Once a nerd, always a geek.

IT'S TATTOO TIME!

Have you ever looked at a vintage cartoon and then did some research to learn that it was not nominated for an oscar? Better yet considered but wasn't? It shocks me how many Tom and Jerry cartoons have had that missed opportunity, especially from the 40s (which in my opinion, had some of the best cartoons). Tom and Jerry were nominated for thirteen and they won seven, that's quite an achievement.

Some were in pretty stiff competition too. While I hate award shows, so many have just come and gone, I can't help but wonder what cartoons could have taken home or have been nominated for the big gold statue. Oscar nominees such as Jerry's Cousin, Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Mouse, The Night Before Christmas and not forgetting their debut Puss Gets the Boot were all works of art. Some were in pretty stiff competition, The Night Before Christmas lost to -of all cartoons- Lend A Paw, by Disney. Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Mouse lost to Tweetie Pie (giving the Looney Tunes their first ever oscar win) and let's not forget Puss Gets the Boot, not only was this in stiff competition with A Wild Hare by Tex Avery (the first cartoon starting Bugs Bunny), but both cartoons lost to another MGM short: The Milky Way. Ouch, still, nothing was going to stop these cartoons from winning the hearts of many and many hearts have they won and still gaining new fans every day.

Then there's the cartoons that actually took home the award, those inhaled as masterpieces, these include The Little Orphan, Mouse Trouble, Cat Concerto and one of my personal favorites: Quiet Please! All these cartoons were incredible! Cat Concerto is so famous or even infamous because it contains something that has since become a staple in the golden age of animation: The Hungarian Rhapsody No.1 by Franz Liszt. This by the way is a fantastic cartoon, I could marvel at Tom's professionalism, it's so much fun seeing him not act like a real cat and show off his talent. His little quarrel with Jerry while trying to keep his paws on the keys is nothing short of spectacular, no breaks, no audience coughing, no quick phonecalls...all of those became gags for a Bugs Bunny cartoon by the name of Rhapsody Rabbit which coincidentally used the same tune, had the same premise but with an unamed mouse and replaced the cat with a rabbit...I don't know why they chose Bugs but what the hey? It's still a fun cartoon.

It didn't help that both Warner Brothers and MGM accused each other of plagurism, to this day, nobody knows, maybe it was just sheer coincidence. If anything, it was clear that Tom and Jerry deserved the oscar, it was beautifully animated, fun, and once you hear the Hungarian Rhapsody, you can't help but think of cartoons. Thanks Tom and Jerry. So...what about the cartoons that were NOT nominated? I can't tell you how insane it is to think many masterpieces didn't have the big shiny golden statue waiting for them? Which Tom and Jerry cartoons felt oscar nominee worthy? Here's where (with help from some of the lovely people on Reddit in the Tom and Jerry community) I delve deep into some classics that I feel SHOULD have been nominated for an oscar. This also includes those cartoons that were considered. NOTE: I am NOT including cartoons that WERE nominated but didn't win. I also won't be including any of the wraparound cartoons, so sorry if you were expecting Smitten Kitten, Jerry's Diary or Life With Tom, bit of a shame, because they were all pretty fun, though I do feel like the animation style kind of affects the quality of the stories themselves. Just my personal opinion. Also, NO CHUCK JONES or GENE DEITCH cartoons, I'm sticking to the classics we all love. Also I will be giving out why I think these cartoons weren't nominated, they are probably all not true or facts, but they are just my own personal opinions and hunches. Hmm...I should ask Jerry Beck on this. So sit back, grab a glass of milk, a piece of cheese and enjoy my rambly read on the top Tom and Jerry Cartoons that I (and several Reddit users) think should have been nominated for an oscar. WARNING: The cartoons may be considered unsuitable for young children and were a product of their time. Many Tom and Jerry cartoons contain scenes of smoking and non-bloody slapstick violence, dangerous behaviour. It is highly recommended nowdays that children watch with a parent or guardian. Also some cartoons may contain negative stereotypes that were wrong then and wrong now. Solid Serenade, 1946

Set at night, this cartoon is nothing short of wonderful. Tom sneaks into a courtyard, eager to serenade his love interest Toodles Galore, all while trying to avoid a vicious bulldog named Killer (clearly Spike of course). After keeping him tied up, we get what is probably the most famous scene in the whole cartoon: Tom singing Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby?, a song sung by Ira "Buck" Woods (Tom's singing voice). Not only is this fantastic, but who knew Tom had such a beautiful voice? Not only that, he can play the bass, not just with his paws, but with his back feet too. Oh cartoons, stop making me jealous of extraordinary talent. It also doesn't help that Tom's already a charming and funny character through and through.

Of course, where would Tom be without Jerry (who in this short happens to make his home in a little mailbox complete with furniture). The vibrations of Tom's bass and his singing awaken the mouse to the point where he can't take it anymore and of course, here's where the fun goes up a notch. Complete with a pie in the face with a little something extra inside for that extra comedic oomph (ah good old pies, every classic cartoon's funny weapon). Unfortunately it's pretty low because...well, they kind of recycled one of Tom's speeches straight off of The Zoot Cat, other than that, it's still a wonderful cartoon with some fun slapstick, insane cartoon violence and of course, a crooner cat. Why wasn't it nominated? Just a hunch but 1946 also brought us Rhapsody Rabbit a year before The Cat Concerto came out, plus that following year as I said above, Concerto took home the oscar. It would have been a tough call as both Solid Serenade and Cat Concerto are terrific. Although Serenade wasn't considered, you can't deny that it's still one hell of a shimmering example of how brilliant Tom and Jerry cartoons truly were. With Tom's smooth sexy singing voice, Jerry's antics to fun chases, whacky cartoon violence, you will never want to imagine serenades the same way again...thanks Tom!

Mice Follies, 1954

This is a fun cartoon, really showing the elegance and beauty in what animation can do. Pretty ironic since I HATE ice skating! Jerry and baby Nibbles (or Tuffy) flood the house to turn into a massive ice rink and what follows is some beautiful graceful animation. Seeing the water freeze up is gorgeous to look at and we get some fun chasing sequences. Throughout the cartoon, the Sleeping Beauty Waltz is heard, making for a rather sweeping soundtrack. Also, Tom gets in on the fun too, it's definitely one of the prettiest of the Tom and Jerry shorts in the 50s. Also how can you not get a huge laugh when Tom emerges after crashing into the basement with a bucket over his waist and a shovel in his paws? LOL A pretty cute cartoon overall, I also have to give a shoutout to The Powerpuff Girls episode Ice Sore, they actually referenced this episode! Why wasn't it nominated? Bit of a mixed bag for Tom and Jerry cartoons that year, but nothing too groundbreaking I guess, while I do enjoy Posse Cat, it is too similar to Texas Tom. Puppy's Tale was another cartoon that was fun but not often talked about (I still find the ending to that one sweet however). Unfortunately the nominee went to Touche, Pussycat, losing to another cartoon. Mice Follies just ended up on thin ice.

