Adult animation
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Adult animation is animation that is targeted at adults. For western audiences, the primary reason for a program to be described as "adult animation" is adult humor. Popular programs such as FOX's The Simpsons and Family Guy contain humor that some parents might find unsuitable for children. However, adult humor can be innocuous as well, and simply above an average child's ability to appreciate, as is the case in many early theatrical cartoon series such as Looney Tunes and Popeye. An example for television of this is Steven Spielberg's cartoons Animaniacs and Pinky and the Brain, which contains slapstick comedy for children, but also jokes which can be appreciated only by teenagers and adults (such as pop-culture references and sexual innuendos). Some animated series, such as Max Fleischer's Betty Boop cartoons of the 1930s and Nickelodeon's Ren and Stimpy series, walk the line between both types of adult humor.
Graphic violence is a consideration; many Japanese programs contain graphic violence(e.g. Neon Genesis Evangelion), but also some western programs, such as HBO's Spawn and MTV's Æon Flux, contain violence which is considered unsuitable for children.
Swearing is another reason why programs garner this label. Comedy Central's South Park is a good example.
Nudity is not commonplace among American animated programs, but it can be a consideration in some theatrical releases.
Strong sexual content is another template of adult animation.
Many films, such as the works of Ralph Bakshi, contain all of these factors, and some examples of "adult animation" were originally released with the X rating in the United States.
Another reason is that a program or movie might contain animated pornography. This is virtually unheard of in American television, but there is a growing section of the population which consumes domestically produced direct-to-video animated pornography, and imported programs and movies from around the world. Animated pornography is produced worldwide, but the best known variety is the Japanese genre, incorrectly known as Hentai.
It should be noted that prior to the advent of television in the late 1940s, animated films in general were not seen as being primarily for children. In other words, animation that might be viewed upon as "Childrens entertainment" today, such as the Disney films or the aforementioned Looney Tunes shorts for example, was originally intended for adults and children alike.
Below you will find a list of programs which might be considered "adult animation" (by todays standards) due to one or more of the above reasons.