben,
2018). Even though this act is in effect it is likely that there are some topics or references
to violent and sensitive topics that slip through. More present-day cartoons will need to
be observed and analyzed in order to get an overview of the reliability of this statement,
but there is always going to be more cartoons produced so it is up to the child’s parents or
guardians to monitor the content their child watches while growing up and developing.
Impacts On Children
A child’s thinking and imagination are the most common factors that are being
engaged when watching television. By the age of 12 a child would have watched about

16

18,000 hours of cartoons; this means that the cartoon can affect the functionality of the
brain until at least the age of 12 (Habib, 2015). Up until this age, the cartoons being
watched are one of the main factors that sculpt the human brain, resulting in a
predetermined set way of thinking and behavior (Habib, 2015). Certain behaviors are not
simply learned but neurologically fixed, and therefore hard to change (Drinka, 2018).
Based on the results of research done it indicated that the aggressive behaviors of males
may be more susceptible to cartoon violence than that of females, while females display
higher aggressive behaviors than males in nonviolent cartoon context (Zhang, 2019). This
is an important note to make because it will have an impact on relations with male and
female development. The female brain is said to mature at a quicker rate than males
because it is able to better establish connections and communication from cell to cell
(Storr, 2020). This development causes the impacts cartoons have to correlate more with
the male gender.
Social Learning Theory
The Social Learning Theory is defined as the observing, modelling, and imitating
the behaviors, attitudes, and emotional reactions of others. This theory was initially
proposed by Albert Bandura with his experiment with the bobo dolls (Bandura, 1963).
The social learning theory considers how both environmental and cognitive factors
interact to influence human learning and behavior. The theory states that people are more
likely to imitate behavior that they see frequently modeled; this can be through any media
whether they are watching a video or seeing their parents perform an action firsthand.
Children are going to absorb what these cartoons, focusing on the violent actions and
sensitive topics, feature. The cartoons that were observed show the main characters

17

taking part in so many irresponsible things, if children watch these cartoons over and
over again, they will be more likely to exhibit the same characteristics and replicate their
actions. This supports the fact that children will copycat even the finest details, including
way of speaking, thinking, and body language (Habib, 2015). Cartoons also create a
change in the behavior of the children because they take a liking to a certain character.
This fixation makes them want to dress-up and look like that character for an extended
period of time (Nair, 2018). The violence the characters in the cartoons above displayed
received no reprimands. Therefore, when the child grows up and acts out in manners that
are close to what they have viewed on the television it is easy for them to believe that it is
an acceptable thing to engage in because they have witnessed all of these characters do
the same exact actions and receive no punishment. It is possible that these cartoons
ultimately lead children to have a different undesirable point of view of his parents, his
friends, teacher, and the community as a whole (Habib, 2015). Negative consequences
would also include a high propensity to enjoy laughing at others [failures] which relates
to bullying behavior (Papousek, 2017). Everyone wants to follow the common rubric of
“protecting children”, yet they allow children to witness these inappropriate actions
starting from the time they are born (Mittell, 2004). These harmful events are placed in
cartoons so that they are ingrained into everyone’s head at a young age to reinforce the
harmful actions performed later in life.
Cultivation Theory
Something that is similar is the Cultivation Theory, introduced by George
Gerbner, which examines the influence of television on viewers (Gerbner, 1969). The
main idea behind this theory is that we start to interpret realities, whether it is our social

18

or personal lives, to how we see others portrayed on the television. It is stated that
television does highly influence society’s manner of relating and thinking (Settle, 2018).
As humans we are always looking for similarities between things. For example, the way
you handle your personal relationships are most likely similar and reflect the values you
have witness people emote on television in romantic comedies and those of other genres.
With the cartoons hinting towards alcoholism, shown in Figures 6, 7, 12, and 13, an
argument can be made to say that when seeing these the child will pick up the sense that
it is okay to drink to the blackout point where public humiliation is possible and
memories are vague. It is further observed that television stabilizes societal patterns and
induces resistance to change (Gerbner, 1978). After seeing certain things presented one
way for so long, such as seeing the violent acts or the sensitive topics presented over and
over again, it would be difficult to see the wrong in them and view those actions as
something that should not be repeated in your own life. This also builds upon stereotypes
being created and maintained. Tom & Jerry’s character Mammy Two Shoes is a direct
relation to this. Racism can be learned through what is conveyed through the characters
on the screen; since Mammy Two Shoes is not treated with respect and the animals are
shown to be perceived as high-class it can readily cause children to think this is the same
hierarchy among their peers who are black. It is difficult to escape an ideal if it has been
drilled into your mind repeatedly. Hence why the violent acts and sensitive topics
featured in these cartoons are easy to replicate because they are so prevalent in what is on
television every single time it is switched on.

