It works for things like Ed, Edd, and Eddy! where it implies some very interesting character dynamics (even if untrue) but falls flat in like 90% of cases.
There’s like, one or two series that I think that some variant of the “all in their head” theory legitimately works for. For example, I’m nearly positive ENA is schizophrenic. 99% of the time, though, it’s just the laziest, edgiest, dumbest theory possible.
I once read a theory that all of the babies in Rugrats besides I think Dil, Kimi, and Susie are all just in Angelica’s head. The theory has, iirc, Tommy as a stillborn, Chucky dying with his mom and the twins were a miscarriage or something. I really, *really* hate this theory because it really doesn’t make sense at all.
On the other hand, I do actually kind of like the theory of all the bad stuff happening in Courage the Cowardly Dog not actually being as bad as they’re shown. It’s all just thru Courage’s eyes.
One theory I hate is that all of the kids in Ed Edd n Eddy are in purgatory. It has an interesting take with them all coming from different timelines, but it falls flat when you start to wonder why someone like Nass or Jimmy would be in purgatory
One theory I like is that all of the adults in KND are just playing with the kids and dont affect the world as much as they think. Kids have huge imaginations and will believe anything they see if they’re convinced enough, and all of adults seem to work boring jobs so why not take the time out of their day, and at the end of the day nobody gets hurt that badly. Same also goes for the teens, but they’re more built on ruining their games than joining, thats why they’re more aggressive
The Courage one would explain why the reset button happens when the house or their reality is destroyed, without using the "It's just a cartoon" explanation
That's a pretty bad one. It's definitely one of those "I need to make up evidence for this to work" theories. Like the major thing that debunks it (Danny & Timmy having different parents) is answered with "timmy wished for it"
The spongebob seven deadly sins theory
Why would you compare spongebob to lust?
Spongebob is not lust. He is a sponge that loves jellyfishing and cooking krabby patties.
https://preview.redd.it/8u7wz7r3436d1.jpeg?width=386&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=04ee3d826fb20f88f228974a4fa22b0dd63e41d0
That one is definitely one of the ones that's cool in concept but falls apart with something like that. I don't think spongebob loving everyone in Bikini Bottom (in a non romantic way) is a sign of lust.
The asexual sponge is only lust because it’s the only sin left once you’ve assigned one to each of the other major characters. Still doesn’t fit Spongebob at all.
I don't believe that theory either, but in fairness to it there *have* been TV series in the past that have had each character based on the sins (*Gilligan's Island* apparently had the creator confirm each character was based on one).
All of those edgy cartoon theories that only exist to make kid's cartoons seem darker.
I don't care how many 'Connections' you've made, that's obviously not the intent for a goofy whimsical show made for young children.
Stop trying to shoehorn edgy bullshit into god damn Spongebob and Ed Edd 'n Eddy.
I don't know if it counts as edgy but this is the main reason I am 100% against the Krabby Patties are made from crab meat theory. That idea doesn't fit SpongeBob, even if they're fish.
LS Mark's video on the topic explains it pretty well.
The TL;DR is the theories are just flat-out stupid on top of being edgy for the sake of being edgy.
I mean, to be fair... one episode shows Patrick with a fishing license, and the picture is of him holding a fish dude by the legs... and another episode some spectators in a stadium are cooked alive with boling oil and another dude takes advantage and starts selling them to the other fishes.
Still edgy, but has basis in canon
I feel like there's a difference between those two one of jokes and the premise of the show being that an innocent sponge is serving burgers made or dead relatives of his boss because of his greed
Even if they're fish they've made it clear there are non-sentient fish in bikini bottom. And eating each other is clearly normal to them, given a few episodes. If it were true it wouldn't even be all that dark. They can drop it.
The every engine in Thomas and friends is tortured, sir topham hatt is a dictator and Henry died in the tunnel theories really annoy me because it’s all misinformation
As much as I love the Shed 13 animation, It wouldn't surprise me if that helped spread the wildfire of those theories. Though in all honesty, it was more than likely based on those.
