10 Biggest Kidult Moments In Television History

If you’re wondering what “kidult” is, in plain English it’s adults acting like kids and kids acting like grown-ups. At sparks & honey we have seen this trend spreading rapidly which has led us to question why. We have concluded that this recent surge in kidult in entertainment has been caused by adults feeling financially insecure and therefore engaging in play to escape, and youth growing up in a time that calls for change. That being said, this explosion of kidult content has been building for a while. Check out this top 10 list of the biggest kidult moments in television history, to see how far-reaching this trend really is. If you’d like to learn more about recent kidult manifestations and their implications on society and marketing, read our Kidult Content Network Deep Dive Report at http://bit.ly/KidultReport.

1. Lone Ranger – 1949

The Lone Ranger was a masked ex-Texas Ranger who turned to fighting injustice in the Old West. The Lone Ranger followed a very strict moral code, bringing adult concepts into a kid's TV show.

2. Sesame Street – 1969

Sesame Street was a wildly popular television show for children that featured puppets and integrated educational concepts. The characters in the show were adults, yet they were featured in a children's show.

3. The Muppet Movie – 1979

In The Muppet Movie, Kermit decides to pursue a career in Hollywood, and brings his puppet friends along for the journey. We can see a heavy theme of Kidult in this movie, as Kermit is an adult character, yet the movie is targeted for young children.

4. Pee-wee's Playhouse – 1986

Pee-wee's Playhouse featured Pee-Wee Herman, an extremely child-like adult. There was a mix of imagination and real-life. Playhouse was designed as an educational yet entertaining and artistic show for children, and its conception was greatly influenced by 1950s shows Reubens had watched as a child, like The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, The Mickey Mouse Club, Captain Kangaroo and Howdy Doody. The show quickly acquired a dual audience of kids and grownups.

5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

American live-action film adaptation of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise directed by Steve Barron. The film was followed by three sequels: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze in 1991, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III in 1993, and TMNT in 2007. This film presents the origin story ofSplinter and the Turtles, the initial meeting between them, April O'Neil and Casey Jones, and their first confrontation with The Shredder and his Foot Clan.

6. South Park – 1997

Similarly to "Beavis and Butt-head," "South Park" features animated characters that cover very mature content. Created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network, this animated sitcom is intended for mature audiences. The show has become famous for its crude language and dark, surreal humor that lampoons a wide range of topics.

7. Robot Chicken - 2005

A sketch comedy that parodies a number of pop culture conventions using stop motion animation of toys, action figures, claymation and various other objects, such as tongue depressors, The Game of Life pegs and popsicle sticks during a joke about a loss of budget. Although the show uses kiddie characters, it’s content is very much targeted to adult viewers.

8. Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? – 2007

This game show poses grade-school level questions to adults. If the contestant wins the million, they will have the opportunity to declare to the camera "I am smarter than a 5th grader!" However, if at any point during the game the player drops out or flunks out, they must face the camera, state their name, and declare "I am not smarter than a 5th grader."

9. Teen Mom – 2009

"Teen Mom" chronicles the lives of teen mothers through the first few years of childhood. Being a teenage mother forces these girls to grow up-or at least tempt to at a young age.

10. Guys with Kids – 2012

“Guys with Kids” is an upcoming TV series created by Jimmy Fallon and Charlie Grandy about three thirty-something men who try to hold onto their youth as they face the responsibilities of having kids.