19

Positive Impacts
Some of the positive impacts can be based around the same concepts of the
negatives. It has been evident that children will, without a doubt, model the things that
they watch. When looking at the social learning theory with a pro-social approach to a
problem like sharing, or turning to an adult for help, or using words rather than actions
are shown, this too becomes embedded in the child’s response when facing a problem
(Drinka, 2018). In turn, this can be a positive as well as a negative. As long as the media
is portraying traits that will make the child a well-rounded individual then most cartoons
like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (2006), Doc McStuffins (2012), and similar animated
cartoons can be beneficial. In addition, good cartoons can be a great educational form for
children to become advanced in basic skills including the alphabet as well as counting.
Also, a cartoon hero is built by an illustrator as well as the scenario, so all negative side
effects that could occur in a real life—that could be presented in a character or in a
situation—could be evaded, causing the child to receive a pure content of good deeds and
messages to correctly sculpture their brain (Habib, 2015). There are no honorable actions
displayed in the cartoons that were observed in this paper; this is merely to state that
some cartoons do have a positive outcome on children.
Negative Impacts
Children grow up watching these cartoons, and their brains are processing
everything that they are seeing. Every parent wants what is the best for their children, but
when the child sees all of these excessively violent actions they become rooted in their
subconscious memory (Aravind, 2011). Based on the cultivation theory mentioned
previously, television gradually shapes a person’s worldview, so it becomes like what the

20

viewer is seeing on the screen. These harmful events are placed in cartoons so that they
can be easily recalled as responses to real-life events. Since cartoons produce high levels
of aggression anxiety, aggressive behavioral effects would then be expected after
repeated exposure and subsequent desensitization (Hapkiewicz, 1979). Cartoons can
negatively impact children who watch by desensitizing them to the world in which they
live. When it is difficult for the viewer to make a connection between the onscreen
violence and a personal threat of violence, the level of violence associated with the
viewed media is diminished (Kirsh, 2006). Looking at the episode “Box Bunny Ballot”
from The Looney Tunes, the game of Russian Roulette promotes suicide as a way to solve
their, Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam, loss of the election. This event is not detrimental;
the characters could have easily found a less violent solution to cope with their loss. This
allows a child to see that suicide violence is used as a means to solve a problem which
causes this lesson to become hard-wired in the central nervous system. The child will
want to perform this action, explained by the social learning theory, that they do not
believe is truly harmful (Drinka, 2018) hence becoming desensitized to the thought of
suicide. These forms of violence may increase aggressive thoughts and desires (Kirsh,
2006). Tom & Jerry showed that it is okay to sign away your own life as a form of
payment for something of higher value (Figure 4); children are able to view this and think
that it is alright to ask for someone to be their property. This will throw off the sense of
self-worth, children who are in a lower class and do not have many tangible things to
offer can try to, in a way, sell themselves which promotes the idea of slavery still being
present. In addition, the Pepe Le Pew series can encourage sexual acts of aggression.
Since Pepe is shown pushing himself onto Penelope to get what he wants men will then

21

view this and their desire to go after women, even if they are expressing disproval, will
increase. These violent acts and sensitive topics can result in a sense of fear and
wavering. If the child feels as if the action they just witnessed on the screen defies logic,
then the child will waver before taking an action in their real life. This conveys that their
brain is no longer able to predict the correct outcome of an action and whether it will be
acceptable or would cause serious harm (Habib, 2015). To support this statement, the
suicide nods in Tom & Jerry and SpongeBob SquarePants are something that have
serious outcomes in the real world, but there is no real punishment or harm caused in the
cartoons. Therefore, the children’s brains will not know whether or not a long-term
outcome would result from replicating this action. In addition, children are not mentally
mature in a way that enables them to differentiate between reality and fantasy, which
leads them to wish everything in this world can be like what they are watching. This is
why children can even act as if they are in the cartoon world causing the misbehavior to
occur (Shaffer, 2007). Another area of research performed by Thomas A. Kooijmans with
the Rochester Institute of Technology concluded that the violence that appears
excessively and with no reason in a TV Cartoon Show causes an excessive increase in
adrenaline production which leads to an instable state of mind; the child then begins to
act nervously and aggressively towards normal situations or during his playing time with
his mates (Habib, 2015).
The Humor Explained
Why do we laugh at these violent actions and sensitive topics shown? There are
many theories of humor that will play into the reasons we laugh. Laughter is produced
due to something called the Relief Theory; the perspective of this theory is that people

