Some Anvils Need to Be Dropped/Western Animation

Examples of Some Anvils Need to Be Dropped in include:

"Goliath: No! Killing her (Demona) won't solve anything! Death never does! Luna: He is right, Macbeth. Duncan was afraid that your father would make you king. Did your father's death stop you from becoming king? Macbeth: No! Seline: You wanted revenge for your father. Did Gillecomgain's death settle that score? Macbeth: No. Phoebe: Did your own death save your son Luach from Canmore? Macbeth: No... Goliath: Death is never the answer; life is!"
 * The American Dad episode about gay people adopting. Sure, the episode isn't as sentimental as the other episodes listed here but it's nice.
 * The Gargoyles episode "Deadly Force" is anything but subtle about its message, but is generally considered one of the best episodes of the series for treating its subject matter with respect, and instead of using the easy Aesop, "guns are bad," they opt for the more mature and reasonable, "Guns are dangerous, and need to be treated with respect." It's also notable in that the Aesop sticks with the two central characters: Broadway spends the rest of the series destroying any gun he comes across, and Elisa is shown putting it away when she has company, and locking up her gun rather than leaving it loaded and lying around.
 * The show also lays it on thick about the pointlessness of revenge and how killing causes more problems than it solves. This is reinforced by David Xanatos. Why is he such a successful, well regarded, and enduring villain? Because he doesn't go in for revenge. Ever. While villains in other cartoons inevitably forget their original goals to seek revenge on the heroes, Xanatos never even holds a grudge because, as he put it, "Revenge is a sucker's game."
 * It's also reinforced by "City of Stone" and "Hunter's Moon."

"Aang: Roku was just as much Fire Nation as Sozin was, right?? If anything, their story proves anyone's capable of great good and great evil. Everyone, even the Fire Lord and the Fire Nation, have to be treated like they're worth giving a chance."
 * The Christmas Episode of Sabrina the Animated Series did a unique spin on the typical Christmas Carol plot where a Scrooge is scared into being nice for the holidays. Sabrina is fed up with Gem's attitude to Christmas (which itself gets cranked up for the episode, even having Gem make people line up to hear what gift they have to buy her) and tries to cast a spell to scare her with the Christmas Carol touch. However it doesn't work and only makes Gem love herself even more so Sabrina ends up giving her a gift anyway and wishing her Merry Christmas. Gem then realises that no one else cared to be with her on Christmas and so joins Sabrina's family for dinner. So the message becomes "don't try to change someone just because you don't like their attitude, try being nice in the hope they'll reciprocate".
 * Though Captain Planet as a whole was Anvilicious in a negative way, the episode If It's Doomsday, This Must Be Belfast is a remarkable exception. For all its multitudinous flaws, it delivers a very clear Aesop that long histories of violence and bloodshed are complex, difficult problems without clear "good guys" or "bad guys" or quick, easy solutions, and a secondary one that nobody can win a nuclear war.
 * Also, the episode focused on HIV. It wasn't even remotely subtle, but the message that AIDS victims aren't subhuman diseased maggots who spread their plague by existing and are still human beings who need love and support was an anvil that needed to be dropped from as many roofs as possible in the early 90s.
 * The episode about animal testing. After some of the overblown Aesops delivered by the show, the subdued message of "animal testing is sometimes necessary, but can often be minimized or avoided entirely and should never be used unnecessarily" is a breath of fresh air.
 * "The power is yours!" As oversimplified and full of Broken Aesops as the show is, both kids and adults need to be reminded that they have both the ability and responsibility to protect the planet.
 * South Park is fantastic for not only having Anvilicious episodes, but having that Anviliciousness most often being completely justified and absurdly hilarious. Sometimes they remind celebrities that their egos are outstripping their talents or that they have gone too far (Fat Butt and Pancake Head, The Biggest Douche in the Universe, Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset, The China Problem, and Fishsticks), how absurd some trends are (South Park Is Gay! and Smug Alert!), or just how crazy we are as a society (Freak Strike, I'm a Little Bit Country, Butt Out, Douche and Turd, Follow That Egg!, Britney's New Look, and The Ring).
 * The two-parter Cartoon Wars with the message that using the threat of potential terrorism to get people to do what you want is also terrorism. This needs to be repeated time and time again.
 * The episode "Trapped In The Closet," and the views of the destructiveness and nonsensicalness of Scientology. They were willing to alienate a long-time cast member and fan favorite to get the message out. Although Isaac Hayes didn't want to leave the cast; he was pressured into it by Scientology and was in tears when he went to Matt and Trey to break the news. He had enough of a sense of humour to say "they've done that to every religion"; Scientology did not.
