And Knowing Is Half the Battle: Difference between revisions

Sometimes it wasn't even a moral lesson, but a science fact related to the [[Sci Fi]] setting. The first season of ''[[Sea QuestSeaQuest DSV]]'', in a rare live-action variant, had real life ocean expert Robert Ballard from the Woods-Hole Oceanographic Institute give a one minute lecture on the science of the episode next to the credits; this segment vanished when the series [[Jumping the Shark|jumped the shark]] in the second season. [[Rankin Bass]] [[Sci Fi]] cartoon ''[[Silverhawks (Animation)|Silverhawks]]'' had something about the planets framed as a lesson to the crew's [[Plucky Comic Relief]] / Robot Monkey. A variant on this could be seen in the short segments in prime-time that recommended the viewer to consult his local library for selected books related to the preceding program.

{{examples|Examples}}

* The name comes from the moral tack-ons from the end of ''GI[[G.I. Joe]]'' episodes, with their own internal [[Catch Phrase|Catch Phrases]]s:

{{quote| '''Random Kid:''' "'Cause now we know!"<br />

'''Random Joe:''' "[[Trope Namer|And Knowing Is Half The Battle]]!"<br />

{{quote| "The other half of the battle? A really big chain gun."}}

{{quote| "I didn't know we had a ninja..."}}

* ''[[G.I. Joe: theThe Rise of Cobra]]'', rather impressively, makes this line a plot point briefly. It's also printed on a wall of the exercise room.

* ''[[G.I. Joe: Renegades]]'' drops this in as a [[Mythology Gag]] in the first episode as Cobra Pharmaceuticals ''corporate motto''.

* The "science lessons" in ''[[Gun BusterGunbuster]]'' and ''[[Martian Successor Nadesico]]'' may have been partly meant to parody such tags in series imported from the US, as they are something rarely if ever seen in [[Anime]] as it is broadcast in Japan.

** Though in ''[[Gun BusterGunbuster]]'', relativistic time dilation also plays a major role in the plot of later episodes, so they had to explain it for the story to make sense.

* An anime which plays this straight is ''[[Mari and Gali]]'', which attempts to teach middle school students about scientific principles. Its makers still throw in a lot of slapstick and general silliness, so the result is [[Widget Series|rather strange]]--to—to say the least.

* ''[[Harukanaru Toki no Naka Dede|Harukanaru Toki no Naka de - Hachiyou Shou]]'' has the [[Super -Deformed]] "Kotengu Classic" segments at the end of some episodes, with [[Small Annoying Creature|Ko]][[Sleep Mode Size|tengu]] explaining some facts about something specific mentioned in the episode -- sometimesepisode—sometimes these are quite useful, as the series takes place in the [[Jidai Geki|Heian Period Japan]] ([[Trapped in Another World|sorta]]), and knowing some basic facts about its culture certainly won't hurt.

* Some of the ''[[Yumeiro Patissiere (Anime)|Yumeiro Patissiere]]'' episodes end with cooking advice for making certain types of sweets.

* DC Comics once commissioned a series of in-house PSAs in the early 90s featuring several DC heroes like [[Batman|Robin]], [[Booster Gold]], [[The Flash]], among others getting informed about the real facts concerning HIV and AIDS. The most well known of the bunch was the adult-oriented Neil Gaiman and Dave Mckean authored ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20120308200136/http://members.fortunecity.com/bookdepository/comics/death/life.html Death Talks About Life]'', featuring Death of the Endless from ''[[The Sandman]]'' and John Constantine.

{{quote| '''[[Hates the Job, Loves Thethe Limelight|Billy Mack]]''': Kids, [[Drugs Are Bad|don't buy drugs]]. If you become a pop star they give you them ''for free''.}}

* In ''[[Looney Tunes: Back in Action]]'', after Bugs Bunny explains the art technique of Pointillism, he says: "I think, when you go to the movies, you should learn somethin'."

