Rocko's Modern Life: Way More Relatabable (and way Stranger) as an Adult

So lately I've been going onto Netflix and watching old cartoon shows that I loved as a kid. I'd spent a lot of time watching Hey Arnold! and recently decided to watch Rocko's Modern Life. I really loved the show as a kid and it had been a long time since I last saw it.

How on earth did they let this show on television.

I know when a lot of people talk about disturbing old cartoons, you usually think of Ren and Stimpy. Of course, that show was way more in-your-face about it. Rocko, however, is a bit more subtle.

And really damn good at it.

I got through the first two episodes without anything truely odd. I mean, besides Rocko accidentally falling into a large hippo lady's cleavage and then getting thrown into a wall. Things just kind of got stranger from there.

Episode 3: Rocko's Happy Sack is about him having no money and no food. He also only has $3. He find a sale where everything is 99% off. Of course, being a poor college student I was able to relate to how he was feeling, especially when it's toward the end of a semester and I have to start rationing everything I do. The episode ends with him getting a shit ton of food for $1.50 and then as he leaves, he drives over a speed bump that opens his trunk, spilling out all his food for the week. I thought it was hilarious.

Let's go on to "Episode 3: Flu-En-U-Enza." This is where shit got really strange. In this episode, Rocko gets sick and goes to see the doctor. Starting off, the Dr. is named "Dr. Bendova." That gave me a good laugh, but then I noticed something odd in the background.

Do you see it? Look at the eye chart. At first I just assumed it was another normal eye chart. However, noticing it not having the giant "E" I started to look at it, and noticed it formed words. "I am a prisoner in the crazy doc's broom closet." Then you get a look at the rest of the office.

Notice the bottom left corner. There were two other brain jars, the first saying "Normal" the second being "Abnormal" and this one, saying "Lunch." On top of that, there is the bloody "work" table.

I want to point that out more than anything. The BLOODY work bench, and the blood drenched cleaver on the wall. I heard Invader Zim got grief for the "Bloody Gir" images, but they allowed this? "Oh, it's just ketchup." "Oh okay, carry on then." Though the next two parts really got me. The doctor performs some tests, testing Rocko's heartbeat by putting his hand on his head, and then looking at his clock that is running in reverse, looking at his eye and then feeling up his tongue. However, then this happens.

The Doctor's hand shoots down into Rocko's crotch and he tells Rocko to cough. Any male who's been to do the doctor knows where his hand is currently. He does this several times, but Rocko gets really angry and he finally stops. He gives him a prescription and Rocko gets to go on his merry way.

But not before this happens.

Refer to the Doctor's name to get some emphasis on this scene.

In the end, it turns out the dude wasn't even a doctor. He was a crackpot the nurse had strapped down somewhere (which you realize when the nurse walks in after Rocko leaves, saying "You again? I thought I strapped you down!" To which the "doctor" replies by playing his tongue like a banjo).

So Rocko gets violated by an insane asylum escapee. Wonderful.

Things kind of get stranger after that.

Rocko picks up his medicine and then goes home to take it. He pulls out this MASSIVE pill, which he promptly swallows, only to find out there is a message on the bottle saying "Do not take orally."

Queue the Professor's, "Good news! It's a suppository!" (Futurama. Episode: "The Deep South")

Rocko proceeds to start freaking out, running down the hallway that is warping and twisting before him, before throwing up in the bathroom. At this point, while praying to the porcelain gods, three chunks of food jump out of the toilet, calling them selves "The Enchanted Up-Chucks!"

Rocko begins to rub his eyes while shouting "I'M SICK! I'M SICK! I'M SICK!" They end up curing him towards the end, but damn. This was one strange episode. Rape, false doctoring, and hallucination. What a wonderful children's show.

Of course, things only got worse as I went to look up stills of the scenes I wanted online, as google search auto filled in "Rocko's Modern Life Hidden Messages." Of course I searched it and clicked on one of the links.

Here it is for your own amusement.

Basically, there are dozens of masturbation jokes, vagina references and a LOT of hilarious adult content. I'm having way more fun watching this show now then as a kid.

I do want to point one thing out though. A lot of shows nowadays blow chunks. I mean, sure, some of them are really funny, but usually only for a short while. Mostly because the station will show one or two episodes over and over until they run it so far into the ground that you never want to see it again, but also because the humour is right in front of you and is only good for one or two laughs every now and then. I mean "Adventure Time" is sort of entertaining, but it's yet to really grasp me. On top of that, the only other cartoon I really watch is Avatar, and that doesn't entirely count because it's more of a plot driven entity, rather then Episode by Episode. It also has a lot of kick-ass action scenes and very well developed and lovable characters.

What I'm trying to say is:

AMERICA, Y U NO MAKE GOOD CARTOONS ANYMORE?