Tee For Two, 1945

I couldn't NOT put a sports themed cartoon on here. While Tennis Chumps, Cue Ball Cat and Bowling Alley Cat were all good, I had to go with this one. Tom obviously likes his sports, but obviously, golf isn't his best one, the moment the cartoon starts there's already what looks like so many failed attempts, but Tom is just determind to have a good game LOL. Once Jerry's in the picture, there's bountiful laughs in store and plenty of opportunities to use a little mouse for the game. Jerry's just a miniature punching bag waiting to go all Chuck Jones esque Bugs Bunny on Tom, without having to utter "Of course you realize, this means war!" (WB didn't own MGM at the time). The manic determination on Tom's face with every swing of the club really shows that he's not going to quit, but think of the divots, cat! THINK OF THE DIVOTS! WON'T YOU PUR-LEASE...okay, okay, enough with the Simpsons references. Tee For Two is another fun outing with plenty of laughs, next time Tom, just make sure Jerry's away from the course. Why wasn't it nominated? 1945! Dayumn! So many good Tom and Jerry cartoons that all could have been handsomely nominated or could have even won the oscar! There really was a lot to choose from, but I don't decide which gets nominated, heck I wasn't even born yet! LOL

Kitty Foiled, 1948

WARNING: CONTAINS USAGE OF INDIAN STEREOTYPES. This cartoon almost feels like it was made just to rival Looney Tunes, I don't know, they were still trying something new here. A canary helps save Jerry from yet another one of Tom's violent destructive chases, unfortunately, he and the bird soon have to try and avoid the clutches of Tom who now has to deal with two small creatures. The canary makes friends with Jerry and offers to help him if Tom gets into any scrapes. There are so many whacky moments in this cartoon, one where Tom tries and actually succeeds to fly like a bird, another where he was held at gunpoint and after the bird drops it, he picks it up and gives it back, we also get a silly little handshake gag and to end it all, Tom brings out one of his most evil moments...tying Jerry on a model train track and actually riding the train in hopes of running him over...that's a little too far, but here, he is absolutely malicious.

Usually when cartoons involve Jerry making a friend with another small animal, you know there's gonna be chaos. Why wasn't it nominated? Another hunch, but this was a year after Tweety teamed up with Sylvester in their first ever cartoon together (also coincidentally, Sylvester at the time was called "Thomas"). I'm guessing it wasn't nominated or considered because it was kind of similar to a Warner Bros. cartoon, even before Sylvester and Tweety, there was a short starring a grey cat going after a canary, in case you're curious, it's called The Cagey Canary.

The Million Dollar Cat, 1945

This was a fun cartoon, pretty much MGM's answer to The Wabbit Who Came To Summer, Tom inherits a million dollars, but there's a catch to it, not one cent IF he hurts any little animals...especially mice. Jerry as usual, takes full advantage on this. Poor Tom can't enjoy the luxories or benefits of being rich, this still builds up for some really funny moments, but honestly, you can't help but feel sorry, yet laugh at the antics. Cartoons like these were pretty common back in the day, showing that even big cartoon stars can be millionaires. Why wasn't it nominated? Too many god damn good cartoons of 44, luckily one did take home the academy award, it's too bad this one didn't. Though I do think Mouse Trouble was far more superior. The Truce Hurts, 1948

WARNING: This cartoon contains a racial blackface gag. All my respect to anyone watching. This is a wonderful cartoon, from the very start, anarchy unfolds, there are crashes galore, the house is already a rather comically violent war zone and not only do we get Tom and Jerry involved in yet another one of their chases, but Spike has joined too in the brawl. Spike's persuing Tom, while Tom's persuing Jerry, Jerry's fighting for his life. Whatever they were quarreling about who knows? That's the many mysteries of cartoons. We don't need to know, it's fun when a Tom and Jerry cartoon starts off with chaotic slapstick violence like this. The scene where the boys all begin fighting each with a weapon is truly iconic. I do like how Jerry is also not giving in and straight up picking up the nearest weapon to bash Tom with, while Tom in return attacks, with Spike behind weapon in two. Pipes, frying pans and baseball bats, oh my! After realizing that violence and brawling isn't the answer, Spike declares peace in the house. After signing a treaty along with both Tom and Jerry, they all begin to get along. Billy Bletcher voices Spike in this cartoon by the way and he was truly something remarkable! It's a real shame he was replaced later on by several other voice artists. We miss you Bletcher! The cartoon mostly consists of the boys settling in together, mostly dialogue free (hey, if it was just Spike talking all the way through, I don't think it would be as good, this is a Tom and Jerry cartoon after all). There are some silly gags such as Butch Cat going insane because Tom had rescued Jerry from being lunch. Also...why would an unamed dog want to eat a cat (better yet, why would you use a tooth pick after a glass of milk?) LOL, the mysteries of cartoon logic huh? I do like how Spike asks if Tom's okay and the cat just can't seem to utter a word (keeping it dialogue light of course and using pantomime and gestures to point out why he needs help), yet it's all done in comical fashion. Also this cartoon seems to fondly use songs heard in The Wizard of Oz. After all, MGM property. The Truce Hurts is a rather unique short, balancing peace and cartoon violence with just the right touch, really adds to the comedy. All goes well until one day during a stroll, the boys encounter a meat package that had fallen out of a truck revealing a large piece of steak. Rubbing their paws together, it is soon taken home and cooked, unfortunately they just can't seem to decide how much they should have between all three of them (just use a ruler for god's sake! LOL). Again, what really adds to the charm is that there is no dialogue, paving way for some rather funny moments. Maybe they should have thought this up before grilling and deciding to eat it, because let me tell you, that steak looked so damn good, it makes the one shown Tex Avery's What's Buzzin Buzzard? look inedible (by the way the MGM Tex Avery shorts are some of the best pieces of classic animation I ever seen other than Looney Tunes) Unfortunately, things take a turn for the worst when the steak has drifted down the drain and the boys realize it's not going to work out, they just can't be pals, neither can Spike who in return, tears up the peace treaty and it's back to the old lovely bit of ultra violence. To make it clear, I think it's for the best that the boys go back to how it used to be, because if Tom and Jerry made peace, where's the fun in that? No more legendary classic Bill Hanna screams, no more mischief, no more pranks, NO MORE SLAPSTICK VIOLENCE! It was fun, while it lasted, as was the cartoon. But like every story, it has to end. Also rest in peace juicy steak, gone too soon but never forgotten. Tom, Jerry and Spike's beef with each other will never die, but you sure did. Why wasn't it nominated? Well, it was another win for Tom and Jerry round that year, taking home The Little Orphan. Hey, guess Tom and Jerry didn't get the booby prize after all. Also poor Spike, missed out on Thanksgiving dinner, maybe next time boy. Jerry and the Lion, 1950

There were several cartoons where Jerry makes friends with other creatures, pretty much mostly coming from the circus. He's befriended a baby elephant, a seal pup, if not from the circus then he's befriending other pets in the house such as goldfish, canaries or even little puppies, all while trying to avoid the clutches of Tom. Jerry and the Lion is one of those cartoons and this is by far one of the best. Upon hearing that a "ferocious lion" had escaped from the circus, Tom gears up with a rifle in case he is near, making sure every door, window and every nook and cranny is free from the large beast. Doesn't take long till Jerry finally discovers him, but the lion isn't so vicious, he hates the circus and asks Jerry if he could help get him back to the jungle in Africa. Being ever so good natured, Jerry agrees. What makes this short timeless is that Tom never actually sees the lion, making way for some great comedy. Tom being oblivious to a large bit of ham being bitten off is silly and goofy, the scene where Jerry fakes being injured by the rifle is a smart move and who can forget Tom's cocky attitude thinking that Jerry can knock him out? Internet star Doug Walker (The Nostalgia Critic) -being a HUGE Tom and Jerry fan- has stated that this is one of his favorite cartoons and I am going to have to take a page our of his book here. This cartoon is fantastic and you really do feel a strong connection between both Jerry and his new friend. Walker by the way is a huge fan of Mice Follies. Tom wickedly going into the closet, laughing maliciously and locking the door behind him, throwing away the key and getting beaten senseless unknowingly by a larger wild cat is priceless, all topped off with Jerry coming out ready for more (as if he's the one who's asking Tom to put up his dukes). It truly is a wonderful cartoon, it's also one of the few cartoons where Tom is scared a little mouse! Wussy-cat! I will admit, the ending is somewhat heartwarming and pretty sweet as Jerry helps get the lion on the boat back to Africa at the docks, not before waving a rather heartfelt teary goodbye. Oh come on, this is Tom and Jerry, not a Disney movie! Joking aside, a very touching and lovely ending to a great cartoon full of laughs. I do like how the lion too waves goodbye with a tear in his eye, it clearly shows that he will never forget his new friend and that he will remember this for the rest of his life. Jerry's a good sport...when he's not an impish little prick. LOL Why wasn't it nominated? Like a lot of these cartoons, they were not considered. Mind you, 1950 was a great year for other cartoons so there was going to be some stiff competition. I don't think Tom and Jerry did get a nomination that year, but damn, when I say 1950 was a great year for cartoons, I really mean it! Maybe it was just a missed opportunity. At the same time, around eight Tom and Jerry cartoons came out that year, so I think there would be some tricky competitors. The Dog House, 1952

Another Spike flick that's just too good. A repetetive cycle of trying to do one thing that keeps failing because someone else gets in the way and destroys it.