* ''[[Toy Story (franchise)|Toy Story]] 2'' has an in-universe example where the last aired episode of [[Show Within a Show|Woody's Roundup]] had the show Woody address the audience about not forgetting their friends and family while singing the recurring song "You've Got a Friend in Me". This convinces the Woody watching, who had just decided to abandon his old friends and his owner Andy to go to a museum in Japan with the rest of the roundup gang toys, to reverse his decision and take the roundup gang with them.

== Live -Action TV ==

* Each major American network has their own version of these. The most well-known and often parodied are NBC's "The More You Know Segments", which featured celebrities of the time in [[Public Service Announcement|Public Service Announcements]]s. Notable parodies include:

* ''[[The Daily Show (TV)|The Daily Show]]'' parodies it with 'The Less You Know', a segment about censorship where the rainbow trail on the star logo is blacked out with redaction bars.

* One of J.D.'s fantasies in ''[[Scrubs (TV)|Scrubs]]'' (also on NBC) parodies this with J.D. telling the audience why it's wrong to smother your kids, in a [[Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick|horrifyingly casual manner]]:

{{quote| '''JD:''' You had a tough day at the office. So you come home, make yourself some dinner, smother your kids, pop in a movie, maybe have a drink. It's fun, right? Wrong. Don't smother your kids.}}

* The other three "big four" networks have their own answers to NBC's "The More You Know" PSAs. As for TMYK, the logo at the top of the page is no longer used; they've useused a different one nowsince 2019, still with the star motif.

** Fox has "Pause". ([[Incredibly Lame Pun|Get it?]]) The "Pause" segments are innovative because they are [[And Knowing Is Half the Battle]] clips that somehow [[What Were They Selling Again?|avoid imparting]] [[Lost Aesop|any knowledge at all]] except for the address of the segments' website.

{{quote| '''Barney:''' Hi there. We've had a lot of fun tonight, but on a more serious note, this is the time of year when we remember the importance of giving, and there's no greater gift... than the gift of booty. So, this holiday season, why not bang someone in need? I'm Barney Stinson, and that's (winks) one to grow on.}}

* The show ''[[Dinosaurs]]'' parodied this at the end of a parody of a [[Very Special Episode]], with Robbie exhorting viewers to "end preachy [[Sit ComSitcom]] episodes" by not using drugs.

* Has happened at least twice in the FOX series ''[[Twenty Four|24]]''. Most notably, a PSA was created in the fourth season where Kiefer Sutherland talked about the plight of Middle Eastern residents in the country, just before an episode where his character, Jack Bauer, met two Middle Eastern gun shop owners in Los Angeles. The pre-show announcements for season two and four also had Sutherland promoting corporate sponsors (i.e. Ford sponsored a commercial-free airing of the season two premiere).

* ''[[Niea UnderNieA 7]]'' featured a short live action "educational" segment after every show with bizarre statements about life in India.

{{quote| ''"Minna, shiteru ka?"'' ("Everybody, did you know?")}}

* ''[[Attack of the Show!]]'' will occasionally mock this trope. When they teach the audience a "lesson," Kevin or Olivia will inform then that they "just got learned!". Cut to a parody of the shooting star made famous by NBC; only it's a rocketship flying over the Earth, and it crashes into a blimp, and the blimp [[Too Soon|hindenbergs]] back into the atmosphere.

* ''The [["Weird Al" Yankovic (Music)|Weird Al Yankovic]] Show'' suffered from this phenomenon.

* ''[[Police, Camera, Action!]]'' started doing from 2007 onwards at the end of the show. Even the episode ''Ultimate Pursuits'' had one, although that could be considered as [[The Parody|a parody]] of ''[[Back to Thethe Future (Filmfilm)|Back to The Future]]'' (with the accompanying theme music). It's rare to see such things on a documentary...