22

laugh because the sense of stress has been reduced in a certain way (Meyer, 2000).
Cartoon characters are usually known for running off cliffs and getting injured in various
ways, but the never sustain any serious long-term effects. When no consequence happens,
it almost immediately defuses a potentially tense situation and lets there be room for
laughter (Meyer, 2000). This is a type of coping mechanism that shows that the viewers’
egos are not affected by the traumas in the external world. Due to the harmful events
taking place, laughing at or ridiculing another person is an expression of disapproval that
induces strong negative feelings in that person (Papousek, 2017). Therefore, the
misfortune shown on the screen is laughed at because the audience is relieving any
nervous energy that they would have towards the events taking place, so they may laugh
together (Meyer, 2000). It also involves the distance of the relation of the joke; if the
viewers have a trauma close to the same degree as what they are witnessing then it will
not be as funny as if they did not have any connection to the event. The Warner Bros
production of the series Pepe Le Pew has events that many girls have unfortunately
experienced in their lives; men do not know when they are overstepping boundaries, so
they do not stop their advancement. The women who have experienced events similar to
those shown will have a connection that will, in essence, burn like an open wound when
seeing it. Therefore, they will be less likely to laugh when watching. In addition, laughter
produced also depends on the given audience or contexts, what would be perceived as
quite humorous in one instance may seem irrelevant in another (Meyer, 2000). For a most
of the cartoons mentioned these violent jokes all depends on the timing; if the joke is
delivered at the incorrect moment, it will not be perceived how it is meant to be.

23

In addition, there is the Benign Violation Theory of humor. In order to produce
laughter, the event being viewed must be a violation; a violation is something that
threatens someone’s beliefs about how the world should be. This could be something that
seems either threatening, unsettling, or wrong (Humor Research Lab). It also must be
benign; this word means that an aspect of the event being viewed must be gentle or not
harmful in effect. The most important thing is that both of these rules must occur
simultaneously. For example, tickling is a physical threat but is overall not drastically
harmful to the person being attacked. This theory is used as a type of identification that
brings the audience together; it is used as a means to release tension through humor
(Meyer, 2000). One main point of this theory focuses on the fact that the events do not
seem real. The situation may be so different from what the viewer would expect it to be
that it then draws laughter from being so outrageous. Cartoons like to hint towards all of
these violent and sensitive messages, but at the last second change the event into
something that is overall not harmful. This was easily shown in Figures 10 and 11 in the
scenes with Squidward from SpongeBob SquarePants; your mind was leading you to
think one thing, but the outcome was completely different. It was hinted the since
Squidward was moping around and could not seem to get happy he was going to commit
suicide, but what was shown was something completely innocent. When the birdcage and
loaf of bread is shown as the outcome of Squidward’s actions, the audience cannot help
but to laugh because of how it skews away from what they initially thought.
Resiliency is also something that plays into humor. Resiliency is the ability to
withstand different hardships in life, that could overall be traumatic, in a positive manner.
To understand this, the Theory of Mind (TOM) needs to be mentioned; this theory states

24

that you are able to understand the mental states, desires, intentions, and emotions of
others (Aykan, 2018). There exists TOM cartoons which are defined by jokes where it is
necessary to take into account the mental states of the characters within the cartoon to
understand the joke. When looking at this, those who show resilience will overall be able
to relate to the character and, in turn, understand the actions and results shown in the
cartoon. From the cartoons above, SpongeBob SquarePants is a prime example of a
cartoon where you have to take into account the mental states of the characters. This
series has been argued that the characters represent various mental disabilities; if this is
true as well as if the people watching know which disability is being conveyed, then they
[the people] will understand the purpose of the character’s actions and responses and
laughter will be a result. It is also possible to use humor as a coping mechanism. In the
face of hardship there is a positive adaptation quality that, if strengthened, could improve
quality of life and possibly foster other resilient behaviors (Killion, 2017). Therefore,
laughter can be produced after watching violent and sensitive topics on screen due to
having experienced the same thing in your own life, and hence then overcoming it and
being able to joke and find the humor in the situations.
Conclusion
These cartoons were chosen due to their violent nature as well as the inclusion of
the sensitive topics featured. There were many other cartoons and animated shorts that
could have been observed, but the Warner Bros and the producer of SpongeBob
SquarePants, Stephen Hillenburg, are notorious for producing series that support the
focus of this paper. These cartoons, The Looney Tunes, Pepe Le Pew, Tom & Jerry, and
SpongeBob SquarePants, were ones that had reoccurring themes throughout the entire