You want to root for Spike, but at the same time you want to know how his kennel...sorry, his "dream house" is going to meet it's demise after every attempt at building it, this means more room for some fun gags and slapstick complete with lots of crashes, violence and mayhem.

I like how Tom just has to hide behind a wall in capture position, paws out ready to swipe Jerry, makes you wonder what he wants with him...other than just do what cats do...play rough with mice LOL. The more Spike's house is being broken the funnier it gets, I like how even a simple whack on the head with a headless axe causes Spike to slowly tip and break the entire kennel to pieces. Also like how Spike is desperate just hammering away trying to keep his house together that piece of wood so visible are showing! LOL There is not much I can say about this cartoon, it's simple fun romp filled to the brim with crazy crashes that will leave you in pieces. Why wasn't it nominated? Simple...The Two Mousketeers. I guess medievil times and beheading Tom offscreen is more fun and thrilling than a slapstick cartoon full of crashes huh? I swear, the Spike cartoons (with or without Tyke) are just so good they got overshadowed by the other stories. God damn it.

The Mouse Comes to Dinner, 1945 WARNING: Contains scenes of smoking.

Damn, the 40s were a tricky time for Tom and Jerry cartoons, when one's being nominated, another usually ends up being nominated and usually ends up winning, these cartoons were on fire...and so was Tom.

The Mouse Comes to Dinner's setup is absolutely fantastic, as soon as Tom is onscreen emerging from a plant, you know he's up to mischief. Tom is excited because he is planning to invite a lady friend to dinner, a cute small cat named Toots (who has appeared before in Puss m Toots and The Zoot Cat), delighted to be invited, she makes the effort, dressing her best while Tom makes Jerry his servant (much to his displeasure)...poor merciless Jerry...you can tell that "I came here to eat, I'm not your slave" is written all over his face. But Tom obviously wants it to be the best and tries to impress his guest. You know when a Tom and Jerry cartoon has a cute lady friend involved, it's going to lead into all kinds of crazy shenanigans and this is one of the best examples. Tom trying to keep his cool while Jerry pushes his luck leads to some of the funniest build up in any Tom and Jerry cartoon of it's time. From placing an oblivious Tom's tail into a sandwich, to a crazy food fight, to Tom desperately trying to make a move on his lady friend, the laughs just keep on going and going. There's mischief, mischief and more mischief. Things go more awry when Jerry mocks Tom to the point where he picks up a large pie, chucks it, misses his target and hits his guest, not even giving him the chance to apologise and silently (in Tom and Jerry quiet fashion) clean her up. No, this girl is a fighter, means more pies galore. Pies really are the essence of the cartoon jollies aren't they? The timing and comedy balances perfectly in this cartoon, a clear example would be when Tom just straight up downs his drink after smoothly pouring it out while his friend just tries to enjoy her soup in peace, but the ever so eager Tom just can't pass up an opportunity like this. Again, the dialogue in this cartoon is kept at a minimum, giving it more time for silent comedy and plenty of laughs. It truly is one of the funniest Tom and Jerry cartoons of the 40s. If you hadn't seen this cartoon, go check it out, never has coming to dinner been as chaotic as this. But also a hell of a lot of fun. It's one of those masterpieces that is far more delicious than the food on the table. Why wasn' it nominated? Like I said with Tee for Two, 1945 had some great cartoons for Tom and Jerry, but unfortuntely another cartoon got away with the nominee, in this case, Quiet Please, not only was it nominated for an oscar, but yet again, winner winner chicken dinner and yet, Tom still gets his just desserts in the end. Next time, just take call up and take her out to a fancy resturaunt the old fashioned cat way! LOL

HONORABLE MENTIONS Just Ducky, 1953. - I'm not a huge fan of Quacker (once again the irony, I love ducks...especially ducklings...*deep breath...and exhale*...okay), he can be a little annoying but still, he's not straight up torture to the ears. Quacker still has some fun moments and chases with Tom who tries to eat the little duck, of course with Jerry around, you know how this is gonna turn out. There's some fun slapstick, but what prevented me from putting this one on the list was that he never stopped complaining that he couldn't swim. Hearing him call out for his mother was pretty sad, followed by him breaking down in tears, but after that, it started to get a little repetitive. I will admit though the scene where he calls for help after seeing Tom drowning was pretty emotional and ...okay, I'm just gonna say it, the ending is pretty heartwarming.

The Bodyguard, 1944 - I do like this cartoon, it's premise is very similar to Tex Avery's Bad Luck Blackie. Everyone talks about the most famous scene and that's Tom's wicked evilly delivered line voiced by Billy Bletcher: "Mwhahahahaaa, in me power!" . This cartoon also features Spike in one of his earlier appearences, after helping him get out of the back of the truck on it's way to the dog pound, Spike warms up to Jerry and tells him that if he ever needs him, all he has to do was whistle. The story just writes itself, Tom will try all he can to prey on the mouse (no, seriously, he almost has him for lunch in a sandwich ready to be cut into two pieces), but results into getting beaten to a pulp by Spike. The only thing that really pisses me off about this cartoon, is the ending! I want to spoil it for you if you hadn't seen it, but there is no way I could. Overall, still a fun watch.

Mouse In Manhattan, 1945 - This is like the only "Jerry solo" short ever made. Tom only appears at the start and at the end. But it doesn't stop it from being fun cartoon. The backgrounds in this cartoon are gorgeous and Jerry's curiosity and fascination in this huge city make you wonder what i's like to explore somewhere new...maybe just stick to somewhere quieter and less busy if glitz and glamor isn't your thing, definitely isn't mine. There's truly something magical about this cartoon, everything just feels so big and makes you feel like you're in the picture with Jerry. The musical score is absolutely beautiful, going from quiet and steady to dramatic to sweeping, it almost feels like a Broadway musical! It's not in the top ten because...well...I missed Tom! He's the life of the party after all! This cartoon is still breathtaking and also feels like one of the tamest of Tom and Jerry cartoons. See why Million Dollar Cat took the spot? It was actually more fun!

Part time Pal, 1947 WARNING: This cartoon contains usage of alcohol and negative stereotypes. -Well, this one wouldn't show today in the afternoons, damn I was a lucky kid, I remember this one at 11 on New Year's Day 2000, god damn what a perfect way a start off the new year! A 24 hour Tom and Jerry marathon after a whole week of Looney Tunes. I wish the Mil-Looney-Um hype was bigger.

Anyway, back to the cartoon, it's a an honorable mention because, it's...not a bad cartoon, no the worst, it's just kinda slow. Again, we get some wonderful smooth animation and seeing Tom and Jerry getting along while Jerry is oblivious to Tom being intoxicated is pretty damn funny. I'd be lying if I said I'd put this one as a runner up because it reminded me of Conker's Bad Fur Day, from the drunken soundin music, to Tom's hiccups to...just Tom getting drunk! He, we even get a gauge that goes from full to empty, I just couldn't help but bring up my inner Conker fangirl. LOL It's yet another cartoon where the two get along but with a twist.

And my pick, for the number one Tom and Jerry cartoon that should have been nominated for an oscar is... Heavenly Puss, 1949 WARNING: Contains portrayals of the devil. ALSO I do not worship Satan to make it clear.