* ''[[Thirty Rock (TV)|30 Rock]]''. At the end of the episode ''Gavin Velure'', Tracy's sex doll made a ''And Now You Know'' segment.

{{quote| '''Tracy's Sex Doll:''' You know a lot of people look down on sex dolls. But as you saw tonight they save lives and bring families together. How am I such an expert? I’m Tracy Jordan’s sex doll!}}

* ''[[The PeoplesPeople's Court]]'' does this at the end of each case, with host Harvey Levin giving some practical advice on how to avoid the mess the judge just cleaned up. Note: Since laws vary from state to state, he's not always right. Check your jurisdiction's rules to be sure.

* [[Wizards of Waverly Place]] did this once.

== Radio/Music ==

* This trope is [[Older Than You Think]], as some old-time radio dramas did the same thing. ''[[The Shadow]]'', for one, sometimes offered in-character advice on how to properly operate and maintain a coal-burning furnace after an episode was over. This rather shamelessly combined [[And Knowing Is Half the Battle]] with [[Product Placement]], as the program's sponsor was a coal company.

* Mozart's (somewhat) dark comedy ''[[Don Giovanni]]'' unexpectedly ends a night of ribald hijinks and catchy tunes with a final scene of the antihero (antivillain?) being dragged down to Hell. The rest of the cast then come onto the stage and [[Breaking the Fourth Wall|Break The Fourth Wall]], lecturing that [[Scare 'Em Straight|what the audience has just seen is the fate that awaits all sinners]].

* Parodied in passing conversation in ''[[City of Heroes (Video Game)|City of Heroes]]'', where a Resistance Informant ventures the opinion that Knowing is overrated in terms of battle.

* ''[[Mother 3 (Video Game)|Mother 3]]'' has a few signs in certain locations that provide the player with real-world information based on the context, such as about certain types of [[Save Point|frog]] that can survive in desert climates, or why mole tunnels can be so long and complex (the latter even encouraging the player to take time out to go watch moles in action some day).

* Parodied on ''[[Video Game/Homestar Runner|Homestar Runner]]'', where the [[Show Within a Show|Cheat Commandos]] do an educational cartoon on avoiding "inappropriate peer-to-teen choice behaviors" called ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20131112215917/http://www.homestarrunner.com/cheatcommandos4.html Commandos In The Classroom]''.

** And parodied again in [https://web.archive.org/web/20131112200123/http://www.homestarrunner.com/2manyknives.html An Important Rap Song], where Crack Stuntman (voice of Gunhaver on the Cheat Commandos) does a corny rap song about not playing with too many (some are alright, then?) knives (and spring break, [[Totally Radical|for some reason]]).

{{quote| '''Tails:''' Now I know!<br />

'''Sonic:''' And knowing is half the battle!<br />

{{quote| '''Optimus:''' So remember kids, always look both ways before brushing your teeth!<br />

'''Kid 1:''' Thanks Optimus! Now we know!<br />

'''Optimus:''' And knowing is half the battle!<br />

'''Kid 2:''' So what's the other half?<br />

'''Optimus:''' Huh?<br />

'''Kid 2:''' What's the other half of the battle?<br />

'''Optimus:''' Hmmm... never really thought about that before. Let me answer that question... with MERCHANDISE! ''(merchandise rains down)''<br />

* Used in [https://web.archive.org/web/20101229192549/http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/?p=625 this] ''[[Brawl in The Family (Webcomic)|Brawl in Thethe Family]]'' strip.

* ''[[The Dragon Queen]]'' gives one on the [https://web.archive.org/web/20140803130735/http://www.dragonqueencomic.com/2010/08/18/transgender-tips/ proper way to pick up a transexual].

* Parodied in [https://web.archive.org/web/20110813035428/http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=176 McCourt's In Session] where the eponymous judge delivers a slightly disturbing warning to kids.

{{quote| '''Commander Wickstrom''': "I wish I knew what to do."<br />

* ''[[Full Metal Panic Abridged]]'' parodies this in the first episode, after warning it's viewers about the dangers of creating an abridged series!

