Kids out of the pool (By Jeff Broadway)
Adult Swim, which airs Saturday through Thursday night on Cartoon Network, is a mature animation adventure that features an array of thought-provoking, knee-slapping and socially valid cartoons.
Adult Swim is produced and programmed by Williams Street Studios, owned by Time Warner in Atlanta. The programming first aired on Cartoon Network on Sept. 2, 2001, as a Sunday-only block that ran for several hours beginning around 10 p.m. In its four-year existence, it has gained such popularity that Adult Swim is now regarded as its own channel by Nielsen Media Research. The recently independent Adult Swim purchases time slots from Cartoon Network and runs its programs from 10 p.m. through 4:30 a.m.
While many of the programs may initially seem odd or repulsive, they each are unique in their respective ways. The channel’s lineup of cartoons is quite diverse and extensive, ranging from anime programs such as “Samurai Champloo” and “Full Metal Alchemist” to socially-inclined cartoons like “The Boondocks” and “Family Guy.” “Family Guy” is notorious for randomly breaking out into song for minutes at a time and mocking celebrities, social understandings and governmental institutions.
Other programs, such as Seth Green’s “Robot Chicken” and “Squidbillies” usually intend to shock the viewer. “Squidbillies,” a show that depicts a backward family of squid-like humans, relies on its simplicity and artistic naivety to enhance the feeling of a rural, blue-collar lifestyle. Its simplicity is what creates its distinctive derangement.
Although some of the programs can be mentally challenging and heavy, other shows such as Brendon Small’s “Home Movies” are a bit more lighthearted. “Home Movies” is a personal favorite of mine because of several characters that greatly enhance the show, one of which is Coach McGuirk, a disgruntled soccer coach who often takes out his anger on his thoughtless team of third graders. Two of my other favorite characters are Walter and Perry – two boys who have a hilarious and questionably homosexual relationship with one another. Small portrays himself as an aspiring child film director who makes movies with his friends in his mother’s home. His experiences and encounters provide insights that remind the viewer of how he or she may have acted as a child.
Through the years, Adult Swim hasn’t quite received mainstream critical acceptance but remains to be something like the indie-rock of television. Many of the block’s programs have been recognized by smaller, more independent media.
Aaron McGruder’s “The Boondocks,” which received a nomination for this year’s NAACP Image Award for outstanding comedy series, has begun to receive more attention for its provocative episodes. In the last several weeks, McGruder has portrayed the return of Dr. Martin Luther King and the kidnappings of both Maya Angelou and Oprah Winfrey.
An episode entitled “The Return of the King,” aired the night before MLK Day, depicts the assassination of King. However, King does not die and re-enters into modern day politics after being in a coma for around 30 years. He is chastised by the American public before he delivers an extremely powerful speech in which he denounces the current state of African-American social progression, causing a cultural revolution. I feel that this show is extremely important and encourage anyone to start watching.
McGruder, whose comic strip has raised social cain on many occasions, commented on his ability to outrage the general public by saying, “Certainly at a time like this, when you’re sort of sitting home screaming at the television, you’re like, ‘Oh wait, I don’t have to scream at the television. I actually have a big voice’ . . . Then it’s really, really good.” And, for those that enjoy their hip-hop, as I do, MF Doom’s rhyme-saying is a stellar addition to the show.
I would highly recommend familiarizing yourselves with all that Adult Swim has to offer, because sometimes you need a change of pace.
Jeff Broadway is a sophomore foreign languages major. He can be reached at [email protected].