Well, there's flowers, there's candy in a heart shaped box, there's a proposal and there's...the stuck up girl who gets what she wants (dang, Petunia was a total...sow in her early days). This cartoon was notable for several things. Petunia Pig's first appearence and Joe Dougherty's final time playing the voice of Porky Pig. The poor guy's stutter caused so much time in the studio that it got expensive and he was let go. Such a sad and bitter end to his career. Porky's Romance is definitely a cartoon for those with some questionably dark humor, no? When Porky proposes to his love interest Petunia, she snobbily turns him down...(love hurts, whether it's right or wrong), poor Porky's heart is broken to the point where tears stream down his cheeks and he decides to end his life...ouch, such a grim time for WB cartoons. Mind you, this was before the time Bob Clampett put the "looney" in Looney Tunes that we all know and love today.

Porky's attempt backfires however when he's too heavy for the noose and he is knocked unconcious, causing him to have a rather unpleasant dream on what married life would be like. While this isn't the most pleasant of Looney Tunes cartoons, it does kind of feel like a cautionary tale on those who are not ready to settle down and have kids. Not saying everyone will grow up to be fat, lazy and a glutton like Petunia in the dream sequence, but settling down with your spouse will change your life forever, especially IF you have kids. It's not one to be taken light-heartedly, but it does feel like a satire on what married life can be. Either way, love is a complicated feeling for some and when/if you're not ready for it, best stay away from it. Not exactly my favorite cartoon but it's still worth a mention.

Muscle Tussle - Bob McKimson, 1953

Poor Daffy Duck...can't he ever get the time to settle down with his girlfriend Melissa? Sometimes you can't help but feel sorry for him, just because someone has more muscles and a killer body, doesn't mean they're perfect, right? Alas, this is Looney Tunes and it's all done for laughs. This is another typical "she's my girl" story, I'm pretty sure a lot of cartoons have done this trope, sure, not all Daffy Duck cartoons land, but when they do, this isn't one of them.

Lovelord Leghorn - Bob McKimson, 1951

Trying to find your significant other half can be tough, especially when others tease and jeer. In this case, Prissy. Poor old Prissy, an old fashioned Spinster hen just wants to settle down with a rooster to call her own. If you've never been lucky in love, then I'm sure you can relate, but at the same time laughing at this cartoon.

Ding Dog Daddy - Friz Freleng, 1942

Another cartoon that is kind of mixed for me, but none the less a rather bittersweet cartoon. This cartoon centers on a yellow/orange dopey dog Goofy (say, why hadn't Disney filed a lawsuit huh?) is out enjoying the lovely spring weather complimenting to the audience how beautiful love is. After failing once to court a dog who turned him down and even mocked him, he eventually falls for Daisy. The only catch is, poor Goofy is smitten over a metal statue shaped like a dog. Complete wtih lightning strikes with every kiss and a vicious bulldog chasing him around the garden and yard to boot, you really feel for Goofy. To really add fuel to this cartoon, Daisy is then carted off to be melted into scrap and then turned into a bomb for the wars. Hearing Goofy call out Daisy's name and then having her reeled into his paws really is soul crushing. As Goofy mourns over her changes, he gives her one last kiss...and...Goofy's still smitten and happy....phew! I thought something tragic was gonna happen but ouch, still pretty soul crushing.

Still, a bittersweet ending as Goofy doesn't shed tears straight after. TRIVIA: Goofy was voiced by Disney legend Pinto Colvig (who also happened to voice...Goofy, as well as Grumpy from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves). The Hep Cat - Bob Clampett, 1942

From dippy dogs to confident cats that are self proclaimed hunks, this is a great cartoon. Definitely one of Clampett's finest. A suave, charasmatic cat is girl crazy and is on the search for the perfect mate. After being given the cold shoulder by a lady cat, a dog called Rosebud toys with the cat, using a puppet that resembles the one who turned him down. The Hep Cat's reactions and exlaimations are priceless and performed perfectly by Mel Blanc as always. The delivery of the cat's lines are fantastic and who can forget the line "Something new has been added!". Throw in some rather smooth L'Amour scenarios and gags, and you have got yet another cartoon that makes you want to forget about love and just enjoy the laughs. But remember this, sock puppets aren't sexy! But to quote the Hep Cat: WELL I CAN DREAM CAN'T I?

What's Opera, Doc? - Chuck Jones, 1957

Okay, I'm kind of cheating here, there's not really any romance here but...it's a Bugs Bunny cartoon! He dresses up as a girl, he fools Elmer, leading him into a beautiful part de deux, Bugs doesn't just get into the act. He's still practically playing hard to get to the helpless oblivious Elmer. Everyone's seen this cartoon! It's hailed as a masterpiece and has been crowned the "Greatest cartoon of all time". "Kiww the wabbit" has become somewhat iconic as the rest of the cartoon, nearly every line is sung and there is not one sign of slapstick, pretty unique for comedic Looney Tunes short with an operatic outing.

While in my opinion, I'm not a massive fan of this cartoon, I don't hate it, but I do appreciate it, it's gorgeous backgrounds, sweeping usage of Wagner's music and rather dramatic flair, this cartoon has it all, tragedy, drama, comic-opera and beauty, as well as a faux romance between Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny..

While not the most lovey-dovey of cartoons on this list, we still get a wonderful duet sung by Elmer and Bugs, performed by Arthur Q. Bryan and Mel Blanc. Don't ask! If you've seen enough Looney Tunes cartoons, you'll understand that Elmer isn't always bright when it comes to telling a wascally wabbit and a beautiful woman apart. The poor guy never catches a break since he clearly is a gentleman. Probably just timid but waiting for the right move. See Rabbit Seasoning for example...but then you realize that is Bugs Bunny in disguise! LOL Return My Love, sung to Wagner's Tannhäuser Overture is something remarkable, yet silly. We get what feels like the most romantic moment in any Looney Tunes cartoon ever, with the camera going back and forth to Elmer climbing the stairs and Bugs lying on a bench under a beautiful set of pillars, batting his newly added lashes to one fine embrace. Despite being a parody, it does have what all operas have...a downer ending. No anvils, no outwitting smart alec remarks from Bugs, just rushing down the stairs after his headress came off, nothing but one big dramatic outcry of terrifying natural disasters summoned by Elmer's magic helmet. To make it more dramatic, Bugs looks back, maybe that's why he was killed!?!? Overall, another beautifully tragic cartoon. ANYTHING or almost ALL of the Pepe Le Pew cartoons - Chuck Jones, 1945-1962

Wait who? Oh yeah! *snerk* How can I pick just one? All but one Pepe cartoon scent-re round the same thing...chasing a helpless she-victim that has somehow gotten her coat into a white stripe coating. Pepe really needs to go to Specsavers, was that a thing in the 40s to the 60s? LOL Pepe, a suave, calm French skunk, always the helpless, hopeless romantic hopped onto the scene in the 40s, with his smooth expression, sexual desires and...now sadly, controversial character traits, he wasn't the favorite, or was he? You decide! Winning an oscar for For Scent-imental Reasons, he had gone on to star in almost two decades worth of cartoons. With a calm suave flirtatious demeanour, sexual, lustful desire and...err...habit of not bothering to properly introduce himself, shake hands/paws with his chosen target and give'em time to reply, it's no wonder they (or mostly in this case, Penelope Pussycat) had been running from him...or could it be that he's the obvious...a skunk! This horny striped cassanova never gave up, unless somehow the plan backfired (which was occasionally). Despite all his failures, Pepe Le Pew cartoons prove that...love stinks. Hare Trimmed - Friz Freleng, 1953

From skunks with French accents to...err...Bugs Bunny putting on a French accent, it really is the sexiest accent...or that's what the heck they say haha! YOU DECIDE! NOTHING TO DO ME WITH MOI! BTW On a site note, was there anything Mel Blanc could NOT do? Any voice? Any accent? Any vocal range? God bless this man! When Yosemite Sam learns about a local widow inheriting a fortune, his selfish greed decides to take advantage on the lady, much to her giddy delight, she accepts, little does Sam know that Bugs (disguised as handsome man? SHOCK! NOT A LADY FOR ONCE?) steps forward to try and save the poor widow from Sam's clutches. Emma (who is actually Granny) is delighted to have a suitor, but she can only choose one. With lots of funny gags, mischief and yes...later on, Bugs going from a sexy French gentleman to Granny in disguise...to a bride, this will make you think before you decide to marry when you are filthy rich. Also where does Bugs get all his lovely clothes? LOL Rabbit Romeo - Bob McKimson, 1957