* ''[[Rescue Heroes (Animation)|Rescue Heroes]]'' had a hero address the kids about ways they can keep themselves safe.

** ''[[Fat Albert and Thethe Cosby Kids]]'' would invariably end their episodes with a musical performance by Albert and the gang, that would spell out the lesson of the day. They, along with [[Bill Cosby]]'s narrative asides, tended to make the lessons go down more smoothly than a lot of 70s cartoons did.

{{quote| "This is [[Bill Cosby]] comin' at you with music and fun, and if you're not careful you may learn something before we're done. So let's get ready, okay? Hey, Hey, Hey!"}}

** ''The New Adventures of [[Zorro (Franchise)|Zorro]]'' (the 1981 version) featured the title character giving an epilogue each episode about Spanish-American history (focused on California).

** ''[[He-Man and Thethe Masters of The Universe (Animation)|He-Man and The Masters of Thethe Universe]]'' plus its [[Spin -Off]] ''[[She -Ra: Princess of Power (Animation)|She Ra Princess of Power]]''. It was halfway-used in one episode of the 2002 version, where the Masters needed Orko to help lure a colony of dragons to attack monsters under the control of Skeletor. After that task was successful, the episode concludes with Orko admitting to his chagrin that he's still scared of the species, but the heroes reassure him that a proper respect for a fierce and powerful creature is the mark of a wise person. Here, the lesson flows relatively naturally from the plot and the fourth wall is kept intact.

** ''[[She -Ra: Princess of Power (Animation)|She Ra Princess of Power]]''.

** ''[[FilmationsFilmation's Ghostbusters (Animation)|Filmations Ghostbusters]]'' (the 1986 TV series by [[Filmation]], not [[The Real Ghostbusters (Animation)|the other one]])

** ''[[Bravestarr (Animation)|Bravestarr]]'', as with most [[Filmation]] shows. Unusually, there is at least one episode where a ''villain'' gets to deliver the message, with Outlaw Scuzz talking about how bad smoking is for one's health, and how he wishes he could quit but he's addicted.

* ''[[Bravestarr (Animation)|Bravestarr]]'s'' counterpart [[Space Western]] ''[[Saber Rider and The Star Sheriffs (Anime)|Saber Rider and Thethe Star Sheriffs]]'' used it, mostly in the title character's closing voice over.

* ''[[Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers (Animation)|Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers]]'' was very conscious about ''averting'' it (making it a rarity among the [[Animation Age Ghetto]]). This became one of the reasons it attracted an [[Periphery Demographic|older audience]].

* ''[[Super FriendsSuperfriends]]'' - safety tips, magic tricks, science projects, you name it. Probably set the tone for all the others.

* ''[[Superman: theThe Animated Series (Animation)|Superman the Animated Series]]'' once put this trope to an interesting use for the opening of one of its episodes: it starts with a setup that might have come out of one of these [[PSA|PSAs]]s from an old Silver Age animated series with Superman flying in to rescue a kid whose friends have goaded him into endangering himself and giving the kids a little lecture on not giving in to peer pressure before flying away. Our first hint that something's out of place is that, right after he leaves, one of the less admiring kids mocks him for being such a stiff. Sure enough, {{spoiler|it turns out this is actually the first appearance of Bizarro, an imperfect clone [[Lex Luthor]] made using a bit of Superman's blood. The reason he comes off sounding so pompous is that he thinks he's Superman and is trying too hard to do what he thinks Superman typically does. In case we missed the hint, his next good deed for the day is rescuing Clark Kent and Lois Lane from a car crash, thereby alerting Superman to this odd twist of events as well.}}

* Several PSA segments were prepared for ''[[Transformers Generation 1]]'', another Hasbro property produced by Sunbow and Marvel Productions concurrent with G.I. Joe. The segments even used the "and knowing is half the battle" line (and the scripts from the G.I. Joe [[PS As]]PSAs almost VERBATIM), but they never aired. These were placed as unlockable bonuses in the [[Transformers Armada|Armada]]-based PS2 game, and are also available on some DVD releases of the show. The most hypocritical one had an anti-sexism message, at a time when there were no female Transformers, and came from Powerglide, who had an episode that season where a human woman fell in love with him (presumably, the PSA would have aired after that episode...).

