Storytelling Media is Under Attack as Restrictions and Media Streaming Companies Limit Creators

From the wacky cartoons of Saturday Mornings, to the early 2000s channels dedicated to fun entertainment for the masses, cartoons have had a huge impact on pop culture and the media throughout the ages. However, like the Saturday morning cartoons of the ’80s and ’90s, early 2000s entertainment channels have been slowly fading out of existence.

But why are cartoon channels and even cartoons in general getting the boot? Many believe it to be due to lack of content and pressure from streaming channels.

Cartoon Network, a once popular cartoon channel, hosting the likes of cartoon classics such as Adventure Time, Steven Universe and Regular Show, denies claims that their ratings have taken a nosedive. In 2022, many fans even speculated that Cartoon Network was shutting down, and in response, Cartoon Network posted on their Twitter, stating that, “Y’all, we’re not dead, we’re just turning 30.” 

Even so, it’s understandable why fans assumed Cartoon Network’s closure; the channel currently boasts 33 shows, and in spite of that, most shows are targeted toward younger children or are related to big name titles such Barney and or Loony Toons. Back in the early 2000s, Cartoon Network was geared toward older children, usually around 10-14 years old. So now, for Cartoon Network to only have mostly “kiddy cartoons” with “click baitable,” big name titles, allowing them to easily stream, it makes sense why older Cartoon Network fans have become somewhat disappointed and grown nostalgic for the “golden years” of Cartoon Network with its unique, out of the box cartoons.

Similarly, fans of The Disney Channel feel the same way. Although The Disney Channel wasn’t as popular as Cartoon Network, it still had some major hits. Shows such as Phineas and Ferb, Gravity Falls and The DuckTales reboot became very popular and a huge reason why people watched The Disney Channel. Like Cartoon Network, its content has become very limited, and although the Disney brand is targeted toward younger audiences, The Disney Channel was originally marketed toward older kids and teenagers, its focus being redirected young children, using Disney’s big brand names to rake in viewers, which turns shows into mindless cash grabs.

However, even when shows with dedicated teams manage to separate themselves from the ever growing crowd, they are getting knocked down by recent media restrictions.

Shows such as The Owl House, with a rare 100 percent average Rotten Tomato rating was cancelled in 2023 following the aftermath of the pandemic. Although many speculated that the show was cancelled due to covid restrictions, the creator, Dana Terrace, came forward on Reddit expressing that the show wasn’t cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions; the show was cancelled because higher ups at Disney didn’t feel like the show “matched the Disney brand,” as the show began moving toward a more mature storyline, not in the sense of adult theming but with more focus on serious, more in depth topics. 

Likewise, Steven Universe, a show widely known for its representation of LGBTQ+ characters was also cut short due to this fact, and the creator, Rebecca Sugar had to rush the show’s ending, allegedly sneaking in what fans know as the “wedding episode,” where two of the female characters get married. 

Storytelling is an art, when people are restricted and forced to make what would get them more clicks on streaming services rather than making something profound and unique, it greatly affects what that person originally wanted to create. It makes the media market flooded with “copy paste” shows that the creators put no heart into. 

Cartoons, and in general, storytelling media are both under attack. Luckily, people are starting to fight back. Jelly Box Studios, an indie animation studio has partnered with Adam Conover, a famous actor, writer and comedian. Together, this power duo began posting YouTube shorts reaching thousands and even millions of views as they uncover the unjust behavior of animation studios, advocate for artists against their AI counterparts and discuss the impact of the streaming algorithm and how that affects shows and their creators.   

If you want to help support animation or learn more about what’s happening to this form of media, check out these Jelly Box Studios shorts on YouTube by looking up Jelly Box Studios and Adam Conover.