25

series; all the cartoons also shared the similar themes discussed. The themes included
different types of violence as well as sensitive topics. These include and are not limited to
depression, suicide, racism, alcoholism, gun violence, sexual aggression, and physical
violence. Other cartoons should be observed and analyzed in future studies so that a
better judgement can be created of the animated-cartoon genre as whole, however after
watching multiple episodes from The Looney Tunes, Pepe Le Pew, Tom & Jerry, and
SpongeBob SquarePants, many aspects lean towards them having significant impacts on
the development of children viewers. These impacts are both positive and negative, the
content of the cartoon decides which one it leans towards. In order to relate child
development with cartoons the Social Learning Theory and Cultivation Theory were
looked at. Children are great at modeling and imitating actions and behaviors that they
see around them whether they are exhibited by people or displayed on a television.
Television and media in general have a very persistent effect on the way we present
ourselves as well as to how we respond in social environments. Reality is what we make
of it and most of the time our realities correspond and have similarities to the storylines
we see created on the television since they are easy to replicate. Laughter is created by
multiple humor theories. This includes the Relief Theory in addition to the Benign
Violation Theory. The Relief Theory shows how stress and nervous energy is reduced,
while the Benign Violation Theory shows how an event can stray away from what is
viewed as acceptable, but it has no harmful effect in the end. An equally important cause
for laughter is a skill called resiliency. Resiliency enables the viewer to relate certain
experiences they have had in their lives to what characters are going through in the
shows/movies they are watching. This relation allows the viewers to understand the

26

character’s responses to the events they are going through, and thus laughing because
they [the viewers] have responded or wish they responded in a similar way. Likewise,
resiliency takes into account the mental states of the characters on the screen; the theory
of mind establishes the understanding that people are able to interpret the emotions,
desires, and intentions of others. In summary, there is now a comprehensive
acknowledgment of some impacts cartoons can have on youth, with simultaneously
recognizing the humor responses that are revealed when the different cartoons are
watched. This is important to look over and consider so that we are able to really grasp
the content that is being shown to the youth, in order to show a correlation between
media violence to violence in the real world in addition to understanding how we then
categorize humor. To conclude everything, the parents or guardians must always use their
own judgement on what is being shown to their children because we never know when
violent actions and sensitive topics will be featured.

27

References
Aravind, A. (2011). “Mammy two shoes: subversion and reaffirmation of racial
stereotypes in tom and jerry.” IUP Journal of History & Culture, 5, 3.
Aykan, S. (2018). Assessing Theory of Mind by Humor: The Humor Comprehension and
Appreciation Test (ToM-HCAT). Frontiers.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01470/full
Bandura, A., Ross, D. and Ross, S. A. (1963). Vicarious reinforcement and imitative
learning. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 67:601–607.
Becker-Olsen, K. L., & Norberg, P. A. (2010). Caution, animated violence. Journal of
Advertising, 39(4), 83–94. https://doi.org/10.2753/JOA0091-3367390406
BridgetQuind3217. (2018). Bugs Bunny - Ballot Box Bunny (1951). Dailymotion.
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6vjyyh
Children’s Educational Television. (2021). Federal Communications Commission.
https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/childrens-educationaltelevision#:%7E:text=The%20Children%27s%20Television%20Act%20requires%
20each%20U.S.%20broadcast,providers%20can%20devote%20to%20advertisemen
ts%20during%20children%27s%20programs.
Capoziello, C. (2020). “HBO Max’s LOONEY TUNES CARTOONS may be too violent
for children.” Movieguide | the Family Guide to Movies & Entertainment,
www.movieguide.org/news-articles/hbo-maxs-looney-tunes-cartoons-may-be-tooviolent-for-children.html. Accessed 14 Sept. 2021.
Drinka, G. (2018). “Violent cartoons and aggressive Preschoolers.” Psychology Today,
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/when-the-media-is-the-parent/201307/violentcartoons-and-aggressive-preschoolers.
Gerbner, G. (1969). Toward “cultural indicators”: The analysis of mass mediated public
message systems. AV Communication Review, 17(2), 137-148.
Gerbner, G. (1978). Cultural Indicators: Violence Profile No. 9. Wiley Online Library.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1460-2466.1978.tb01646.x
Gupta, A. (2016). Do You Know What Happens To Your Favourite Tom and Jerry In
The End? Storypick. https://www.storypick.com/tom-and-jerry/.
Hapkiewicz, W. G. (1979). Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 8(1), 30.
https://doi.org/10.1080/15374417909532878
Habib, K., and Tarek S. (2015) “Cartoons’ effect in changing children mental response
and behavior.” Open Journal of Social Sciences, 03, 09,