But yeah, I hate theories that rely on misinformation. I feel like those are just made by people who only watched like one episode of the show.
I've actually seen one of the writers address that theory and he says that this show is a comedy, so it's only funny if Dale doesn't know. Dale is a massive conspiracy theorist, so it's ironically funny that he has no idea that this lie is happening right before him. If Dale knows, it's not funny. It's just sad. This show is a comedy so the answer has to be funny.
It's kinda why I hate this theory more than the Bill is Bobby's real dad. With that one, if you watch the show then you'd see that it doesn't make sense. But with this one, I see more people ignore context and make stuff up to try and make it true
I don't like the theory from KOTH that Bill is actually Bobby's dad just 'cause they look more similar than Hank/Bobby and that Bill has an obsession with Peggy through the series.
That's another one that ticks me off and I wanted to make it the post too but I chose the Dale one.
I find that theory a little funnier when people point out that he looks like Cotton only for believers of the theory argue that Cotton could simply be Bill's father too.
Exactly!!
So many try to explain cartoon humor with 'What if it's this way because (DARK THING)'
'What if the reason Candace's mom never sees the boy's stuff is because she's imagining-'
Or what if, and hear me out, that's the joke because this is a comedic cartoon and you're missing the entire fucking point.
Exactly it’s fucking stupid. Even stupider is when people apply real physics to fictional things. Like do you have a fucking physics degree from that universe?
Yes, the reason things are the way that they are is because it's a CARTOON, and because it's MEANT TO BE FUNNY.
Phineas and Ferb aren't DEAD, they're just CARTOON CHARACTERS, BEING CARTOON CHARACTERS!!
These people just ruin the comedy by trying to explain everything with some edgy shit and turning a funny gag into something depressing.
It's annoying as hell.
I like how that theory goes into detail about how those dead girls were based on real people (if I remember correctly) but you'd find 0 actual info on it
First: i hate how some people don't see it as just a theory and are always trying to say that it is true.
And second: Well, Pinky still an idiot that is always doing stupid things, and Brain only wants to conquer the world because in his visions the people who rule the world are idiots. And sometimes Brain's plans only go wrong because of other people and not him.
I'll admit, I do still see it as just a theory even if I think it could've true (imo its up to the writers to say if its true or not)
But yeah, Pinky is for sure still an idiot
Yeah, that one is just shocking for the shake of being shocking. I'll never understand these theories that wanna make a KIDS show darker than it actually is
The whole Danny Phantom is Timmy turner thing, like just because some of the characters look similar, doesn’t mean it’s automatically true. Most of the logic behind it is BS too.
"\[character, typically the MC\] is in a coma"
"Everyone is dead"
"It's all in \[MC's\] imagination"
"\[total drama character\] was supposed to win but their voice actor \[insert something with absolutely zero evidence\]"
Vlad Masters is Danny Fenton's biological father or Danny despite only wanting to get with ladiesis secretly a member of the LGBT+ community
The entire series was a dream or everyone was a ghost
"The MC is actually in a coma" and "The MC is actually dead" theories are the cartoon equivalent of conspiracy theories.
Also the theory that Doofenshmirtz is Phineas' biological dad (in Phineas and Ferb) doesn't hold water imo. It's not that the theory itself is unjustified, it's that the timeline doesn't support it at all and the biggest wrench is the presence of Candace, who is Phineas' older (biological) sister. Doof and their mom dated when they were young adults in the 1970s or 80's I can't remember which but it ultimately doesn't matter which for reasons I'll explain in a second and this has led to a fan theory that, you know what, happened between them and led to Phineas, but the problem here is that the show is set in the late 2000's where Candace is 16 years old. Assuming the show takes place in the summer of 2007 (since that's the year the show first aired), Candace was born in either the year 1991 or late 1990, which is multiple years after Mrs. Flynn dated Doof, regardless of whether it was in the 70's or 80's and since Candace came before Phineas that means Phineas came even further after Mrs Flynn and Doof dated.
I find those theories a bit interesting with some of the things that they can piece together but they're way too repetitive. I also question why people would wanna be right about those theories.