Before Bugs was seeing twinkly hearts and curvaceous girl bunnies with sultry figures, he was met face to face with Millicent, a rabbit with a thick Slavic accent and a rather large bulky and unattractive phsyque. Bugs was never one to settle down with a girl of his own in the golden age. He has cat called and wolf whistled lust over Lauren Bacall, chased mechanical and robotic bunnies on race tracks and into castles, even went out with Witch Hazel in bunny form! Does Bugs really need a girlfriend? After all, he is the one who wears the err...dress? Given to Elmer Fudd as a present by his uncle, Millicent broke down in tears and trashed the house due to loneliness, so Elmer set off to find the perfect mate to calm the destructive doe down. That's where Bugs Bunny comes in and, who would have guessed? He's repulsed by her hagged appearence...poor Millicent, she just needed a mate. The rest of the cartoon writes itself, but no matter how you look, don't treat them as if they were Quasimodo.

HONORABLE MENTIONS...or DISHONORABLE? LOL Love and Curses - Ben Hardaway and Cal Dalton, 1938 Holiday Highlights - Tex Avery, 1940 I Got Plenty of Mutton - Frank Tashlin, 1944 Hare Splitter - Friz Freleng, 1947 And finally...MY PICK for the number 1 cartoon to get you in and or out of love is... The Stupid Cupid - Frank Tashlin, 1944

WHERE do I begin with this cartoon? It is overlooked, outrageously funny and directed by the ever so underrappreciated Tish Tash. This cartoon either screams Valentines Day or screams stay away from ze love! A mischievous cupid (Elmer Fudd?) makes his rounds hoping his arrows strike two and two together. With some rather risque adult jokes, fantastic animation and Daffy Duck at his...horniest, this is THE ultimate Valentines Looney Tunes cartoon to watch and either appreiciate or avoid. The expressions on Daffy's face in this short are just straight up brilliant, the moment Cupid's arrow strikes him and he spots his target, we get some of the most bizarre and unseen Daffy like never before. With a cheeky wriggle of his eyebrows, a sneaky glance at the camera, a cheeky grin and some outrageous clicking of his cheek, Daffy Duck is more than just crazy, he is crazy in love. Unfortunately, this cartoon feels incomplete as the original ending is completely lost. It is said that Daffy was originally going to end the cartoon with a rather cheeky, raunchy line that was way too saucy for the WB executives. Daffy was supposed to utter: "If you haven't tried it, don't knock it." There is no doubt about it, The Stupid Cupid is hands down one of the funniest and most outrageous cartoons to watch during Valentines Day.

From two years ago. I have loved this show since I was 10 and lately I’ve been obsessed again after binge-watching the whole series on DVD. The more I’ve grown now, the more I can see why this show is still gutbustingly funny.

Powerpuff Girls belongs to Craig McCracken and Cartoon Network.

For a long time, I have been wanting to make a project resembling a countdown list, being inspired by the likes of @umbramagna777​, @phantomstrider​ and even the Nostalgia Critic. After some considerate years, I have finally decided to make a list based on my all time favorite show The Powerpuff Girls.

Cartoon Network’s breakaway hit of the late 90s and early to mid 00s starring three adorable, precocious little kindergartners with superpowers was a cultural phenomenon. Spawning hundreds and thousands of merchandise, a theatrical film, several TV specials, an anime and a reboot, it’s unbelievable that a cartoon with an all female lead would become an icon in the cartoon industry.

Created by Craig McCracken fresh off two pilots in the “What A Cartoon” shorts and evolving from the earliest incarnation “Whoopass Stew”, The Powerpuff Girls became the highest rated cartoon debut at the time. Critics praised this show for being so unique, entertaining, epic, action packed and nothing like anything else at the time, but most of all, this show was very, very funny.

But that doesn’t mean this show gets all the glory and praise 100% per episode, like every television show, there will always be flaws and bad episodes and, the Powerpuff Girls is no exception when it comes to rotten entries in the line-up.

Whether you like these episodes or not, remember to respect each other’s opinions, including mine. If you like these episodes, that’s great, you’re more than welcome to have your say, but be nice.

I am only counting down episodes from the ORIGINAL series, this won’t include the movie, the anime, the Dance Pansted special, The tenth anniversary special, the christmas special or especially the reboot.

Mixing either of these up would be one big mess and would derail my points of view. With that being said, let’s begin.

NOTE: Spoiler alert ahead.

 10. Keen on Keane   This episode was a new era for the original show, it had a new art style which was first introduced in the movie. So if you hadn’t seen it, you would have had to get use to this new art style before getting puzzled or confused.

Unfortunately, these episodes were somewhat mediocre and after 2002, show creator Craig McCracken left the show to Chris Savino, so he could work on Foster’s Home for Imaginery Friends. Usually when this happens, that’s a sign of a show losing it’s…err…Mojo. No pun intended. For a first of this newly animated version of the show, this episode is just …well…sappy.  

So what’s the story: It’s Valentines Day…oh boy, what a way to start the new era of an already great show. I am NOT a fan of this holiday whether I’m taken or not. I prefer to keep romance and affection personal.

While receiving various little Valentines from her beloved students, Ms. Keane gets the one simple innocent question asked by the girls: “Where are you going out tonight?” and “Who’s your sweetheart?” (don’t you just love precocious little questions coming from kindergartners). Ms. Keane explains to the girls that she doesn’t have time for going out on dates and is too busy for that sort of thing, this leaves the girls slightly worried, knowing she may be lonely and in need of a significant other half.

Later that evening, the girls are all at dinner with the Professor whose attention prompts the innocent, curious little question from an inquisitive Blossom “Why aren’t you going out, tonight?”.

Personally, if he WAS going out, he may need to hire a babysitter for the girls and knowing the Professor, he may end up calling someone but being delayed or on hold due to everybody with their arms round each other, making googoo eyes and lip wrestling all evening as they bask into their romance.

Anyway, the Professor tells the girls that HE doesn’t have time for dates or going out, nor does he have a sweetheart…(hope he hasn’t forgotten the events a long time ago when meeting Ima Goodlady who turned out to be using him and was revealed to be Sedusa).

On hearing this, the girls trade rather sly and calculating looks to each other, a plan has hit them. If their father isn’t going out and doesn’t have a sweetheart and Ms Keane doesn’t have a sweetheart, why not get them together for date?

At Ms. Keane’s place, she is busy grading homework. On hearing the doorbell ring, she goes to answer the door only to recieve a love letter from a secret admirer and a rose. Oh bittersweet cliches…

Round the same time, the Professor too recieves an identical love letter from a secret admirer (by the way, I do love how he recieves a red rose and Ms Keane recieves a pink rose).  The two admirers meet at “Petes-A Pizza”, an obvious parody to Chuck E Cheese, you can just feel how out of place these two are.

Not to hurt each others feelings, the two adults try to strike a conversation, but seem to show no interest in each other, all they can do is slap on a plastic smile each.

As they try to communicate and interact more and order, Ms. Keane suddenly forces a hearty little smile, stunning and questioning the Professor. As she tells him to look behind him, he sees that his own daughters are hiding in the large ball tank, this catches on as both Ms Keane and Professor Utonium have realized that they had been set up.

