Remember when Saturday mornings were the best part of the week? Plonking your butt down in front of the TV to indulge in hours of back-to-back cartoons; laughing yourself silly at the squeaky clean jokes from the likes of Dexter's Laboratory and The Powerpuff Girls. Only, it wasn't all so innocent. Our young unblemished minds merely skimmed past the sexual innuendos and lewd adults one-liners that somehow sneaked their way in there. It seems producers of kids cartoons were trying their best to out-do each other in sneaking the most inappropriate gags possible past the censors: Captain Pugwash had a sailor named "Master Bates"; Spider-Man openly slipped in a semen joke; and we somehow managed to overlook Rocko working as a sex-line operator in Rocko's Modern Life. Turns out, we missed a lot of other things too. No doubt these gags highly amused - albeit shocked - our parents, who had to deal with Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon every day of our youthful lives. Re-watch your favourite shows now, and the amount of adult humour that went whooshing over your head will knock your socks off. Only, you don't have to; since we've kindly put together the muckiest jokes your favourite childhood cartoons unbelievably got away with. Apologies in advance for the trauma imposed.
24. This Very Personal Advert On "Hey Arnold"
Just whose sausage are we trying, exactly? Please don't say it's Grandpa Phil's.
23. Tommy's Dad's "Male Bonding" Gesture
When Phil and Lil's father goes away, Tommy's dad explains to the kids that he's off doing some "male bonding". That's fine, if it wasn't for this charming gesture that accompanies the term. Thanks for that delightful imagery, Nickelodeon.
22. The "Carpet Munchers" That Visit Cow & Chicken
A bunch of butch biker women turn up at Cow and Chicken's house and start munching carpet. Yes, really. Now there's some straight up stereotyping to inoculate the children with.
