POV is a recurring first-person column wherein Complex employees have the opportunity to express their unique perspectives on an array of topics. In this column, Nyasha Foy (Senior Counsel) writes about the return of Animaniacs and why the show matters.
Fun fact: I’ve never seen an episode of Insecure or Game of Thrones.
If you hand me the remote, my preference is to watch a cartoon or animated comedy series instead. Spongebob Squarepants, Rick and Morty, Mike Tyson Mysteries, Scooby Doo, Looney Tunes, Archer—I’ve seen and enjoyed them all. And, being of the opinion that the ‘90s were one of the best decades pop culture-wise, imagine my delight when I stumbled upon the Animaniacs reboot on Hulu during my “it’s winter in New York and too damn cold to be outside so I’m binge-watching between playoff games” time.
For those who don’t remember (or are too young to know—looking at you Gen Z), Animaniacs is a Daytime Emmy Award-winning animated sketch comedy music variety TV series. Originally airing in 1993, it features the Warner Brothers, Yakko and Wakko, and the Warner sister, Dot—three 1930s-era cartoon stars of an unknown species (definitely mammals. Could be marsupials? Bears?) who were locked in the Warner Brothers water tower on a movie studio lot. As the theme song explains, the Warner siblings escaped and wreaked havoc for five seasons along with a cast of characters, which included among others, Pinky and The Brain.
I know what you’re thinking if you’re not a big cartoon fan, but you’d be seriously missing out if you wrote off Animaniacs as simply a “silly cartoon for kids.” Nostalgia aside, if you tend to be the smart-ass in the group chat, here are five reasons why you should get familiar with the Warner siblings.
Run out of podcasts? Completed all of the films in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe? Tired of forgettable binge-worthy content? Turn on an episode of the Animaniacs. It can serve as either lighthearted, irreverent background noise or, if you’re into it, an engaging thought-piece on the zeitgeist. Think one part School House Rock, three parts Family Guy. That’s Animaniacs.
To many, “cartoons’’ are for kids and “animated series” are for adults. But Animaniacs really is for everyone. It remains one of my favorite Saturday morning cartoons because it perfectly balances being educational and entertaining. With jokes and pop culture references hitting a wide range of notables from Lamb Chop to Perry Mason, Power Rangers to Trump, glass-ceiling breakers, and even Eric Snowden—it’s the type of thing you can leave on for the kids, but also enjoy without them.
If there is such a thing as a smart cartoon, this is it. In the original iteration of the show, the animation often served as a front for clever comedic writing with an unmistakable point of view and social commentary. What I love about the reboot episodes is that they stay true to the original show’s wit and humor. Best example? This soon-to-be-iconic moment from a Pinky and The Brain sketch: “...lies are just facts that haven’t been repeated enough yet.”
The original run of Animaniacs was already pretty progressive in its subject matter, as far as “kids” shows go. I mean, where else could a future lawyer first learn about the importance of pay for play contracts? Or taxes? Even so, the reboot’s writers room got a refreshing upgrade, proclaiming in the new theme song to be “gender-balanced, pronoun neutral, and ethnically diverse.” For example, in the theme song, Dot is no longer cute, she has wit—a subtle growth of the female lead character where the emphasis on her cuteness is downplayed in exchange for a focus on her intelligence. It’s lowkey genius. The net-net of these changes also means goodbye to many of the female characters like “hello, nurse” (hello, objectification!), Slappy the Squirrel (could be misinterpreted as a trope for an “angry [Black] woman”), and Katie Ka-Boom (she had an explosive personality)—characters that likely have not aged as well culturally (no spoilers, but see episode five for the write-offs).
Those sessions with Dr. Scratchandsniff must have paid off. Not only did Animaniacs find their stride in a post-#MeToo world, they also apparently (SPOILER ALERT) went to therapy. Pinky, in a brief moment of hyper self-awareness, finally realizes what we’ve known all along: he’s in a toxic-ass relationship with Brain (“I realize that our co-dependent relationship isn’t built on a mutual desire to conquer over the world, but rather my enabling of your systematic emotional and physical abuse.”). And even Dot takes a moment, declaring to her brothers in one episode, “I don’t need a mansplaining about manspreading.” Ha! Where was this content when I was in middle school?
The absolute best part about the reboot? Even in 2021, Animaniacs still feels like the Animaniacs of the ‘90s. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to mention that Pinky and The Brain still have not taken over the world (although their ambition remains strong), the Warner siblings still find themselves on random adventures and involved in shenanigans, and the original music score still gives off that throwback “Looney Tunes” vibe. All I need is The Wheel of Morality and Good Idea/Bad Idea to make things feel complete.
With all of that and Season 2 of the reboot already announced and on the horizon, issa win.
So, who’s pulling up with their favorite bowl of cereal for Saturday morning cartoons with me?