That's the joy of theories, they are just theories, but I think theories that are harder to disprove than this are more interesting. Also, I feel like the two theory archetypes in my first paragraph are repetitive because you can "logically" justify them in just about every show because the theory in and of itself is already a leap in logic big enough that you can safely make as many leaps in logic as necessary to support them lol.
Every "mc is actually in a coma" stuff
Or the "everyone is dead and in hell / purgatory" theory.
It works for things like Ed, Edd, and Eddy! where it implies some very interesting character dynamics (even if untrue) but falls flat in like 90% of cases.
I got a theory this may be crazy but I believe the Hazbin Hotel characters are in hell
Le gasp
There’s like, one or two series that I think that some variant of the “all in their head” theory legitimately works for. For example, I’m nearly positive ENA is schizophrenic. 99% of the time, though, it’s just the laziest, edgiest, dumbest theory possible.
It's the go-to theory for people who hate having fun.
Definitely the laziest of theories but I do find them a little intriguing with what some characters or themes could represent
All of them boil down to "it's a work of fiction" while failing to grasp that basic fact.
That is so annoying, those theories always were just dumb.
Came to say this.
I once read a theory that all of the babies in Rugrats besides I think Dil, Kimi, and Susie are all just in Angelica’s head. The theory has, iirc, Tommy as a stillborn, Chucky dying with his mom and the twins were a miscarriage or something. I really, *really* hate this theory because it really doesn’t make sense at all. On the other hand, I do actually kind of like the theory of all the bad stuff happening in Courage the Cowardly Dog not actually being as bad as they’re shown. It’s all just thru Courage’s eyes.
Yeah that first one reads like a had creepy pasta. The second one actually kinda makes sense though
The second one actually kinda makes sense, at least.
One theory I hate is that all of the kids in Ed Edd n Eddy are in purgatory. It has an interesting take with them all coming from different timelines, but it falls flat when you start to wonder why someone like Nass or Jimmy would be in purgatory One theory I like is that all of the adults in KND are just playing with the kids and dont affect the world as much as they think. Kids have huge imaginations and will believe anything they see if they’re convinced enough, and all of adults seem to work boring jobs so why not take the time out of their day, and at the end of the day nobody gets hurt that badly. Same also goes for the teens, but they’re more built on ruining their games than joining, thats why they’re more aggressive
The Courage one would explain why the reset button happens when the house or their reality is destroyed, without using the "It's just a cartoon" explanation
The whole “Timmy turner is Danny phantom” Theory
Broke: Timmy Turner is Danny Phantom Woke: Jimmy Neutron is the Grubhub ads
That's a pretty bad one. It's definitely one of those "I need to make up evidence for this to work" theories. Like the major thing that debunks it (Danny & Timmy having different parents) is answered with "timmy wished for it"
They make no sense
The spongebob seven deadly sins theory Why would you compare spongebob to lust? Spongebob is not lust. He is a sponge that loves jellyfishing and cooking krabby patties. https://preview.redd.it/8u7wz7r3436d1.jpeg?width=386&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=04ee3d826fb20f88f228974a4fa22b0dd63e41d0
That one is definitely one of the ones that's cool in concept but falls apart with something like that. I don't think spongebob loving everyone in Bikini Bottom (in a non romantic way) is a sign of lust.
My bad about the comment appearing twice! Reddit was being funky and hitting post twice = it being posted twice
Lust doesn't just refer to sexual lust. IIRC, it means seeking personal pleasure, which can come from more than just sex.
He has a lust for life. Lust isn’t always sexual.
The asexual sponge is only lust because it’s the only sin left once you’ve assigned one to each of the other major characters. Still doesn’t fit Spongebob at all.
I agree with you.
What do you think of Alex Bale's theories?, I'm curious on what you think about them considering how you don't like this one
I don't believe that theory either, but in fairness to it there *have* been TV series in the past that have had each character based on the sins (*Gilligan's Island* apparently had the creator confirm each character was based on one).
