On August 11, 1991, The Ren & Stimpy Show premiered on television across America, and even all these years later, today’s audiences seem unsure of how to unpack the shocking cat and dog duo. Originally airing on Nickelodeon, Ren & Stimpy is now characterized by its inappropriate innuendos, grotesque animation, and highly controversial and shameful creator John Kricfalusi that make the mums and dads of today probably steer clear of sharing the '90s throwback. However, it is hard to deny the widespread influence that The Ren & Stimpy Show has had on much of today's popular cartoons and animation.
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'Ren & Stimpy' Changed Animation Forever
Despite its controversies, The Ren & Stimpy Show steered the golden age of animation in the '90s. The series followed the adventures of Ren, the hot-tempered and psychotic Chihuahua, and his best friend Stimpy, the foolish cat. Ren spends his days drilling into Stimpy with a voice that could only be likened to nails on a chalkboard, and his lack of empathy becomes his defining character trait. Stimpy acts as his idiot sidekick who ruins all of Ren's plans, only fueling the Chihuahua's rage and making for some truly entertaining episodes. The pair partake in many endeavors, from fishing trips and space adventures to learning about their conscience and even caring for each other when they get sick. The general mission of the show was "to give kids at least a half hour off every week, when they don't have somebody telling them what to do" as Kricfalusi stated in an interview, and to most importantly, keep watching. And people did, with the program gaining high viewership from the first season and becoming one of the most popular cable TV shows of the time, its audience varying from children and young adults to adults.
There is a direct influence of Ren & Stimpy found in iconic cartoons such as SpongeBob SquarePants, and it even paved the way for the success of other popular animations of the era such as Beavis and Butthead. The animation style, whilst sometimes grotesque and nothing short of nightmare fuel for both adults and children, changed the course of animated television and began the trends that define the genre today. For example, even casual viewers of SpongeBobcan remember the insanely detailed zoom-ups, some burned into our memories, of disgusting Krabby Patties and grubby realistic expressions of SpongeBobs menacing red-eyed stare or the contents of Patrick's belly button. We can thank Ren & Stimpy for that.
Whilst Ren & Stimpy might be less popular to an audience of today, its legacy stays alive in a lot of the animation of this generation. Ren & Stimpy gave the green light for future animations to step outside the pre-conceived ideations of what a cartoon is, but also showed creators that the public could be and is receptive to new outlandish ideas and left-field animation styles. This cat and dog duo opened the gates for the creative freedom of animators and show creators, setting the foundation for trust in today's creatives to provide original, quality animation.
'Ren & Stimpy' and 'Rick and Morty' Are More Similar Than You Think
Ren & Stimpy has been compared to modern-day animated series such as Adult Swim's Rick and Morty which has also made waves in the media of adult animation, being equally influential, and possessing a cult following too despite some weird or disturbing themes. The show follows the space adventures of scientist Rick and his grandson Morty (Justin Roiland) and has gained mass and steady popularity since it aired in 2013. Rick and Mortyhas since continued to stand out in the increasingly popular genre, disregarding any established boundaries from vulgar themes, meta storylines, and uncouth dialogue. There is a similarity between the pair, both in their content and impact on media. Roiland, who also co-created the show, named Ren & Stimpy as a massive influence in his direction, with the show "shifting [his] perception about what could be done stylistically and tonally in animation." One connection to the '90s cartoon can be stylistically in a facial expression that is often sported by Morty: the dumbfounded lip droop that is an ode to Ren's similar expression that we see quite often.
One bleak similarity between the animations that cannot be ignored is the coincidence of both show creators facing damaging allegations, leaving them dropped by the productions and networks. Kricfalusi faced sexual abuse allegations, having had multiple sexually abusive relationships with underage girls as reported by BuzzFeed. However, it was his bad and toxic practices that lead to his initial firing. Ren & Stimpy never recovered from this and was shortly canceled in 1995. Rick and Morty creator Roiland was revealed to have a domestic violence charge against him, alongside other charges in 2023. Rick and Morty is expected to go on with Season 7 on the horizon, but as of this writing, there is no word about who will replace Roiland as the voice of both lead characters (although his Solar Opposites character is set to be voiced by Dan Stevens as of Season 4).
The New Era of Animation
It could be argued that we are currently going through the new golden age of animation, specifically for shows that cater to more of an adult audience. Alongside Rick and Morty, shows like BoJack Horseman, Big Mouth and Demon Slayer have secured positions in modern media, proving that today's audience love animation now more than ever. Not to mention the well-established greats like The Simpsons, Family Guy and South Park that have maintained their position as staples to television for decades, and still have a valued place on our screens. With this in mind, it is important to recognize animation series like Ren & Stimpy, which despite having had a limited run time, have unlimited impact and influence.
The Ren & Stimpy Show is now currently available to stream on Paramount+.