* ''[[MASK|M.A.S.K.]]''

** Like ''[[Bravestarr (Animation)|Bravestarr]]'' above, ''MASK'' had the epilogue lesson delivered by the villains one time (what to do in an earthquake).

* ''[[Captain Planet and Thethe Planeteers]]'' -- Either the whole show, or just the "Planeteer Alert" at the end, depending on [[Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism|how cynical you are.]]

* ''[[Heathcliff and The Catillac Cats (Animation)|Heathcliff and The Catillac Cats]]'' and ''[[Pound Puppies]]'' -- Always about pet care or pet safety.

* ''[[Animaniacs (Animation)|Animaniacs]]'' -- Parodied with reckless abandon as the "Wheel of Morality" [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_u05kUx1WQ "Wheel of Morality, turn, turn, turn. Tell us the lesson that we should learn!"]

{{quote| '''Yakko:''' "Hey come on, the Wheel of Morality adds boring educational value to what otherwise would be an almost entirely entertaining program."}}

** [[Bob Dylan (Music)|The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind]]...except in [[Joisey|New Jersey]], where anything blowing in the wind smells funny.

** It's easy to be brave--frombrave—from a safe distance.

*** Of course, at the end of [[The Movie]] ''[[WakkosWakko's Wish (Film)|Wakkos Wish]]'', they finally got a real moral out of the wheel -- butwheel—but given the film's goofy fairytale-ish nature, it was fitting. And also in song.

{{quote| Yakko: Hey kids, playing with giant bugs isn't cool. If someone wants you to play with a giant bug, just say "No thanks!". That's cool!<br />

* ''[[Veggie Tales (Animation)|Veggie Tales]]'' does this routinely. Sing along if you know it.

{{quote| And so what we have learned applies to our lives today,<br />

And God has a lot to say in his book.<br />

You see we know that God's word is for everyone,<br />

** Making it better, the third segment didn't do much but have Charles Barkley try to do the segment, then Jay and Silent Bob kick the crap out of him ''[[The Godfather (Film)|Godfather]]''-style ([[Shout -Out|including the missed punch]]) and leave.

* Spoofed in an episode of Disney's ''[[Dave the Barbarian (Animation)|Dave the Barbarian]]''. "Remember, children, brush your teeth every night or evil tooth decay goblins will move into your mouth and play loud polka music all day! And remember, STAY IN SCHOOL!!"

* ''[[South Park (Animation)|South Park]]'' has subverted and parodied this in various ways.

* Also present and parodied (at the same time!) in the animated series based on ''[[Sam and Max Freelance Police (Animationanimation)|Sam and Max Freelance Police]]''.

* This was used in ''The [[Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog (Animation)|Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' cartoon series (but not [[Sonic theSat Hedgehog (Animation)AM|the one that aired on Saturday mornings]]) with a short '[[Xtreme Kool Letterz|Sonic Sez]]' segment every episode, where Sonic explained some sort of lesson (often safety related) to the viewers. Disturbingly, Sonic once took it upon himself to explain "good touch vs. bad touch" to the kids at home ("There's nothing more cool than being hugged by someone you like. But if someone tries to touch you in a place or in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable, that's no good!"). The Internet being what it is, this has spawned [[Memetic Mutation|various edits and parodies]], such as [http://mchammeradvice.ytmnd.com/ "Sonic Gives MC Hammer Advice",] which is the "touch" speech with parts of "Can't Touch This" edited in.