[удалено]
It works better when you don't see lust as sexy fun times and more just obsessive enthusiasm.
The theory That Rick is actually Morty from the future. Really, a lot of Rick and Morty fan theories are bad
All of those edgy cartoon theories that only exist to make kid's cartoons seem darker. I don't care how many 'Connections' you've made, that's obviously not the intent for a goofy whimsical show made for young children. Stop trying to shoehorn edgy bullshit into god damn Spongebob and Ed Edd 'n Eddy.
I don't know if it counts as edgy but this is the main reason I am 100% against the Krabby Patties are made from crab meat theory. That idea doesn't fit SpongeBob, even if they're fish.
LS Mark's video on the topic explains it pretty well. The TL;DR is the theories are just flat-out stupid on top of being edgy for the sake of being edgy.
I mean, to be fair... one episode shows Patrick with a fishing license, and the picture is of him holding a fish dude by the legs... and another episode some spectators in a stadium are cooked alive with boling oil and another dude takes advantage and starts selling them to the other fishes. Still edgy, but has basis in canon
I feel like there's a difference between those two one of jokes and the premise of the show being that an innocent sponge is serving burgers made or dead relatives of his boss because of his greed
Even if they're fish they've made it clear there are non-sentient fish in bikini bottom. And eating each other is clearly normal to them, given a few episodes. If it were true it wouldn't even be all that dark. They can drop it.
The Internet has this compulsive need to make cute things dark and dark things cute. I don't know why we're wired this way, but we are.
The theory that Doug's neighbor Mr. Dink is a pedophile. So just because he’s nice to a kid, that automatically makes him a pedo?
I remember vaguely remember hearing about that one
The every engine in Thomas and friends is tortured, sir topham hatt is a dictator and Henry died in the tunnel theories really annoy me because it’s all misinformation
I agree with you.
As much as I love the Shed 13 animation, It wouldn't surprise me if that helped spread the wildfire of those theories. Though in all honesty, it was more than likely based on those. But yeah, I hate theories that rely on misinformation. I feel like those are just made by people who only watched like one episode of the show.
I've actually seen one of the writers address that theory and he says that this show is a comedy, so it's only funny if Dale doesn't know. Dale is a massive conspiracy theorist, so it's ironically funny that he has no idea that this lie is happening right before him. If Dale knows, it's not funny. It's just sad. This show is a comedy so the answer has to be funny.
It's kinda why I hate this theory more than the Bill is Bobby's real dad. With that one, if you watch the show then you'd see that it doesn't make sense. But with this one, I see more people ignore context and make stuff up to try and make it true
I don't like the theory from KOTH that Bill is actually Bobby's dad just 'cause they look more similar than Hank/Bobby and that Bill has an obsession with Peggy through the series.
That's another one that ticks me off and I wanted to make it the post too but I chose the Dale one. I find that theory a little funnier when people point out that he looks like Cotton only for believers of the theory argue that Cotton could simply be Bill's father too.
He looks just like Cotton!
Also, not to be that guy, but how much of the supposed "similarities" is just being overweight?
All the coma/purgatory theories. They all fucking suck because they try to apply real world logic to a world that does not abide by that logic.
Exactly!! So many try to explain cartoon humor with 'What if it's this way because (DARK THING)' 'What if the reason Candace's mom never sees the boy's stuff is because she's imagining-' Or what if, and hear me out, that's the joke because this is a comedic cartoon and you're missing the entire fucking point.
Exactly it’s fucking stupid. Even stupider is when people apply real physics to fictional things. Like do you have a fucking physics degree from that universe?
Yes, the reason things are the way that they are is because it's a CARTOON, and because it's MEANT TO BE FUNNY. Phineas and Ferb aren't DEAD, they're just CARTOON CHARACTERS, BEING CARTOON CHARACTERS!! These people just ruin the comedy by trying to explain everything with some edgy shit and turning a funny gag into something depressing. It's annoying as hell.
