The Oscars: Defining Adult Animation Once-And-For All

In response to the recent controversy at the 94th Academy Awards when presenters for Best Animated Film reveled in the fact that animation is a kids only genre. Unfortunately for  the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, nor anyone else has the authority to define what adult animation is…but we do. We have the rules right here, so if awards presenters and writers in the future need it, they can use it.

Yes there are rules. I know, right? Ironic. The one medium on the planet, making cartoons, that’s not supposed to have rules, right? Actually, call them…the Commandments…WAIT! No. Take that back…”rules” sounds better. Anywho, “The Rules” are a set of guidelines we have put forth that officially define adult animation. These rules are ingrained in print and as such, should be considered law:

I) Prime-time animation is defined as animation that is aired on broadcast television between the hours of 8pm to 11 pm ET Monday through Friday, and then 7pm-10 pm on Saturday and Sunday Nights. This only applies to television audiences in the United States and Canada for the purposes of this publication. Furthermore, we are adopting the 7pm time slot during the Monday through Friday week as “Prime Fringe” and as such, animated series that have premiered and run in this time slot will be dictated by us as primetime animation. 

II) Because of rule #1, the only programming that will be covered in this publication is first-run (not reruns) North American-produced animated television that airs primetime, late-night, and graveyard shifts (a popular mode of networks killing off episodes of a cancelled-series that haven’t run yet). 

III) If a TV series is part of a streaming service package (i.e. Netflix) then we designate programming that is rated TV-PG and higher “adult animation” and as such is subject to inclusion in our coverage.  For films, we classify films PG-13 and higher for this distinction. 

IV) Kids networks famously switch up premiere episodes of first-run series up and down timeslots. For example, a show might premiere and air for a couple of weeks in primetime before it’s stashed to the daytime timeslots. Programming like this is NOT considered “primetime” animation and as such will not be covered here. Our rule is that a majority of a series’ run on broadcast television must have aired in the 7pm-4am ET time slots to be in consideration for our coverage.  

Now that the rules are out of the way, understand this. The adult animation industry only happens as a result of the freedom of expression and speech. I have, nor will I ever, discriminate against an artists’ work and demand changes or disclaimers to appease a select few. Neither me, nor you, nor anyone else, has creative license over someone else’s work. 

These rules are final.