Unfortunately, the evening was unsuccessful and the Professor offers his date a ride home with three dejected little girls in the back. Their high hopes sunk to the bottom, gone down like a ship, but the Professor tells them if they did end up going out, then he wouldn’t have enough time to spend with his own daughters. As he walks her to her door, Ms. Keane trips on a crack, the Professor immediately dashes forward to catch her. After bewilderment and indecision on what to do next, Ms Keane and the Professor’s hearts become intertwine. As they stand up straight, they both share a nervous laugh while blushing (by the way, I find this scene amazingly cute, I mean…the Professor here is just…OMG, how can you not just want to reach out and dive into his arms…ahem…).  Finally,  they hold hands and are somehow…in love. Also note this is the only time in the episode where they see each other  face to face. Feeling accomplished, the girls smile knowing that their mission is complete . The following morning, the girls notice that not everything is all hunky-dory! Now having a significant other half, the Professor neglects his family duties and lab work and Ms Keane neglecting her school duties and even forgetting to feed her cat. Why? Because the two most important role models in the girls’ lives are now sickeningly sweethearts talking to each other endlessly on the phone together, complete with EVERY single sentence ending with a mushy pet name. And you know what? It’s really degrading! Also that phonebill must be really expensive by now,

Because of the neglection, the girls don’t know what crimes are being caused….seriously, not even watching the news? Also, doesn’t Ms Bellum have a light for a signal? Why couldn’t she  just set that up in the sky for them?

But no! Instead, Sara Bellum gets kidnapped while the conversation continues until the Mayor sneezes, causing the couple to realize that they were holding up phoneline and neglecting their duties, including feeding the cat. This upsets the Professor and complains about the past event where a cat made him jump off a building which somehow, Ms Keane doesn’t believe and causes them both to suddenly break up. Hmm…like every other couple today right? Okay that was bad.

Overall, this was a weak episode with no crime fighting at all and for a new start of upgraded animation, this was pretty bad. Especially being a Valentines themed episode.

9. City of Clipsville  I ought to let you know that seasons five and six sucked. Big time and this episode is no exception. I am not much of a fan of clip shows and this one was really weak, lame and the repetitive dialogue is as entertaining as a stale book made for toddlers. “Remember when Mojo Jojo turned us into dogs?”…umm…yeah? There’s like two episodes with pretty much the same chunks of animation of it and it doesn’t help that they referenced BOTH episodes! Also, did we really want to be reminded of some of the more mediocre episodes?

Mind you, most of these little trips down memory lane never happened. These include The Professor marrying Ms Bellum…for some reason, the girls losing their superpowers without realizing until they fall off a building…the Professor turning the girls AND all of Townsville’s citizens into helpless infants…(no, seriously…make way for cliche’d moments whenever a baby is in a cartoon, which I’ll get to later), complete with Blossom spitting up over the Professor’s shoulder.

BUT the most most shameful fan-service cringe-worthy moment would have to be a quote on quote flashback of when the girls sped up time and became teenagers. Oh my god! Just…yeah. Complete with their midriff showing, slender figures, skinny jeans and stereotypical valley girl accents and mannerisms such as blowing bubble gum talking on their cellphones and …discovering boys, teenage boys…in this case, the Rowdyruff Boys.

Yeah…remember when I said that the whole counterpart thing is a drag, well they do it here too. But this time, they are somewhat getting along, yet the girls are ditzier. I do love some of the hidden innuendos snuck in this scene visually and audibly.

Besides this episode being a weak one, I do admit that I like how the girls looked as teenagers, a bit two fan-service material-esque but still cute. I love how Bubbles still kept her pigtails in, but are a little longer, Blossom’s red hair still makes me jealous *seriously…) and Buttercup growing out that little bob, it suits her.

Of course, I can’t mention this scene without the fact that it was a reference to Craig McCracken’s fan mail he was  receiving from fans about what would happen if the girls and boys were couples. He hated the idea so he decided to poke fun at this little trope.

Interestingly, there was going to be a scene that never made it, but there were storyboards lying around of the teenage girls becoming popstars…obviously a reference to the likes of Mandy Moore, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera and other teen idols, maybe even the lesser known band that have since broke up, No Secrets.

The episode gets more stupid as everyone somehow ends up in the house until the episode ends which turns out to be filmed in front of a “live audience”. Yeah, just…weak.

If you do like this episode, that’s great, it does have a few funny moments but I still feel like it’s just another cheap bland clip show.  

8. Neighbor Hood Good god was this episode lame? The moral was a good one I will admit, but first, the story…Bubbles rushes home from school in time to watch her favorite show: The Wondrous World of Whimsical Willy. Mr. Willy being the host of the show (and an obvious parody of Mr, Rogers) greets his audience warmly, at first, he seems like the typical friendly, harmless, yet unsettling kind of person on a kid’s show. He never snaps, he’s calm and mellow. But when Daydream Lane loses all of the happiness and joy, Mr Willy asks his audience to hand over all of their cash to him so they don’t lose hope.

Being naive and simple, not wanting the show to fall flat with misery, Bubbles somehow breaks into the town hall and takes off with the money in the Mayor’s vault and hands it over to Mr Willy and the rest of the crew on set. By the way, the Mayor also donated…yeah, he’s a man child. lol

Meanwhile, back at home, after getting a phone call from the Mayor, Buttercup and Blossom notice their sister live on TV with a huge bag of money, thanking Bubbles, Mr Willy and his gang celebrate until Bubbles’ sisters barge in telling Mr Willy to literally drop his act.

Sweaty and nervous, Mr Willy finally snaps and reveals his true plan to steal all of the money of Townsville, showing his true colors at last. Bubbles demands an explanation and tells her sisters that Mr. Willy isn’t a crook, he just needed the money to help save Daydream Lane. Blossom isn’t buying it and tells Bubbles that none of this is real and that the whole set is just canvas painted with scenery and backgrounds and the crew are all crooks in costume.

Now shocked and realizing she had been conned along with the rest of the those who donated, Bubbles loses faith in Mr Willy and the show and even refuses to save his fall. In case you might guess, Mr Willy is arrested and thrown in prison and Bubbles apologizes for her foolish act and also that she shouldn’t believe on what she sees on television. In a way, this is a great moral for kids, especially when the main cast are kindergartners, but come on, the girls are more precocious than this, they are better than this. This is basically a weaker version of Film Flam.

This episode is really unsettling for many reasons.  Mr Willy asking for donations from little kids, isn’t that a little creepy and somewhat makes him a pedophile? But to go as far as flying all the way to the set on your own and revealing the stolen cash is even more risky and dangerous.

I have read something interesting here from the PPG wikia, this episode was based real-life events in a 1965 New Year incident where Soupy Sales, miffed at having to work on the holiday, ended his live broadcast by encouraging his young viewers to tiptoe into their still-sleeping parents’ bedrooms and remove those “funny green pieces of paper with pictures of U.S. Presidents" from their pants and pocketbooks. "Put them in an envelope and mail them to me,” Soupy instructed the children. “And I’ll send you a postcard from Puerto Rico!” He was then hit with a pie. He later admitted that he was joking and that the money would be donated to a charity, but Sales was negatively affected by the incident.

Also I learned that this episode was actually written back in 1999 as a season 2 episode, but was scrapped since the staff feared a lawsuit from PBS, so instead the story was given to DC Comics named Remote Controlled. The story was much better and less mediocre compared to this one. It’s such a downfall when a great cartoon runs it’s course and episodes that were originally written for the comics suddenly have elements thrown onto the screen and never live up to how they could have been.

There’s something else I would like to point out here. I saw this comment on the PPG wikia by a user named Crossoverfan4ever and he pointed out that Bubbles commited a crime and got away with it, and did she get punished? Of course not, because she’s, cute, innocent adorable, precious, sweet little Bubbles who can probably get away with murder if she tried.

So…in A Very Special Blossom, Blossom steals a rather valuable set of golf clubs and gets punished for it with 200 hours of community service, yet the Professor asks the cops to go easy on her and she’s also sorry (seriously, you can feel her sorrow in her voice and that face just says it all).

