Subliminal mature themes in cartoons are nothing new. Tom and Jerry had drunkenness, Ren and Stimpy had every crude joke imaginable, and Hey Arnold was a cornucopia of sad, realistic life lessons.
A popular one, shared often on Tumblr.com, is a clip from an episode of Rugrats. The father is making fudge for a child, late at night. His wife pops into the kitchen and asks why he is doing it. With tired eyes and in a depressing monotone he replies, "Because I've lost control of my life".
Spongebob, like any cartoon, has had its violence, drunkenness, drug references and even some sexual references. What has got people fired up is that this episode, "Are You Happy Now?", deals with depression and suicide.
My question for you: is there a problem here? Is it okay to show these adult themes to children as long as they cannot fully comprehend what is going on? And also, why do the animators choose to do this?
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