Around We Go

This article was originally published by Align Magazine.

By Sydney Seymour

Young adults and college students are experiencing a surge of interest in philosophy, whether it’s conscious or not. Philosophy has become more common as more college students enroll in philosophy programs. This surge is reflected in TV culture and the kind of media young adults engage with, specifically adult animated shows. Adult cartoons inspire the young adult audience to subconsciously consider philosophical concepts as characters encounter existential crises and moral dilemmas more often than not. Philosophy is not only considered a satisfying academic discipline but can be a prime tool for deepening mainstream media and distinguishing relevant information from a sea of irrelevance. 

The Simpsons, Family Guy, South Park, BoJack Horseman, Big Mouth, Rick and Morty, and The Midnight Gospel are just some of pop culture’s animated TV series that incorporate philosophical content in a humorous way to entertain and educate. Mainstream media can inject philosophy into young people’s lives, seamlessly and subtly, without them even knowing. 

In 1985, Neil Postman, an American media theorist and cultural critic, published Amusing Ourselves to Death: Discourse in the Age of Show Business. Postman said print-based culture, unlike TV culture, prioritized the quality of information. He coined the term “infotainment” to describe how TV culture transformed every informative subject—politics, culture, and education—into dumbed-down, dramatic entertainment. This resonates with irreverent South Park bits in which the gang faces the U.S. Border Patrol, initiates a Save the Orca campaign, and takes down a Walmart threatening local businesses. In Postman’s eyes, infotainment and TV no longer presented relevant information; they merely offered irrelevant entertainment. In today’s world, however, infotainment dominates mainstream media and popular culture, making it always relevant. Most young adults and college students would rather binge-watch Big Mouth to wind down than read a weighty educational book. By incorporating philosophy and its value into mainstream media, it enriches infotainment and TV culture. With the help of animation, philosophy transforms the mainstream media landscape by helping young adults form deeper understandings of themselves and the world. 

Creators of adult animation frequently teach philosophical lessons and challenge ethics by placing their characters in real, meaningful, and funny experiences. Every episode needs to be funny, interesting, and relevant to popular culture to attract the mainstream audience. Interesting because of their vulgarity, absurdity, and shock value, adult animated shows remain relevant by addressing real-life people, public figures, events, and situations in a funny, anything-goes atmosphere.

Family Guy, The Simpsons, King of the Hill, and Bob’s Burgers all feature a working dad, the beleaguered wife, a herd of kids, and an animal companion who dig themselves in and out of crises each episode. More recent shows like Rick and Morty and Bojack Horseman follow flawed protagonists who age and mature throughout each season. These shows explore mental health, depression, substance abuse, and even dementia in profound ways. Similarly, Big Mouth tackles deeper issues such as anxiety and sexuality but disguises these heavy topics in hormone monsters and sex pillows. All of these shows depict real, oftentimes reckless individuals who grapple with maintaining real relationships that come with real consequences. Ironically, by engaging with these cartoonish series, young adults can become more aware and open to addressing serious issues in their own lives. 

These shows also illuminate ethical issues young adults encounter in the real world. They challenge social, political, ethical, and religious views by posing: what happens after death? What is the meaning of life? Why should we all keep going? What is the nature of time and space? What is the nature of existence? Is time travel possible? Contrary to Postman’s theory of infotainment, contemporary TV culture actually prioritizes captivating concepts that resonate with young adults and college students.

Adult animation has undergone a fast evolution. It has moved beyond snarky, potty-mouthed humor, and has now become a sophisticated, beautiful form of storytelling. The genre’s boom occurred during the early 1990s with the groundbreaking success of The Simpsons. Following, Family Guy and King of the Hill became defining examples of the genre, captivating audiences with their witty and irreverent content. Since then, animators have pushed boundaries and transformed the perception of animated media from mere entertainment to a comedic, thought-provoking medium. Big Mouth, Bojack Horseman, and Rick and Morty catapulted a depressed horse, alcoholic mad scientist, and two pre-teens with talking pubes into the mainstream spotlight. Netflix’s most recent addition, The Midnight Gospel, answers existential questions and is based on audio clips from the freewheeling spirituality and religion podcast called the Duncan Trussell Family Hour. 

Adult cartoons offer a seamless blend of relevant, informative, and entertaining content, providing a light-hearted sense of security to life’s fundamental issues and existential questions. While young adults laugh at the irreverence and slapstick humor, they subconsciously absorb the underlying messages that the creators illuminate. What Postman failed to consider is that today’s young adults and college students engage with content in a complex and meaningful way. Philosophical content scratches the itch for a deeper level of understanding and creates a space for young adults to encounter and confront generational trauma, mental health, meaningful questions, and deep-rooted systemic issues with greater consciousness. b
As adult animation grows into a $400 billion industry, other media mediums are likely to realize the power and profit from confronting relevant issues and teaching profound lessons. Creators use humor and animation to address serious matters in the real world. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, featuring an Afro-Latino Spider-Man, and Kid Cudi’s adult animated musical, Entergalactic, have already set a new precedent with what creators can achieve with animation, humor, and more. The media landscape has evolved into a more stable and well-rounded tool, enlightening viewers and encouraging them to have meaningful discussions on previously out-of-bounds topics like sexuality, race, depression, and substance abuse, which were lacking in mainstream media.