In the fan-loathing controversial episode Moral Decay, Buttercup commits a crime by breaking into the local villains homes and steals their teeth for money from the “tooth fairy” after already beating up crooks for committing crimes. Her punishment: Ambushed by her worst enemies as her sisters sadistically watch her get beat up (note that Buttercup is a little girl, so can you imagine the pain inflicted on her?). Going back to Neighbor Hood, yeah, it’s bad. One of season five’s worst.

7. Crazy Mixed-Up Puffs

Season six was definitely the weakest link in the original show’s run, so in a way, it’s a breath of fresh air when McCracken and Savino declined a season seven from Cartoon Network (much to the disappointment to the fans).

CMUP just made way for some really weak points in writing and character development and derailment. Whichever one, even my feelings for this are mixed up…or mesed up. Whatever!  

In this episode, Mojo Jojo is watching old clips of the past fights and battles he has had with the girls and soon stops for an ice cream break. Unforunately, a little girl is in front of him and he deters her. As Mojo orders his three scoops (which happen to resemble the signature colors of the Powerpuff Girls), the little girl throws her ball at him, causing him to drop the ice cream onto the floor. As it does, Mojo gets an idea.

Mojo then goes home to his lair and creates a dummy of a girl calling for help, attracting attention from the Powerpuff Girls, they fly over to save her and are immediately caught in his trap.

The machine swirls the girls together, fusing them all into one and because of this, the girls find it hard to fly, spin and even keep their own balance, not to mention worsening their arguments every single time. It’s really unpleasant to watch.

From here, the girls  now have to rely on each other with trust and work as a team to stop Mojo. After finally making their way to Mojo, they defeat him, destroying the fuse machine with a huge blast, but are still stuck together as one.

As they make their way back to the Mayor’s office, they get Professor Utonium to try and seperate them. Feeling hopeless, the Professor breaks down into tears knowing that his daughters will never be the same, but they tell him that they don’t mind being this close and reassure him that everything is going to be okay. The Mayor finds a thread from their fused dresses and pulls it which somehow…separates the girls restoring them to their glory. I do love when the Professor tells the girls that he loves them all, it’s moments like this that always make the show great, it’s too bad this episode suffered from mediocicy, unpleasant arguments and…this (Really? After all you’ve been through, you decide to add this in here?) NOTE: Never let Paul Stec or someone else write a Powerpuff Girls episode storyline which may result into tasteless immature fart jokes…speaking of which…

6. Reeking Havoc Season six…why? Why did you have to go with this crap? An entire episode about flatulence? Really? Okay, well silently but still visually. I for one don’t care for this kind of humor, it’s immature, lame, not funny, pointless and…just go watch South Park if you’re into that stuff (by the way, I’m a huge fan of South Park, freakin’ ironic I know! lol).

The Girls have just returned home from enjoying a beautiful sunny day in spring, admiring the fresh air until their noses are suddenly inflicted with the smell of something …not so fresh, in this case, chili. Yep! Because how else are the writers going to come up with an episode which is ten minutes of fart jokes. Real mature. Not.

It turns out that the girls father Professor Utonium is cooking this…chili for the “2nd Annual Chili Cook-Off” in Townsville. The girls reluctantly try a sample, as expected by them and those watching, it doesn’t go down well (we even see a shot of Buttercup losing it in the waste-bin). Worried that he may lose again, Blossom decides that they should tell the Professor, but her sisters object due to the year before, in which the Professor lost and broke down.

Later that night, the Professor still thinks his chili needs something extra…or should that be “x-tra”…with that, he adds a drop of Chemical X into the concoction. Sure, because somehow that works right? Also, maybe adding COFFEE into the chili is the reason it doesn’t taste so good. Later on that night, the girls (one by one) also happen to put a drop of Chemical X in the chili.

The following morning during the annual chili contest, the judges (which happen to be Ms Keane, the Mayor and Sara Bellum) are trying out all the dishes that have been made for the event when soon, they try the Professor’s chilli causing reactions that they never experienced before. With that, the Professor is declared the winner of the contest and is awarded the trophy and with that, the Mayor hands out free samples of the prize winning chilli.

What then follows is nothing but flatulent puns, visual and audible, one after the other while everyone’s guts start growling and all that gas happens to escape and creates…a giant methane monster. No, seriously! A giant cloud made out of everyone’s gas! What were the writers thinking, seriously? It’s like they have watched Ren and Stimpy and got some ideas off there, no? 

The following day, the methane monster soon causes chaos all over Townsville and his stench is so unbearable that it causes everyone to feel nauseous and complain. This then causes the Mayor to call the girls and…*sighs*…watching them trying to fight off a huge flatulent monster is just…well…yeah. Lame.  

As if stinking up the city has already been done in season 2’s Down and Dirty, but that as caused by Buttercup refusing to bathe, but nope, we get a full on episode with gastronomical proportions and bad jokes!

From here, we get some rather ridiculously stomach churning moments including the girls actually trying to suck the monster up…err…gross? So…after the mention of a “match”, Blossom gets an idea and takes off and returns again in seconds with…a giant match…no seriously AND to make this episode even more cringy, she mentions that she got it from the same place where she got the giant jar in “episode two season one”. Was that really necessary?

I don’t wanna go on since its pretty cliche’d with the fact that entering a chili cook-off with an ingredient that happens to be linked to chaos, it’s obvious what that equals.

This was a bad episode and I mean really really bad. GOLDEN RULE: Keep fart jokes off this show! Oh wait…the reboot pushed that further! *sighs*

5. Gettin’ Twiggy With It Consider this the Pet Sitter Pat episode of The Powerpuff Girls. Nearly every character in this show is likable, funny, great, relatable and somehwhat a decent role model. All but one…that being a less major character: the girls class mate Mitch Mitchellson. A sadistic, nasty, evil, selfish, greedy, manipulative  child who takes pleasure in bullying his fellow…ahem…classmates. Think of him as the Nelson Muntz of Townsville. Think of him as Ren Hoek off Ren Seeks Help in Ren and Stimpy Adult Party Cartoon, or maybe even Stewie Griffin. In this episode, it’s Friday and that means one of the kids has the responsibility of taking the class hamster Twiggy home. The girls volunteer, but somehow Ms. Keane chooses Mitch to look after her.

This episode is legimately painful to watch in my opinion. As an animal lover (especially hamsters) who hates animal cruelty to a degree couldn’t even watch this. It isn’t funny, isn’t a pleasure to watch, it’s just sick, twisted and evil, I’m glad though that the episode itslef wasn’t treated as comedic, that would make me up this episode straight to number one in my opinion. Mitch apparently says he never owned a pet before, yet you can clearly see that he has a snake in the background, what the hell?

I like how when Twiggy becomes a vicious monster, the girls do their part to save him, but still teach him a lesson in harming little Twiggy. It’s rare for an episode to be played out seriously for the most part, yet this is just so difficult to watch. Especially all the ways Mitch tortures the hamster.

Gettin’ Twiggy With It is just nasty and an unwatchable episode. It’s unpleasant, demented and just uncomfortable to watch. For a better review on this episode, I suggest reading this: https://www.deviantart.com/regulas314/art/1001-Animations-Gettin-Twiggy-With-It-517452789. He does great reviews and provides decent detail.

Overall, Mitch Mitchellson is hands down my most despised character in The Powerpuff Girls, maybe even worse than Princess Morbucks. And that’s saying a lot. 

4. Girls Gone Mild I don’t think there’s one countdown of top ten worst PPG without this episode at least appearing on there. It’s bad, the story, the premise, the fact that this episode was inspired by letters Craig McCracken received from parents thinking the violence was appropriate as a defence, pretty much the Three Girls and A Monster of the Chris Savino era. This episode is basically like a reminder that parents and legal guardians are the ones who should ultimately take responsibility for their children’s actions instead of just blaming other people for it. But for what it is, it’s not funny or entertaining and definitely one worth skipping. Need I point out that the two people of “P.A.P.P” (People Against Powerpuff Girls) were played by the same people behind the voices of Cosmo and Wanda from The Fairly Odd Parents?