28

www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=59815,
10.4236/jss.2015.39033.
Hodgen, C. (2008). “Tom & Jerry.” Ploughshares, vol. 34, no. 1.
How I’d Write | Are You Happy Now | SpongeBob | Alpha Jay Show [55]. (2017, April
25). [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJh_CRbg0oM
Humor Research Lab. “Benign Violation Theory.” Benign Violation Theory, leedsfaculty.colorado.edu/mcgrawp/Benign_Violation_Theory.html.
Killion, J. B., & Torres, A. (2017). Resiliency and the Ability to Detect Cartoon Humor.
Education, 138(1), 17–26.
Kirsh, S. J. (2006) “Cartoon violence and aggression in youth.” Aggression and Violent
Behavior, vol. 11, 6, 10.1016/j.avb.2005.10.002.
Kooijmans, T. (2004). Effects of Video Games on Aggression. Personality Research.
http://www.personalityresearch.org/papers/kooijmans.html.
Linehan, H. (2021). Pepe Le Pew not looking so romantic any more. The Irish Times.
https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/pepe-le-pew-not-looking-so-romantic-anymore-1.4507745
Mahmood, T., Iftikhar, U., Bhatti, M. A., (2020). Impact of Violent Cartoons on the
Behaviour of Children: A Case Study of South Punjab. Journal of Business and
Social Review in Emerging Economies, 6(2), 689-702.
Mammy Two Shoes. (n.d.). [Image]. https://www.hindustantimes.com/tv/remembermammy-two-shoes-tom-and-jerry-cartoons-now-come-with-racial-prejudicewarning/story-szwUsFXhzpgG1uWl0i9X7L.html
Mittell, J. (2004). Genre and Television: From Cop Shows to Cartoons in American
Culture. Routledge, EBSCOhost,
search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=sso&db=e000xna&AN=
115714site=edslive&scope=site&custid=c7381287.
Meyer, J. C. (2000) “Humor as a Double-Edged Sword: Four Functions of Humor in
Communication.” Communication Theory.
Nair, A. (2018). Positive and Negative Effects of Cartoons on Child Behaviour and
Development. www.parenting.firstcry.com/articles/positive-and-negative-effectsof-cartoons-on-child-behaviour-and-development/
Pall, V., Koski, D., & Ciscell, J. (2012). 5 Old Children’s Cartoons Way Darker Than
Most Horror Movies. Cracked.Com. https://www.cracked.com/article_19979_5old-childrens-cartoons-way-darker-than-most-horror-movies.html

29

Papousek, I., et al. (2017) “The Use of Bright and Dark Types of Humour Is Rooted in
the Brain.” Scientific Reports, Nature Publishing Group,
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5314334/.
Pilgrim, D. (2012). The Mammy Caricature - Anti-black Imagery - Jim Crow Museum Ferris State University. Ferris State University.
https://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/mammies/.
Rauser, R. (2019). “Pepe Le Pew Stinks: the sexual violence of looney tunes in a
#MeToo age.” randalrauser.com/2019/10/pepe-le-pew-stinks-the-sexual-violenceof-looney-tunes-in-a-metoo-age/. Accessed 14 Sept. 2021.
Settle, Q. (2018). Introducing Communication Theory: Analysis and Application. Journal
of Applied Communications, 102(3), 1d-1d.
Shaffer, D. R., Kipp, K. (2007). Developmental psychology: Childhood and adolescence.
Australia: Wadsworth/Thomson.
Staben, Julia. L. (2018). The Cartoon Effect: Rethinking Comic Violence in the Animated
Children’s Cartoon (Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University).
Stern, M. J. (2014). Looney Tunes Cartoons Were More Brutal Than You May
Remember. Slate Magazine; Slate. https://slate.com/culture/2014/06/looney-tunesand-gun-violence-the-cartoons-had-a-lot-of-murder-and-suicide-as-this-supercutreminds-us-video.html
Signorielli, N., Gerbner, G., and Morgan, M. (1995). "Standpoint: Violence on television:
The cultural indicators project." 278-283
Storr, K. (2020). Science Explains Why Women Are Faster to Mature Than Men. Mic.
https://www.mic.com/articles/111226/science-explains-why-women-are-faster-tomature-than-men#.sV5QgWJJn
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie | Goofy Goober’s Ice Cream Party Boat | HD Clip.
(2019, February 17). [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1bVgj96lAo
Zhang, Q., Cao, Y., Gao, J., Yang, X., Rost, D. H., Cheng, G., Teng, Z., & Espelage, D.
L. (2019). Effects of cartoon violence on aggressive thoughts and aggressive
behaviors. Aggressive Behavior, 45(5), 489–497.
https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.21836