Rocko's Modern Life/YMMV
- Anvilicious: This show absolutely never stops reminding its viewers about how much life sucks.
- Also, Zanzibar's anti-pollution message is an especially (and deliberately) extreme example of this trope.
- Awesome Art: The show has arguably the most unique Nickelodeon art style other than "first two seasons" Ren and Stimpy's.
- Cargo Ship: Canon: Spunky's forbidden romance with a mop.
- The Psychiatrist was shown later to be wining and dining said mop.
- And how does Spunky get over it? He falls in love with a fire hydrant!
- The Psychiatrist was shown later to be wining and dining said mop.
- Ear Worm: R-E-C-Y-C-L-E, recycle! (It's also a handy way to remember how it's spelled...)
- God, that song will be popping up in your head even if you haven't seen the show in years.
- Hey, Rocko told you it was catchy, didn't he?
- God, that song will be popping up in your head even if you haven't seen the show in years.
- Fan Disservice/Fetish Retardant: Beverly Bighead's attempts to seduce Rocko in Leap Frogs are a definitive example of this.
- Hilarious in Hindsight: Heffer the meat eating bull, now there is a Dinosaur with that name. Carnatarus.
- In one episode there's a plumber named Dr. Phil. In the fourth Scary Movie Dr. Phil claims he's really an electrician.
- Filburt...the Awkward Turtle
- Episodes written by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh like to feature characters named "Ferb".
- Hollywood Homely: Bev Bighead. Well, she is a toad, after all.
- Ho Yay: In one episode, Rocko gets married to Filburt to become a legal immigrant in the USA.
- And then there's the very-uncomfortably erotic foot massage that Mr. Bighead gives to Mr. No Way at (basically) the beginning of Teed Off...
- Hype Backlash/Seinfeld Is Unfunny: Good luck getting a "modern cartoon" watcher who isn't (or is) incredibly pretentious to understand how revolutionary this show was back in 1993-1996.
- Also, the show has a fan base that is arguably even more insanely devoted to its subject matter than those of Ren and Stimpy and SpongeBob SquarePants despite the show itself being blatantly inferior to said shows in many ways (most notably the artwork in RML being colossally less detailed and interesting when compared to that of the first two seasons of Ren and Stimpy, as well as its writing severely lacking the character development of some of SpongeBob's), which certainly doesn't help its reputation either.
- Jerkass Woobie: Ed Bighead suffers even when he doesn't really deserve it (i.e. Teed Off).
- Memetic Mutation: I am the cheese. I am the best character on the show. I am better than both the salami and the bologna combined!
- Hell, the entire Wacky Delly episode is one big Meme.
- LOOK INTO MY NIPPLES OF THE FUTURE!
- I'm a wild pig!
- I'm nauseous.
- HOW DAAAAAAARE YOU?!
- And then you turn the page, and then you wash your hands...
- Garbage Day is a very dangerous day...
- And he ain't dressed for the occasion, if you know what I mean.
- Green Lex Luthor.
- "Tamales make my bottom burble."
- "He's completely...NAAAY-KEEEEEED! (WITH NO CLOTHES ON!!!)"
- Nightmare Fuel: Has its own page.
- Non Sequitur Scene: Tends to happen fairly regularly, but possibly the most notable instance is the scene with the naked fairies in "A Sucker for the Suck-O-Matic".
- Heffer being abducted by aliens who look like him in the episode Cruisin. Even though they went into the Bermuda Triangle and went through a time warp, this makes no sense in relation to the rest of the episode.
- Also, the following exchange in "Bye Bye Birdie":
- Heffer being abducted by aliens who look like him in the episode Cruisin. Even though they went into the Bermuda Triangle and went through a time warp, this makes no sense in relation to the rest of the episode.
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Heffer: Hey Rock, do you want to move to France? (not taking eyes off TV) |
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- Paranoia Fuel: The episode "Fish 'n' Chumps" where the gang goes fishing, only to discover that the fish are fishing for them using ever more elaborate bait, including the life jackets and ending with Rocko's house being reeled in.
- Retroactive Recognition: Rocko was Tom Kenny's big break into voice acting.
- Tear Jerker: Tickled Pink.
- The scene in Cruisin' where an old guy explains to Rocko about how old people are grumpy because they lost loved ones and Rocko starts getting tears in his eyes.
- The scene in Sand In Your Navel where Rocko thought he had lost Spunky forever.
- They Copied It, So It Sucks: Was the initial reaction of quite a few people (sadly including a few "professional" critics here and there) when the show featured (a very toned-down version of) Ren and Stimpy's signature gross-out humor.
- What Do You Mean It's for Kids?: Aside from the hidden dirty jokes and crude humor, the show's premise itself seems more relatable to an adult audience: dealing with themes of job troubles, home ownership, reclaiming an impounded vehicle, immigration and dating.
- What Do You Mean, It Isn't a Total Ren & Stimpy Clone?: One of many reasons to not trust the vast majority of "elitist" animation critics whenever they talk about the type of show that RML is.
- The Woobie: Rocko, arguably.
- Arguably? It's hard not to feel sorry for him in pretty much every single episode he's in. He's a total Iron Woobie.
- Back to Rocko's Modern Life