** And remember kids--ifkids—if you're surrounded by robots, don't call 911--that911—that's for ''real'' emergencies!

* ''[[The Simpsons (Animationanimation)|The Simpsons]]'' played with this as early as the first-season episode "Bart the General".

{{quote| '''Bart:''' Contrary to what you've just seen, war is neither glamorous nor fun. There are no winners, only losers. There are no good wars, with the following exceptions: the [[American Revolution]], [[World War II]], and the ''[[Star Wars]]'' Trilogy. If you'd like to learn more about war, there's lots of books in your local library, many of them with cool gory pictures.}}

{{quote| '''Namath''': Heh heh. Poor Bart. You know, we had a lot of fun tonight. But, there's nothing funny about... vapor lock. It's the third most common cause of stalling. So please, take care of your car and get it checked. I'm Joe Namath. Good night!}}

* Spoofed at the end of the ''[[Kim Possible (Animation)|Kim Possible]]'' "Grande Size Me", where Ron delivers the moral of the episode to the audience at the end -- withend—with Kim and everyone else wondering [[No Fourth Wall|who on earth he is talking to...]]

* One of ''[[Drawn Together (Animation)|Drawn Together]]'''s many running gags.

* ''[[The Mysterious Cities of Gold (Anime)|The Mysterious Cities of Gold]]'' featured mini-documentaries on South American history and culture at the end of each episode. Unlike most entries on this list, they were actually interesting.

* ''[[The Magic School Bus (Animation)|The Magic School Bus]]'' had a segment at the end of each episode responding to "viewers' phone calls", which explained all the things the episode had [[Hand Wave|glossed over]] because it made a better story. Fair enough, since it was intended as an [[Edutainment Show]].

* ''[[Thundercats (Animation)|Thundercats]]'' more or less averted this by not having end of episode segments where the cast breaks the fourth wall and talks straight to the viewer, but some of the morals the episodes themselves are trying to teach come over as obvious anyway. This is sometimes pushed a bit too far when one of the [[Thunder CatsThundercats]] practically spells out the moral in a piece of dialogue in a very [[Anvilicious]] way (such as one time when Tigra makes a small speech about rules and how they should be obeyed, otherwise they are "just words". The delivery and pacing of the scene makes the moral that is trying to be taught overly obvious).

* ''[[Silverhawks (Animation)|Silverhawks]]'' had a similar segment at the end of each episode where Copper Kid got in a space simulator, where he was put against a simple astronomy quiz. Given the nature of the show, it was actually quite appropriate to have a segment about astronomy at the end of the show.

* ''[[Centurions (Animation)|Centurions]]'' -- Same—Same as above, except lecture style. Even [[Big Bad]] Doc Terror got to do two; one about "machines" (episode 14) and other about "computers".

* Spoofed in an ''Ambiguously Gay Duo'' animated short, from ''[[Saturday Night Live (TV)|Saturday Night Live]]'', in which the Duo present unintentionally [[Double Entendre]]-filled home safety tips. ("Grab the plug firmly by the male end and shove it right in. Don't play with it.")

{{quote| '''[[Mr. T]]''': "If you believe in yourself, eat all your school, stay in milk, drink your teeth, don't do sleep, and get 8 hours of drugs - you can get work!"}}

* The otherwise obscure ''[[Back to The Future (Animationcartoon)|Back to The Future]] The Animated Series'' was mostly remembered for that funny guy at the end -- aend—a young [[Bill Nye the Science Guy|Bill Nye]] doing a science-related stunt, usually a do-it-yourself, at the end, sometimes related to the episode's events.