 * There's also movie, where 139 F-bombs are just about enough to remind people that there are far worse things in the world than swearing - a message that ties in nicely with It Hits The Fan, which shows that some swear words become completely meaningless if you use them 162 times. Especially since, ironically, when the movie came out, a lot of people were complaining about it, and they were acting EXACTLY like Kyle's mother. Trey Parker and Matt Stone aren't bad at predicting the behaviour of Moral Guardians. It, amidst all the uncensored swearing, also has a few big ones: violence can be just as bad as swearing, and the "blame the media for your children's bad behavior and lobby to censor it" approach to taming unruly kids is a very bad idea.
 * While tracking down Norman's nemesis via his trail of destruction in Mighty Max, they arrive at a house whose occupants were slaughtered. Norman was the only one to see the carnage and absolutely refused to allow Max to enter. Max tried to reason that he has plenty of experience with violence on television. Virgil overrules Norman, Max actually does enter the house... and proceeds to run out and lose his lunch. When Max asks why it hit him so hard, Virgil responds simply, "Real violence has real consequences." It makes it clear that there is a difference between entertaining action shows and how it would actually affect the real world.
 * Avatar: The Last Airbender has two notable ones: No one can give you honour or self-worth except yourself. (Zuko) "Power and perfection are overrated." (Iroh)
 * Late in the first season, Aang discovers a Firebending master and is eager to learn firebending. The master is reluctant because he knows Aang has not mastered water and earth (and true focus) yet. To start with baby steps, the master gives Aang a tiny leaf to burn a little. But an impatient Aang yearns to show off his potential and creates giant flames that badly burns Katara much to his horror. Distaught, Aang decides he will never firebend again and suppresses his firebending abilities (until the later 3rd season). Katara reminds Aang that he has to learn firebending someday, just not now. Even if you feel you have more potential, dangerous lessons must be learned gradually. And if you mess up real terribly, it does not mean you must abandon learning it; you will learn it someday, but not today.
 * A later third season episodes completes the Aesop that a dangerious ability can be beautiful and vital once you understand control and its meaning. Zuko and Aang learns this when
 * "The Painted Lady" had a point: Although all the miracles are blessings, you shouldn't just believe that circumstances will eventually improve, but act to make things better. It didn't matter if the Painted Lady was real or not—the fact that they thought that she was acting for them was enough to turn things around and get people hopeful again.
 * Another anvil is dropped in "The Avatar and The Firelord," by Aang (they did a lot of these in the third season). What's interesting is that it brought all the random, seemingly unconnected plots of the previous episodes, where the Gaang had been laying low in the Fire Nation and interacting with the locals in disguise, and united them under a common theme, simultaneously subverting the Bad Powers, Bad People viewpoint that had been prominent in the other two seasons:

"Zuko: Growing up, we were taught that the Fire Nation was the greatest civilization in history and somehow, the war was our way of sharing our greatness with the rest of the world. What an amazing lie that was! The people of the world are terrified by the Fire Nation! They don’t see our greatness - they hate us! And we deserve it. We’ve created an era of fear in the world. And if we don’t want the world to destroy itself, we need to replace it with an era of peace and kindness."
 * "The Southern Raiders" takes Forgiveness, an aesop commonly found in children's shows (most of which don't handle it very well), and completely justifies it. Interesting in that Katara doesn't forgive the man who killed her mother, but she does forgive Zuko. It was an intelligent way of handling the aesop that counts as a Reconstruction.
 * "Zuko Alone" has two: Even the 'good' side in a war can be morally ambiguous, and it's unrealistic to expect long-lasting enmity to be smoothed over by a single act.
 * The horrific breakdown of Azula drives home the point that you can't keep people from hurting you by controlling them with fear, because love, like the love Mai had for Zuko, is more important.
 * Being a good parent isn't about loving your child because they meet your expectations, it's about always loving your child even though they've lost their way. The series demonstrates this by contrasting Ozai and Iroh's relationships with Zuko, and showing that Iroh was more of a father in the three years he spent with him than Ozai was for the other thirteen. On top of that, a real parent is the one who always loves you no matter what, rather than just being related to you.
 * Killing people isn't always the answer. It pulls it off rather well by means of What You Are in the Dark; "Aang? If you really want to, you'll have to risk your immortal soul. How far are you willing to go for your ideals?" Answer:
 * The theme of sticking to your ideals is especially prevalent, since his mentors (previous avatars), his friends, and pretty much everyone else in the story told him to, but instead he stuck with what he thought was right and it worked out for the best.
 * "It's okay if you've made mistakes - it's never too late to do the right thing", as shown with Zuko's, especially after it had been subverted (he had made the wrong choice) in the season 2 finale.
 * The central plot of the entire series is that forcing one's way of life upon others - the Fire Nation's conquest of the world - is the most monstrous act imaginable.

"Batgirl: She's beautiful. Batman: She can't see that anymore. All she can see are the flaws."
