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Nickelodeon Cartoons Genre Analysis

In this analysis, we will focus on Nickelodeon cartoons, and specifically Rocket Power,
The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, and Hey Arnold. These shows were, and still are,
very popular television shows that were created in the late 1990s and early 2000s. These shows
were televised on the channel Nickelodeon, which is a very popular television channel that
focuses on elementary and middle school kids. These shows are very similar and try to display
real life problems and give real life lessons for kids to grow up. The main differences that these
shows have are that they each have different problems and show how problems can be solved,
but they all try to teach kids do to the right things in life. In each show it shows cultural
differences in different demographics, so the differences are associated by where the show is
being set, and the cultural differences between the kids and adults found in each show.
Rocket Power, Jimmy Neutron, and Hey Arnold are all Nickelodeon Television shows that
focus primarily on kids under the age of about 13. Although this is the target audience of
Nickelodeon shows, all ages are welcome to watch these shows. These shows also are very
unique considering the fact that they all have male lead characters. Stereotypes that have
developed in our society may have caused to show how reckless boys are, and to show how the
girls in the show had some more common sense. The focus would be more on boys as the
audience but many girls watch the show too because there are minor female characters in the
show.
There are many reasons why girls watch the shows. For example, in Jimmy Neutron, he
always invented cool things and went on sudden adventures. Most people like the feeling of
being on adventures or possessing more freedom in their personal life. In Hey Arnold, he wasnt

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always being disciplined or being told what to do. In rocket Power, the kids showed how
adventurous the kids were and how much freedom they had when they lived near the ocean. In
all three shows, it doesnt show the parents disciplining the kids, no chores, and the kids did what
they wanted when they wanted for the most part. Even though the leads were males, it appeals to
the kids who want more freedom to do what they want when they want. In the three shows, it has
some female characters who do play a big part in the shows. By adding in some diversity, it
increases the number of people who watch the show. It allows or people to relate to the show by
imagining themselves in the show.
When comparing these shows, we notice that they are also very much alike. All three of
these shows also try to teach life lessons in each show. Most of the time its centered on the main
character getting into trouble and trying to solve the problem he created. The other characters try
to help solve the problem as well. The other minor characters are usually the main characters
friends. These friends also get into trouble as well sometimes and then the show focuses on them
that episode. Another unique feature about each show is that they all have a certain older friend
or family member that teaches them wisdom and helps with certain problems.
With these similarities, there are also a few differences. Each show is located in different
areas and associated in different cultures. For example, Rocket Power is located around the coast
of California where surfing, rollerblading, and skateboarding are very popular and the show is
based off of that lifestyle. Hey Arnold is located in a crowded, poor city. Arnold, the main
character, grows up living with his grandparents in a small apartment and plays in the street with
many of his other friends. Lastly, Jimmy Neutron lives in a nice neighborhood with his family
and he is an only child. This show is based primarily on his technology and his intelligence. The

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main reason that each cartoon presents a different lifestyle is because Nickelodeon is trying to
present different real life situations to kids that might grow up in that same lifestyle or in a
completely different lifestyle. The want to show kids how problems can be solved no matter
where someone is from or their background.
The main argument of Nickelodeon cartoons differ based on the different shows. Hey
Arnold argues that although people are different, they are still able to get along and get by. The
characters in Hey Arnold lived in a poor city in New York and they all had something specifically
unique about themselves. These specifically unique characteristics of each of these characters fall
under a common stereotype in regards to that characters race. Although subtle and usually
unnoticeable to the intended audience, the racial stereotypes become clearer when. This is
another common characteristic of the cartoons we chose to focus on. Re-watching the shows as
an adult reveals a lot of hidden messages that kids are too innocent to notice.
Nickelodeon cartoons tend to end with a valuable lesson that kids should try to take with
them and remember while they go forward in life. The main points and arguments in Hey Arnold
revolved around understanding that unity is important, people may get made fun of, but its okay
to be different, it is important to respect elders and those around, however, it is just as important
to speak what is in mind and do what is right, and that if there is a crush on someone, it isnt
always the best idea to keep it hidden from someone.
Rocket Powers argument was that kids should have more freedom. The four main middle
school-aged characters in this show were allowed to go where they wanted, freely, at almost any
time of the day or night. They lived different lifestyles than a typical child because they lived in
California and participated in numerous different sports (skateboarding was the main sport). The

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characters had different personalities, however sports was what brought them all together. This
show let it be known that it was okay to be competitive, that people should always stick together
and have their teammates back, and that they should have fun, while being a good sport, and
while trying their best.
The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius featured an 11 year-old boy with a usually
large hairstyle that mirrored his usually large brain. The episodes consisted of him and his notso-smart friends using his inventions and battling any problems that arose. This show argued that
someone is possibly the smartest eleven year-old kid in the world, you still need your family and
friends in order to really be happy. They should be happy because that wouldnt be the best thing
to portray in a show. Happiness is a virtue needed to show maturity and self-worth.
In further analysis, the purpose of cartoons as a whole is to entertain and influence.
Cartoons influence in either a very subtle or very mild way, on a vast amount of subjects. The
basis of this technique may have begun when people came up with television shows that kept
kids interested while also trying to help them learn the basic principles of life. Cartoons allows
its viewers to use their imagination, relate, interact, and even relax. It gives the audience a
situation to inject themselves into, so they can let their imagine run wild. While watching the
shows, children use their imagine to think about themselves in the show and this allows them to
see themselves reflected in the genre being watched.
For the genre of Nickelodeon cartoons, kids aged from about kindergarten to thirteen are
the main consumers of the show. The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Hey Arnold,
and Rocket Power are all intended for children from the elementary school level up to the middle
school level. These shows are intended for those ages because the characters in the shows are

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around that same age. Jimmy Neutron was a fiction production, so when kids watch this show it
gives a desire to do the things Jimmy Neutron does. In Jimmy Neutron, it allows the viewer to
think about themselves in the show, so the fictitious acts are used to create a deeper thought from
the imagination. In Rocket Power and Hey Arnold the shows are written to be more non-fiction.
These shows have a lot more sensible real-life situations. Rocket Power shows the adventurous
side of kids. For these shows, the needs are least met by people of the ages over 16. Between the
ages of 13 to 16 is a gray area, because most kids are either going to watch more shows targeted
to an older audience or keep watching cartoons. This genre occasionally portrays things in a way
that is unequal. In Jimmy Neutron, it portrays Jimmy as the superior smart boy and portrays his
friend Cindy, who is a girl, as mentally inferior to him. But she is only because Jimmy Neutron is
a boy genius. It also represents Jimmy Neutrons friends as very intelligent, so that might be
expressing the mantra of every really smart person has some dumb friends. In Rocket Power, it
shows the different qualities associated with adventurous young kids.
The characters skateboard, roller blade, surf, and bike. The only inequality shown in this
show would be that one of the characters is arrogant or more competitive than the others. This
might show a stereotype, but not really an inequality. It portrays the skater culture or children
that possess more freedom than most others, as more wild or reckless. The assumptions in the
genre do reflect certain ways of doing things, or how things may be done in a certain culture. In
Jimmy Neutron, its assumed that whenever a situation occurs they rely on Jimmy to figure a
solution to the problem they face. In life, whenever people are faced with problems they cannot
figure out how to solve, they naturally look for advice or help from someone that is either more
intelligent or has more wisdom. In Rocket Power, the children are more rebellious, so they are
more privileged because of all the freedom they have. The parent of one of the main characters

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runs a surf shop, and allows his kid and all their friends do whatever they want to do. Thats
partially the reason this show was so popular. It shows a wilder side that most kids would love to
have.