* ''[[Static Shock (Animation)|Static Shock]]'' -- On—On a few [[Very Special Episode|Very Special Episodes]]s

* ''[[Mighty Max (Animation)|Mighty Max]]'' had a segment at the end of each episode with Max giving a brief fact related to the subject of the episode. One two-part finale, with Max still out with Virgil and Norman in a hellish setting, had Max's mother remarking on her son's choice of Dante's Inferno as reading material.<ref>When the series was shown in the UK, they were cut from [[The BBC|BBC1]]'s screenings but left intact on [[Nickelodeon]].</ref>

* ''[[Mister T (Animationanimation)|Mister T]]'' ([[The Animated Series]] starring [[Mr. T]]) puts both the moral in the action story--andstory—and then reminds the moral of the story in the tag. Not that the show was intended to bore kids to death. Mr. T [https://web.archive.org/web/20130918021940/http://www.agonybooth.com/recaps/Mister_T/Mystery_of_the_Golden_Medallion.aspx spins crocodiles over his head]. And [http://mrtshark.ytmnd.com/ punches sharks].

* ''[[The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy (Animation)|The Grim Adventures of Billy and& Mandy]]'' parodies this in one episode. Erwin steals Grim's scythe and causes a lot of chaos with it. From their beaten up positions, two characters say to the audience "Remember kids, playing with scythes isn't cool or fun." "It's dangerous!" "So if you see a scythe, don't pick it up! Tell an adult immediately!" ...they then proceed to nod at the camera knowingly.

* In one early morning commercial on [[Nickelodeon]], Katara from ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender (Animation)|Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'' gives a lecture about swimming safety, and how you should always have an adult around. This is a ''horribly'' [[Broken Aesop]] considering these are the kids who do everything with the oldest member being fifteen, from world travel, to swimming, to fighting, to [[Refuge in Audacity|completely unpunished]] [[Flopsy|insurance fraud]]. Also [[Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking|Toph farts in the pool]].

** You should also keep in mind that when you have characters who can [[Making a Splash|control the very water]] around them, and [[Healing Hands|heal you]] if you do get hurt, drowning is probably not high on their list of worries.

* ''[[The Venture Brothers (Animation)|The Venture Brothers]]'' included a [[Very Special Episode]] about testicular torsion - an obscure and embarrassing medical problem to which Dean succumbed. The after-credits segment included the [[Animated Actors]] woodenly giving awareness lectures while reading off cue cards, in a very 'The More You Know' style.

* The [[The Pond|football]]-themed cartoon ''[[Hurricanes (Animation)|Hurricanes]]'' featured at least one example: at the end of a [[Sweet Polly Oliver]] episode, the [[Token Girl]] explained to the viewer that women being restricted from playing on the same soccer team as men was "a stupid rule" but also that rules are rules. That's the only one I can remember from that series; I'm not sure if there were more...

* The ''[[Family Guy (Animation)|Family Guy]]'' episode "The Son Also Draws", (featuring an Indian casino) ended with the family acting racist towards a nationality stereotype, then immediately explaining why the stereotype is incorrect, with at "The More You Know" star showing up behind them. Then comes Peter:

{{quote| '''Peter''': That's more than you can say for those freeloadin' Canadians. (pause while the background goes black for him to give his inspirational educational message) ...''Canada sucks!''}}

** ''[[Family Guy (Animation)|Family Guy]]'' does this several times. In "North by North Quahog" Chris gets caught drinking in the boy's bathroom and a [[G.I. Joe]] steps outta the stall and gives a lecture about drinking.

* ''[[King Arthur and The Knights of Justice (Animation)|King Arthur and Thethe Knights of Justice]]'': "You need to ([[An Aesop|insert Aesop here]]) to be a knight of justice".

{{quote| '''Duck Dodgers''': That's right kids. [[Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking|Stay in school, don't sass your elders and always color within the lines.]] Because if you're good and lucky, you'll grow up to be ''[[Anti Role Model|just like me.]]''}}

* Spoofed multiple times in ''[[Yin Yang Yo (Animation)!|Yin Yang Yo]]''.

* ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987 (Animation)|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987]]'' had "Turtle Tips".

* Viewers of ''[[Tenko and Thethe Guardians of Thethe Magic]]'' were taught a magic trick at the end of the episode by the real Princess Tenko, along with an occasional "The magic is in '''you!'''" message.

