JAZZ'S INTERNET EMPORIUM

Rugrats

My favourite childhood cartoon was Rugrats. I didn't have a great attention span as a kid, yet I could sit in front of the TV for hours totally transfixed by Rugrats. I watched the first 5 seasons the most, and didn't watch it much once Dil and Kimi were introduced.

Every 5 or so years now, I have a phase where I go back and watch a bunch of Rugrats episodes, and as I write this in October 2024, I'm back in this phase. As an adult, there's a bunch of suggestive jokes I get now, that felt over my head as a kid, which adds a new layer of entertainment to it. I really like how crude the characters look in the first few seasons. They look kooky and hand-drawn, and the animation isn't that smooth, which adds charm.

I have always adored the music and sound effects by Mark Mothersbaugh. It creates a really liminal and dreamy sort of atmosphere, which complements the visuals; like the purple skies, the low angles looking up at the adults where they appear to be gigantic. We really do get to see what life looks like through the eyes of a baby, and it captures how life felt like for me as a kid. Everything seemed to look and feel just a bit more vibrant.

I remember enjoying Rugrats: All Grown Up when I was in high school. I just got to watch it whenever it aired on Nickelodeon, which wasn't all the time. I didn't get to see every episode back then, and my memory of it isn't as good as the original Rugrats... but it still scratched an itch, and was super cool seeing how the babies looked and sounded "all grown up"!

Old Rugrats fansite links:

Krazy's Rugrats Page
Sarah's Rugrats Network
Rugrats World
The Unofficial Rugrats Online
Rugrats Great Adventures
Elise's Rugrats Page

Noteable Epsiodes

There's so many episodes that are dear to me. Here's some of the real standouts:

Barbeque Story ┃ S1 E2 - one of the first episodes I ever saw, I think. I rewatched it tons growing up. I like how adventerous Tommy is here.
Ruthless Tommy / Moose Country ┃ S1 E6 - both are really solid episodes. Tommy gets kidnapped in the first one which is an insane concept now for a kids cartoon lol. The 2nd one showcases Tommy's adventurous nature again.
Special Delivery ┃ S1 E8 - Tommy gets posted in the mail!
Candy Bar Creep Show ┃ S1 E9 - their first Halloween episode. The sound effects and music are super nostalgic, and basically constant. I wanted to eat Reptar Bars badly after watching this!
Weaning Tommy / Incident in Aisle Seven ┃ S1 E10 - Tommy's dreams were out of this world, and then the chaos Tommy caused in the supermarket was funny.
Touchdown Tommy ┃ S1 E11 - weirdly enough, this made a bottle of milk look so good.
Chuckie vs. the Potty ┃ S2 E2 - this is one of the first episodes I remember them focusing heavily on Chuckie. As much as I love watching Tommy, Chuckie has some great episodes.
Reptar on Ice ┃ S2 E10 - reminded me of all the times I went to Disney on Ice as a kid.
A Visit from Lipschitz ┃ S2 E13 - this ep is funny as hell in an absurb way, as an adult. As a kid, the humour just went over my head. Lipschitz made leftovers from the fridge and a hot bath look like the best thing ever.
Down the Drain ┃ S2 E19 - another classic that I watched like 100 times.
The Seven Voyages of Cynthia ┃ S2 E20 - even the opening of this episode, with the water rushing down, is really nostalgic. I really love this episode for some reason. I think seeing Angelica's softer side was nice, along with the accidental adventure Angelica got to go on.
The Slide / The Big Flush ┃ S2 E22 - Chuckie faces his fear of heights, and the babies go on a mission inside a pool. The pool ep in particular is one I remember super well from my childhood.
Runaway Angelica ┃ S2 E23 - An all time top favourite! A perfect episode, all around. Angelica's little toy car was SO cool. The way she set up camp with a little TV during a storm looked cosy yet lonely. Even though she went just around the corner, to kid-me, it felt like she went towns away.
The Last Babysitter ┃ S3 E8 - this feels like a Halloween episode. I love the colouring of this episode, with it mostly being in the dark/dimly lit rooms.
Princess Angelica / The Odd Couple ┃ S3 E14 - Angelica lays on a bunch of pillows with a fork under it to determine if she is a princess. Tommy and Chuckie sleep over with each other for a little too long, and end up fighting.
Under Chuckie’s Bed / Chuckie is Rich ┃ S3 E16 - these 2 episodes are some of the best! Under Chuckie's Bed felt really creepy, and even liminal at times. Chuckie is Rich explored a fantasy that everyone has, that came true for Chuckie.
Chuckie’s Wonderful Life ┃ S3 E17 - I think this is my fav episode ever. It's perfect. I love how liminal it feels sometimes. I love the lesson is teaches Chuckie, and the viewers, about how they are who they're supposed to be, and they have a place in this world.
The Carwash / Heat Wave ┃ S4 E7 - these 2 episodes just feel like summer.
Educating Angelica ┃ S4 E9 - another Angelica centred episode. It's funny seeing how similar Angelica and her mum are.
He Saw, She Saw / Piggy’s Pizza Palace ┃ S5 E5 - more adventerous vibes.
The Jungle / The Old Country ┃ S6 E6 - 2 great and adventerous episodes!
Ghost Story/Chuckie's Complaint ┃ S6 E7 - Ghost Story is an awesome episode! I love the imagination and storytelling aspect of this episode. Chuckie's Complaint was a bit of fun too.