We've already revisited the creepiest kids' tv shows in our 7 Disturbing Kids Shows That Will Scar You For Life article, but there's still a stone that we haven't unturned – the disturbing theories surrounding some otherwise perfectly harmless childhood favourites. These theories – some created by fans, some by the likes of Reddit and 4Chan, some seemingly out of thin air – may cause you to think a little differently about these classic kids cartoons.
4 Disturbing Theories About Kids’ Cartoons
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Rugrats exists in Angelica's mind
The Nickelodeon kids' TV show Rugrats was harmless enough, right? I mean, there was that questionable shot of Tommy squirting milk at the camera in the show's intro, but other than that there was nothing sinister about it… OR WAS THERE?
A disturbing theory about the cartoon suggests that all of the characters actually exist within the mind of a schizophrenic and bipolar Angelica (which explains her volatile behaviour). According to the theory, Chuckie died along with his mother, explaining why his father, Chaz, is such a nervous wreck. Tommy was a stillborn, which is why Stu is in the basement all the time making toys for his son that never was, and the DeVilles had an abortion, but seeing as how Angelica didn't know the sex of the child, she instead imagined twins, Phil and Lil, of both genders.
Going further into the rabbit hole, the theory also suggests that Angelica's mother died from a heroin overdose, and that the woman whom her father Drew married was just a gold-digger, who Angelica had convinced herself was her real mother out of grief. Her omnipresent doll, Cynthia, whom Angelica regularly talks to in the show, is Angelica projecting her mother's personality onto an inanimate object, with the doll's patchy hair and tatty dress mimicing the appearance of her deceased drug-addled mother.
Or, y'know, it's just a show about babies.
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Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy are dead
Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy was the longest-running show in Cartoon Network's history, featuring the madcap hi-jinks of the hapless trio as they continue on their quest for their one true love… jawbreakers.
However, a theory suggests that the cul-de-sac in which Ed, Edd and Eddy reside is actually a purgatory of sorts, and that all the characters who live within it have all died there at some point. The theory is that all the inhabitants of the cul-de-sac come from different time periods, but have all lived and died in the cul-de-sac. A good example of this would be Rolf, who is said to have died in the cul-de-sac during the early 20th century, thus explaining his primitive ways. This also explains the complete lack of adults in the cul-de-sac, as those in purgatory are living out an endless childhood cycle, completely unaware that they are doing so.
Or, y'know, it's just a show about kids living in a cul-de-sac.
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Gengar is a Dead Clefable
Now here's a theory that we can believe; the ghost Pokemon Gengar is suggested to be a dead Clefable.
Both Gengar and Clefable were among the earliest Pokemon created, and both have notably similar body shapes and practically the same hands, feet and ears. Also, Clefable's curly hair translates to the far more devilish spiky tuft that sits atop Gengar's head.
Another theory suggests that Gengar is actually the shadow counterpart of Clefable, as Clefable is a normal-type and Gengar is a ghost-type, meaning that they are immune to each other, and you can't touch your own shadow. Also, Gengar is described in the Pokedex as "the shadow Pokemon."
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Spongebob Squarepants is the result of nuclear testing
Fun Fact: Spongebob Squarepants is set underneath a real place called Bikini Atoll which, back in 1954, the government used as their location to test nuclear bombs. One bomb was let off underwater, which would've obviously greatly harmed the residents of Bikini Bottom, the underwater city in which Spongebob Squarepants lives.
The theory is that these nuclear explosions caused the residents of Bikini Bottom to become as weird looking as they are (though this still obviously doesn't explain how a sponge learns how to talk and wear trousers).