* In ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (Animation)|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]]'', this takes the form of the letters that [[The Smart Guy|Twilight Sparkle]] writes to her mentor [[The High Queen|Princess Celestia]] at the end of every episode. Unlike most others, this is actually implemented well into the plot, rather than being a random PSA disconnected to the events of the episode. (Arguably, they ''are'' the plot, inasmuch as the series as a whole has one at all.)

** In fact, so much so that in Part 2 of "The Return of Harmony", these letters (sent back by Celestia) gave her the resolve she needed to rescue her friends, power up the Elements of Harmony, and defeat Discord when all hope seemed lost. Even more impressive, she turns the aesop of ''that'' episode into an ''epic'' [[World of Cardboard Speech]]/[[Shut UP, Hannibal]] against Discord.

** This is given aan hilarious[[Dethroning Moment of Suck (Darth Wiki)/Western Animation/My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic|aggravating]] subversion in [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (Animation)/Recap/S2 /E15 The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000|one episode]], where Applejack writes a letter just to brag that she already knew the Aesop. It might have been funny if it weren't for the fact there were multiple mistakes that her family made (with her support, if not by her directly), at least one of which had a very clear lesson that could be learned from that Applejack apparently didn't know by the end of the episode (arrogance can cause problems with potentially life-shaping consequences).

* Spoofed in a ''[[Harvey Birdman, Attorney Atat Law]]'' episode about heroin--erheroin—er, tanning creme addiction, with Peanut as [[Elton John (Music)|Elton John]] and Reducto as Jennifer Grey.

* Occasionally parodied in the ''[[Sam and Max Freelance Police (Animationanimation)|Sam And Max Animated Series]]'', in their "Our Bewildering Universe" shorts. A great example is "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_SEInSqOmM Chock Full O'Guts]", a short as unnecessarily gory as network standards would allow a kid's show to be, in which they claim to be teaching the viewer about the body, but instead play a heart like a bagpipe, throw intestines around and explain that the pancreas's function is to be a paperweight.

* [[The Nostalgia Critic (Web Video)|The Nostalgia Critic]] and [[The Nostalgia Chick (Web Video)|The Nostalgia Chick]] quote this directly in their review of ''[[Fern Gully]]'', complete with "G.I. JOOOOOOEEEEEEE!" at the end, after Chick explains to Critic why the movie is set in Australia.

* ''[[Zula Patrol (Animation)|Zula Patrol]]'': Every episode ends in a recap of what they (being audience and Protagonists) learned.

* The Captain Atom episode of ''[[Batman: theThe Brave And The Bold (Animation)|Batman the Brave And The Bold]]'' begins with one of these. The Captain tells 2 kids to stay away from a downed power line and delivers the egotistical Aesop of "Next time, be a hero, by remembering you're not." The same line is later [[Ironic Echo|turned back around on him]] after the [[Monster of the Aesop|bad guy]] [[Brought Down to Normal|takes his powers away]] and he starts [[Plot Parallel|getting in the way by trying to be a hero.]] At the end of the episode, after his temporary loss of powers has apparently shown him that [[Stock Aesops|there's more to being a hero than having special powers]], an almost-identical PSA [[Aesop Amnesia|starring the same two kids]] is shown: "You don't have superpowers, and [[Subverted Trope|that makes you some of the most fragile]] and [[Spoof Aesop|pathetic organisms in the whole universe."]]

* Many small-town newspapers still have columns where local clergymen -- usuallyclergymen—usually, on a rotating basis -- willbasis—will provide insight on issues affecting Christians, or perhaps the community at large, along with the requisite Scripture.

''You know, we've had a lot of fun today. But you know what's not fun? [[Red Link|Red Links]]s. Help make them blue! G'night!''

[[Category:Childrens Show Tropes{{PAGENAME}}]]