Cartoon challenge

[DoesntCompute]

At dinner tonight my family and I started discussing cartoons (when you have 6, 9, and 11 year old boys, it's a common topic). The boys started talking about how stupid the dad was on Jimmy Neutron. My wife made a comment that it was too bad that the cartoon showed the dad being such a doofus. I asked the boys what cartoon they watched showed the dad being smart (or at least not an imbecile). We struggled to find any. We discovered that shows made for girls are more likely to have a competent father figure.

My challenge to you... Name the cartoons on TV where the dads are competent.

[K/H_Addict]

:ponder:






:ponder: some more


nope, i got nothing... :shrug:

[Su-Bak-Na]

Spongebob Squarpants:

Why because Spongebobs dad isn't a doofus. He's just normal.

I can't think of much else.

[netherspirit]

Inspector Gadget....oh wait...:duh:

[ninthdoc]

Johnny Quest.

Other than that, I'm drawing a blank. The only other one that comes close could be Dexter's Lab, depending upon how you view the actual reality of Dexter's lab on the show (there are times when I feel that it's completely imaginary).

Oh, and BTW, I thought of a cartoon aimed at girls that is does not follow your rule: The Proud Family.

[Supergeek]

Herculoids!

[lightfight]

The fathers from Rugrats were fairly competent overall. I hated that show though.

[Aldin]

You know, you could expand this sadness into the whole realm of television - the number of good fathers represented is vanishingly small.

~Aldin, fatheringly

[netherspirit]

You know, you could expand this sadness into the whole realm of television - the number of good fathers represented is vanishingly small.

~Aldin, fatheringly

Cosby, Full House, Family Matters. Its late or I could probably think of more...

[ninthdoc]

You know, you could expand this sadness into the whole realm of television - the number of good fathers represented is vanishingly small.

~Aldin, fatheringly

Cosby, Full House, Family Matters. Its late or I could probably think of more...

Good points, but I think that if you compare the role of fathers on television as they've regressed over the past 50 years, you'll see that they are becoming much more mocked and less revered.

I've had many conversations with my wife in which we discuss how I feel this is actually more damaging than violence on television for youngsters.

[netherspirit]

You know, you could expand this sadness into the whole realm of television - the number of good fathers represented is vanishingly small.

~Aldin, fatheringly

Cosby, Full House, Family Matters. Its late or I could probably think of more...

Good points, but I think that if you compare the role of fathers on television as they've regressed over the past 50 years, you'll see that they are becoming much more mocked and less revered.

I've had many conversations with my wife in which we discuss how I feel this is actually more damaging than violence on television for youngsters.

Thats true, and probably the reason I couldn't think of anything more recent.

Oh another good example would be Home Improvement.

[Aldin]

None of which are on the air in anything but syndication. Everybody Loves Raymond gets a nod from most. And I didn't say nonexistant... just vanishingly small :(

~Aldin

[Supergeek]

I've had many conversations with my wife in which we discuss how I feel this is actually more damaging than violence on television for youngsters.
That is something that I hadn't really thought of. Good point.

[django]

The Venture brothers-Dr.Venture the man is a genius.

[Hex_Enduction_Hour]

He was a hothead, but c'mon! What about Pops Racer?!?
http://encyclopedia.quickseek.com/images/Pops_Racer.jpg

[InfinityMax]

Avatar. He may not be around much, but Suko and Katara's father is a powerful leader and a brave man.

But yeah, other than that, cartoons tend to have stupid fathers. I don't like it.

[blindmiceinboots]

in Invader Zim his enemy's dad is a scientist, Dib is his name i think

[lightfight]

I don't want to over generalize, but I think it's odd that cartoon fathers are represented that way. In my experience adult men watch way more cartoons that adult women. When I was a kid my father was my best buddy, he would wake up an watch cartoons with me on saturday mornings. We'd have cereal and sometimes pancakes and spend all morning laying around watching cartoons and then spend the rest of the day playing around outside. Those are some great memories. I'm sure their are plenty of great mothers out there, and I certainly love my own--but she was more, erm, aloof. She never really played with me, or spent much time with me but was still a great mother. From my experience it's that way with most people, the father is the big kid and spends most of the time playing with the (male) children, and the mother is more aloof and doesn't get into the whole cartoon/playing thing.

Again, I don't want to generalize here because this is just my experience and I'm sure there are plenty of mother who love to watch cartoon with their children.

[RichardD]

GOT ONE!

Jeff Tracy, head of International Rescue (Thunderbirds). There you go - it's sort-of animation, he was the dad, and a billionaire philanthropist and perfect role-model to boot.

[Miniature Geek]

Avatar. He may not be around much, but Suko and Katara's father is a powerful leader and a brave man.

But yeah, other than that, cartoons tend to have stupid fathers. I don't like it.

Actually it isn't just Dad's men in general take a slamming in the media, I once read an article about how in commercials they imply that men are complete idiots and yet men don't complain, but if you made the same type comercial but instead poked fun at women they would have a fit.

EDIT: Also I don't know if this counts, but Master Splinter, technically not a biological father, he was one heck of a father figure.

[Havokscry]

Spike's dad on the Transformers was pretty competent and a pretty good role-model.

The dad on the Chipmunks wasn't so bad either, considering that his kid's were Chipmunks. He did yell at Alvin quite a bit though.

The dad on M.A.S.K. was a pretty good one as well.

OK, I suck at remembering names and I'm pretty darn lazy to look them up this morning.

[mrbistro]

The doctor on Powerpuff Girls. The father on Pucca.

[ninthdoc]

I'll also vote for the dad on Speed Racer. I thought of him, too after posting last night.

Hey, what about Anakin Skywalker? Now there's a powerful father on screen (at least in Chapters 4-6). :P

[Havokscry]

What about Papa Smurf?

[Miniature Geek]

We need to remember good uncles as well, seeing as some of our beloved cartoon characters seem to be orphans. Hewy Dewy and Luey, two uncles, but never any mention of their father or mother. Both of their uncles were okay guys, each had their faults but they loved those little ducklings like they were there own. :cry:

[Havokscry]

We need to remember good uncles as well, seeing as some of our beloved cartoon characters seem to be orphans. Hewy Dewy and Luey, two uncles, but never any mention of their father or mother. Both of their uncles were okay guys, each had their faults but they loved those little ducklings like they were there own. :cry:

Don't forget that Scooby had to put up with Scrappy all those years.

[ninthdoc]

Spike on Tom and Jerry knew how to kick ass and take names. :D

[monkeyfish]

I thought the dad on Dexter's Laboratory was fairly competent.