But seriously, where do these two come from? Clearly not from Townsville otherwise they’d be more than happy to ask for the girls help, but no, instead they eat everything up with complaints and threaten to sue the Professor if the girls start using their superpowers again. I hate tropes like this, especially when we all know in the end, they go back to normal and do what they do best. Now if only they were kicking Stanley and Sandra Practice’s butts instead.

3. Moral Decay *sighs* some of you have definitely seen this one coming but you can see why. It’s one of the most unpleasant, mean spirited and degrading episodes of the Craig McCracken era. What were the writers actually thinking?

Buttercup’s nothing but a straight up sadist in this episode, the moment those mouth muscles form a malicious slasher smirk, she has straight up changed in personality throughout the episode. After accidentally knocking one of Bubbles’ teeth out, she learns of the “tooth fairy” bringing money in exchange for teeth under kid’s pillows and what does she do? She constantly abuses Bubbles just to try and knock out her teeth.

First off, Buttercup may be tough, but she loves her sisters dearly and wouldn’t think of abusing her own sisters for kicks. Sure she gets into scrapes now and then, argues and teases them, but she would never want to hurt them to this extent!

UmbraMagna’s stated this before on YouTube but have they go something against Buttercup, did they hate her character? Why did she always get the rough stuff in punishment and treatment? Think about it? In Down and Dirty, she refuses to bathe and even gets kicked out the house until she gives in and is forcefully given a full scrub by her own sisters. In Cover Up, a whole opportunity is wasted  on a story that could have had a heartwarming peptalk scene between Buttercup and the Professor, there, Buttercup feels vulnerable without her security blanket. You gotta remember that she is a little girl, it’s normal for someone her age to have a baby blanket.

Going back to Moral Decay, it’s a terrible episode that’s just painful to watch and do NOT get me started on the ending. The Professor at his most non-caring right here, not to mention that close out ending scene. As punishment, the Professor pays covers Buttercup’s dental bills with the money she “saved”. By the way, I suggest you check out @UmbraMagna’s extended review on this episode. Since mostly I’d be shadowing and echoing what she has said, along with A Very Special Blossom in her top 10 worst PPG eps countdown.

2. Sun Scream/The City Of Frownsville I put these two together because…well, they both aired together, simple as, bit cheap and not so well explained or thought but what else. These two episodes are just torture! Despite being on different topics. 

First off, Sun Scream. This episode is just a chore to get though. The girls all catch the sun after refusing to put sunscreen lotion on while trying to stop a solar flare from plummeting to the earth. What do their fans and the rest of the citizens do? They laugh at them, instead of showing concern for three kids who have badly been sunburned. Just…what has happened to Townsville?

The rest of the episode is nothing but the girls struggling to get up out of bed and trying to answer the hotline, getting dressed to even struggling to attack some con artists. I won’t spoil this episode but if you have made it through till the end then good luck, this one’s just painful to watch.

Then we have The City of Frownsville. Although being dedicated to those who lost their lives during 9-11 (with all my respect, I pray now even). Despite this, this episode is nothing but everyone sobbing their eyes out for ten minutes. If you can’t stand nails scratching on a chalkboard, then you will definitely not be able to make it through this episode.

All of Townsville’s put under a spell by “Lou Gubrious” and his machine that causes everyone to cry uncontrollably, this then reverses his mood giving him the new name “Hal Larious” (please, seriously?), the rest…ugh.

Skip this one while you can guys.

Before I get to number one, I’d like to give out a few dishonorable mentions.

Cover Up - For shaming Buttercup being a softy. Also her sisters cruelly laughing at her. Twisted Sister - First off, I don’t hate this episode as a whole, I don’t like what they did with the new sister Bunny. She’s unstable, but her slurred speech and lack of English, as well as dying in so called comedic fashion’s a bit too much. Fallen Arches - Blossom’s unbearable in this episode. Sure, we should respect the elderly but refusing to fight these crooks and throw'em in jail. Just…no. Sweet and Sour - Ugh, cutesey animals getting away with crime and the citizens are just as clueless because they are “TOO CUTE!”. Come on! Pee Pee Gs - Unsettling and nothing but pee jokes. Umm…no, unfunny and a cringefest. Prime Mates - Mopey Popo’s constant complaining and rambling in his Droopy-esque voice and the girls not having enough screen time make this a true downer. A Very Special Blossom - Ugh, one of the first of episodes where one of the girls does wrong and gets punished for it. In this case, Blossom’s dark side shows when she steals a valuable set of golf clubs just to please the Professor for Father’s Day. That’s Not My Baby - Ah the baby cliche! Whether it’s abandoned or just being looked after the whole package is there. The baby never stops crying, and when it eats, it’s diaper needs to be changed yada yada yada, I’m sick of this cliche and this episode’s no better. HOW did they not even notify the Professor even? I left it out of here because the ending was actually clever. Cop Out - Forgettable, bland and yeah. Unfunny, also that cop. Ugh. Custody Battle - Just doesn’t feel like a PPG episode, but a Rowdyruff Boys spinoff. Also the whole two daddies thing…nah. Divide and Conquer - I know education and learning’s important but an entire maths episode…nope. Save Mojo - I’m a bit of an animal activist, no lies but…a cartoon chimpanzee with constant diabolical plans to destroy the Powerpuff Girls and take over the world, that’s different (plus a cartoon), and…yeah. Basically Girls Gone Mild with animal activists and protesters. Say Uncle - Absolutely forgettable and lame. Mizzen In Action - I love the Crack McCraigen pun name but over all, this swash buckling episode’s one of the show’s most forgettable episodes. Seed No Evil - Bland and boring and…seriously, what’s this all about seeds in olden times? The City of Nutsville - Bubbles gets stung in the throat by a bee/wasp and her sisters actually laugh at her…messed up. Also, squirrel apocalypse. Insane. West in Pieces - Ugh…ancestors of the Powerpuff Girls? really? As if Seed No Evil was no better.

And the number one worst Powerpuff Girls episode is…

1. Toast Of The Town I HATE this episode! Talk about character derailment, especially when you’re in the middle of season five. If you can get through this episode listening to the Mayor speak in the third person, good for you, because there’s a lot of it and it’s enough to make your eardrums split.

The Mayor has a huge craving for toast (say, at least SOMEONE now has a toaster unlike everybody in Too Pooped To Puff few seasons back) but his toaster is out of range, so he goes to the Professor to have it fixed. And with that, we get some of the most cringe inducing audio, lack lustered story writing and some of the most ANNOYING dialogue in any episode! The Mayor is basically nothing but…a child in a man’s body here. The Professor won’t fix his toaster because he’s busy, but after more complaining from the Mayor, he gets on with the job and the Mayor is so impatient he asks in seconds if it’s done yet…really? The Mayor is an idiot, that’s for sure, but at least he means well and loves his city and job and looks out for the girls. BUT his stupidity here is both questionable, childish and dumbed down to a tee!

The Professor makes the Mayor wait somewhere in the lab which he does despite still dejected and impatient. What follows is…the Mayor curiously pressing buttons like a child and setting off an alarm and causing a huge explosion in the lab…err…is this Dexter’s Lab or The Powerpuff Girls? Some weird pattern here! Anyway, the Professor then proceeds to let the Mayor stay put by putting him in a high chair…for…some reason…

Later on, the Mayor discovers a can of Chemical X and rubs some of it on his head thinking it’s hair growth formula and…his entire body is now the size of King Kong, complete with a shameless parody to boot. I don’t need to explain anymore of this.

Seriously? The Mayor’s third person speech and childish behaviour here is some of the worst character derailment I’ve ever seen. As I said with Gettin’ Twiggy With It, there’s a more detailed review here by Regulas314: https://www.deviantart.com/regulas314/art/Animated-Atrocities-Toast-of-the-Town-475588395

There’s no other way I can mention this episode without any…ahem spoilers, but I suggest avoiding it while you can. SERIOUSLY! This episode’s unbearable!