Regular Show

What do Monster Squad, Loverboy, Sylvester Stallone, Back to the Future, Bruce Campbell, 80s Hair Metal, and The Crying Game all have in common? They all have been a punchline, set-up, or reference in Regular Show.

To get to brass tacks, this show is hilarious. A blend of slacker- humour and surreal plot lines, Regular Show is recommended viewing for all mature cartoon audiences. It tackles moral dilemmas without being preachy, it uses "random" humour in a way which drives the plot to non- random outcomes, and its light enough on its mature themes that it can nail a safe PG rating (maybe PG 13 if you're one of those conservative types).

However; where Regular Show really shines is in its total awareness of what makes adults who grew up in the 80s and 90s tear up and laugh out loud all at once: Nostalgia. One major example of this is an entire episode which is a parody of (and indeed, named) Over the Top. Another example is the constant montages set to old tunes from decades past, such as Hang Tough and Workin' for the Weekend. Even better are the tiny references which most people under 25 wouldn't get, and hold screen time for mere moments before you're left wondering "Hey, didn't I see that scene in Logan's Run?".

As I said, this cartoon is not for kids, but not because its racy and sometimes inappropriate. It isn't for kids because the funniest jokes are made for guys like me: 25 - 40 year old geeks who can pick out the references, and appreciate the parodies. For this reason alone I love this show, but even then it can still stand up on its own as an entertaining cartoon.

EDIT: Since the time of this writing, I have witnessed a They Live reference, the Death Star with sunglasses, and a scene where the characters go on an "acid trip" (they eat a concoction of spicy foods and then start tripping out) set to the tune of Mississippi Queen. This show just got even better.

I could not disagree more with the prior review. I find this show to be intelligent, pointed and (most importantly) hilarious. It pushes the bounds of traditional comedy, taking mundane situations and turning them into surreal adventures that actually challenge the notions of traditional story telling. The animation is crisp and playful with a certain joy that is hard to describe. And the odd universe it creates is one I am dying to live in. While the two main characters and their closest associates are all creatures/animals of various sorts, the rest of the world is recognizably human. This adds a mood of "outsider" to the adventures that makes them all the more clearly satire and farce.

It is, I will agree, pretty raw stuff. There are jokes about sex and drinking and on and on. Some of the imagery is damn scary. So, okay, it isn't for kids. So what? Why should it be?

This show NEEDS to come back, ended too soon! The creator has another series in the works, but that's been for awhile now. What we really want is Regular Show back on the air, maybe change the location or something, but bring it back!

This is a really hilarious show...duh. I feel like I shouldn't even have to point that out. When I watch the show, I feel like "it's funny...because it's true", you know what I mean? I just hope it doesn't go downhill the way some animated shows do. For instance, Spongebob Squarepants is a (children's) show that has a lot of crazy stuff happening in it, and then the makers of the show began to take the craziness too far (they pretty much milked it to death), and suddenly it just seemed not funny anymore. Everything moved too fast, and for little reason. The humor changed. I worry that a similar fate awaits Regular Show, because it happens to so many others. But if they keep making the show the way they do now, then they'll be fine. And maybe I'll even have my family play Regular Show in the mourning room at my funeral. Anyway, they're aren't a lot of shows reasonably directed at teenagers- you know, teenagers? The people between the stages of childhood and adulthood?- so this show is epic in that sense. It's also epic in all it's other senses.

Regular Show is a fitting title for a program that takes ordinary chores, such as preparing hot dogs, setting up chairs or cleaning a rain gutter and exaggerating the consequences of not performing said chores correctly. The main characters are a couple of slackers in their twenties who live only for the moment, even if that means getting fired. They constantly get into trouble due to their irresponsibility, but always manage to end up on top through some hilarious twist.

That said...

Regular Show is rated PG, not G, not Y7. Every time I read a negative review for this show, someone is whining about how Cartoon Network should feel ashamed for making such a vulgar children's program. Newsflash, just because it's a cartoon doesn't mean it's for kids. Family Guy has already proved that. There is a warning ahead of time that underage viewers require parental guidance, PG. Personally, I'd say it's about as raunchy as Ren and Stimpy or Rocko's Modern Life and Rocko was very, very raunchy, hence the deletion of certain scenes during re-runs. And who can forget Chokey Chicken, hm? If you're a grown up, give it a chance. If you're a grown up with kids who wanna watch it, consider their age and go from there. And if you do end up loving this show, you'll be telling "my mom" jokes in no time.

Can I get an "OOOOHH!" from everybody else who is addicted to this show? And remember to raise your right arm while you do it.