The age-old stigma that animation is a genre specifically meant for children is one that is timeless just as much as it is wrong. People often feel that animation is specifically a genre that is meant to be watched by children. While there has been a notable decrease in the number of people who feel this way, the stigma itself is still existent, nonetheless. While yes, there are animation genres that tend to be targeted towards younger audiences, it’s not necessarily the entire story. Animation is a medium more so than a genre, with many genres that it can encapsulate.
I often hear stories online of parents putting on an animated show for their children to watch only to end up complaining that the show is too graphic for children. For starters, one of the main issues is irresponsibility on the parent’s part for failing to know more about what they show their children, but additionally, it wouldn’t be an issue in the first place if they didn’t automatically equate animated shows to content specifically aimed at children. A great example of this is the show “Hazbin Hotel.” When that show first aired, it was clear that its content wasn’t suitable for children and yet there were many parents who disliked the show and complained that it wasn’t child friendly.
This isn’t a problem in shows either but in many other forms of media as well. It feels like whenever an animated film gets any form of recognition, Hollywood snubs it as something solely meant to entertain children and fails to recognize the potential they hold. Even in award ceremonies, animated shows and films often get excluded from a good portion of major award categories. Even then, just because a show or film may be targeted for kids it doesn’t mean that it lacks substance. Many classics that were originally targeted at children are classics because they tell good and fascinating stories that make for an interesting viewing experience.
