Cartoons of today have come a long way from the wholesome family oriented images of the past. Instead of childlike characters like Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse, we have crass jokers such as Peter Griffin, Bender the robot and Eric Cartman who continuously push the envelope in both theme and content. This more crude and mature style can be traced back to shows of the early ‘90s like the ever popular "Simpsons" and the newly refurbished "Beavis and Butt-head."
Created in 1992 by Mike Judge, "Beavis and Butt-head" is a half-hour MTV program about two teenage slackers who constantly make fun of the world around them. For a simple concept, it ran successfully from 1993-1997 and spawned four holiday specials, one video game and a feature film. However, due to the success of Judge's other cartoons "Daria" and "King of the Hill," the show was put on the back burner and ultimately cancelled. Fortunately for fans everywhere, Judge went back to his original creation after a 14-year hiatus with the revival of "Beavis and Butt-head" on Oct. 27.
Following the old format, the two iconic characters are still doing what they do best: hopelessly looking for girls, concocting moronic schemes and making fun of music videos. The only difference between the revival and its predecessor is the updated references made such as the "Twilight" books, music by MGMT and clips from "Jersey Shore," which of course, they make fun of.
The response from students has been generally positive.
"I was a fan of the show when I was younger and I enjoyed how much pop culture of the 90s was included," senior Brittany Martinez said. "I really enjoy how Mike Judge brought it back without completely copying that style but by updating it for this new age in entertainment."
Senior Cameron Rhein agreed.
"A lot of people were obviously excited to see it because it was the most popular show that night other than the World Series," Rhein said. "I think it's because it has that nostalgic feeling we all get after watching it when we were kids."
However, not everyone thinks that this program will run long.
"I think that it is going to fail," senior Marco Alberti said. "‘South Park,' ‘Family Guy,' ‘American Dad' and ‘Robot Chicken' all developed from ‘Beavis and Butt-head.' They deal with all the same issues if not a wider variety."
While "Beavis and Butt-head" may look tame compared to current shows, it still has time to generate shock and awe from viewers everywhere. "Beavis and Butt-head" airs on MTV on Thursdays at 10 p.m.
Christopher Spall can be reached at christopher.spall@student.shu.edu.