 * Also, the show isn't a one-shot Anvilicious allegory that's tailor made to hammer in a bunch of talking points about the current political situation, The Fire Nation is Britain, Rome, Nazi Germany, and (especially) Imperial Japan. ATLA is believable precisely because it follows broad themes that run throughout history rather than the current zeitgeist.
 * The 1939 short Peace on Earth is a Christmastime story. In it, Funny Animals discuss a not-so-funny topic; that is, how "men" went extinct due to warfare (World War II was clearly on the horizon at the time... and this was before nuclear weapons were developed, mind you). We see some of the horrors of warfare depicted WWI-style. And when the men had gone, the animals afterwards read the "humans' book of rules" and express disappointment that the humans had some good rules (e.g. Thou Shalt Not Kill) but weren't able follow them.
 * On the Justice League episode "Flash and Substance"—it's okay to be happy, and feel good after a job well done. You don't have to be emo, depressed, or "dark" for people to like you—and you should always be kind to those weaker than you. Maybe this isn't an aesop—but in a world of dark and depressing storylines to show how awful the world is, and how horrible the people are, is nice to see someone out and out say that they have good days. And you don't have to beat the snot out of the bad guys. Maybe you could help them get the treatment they really need.
 * The contrast between Flash's style in Central City and that of the visiting Batman is wonderfully brought home when Flash quietly talks The Trickster down—said Trickster voiced by the King Of Bat-Villain's VA, Mark Hamill, speaking in something very close to his normal voice. Batman even looks envious, and shows his respect for Flash.
 * Phineas and Ferb: The episodes "Phineas and Ferb Get Busted" and "Phineas and Ferb's Quantum Boogaloo" dish out some Anvils about how children shouldn't have their creativity and imagination restricted, and how they should pursue what they want. While the Anvil-dropping itself isn't particularly subtle (in fact, the dropping of the Anvils incorporates some bleak themes, a lot of Tear Jerker for the characters, and even some And I Must Scream elements for a show directed to 6-11 year-olds), the Aesop is notably important (in a society where parents are keen on having their children follow in their footsteps, stifling their kids' imagination and having their true identity obliterated.)
 * Phineas and Ferb also gives us one of the few bearable health food aesops that have been slipped into kids shows since ever: the episode "Candace's Big Day". Dr. Doofenshmirtz decides to feed everyone junk food and turn them into fat, despicable slobs. When he's finally ready to do it, he's surprised to find out that all the junk food is gone.
 * The underlying theme of all the episodes, but made most obvious in songs like "Summer Belongs to You" and "Carpe Diem" is to make the most of what you've got. You don't need to do the amazing, unbelievable things that Phineas and Ferb do to have the most exciting, fulfilling life possible.
 * SpongeBob SquarePants preached a lot of messages about honesty and not taking advantage of people. One of the best examples is Patty Hype, where Spongebob starts to sell Pretty Patties, a brand of brightly coloured Krabby Pattie. The Pretty Patties become a runaway hit, despite Mr. Krabs and Squidward laughing in Spongebob's face. First of all, it shows you that you shouldn't give up on your dreams, even if you're laughed at because of them. And then when Mr. Krabs cheats Spongebob out of the Pretty Patty franchise, it comes back to bite him in the ass. Hard!
 * From the later seasons, Spongebob's Last Stand, where Spongebob opposes a highway being built through Jellyfish Fields. Only Patrick supported him, but still, he tried, and in the end, he did succeed. It was a pretty good aesop about not harming the environment and caring about wildlife.
 * There's also the episode Not Normal, in which Squidward convinces Spongebob that he needs to act "more normal." Spongebob watches a self-help video on the topic, and eventually transforms into a bland, mediocre office worker. But instead of this making him happier and more accepted, it leaves him bored and miserable because he's lost all of his unique talents and the things that he used to enjoy. He and Patrick end up spending the rest of the episode trying to turn Spongebob "weird" again. The message, that "normal" is incredibly overrated and the quest to fit in can destroy the best things about you, feels very clear and strong in this episode.
 * Danny Phantom had several subtle anvil droppings. Throughout the first season, Danny was terrified about telling his parents about his secret identity, because they hunted ghosts for a living. When he finally does reveal his secret to them, they were completly accepting. It goes to show that you should trust your family with your secrets. They'll love you no matter what.
 * One episode of The Weekenders chronicles Tino and his overwhelming fear of clowns to the point he's reverted to the fetal position when just seeing an image of one. It's all somewhat Played for Laughs, but his friends and his mom try to convince him that his fear is wrecking his life and that he should try and face it. He admits he does need help and does face his fear... at a nearby circus clown school. By the end of the episode he isn't fully cured of his phobia, but he can "live with it now", even saying that fear is okay as long as it doesn't take over your life.
 * Happy Feet: The last wild places in the world are worth protecting and preserving.