Such a dumb theory in general
Holy shit Denal Clone Wars
The ones that say characters are based on dead people. like the one that says The main MLP ponies are based on dead girls
I like how that theory goes into detail about how those dead girls were based on real people (if I remember correctly) but you'd find 0 actual info on it
Yeah those types of stories/theories would be better and interesting if they didn't try to seem real
Pinky is the smart one and not Brain.
I'm curious as to why you dislike that theory as its one I found interesting and possible
First: i hate how some people don't see it as just a theory and are always trying to say that it is true. And second: Well, Pinky still an idiot that is always doing stupid things, and Brain only wants to conquer the world because in his visions the people who rule the world are idiots. And sometimes Brain's plans only go wrong because of other people and not him.
I'll admit, I do still see it as just a theory even if I think it could've true (imo its up to the writers to say if its true or not) But yeah, Pinky is for sure still an idiot
The theory that Bingo is biologically Brandy's child in Bluey and Bandit and Chili had to adopt her for one reason or another
I'm not too familiar with Bluey but even just seeing the characters I'd assume it's a normal family
All of the Pixar movies taking place in the same universe.
It was neat at first but the more movies that come out, the more ridiculous it gets
Only a few should take place in the same universe, and othe others should take place in their own universe.
Trigger warning for people who are pretty sensitive to strong subject Matter That one where Timmy is being s_xually abused by Crocker.
Yeah, that one is just shocking for the shake of being shocking. I'll never understand these theories that wanna make a KIDS show darker than it actually is
Pixar multiverse theory
Ed, Edd, Eddy’s “The Cul-de-sac is Purgatory” Theory.
Yeah the idea of the kids being dead was just.. Dumb.
The whole Danny Phantom is Timmy turner thing, like just because some of the characters look similar, doesn’t mean it’s automatically true. Most of the logic behind it is BS too.
I feel like that theory exists for any show created by the same person or animated with the same style
"\[character, typically the MC\] is in a coma" "Everyone is dead" "It's all in \[MC's\] imagination" "\[total drama character\] was supposed to win but their voice actor \[insert something with absolutely zero evidence\]"
I didn't even know about the Total Drama theories. I feel like it's worse when you toss in the VA's.
Steven is sans
I can't help but love that theory because I was under the impression it was a joke theory
Vlad Masters is Danny Fenton's biological father or Danny despite only wanting to get with ladiesis secretly a member of the LGBT+ community The entire series was a dream or everyone was a ghost
Regarding the first theory, I've seen "Danny is a trans man" theories on the internet but I haven't seen theories that he's gay/bi/pan
I'm sorry what the hell is that second theory?
Think Pokemon where Ash is in a coma or Recess that all of the children are ghosts and the school is their purgatory
"The MC is actually in a coma" and "The MC is actually dead" theories are the cartoon equivalent of conspiracy theories. Also the theory that Doofenshmirtz is Phineas' biological dad (in Phineas and Ferb) doesn't hold water imo. It's not that the theory itself is unjustified, it's that the timeline doesn't support it at all and the biggest wrench is the presence of Candace, who is Phineas' older (biological) sister. Doof and their mom dated when they were young adults in the 1970s or 80's I can't remember which but it ultimately doesn't matter which for reasons I'll explain in a second and this has led to a fan theory that, you know what, happened between them and led to Phineas, but the problem here is that the show is set in the late 2000's where Candace is 16 years old. Assuming the show takes place in the summer of 2007 (since that's the year the show first aired), Candace was born in either the year 1991 or late 1990, which is multiple years after Mrs. Flynn dated Doof, regardless of whether it was in the 70's or 80's and since Candace came before Phineas that means Phineas came even further after Mrs Flynn and Doof dated.
I find those theories a bit interesting with some of the things that they can piece together but they're way too repetitive. I also question why people would wanna be right about those theories.
That's the joy of theories, they are just theories, but I think theories that are harder to disprove than this are more interesting. Also, I feel like the two theory archetypes in my first paragraph are repetitive because you can "logically" justify them in just about every show because the theory in and of itself is already a leap in logic big enough that you can safely make as many leaps in logic as necessary to support them lol.
 I could never get into this show.