I'm glad I was born in the early 1990s, because I grew up watching hilarious and witty shows on Saturday morning. I feel sorry for kids now, especially preteens. Shows that are geared towards their age group have anxiety-ridden, perpetually sarcastic characters. Even if it's a comedy it'll still be depressing. Pepper Ann was different in a sense that it didn't follow a generic formula. Despite being a cartoon, it contained real life elements. She's an eccentric 12-year-old girl with an active imagination who, along with her friends Nicky and Milo, is trying to navigate the landscape of friendships and crushes. This was also one of the first cartoons I've seen that portrayed a nontraditional family - Pepper Ann's parents are divorced. However, what made their situation different is they didn't get divorced because they were having problems with each other. Her dad was a blimp operator, so he wasn't home much. He was in a few episodes, and it's apparent she has a positive relationship with him. She has a younger sister named Margaret, whose voice is deeper and more hoarse than hers. In fact, she sounds like a man. Some people might find that strange but it's funny to me. I don't think a kid's show will ever be this clever again. Watching now as an adult, I found myself noticing that sometimes the humor was quite suggestive, and I'm sure it went over my head when I was a kid. For example, in one episode, Pepper Ann and Milo are at school, and when they come out of the janitor's closet, a bunch of students are all standing around. Well, my 29-year-old self got a kick out of that! I hope they don't remake this. With the overly sensitive and uptight society we're living in, there's no way it would be enjoyable like the original.
Review of Pepper Ann