 * "Your way of doing things is not inherently better than my way just because of tradition."
 * Batman the Animated Series had Villain of the Week Calendar Girl, who was once a renowned model but was fired for being unable to compete with younger models. She eventually decides to extract revenge on all the companies and networks who had fired her and ruined her career. Throughout the episode, she always wears a full-face mask since she had so much plastic surgery done before turning evil. But when the police unmask her, she begins to scream and writhe on the ground, horrified that they see her "ugly" face. She is in her late-thirties and just as attractive as the other models seen.


 * Each episode of My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic contains a lesson on friendship, but the episode is not written by the lesson, but the lesson by the episode. One fan of the show speculates that these lessons are the reasons why the show is liked so much.
 * "Suited for Success" has a twofold moral: the first is "you shouldn't try to please everyone, because you'll often please no one", and the second is "don't look a gift horse in the mouth". "Applebuck Season" is all about how it's okay to ask your friends for help when you really need it. And "Green Isn't Your Color" manages to do a pretty good job of explaining that some secrets are okay to keep, and some aren't.
 * Bridle Gossip: "Do not judge a book by its cover"- echoing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Do not judge a person by the color of his skin". The ponies are afraid of Zecora- a Zebra dressed in East African garb who speaks Swahili- and accuse her of being a witch. But Zecora turns out to be friendly and knowledgeable- and not responsible for the tricks played on the ponies at all. To drive the point home, Twilight could have saved herself a lot of trouble if she hadn't literally judged a book by its cover: she dismisses a book called "Supernaturals", only to find out it was actually a book on natural remedies called "Super Naturals", and outlined both the cause and cure for the supposed "curse" from which her and her friends were suffering.
 * Over a Barrel: The natives vs. settlers conflict has no clear cut good guy or bad guy. But solutions and compromises can be reached- though not always easily, but still possible. Another moral is: sickingly sweet songs with corny lyrics are not only unhelpful, they tend to make the situation worse.
 * Boast Busters: Being talented doesn't make you a bad person, but thinking that your talents make you better then everyone else does. Also, mustaches are awesome.
 * The Best Night Ever: Reality doesn't always live up to expectations. Also, the company of good friends can make anything better.
 * The Return of Harmony: Friendship isn't always easy, but it's worth fighting for.
 * Hearth's Warming Eve: When people spend more time attacking each other than the problem, the problem does not get solved
 * Hearts and Hooves Day: You don't need a "Special Somepony" to be happy on the day dedicated for it.
 * A missed but important one for Ponyville Confidential: Everypony contributed to the gossip column by buying the paper to see others humiliated. They have no one to blame but themselves for their secrets coming out because everypony wanted to see them embarrassed. It's also a scathing Satire on Tabloid Newspapers in general, how easily and willingly their editors can bend their crew to their will, how they are willing to go to Murdoch-ian levels to get their way, and how, as shown in the "shun" sequence, the public is so willing to turn a blind eye to the publishers, allowing to get away with it.
 * It also shows how making up lies about someone on news can be very damaging to one's reputation.
 * From "Putting your hoof down", the aesop of "No means no". Given that a lot of people just assume "No, I'm not interested" to mean "Keep pressing and bugging me more - maybe I'll demonstrate interest", this is a VERY solid Aesop.
 * "Monster High and Kind Campaign: The Shockumentary." Anyone-on-anyone hostility, especially bullying, is NEVER hot or right and we should never think it can be either one no matter what. Just as bullying can be our problem, so too the solution can come from us as well. We must always try to "find kind"—the kindness within everyone.
 * Lauren Faust really stresses the importance of girls needing good role models, and pointing out that things don't have to be overly cute or cuddly to appeal to girls, this mindset shows up in some of her material, and for very good reason.
 * Disney's Education for Death, as a Wartime Cartoon, seems like it'd be an unlikely candidate for this. However, it hammers in the point that Those Wacky Nazis are people just like you, and most of the soldiers aren't Complete Monsters - they're victims of propaganda and a cult of personality around the REAL monsters, like Hitler, Goebbels and Goering, and they're just as afraid of Hitler as you are.
 * King of the Hill episode "Petriot Act" can be "Don't let blind patriotism rule your decisions. If you wanted to do something big like care for a soldier's pet, do it after you have your huge vacation that your family has been dreaming of for awhile.
 * The Simpsons had one in their earliest season. "If you want to feel sad, it's okay. Your family will still be there for you."
 * While the series certainly implied it, Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy's Big Picture Show brutally hammers these anvils through character arc:
 * Acting like a douche will not only make you more miserable, but the people you mistreated can and will strike back at you; and not even your friends will stand by you if you keep treating them like shit,
 * Trying to please an abusive relative is pointless, and family is much more than blood ties.
 * And last but not least, Be Yourself. What makes this anvil work is the consequences of acting otherwise: