Rocko's Modern Life (Nicktoons)

common sense media says

Modern and funny, but edgy content isn't for young kids.


parents & educators say
  • 29% say sexual content is an issue

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that although this is a cartoon, it's got a fair amount of hidden raciness that makes it iffy for tweens. Sexual innuendo is hard to miss in coy references to sensitive body parts and euphemisms like the "Chokey Chicken" restaurant, most of which will be recognizable to tweens' keen eyes and ears. Slapstick-style violence matches the show's surrealism (electrocution, death by vacuum). On the upside, though, Rocko's interactions with his motley crew of friends illustrate the meaning of friendship and promote tolerance. Teens and adults will grasp the humor in the show's satirical view of many aspects of American society as well as pick up on multiple pop-cultural references embedded in the dialogue.

Positive messages: The show parodies many aspects of American society, exaggerating and poking fun at overconsumption, consumerism, and ill manners. Gross-out humor includes vomit, drool (a dog salivates into his water bowl and then drinks it), nose-picking, and excessive sweating.
Positive role models: Rocko means well and, to his credit, usually remains undaunted in the face of the tribulations he encounters. He always allows the good he sees in his friends to overshadow the bad. He's an anomaly in the show, though, as most of the people around him are victims to exaggerated negative qualities like gluttony, bad manners, ill temper, and laziness.
Violence: Exaggerated cartoon-style violence includes electrocution, broken bones, explosions, long falls, severed limbs, and, in some cases, flowing blood. None of the injuries have a lasting effect, though, and most are intended to be comical rather than scary.
Sex: Multiple instances of innuendo like an animal using binoculars to peek up fairies' skirts; a scene showing Rocko working at a sex hotline with a sign that says "Be hot, be naughty, and be courteous" behind him; episode titles like "Carnival Knowledge"; and a restaurant called the "Chokey Chicken," playing on a euphemism for masturbation.
Language: There's some name-calling ("idiot," "loser"), and "hell" is visible on a sign in at least one case.
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Some animated characters smoke cigarettes.

More on Rocko's Modern Life

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • Families can talk about friendship. What does this show have to say about friendship? What examples if positive relationships exist among characters? Why is it good to have friends who aren't exactly like you?

  • Tweens: Who do you think is this show's target audience? Did you find any of the content to be confusing or offensive? What is the purpose of creating an adult-oriented show that looks like it's meant for kids? Have you ever seen another show that referenced things you didn't understand?

  • What, if anything, are the show's creators attempting to say about American life? Do they portray any aspect of it as particularly bad, or are they just looking for laughs? Does seeing the world through Rocko's eyes change your impression of it? What can be gained by looking at things through another's perspective?

What's the story?

What's the story?

ROCKO'S MODERN LIFE is a satirical cartoon about an Australian wallaby named Rocko (voiced by Carlos Alazraqui), who's trying to adapt to American life with the help of his buddies, Heffer (Tom Kenny) and Filburt (Mr. Lawrence). Between his grumpy neighbors and his obnoxious boss at the Kind of a Lot O' Comics shop, Rocko finds his new American peers to be a little unruly, but he manages to let their positive qualities overshadow their crazy ways. Each episode usually involves Rocko's efforts to undo the effects of some wacky predicament caused by Heffer's naivety or Filburt's neurosis...unless it's actually Rocko who's to blame for the day's crisis.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Rocko's Modern Life isn't your run-of-the-mill kids' cartoon, thanks to a fair amount of edgy content. True, most of the sexual innuendoes and euphemisms will sail over very young kids' heads, and the worst of them actually were censored during the show's original run, but the same isn't true for more worldly tweens, who will pick up on the grown-up humor. This certainly isn't the first cartoon to push the envelope on content, and its content isn't as ribald as, say, South Park, but the iffy stuff has enough of a presence to warrant some thought on your part. There is some merit to how the stories promote tolerance among its vastly different characters, but even that is often lost in the overall quirkiness.

That said, this is a very funny show that's bound to be appreciated by anyone who notices its pop-culture references and satirical commentary on American society mixed in with Rocko's absurd struggles that make for plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. Allusions to TV shows like Star Trek, movies like Citizen Kane, and eateries like Kentucky Fried Chicken; poking fun at gross consumerism and the technological revolution; and, yes, those same hints at sexuality make for funny times when viewed through the eyes of a teen or adult.

TV themes & details

TV Details
TV Rating: TV-Y
Network: Nicktoons
Cast: Carlos Alazraqui, Tom Kenny
Genre: Kids' Animation
Where to watch: Nicktoons

This review was written by Emily Ashby
 
 

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What parents & educators say

7
Based on 14 parent & educator reviews:
  • 29% say sexual content is an issue

Most useful reviews by all members

bubblegumashley8
kid, 10 years old
 
stupid

Miranda ...
kid, 11 years old
 
Awesome for all ages!
BEST SHOW I HAVE EVER SEEN!!!!!!!!!

ibarncat
teen, 17 years old
 
More political than it is sexual
This is probably one of the greatest Nicktoons of all time. The main thing about the show that is disturbing this site and often disturbs parents is the use of sexual innuendo. Taping reruns of the show on Nicktoons out of nostalgia and boredom after having not seen the show in years and having not been sure if it was any good or not, I have certainly noticed a fair amount of this sort of humor, but most of it can float past kids and they would not understand it at all. However, I will admit that there some episodes when actually does get a little too much out of hand. "Kiss Me, I'm Foreign" is the show at its absolute worst, and I would have to say that episode, not Leap Frogs, is the one that deserves to be banned from reruns. Still, the show is not so much sexual in nature as it is political. Probably the best example of this is the one where Ed Bighead and Rocko run for dogcatcher.


kid, 12 years old
 
perfect for ages 4 and up, i love this show!
i recommend that this show is fun to watch and its for 4 years and older, except that i haven't heard about anybody complaining about innuendos they show in some nickelodeon cartoon shows i guess messages (4/5): POSITIVE: rocko is always sees the good mood to hang out with his friends. language (2/5): "stupid", "idiot", "you stink!", "i hate you!", "i will kill you!", "shut up!", "easy with the bladder", "how dare you!", "imbescles", "what the!", "loser" and one use of "hell" and some name calling as it gets. sexy stuff (3/5): lots of sexual innuendos which including vague references to genitalia and sexual acts. violence (4/5): lots of comic cartoonish violence such as arguing/yelling as it gets, pushing/shoving/punching/hitting, dangerous acts, characters gets injured, bodies ripped off, some blood shown in season one as, a body rips apart since a tough guy is working out, throwing stuff around as harder as it gets. several funny pratfalls included also. drink, smoke & drugs (3/5): several characters smoke cigarettes. and im not allowed to understand anything innuendos and it has some ren and stimpy creative veins as it gets though, and i still love this show since i was about 9 or 10 years old but now, i can keep on watching this if i ever get bored or not.


teen, 14 years old
 
perfect for ages 4 and up, i love this show!
i recommend that this show is fun to watch and its for 4 years and older, except that i haven't heard about anybody complaining about innuendos they show in some nickelodeon cartoon shows i guess messages (4/5): POSITIVE: rocko is always sees the good mood to hang out with his friends. language (2/5): "stupid", "idiot", "you stink!", "i hate you!", "i will kill you!", "shut up!", "easy with the bladder", "how dare you!", "imbescles", "what the!", "loser" and one use of "hell" and some name calling as it gets. sexy stuff (3/5): lots of sexual innuendos which including vague references to genitalia and sexual acts. violence (4/5): lots of comic cartoonish violence such as arguing/yelling as it gets, pushing/shoving/punching/hitting, dangerous acts, characters gets injured, bodies ripped off, some blood shown in season one as, a body rips apart since a tough guy is working out, throwing stuff around as harder as it gets. several funny pratfalls included also. drink, smoke & drugs (3/5): several characters smoke cigarettes. and im not allowed to understand anything innuendos and it has some ren and stimpy creative veins as it gets though, and i still love this show since i was about 9 or 10 years old but now, i can keep on watching this if i ever get bored or not.


kid, 11 years old
 
perfect for ages 4 and up, i love this show!
i recommend that this show is fun to watch and its for 4 years and older, except that i haven't heard about anybody complaining about innuendos they show in some nickelodeon cartoon shows i guess messages (4/5): POSITIVE: rocko is always sees the good mood to hang out with his friends. language (2/5): "stupid", "idiot", "you stink!", "i hate you!", "i will kill you!", "shut up!", "easy with the bladder", "how dare you!", "imbescles", "what the!", "loser" and one use of "hell" and some name calling as it gets. sexy stuff (3/5): lots of sexual innuendos which including vague references to genitalia and sexual acts. violence (4/5): lots of comic cartoonish violence such as arguing/yelling as it gets, pushing/shoving/punching/hitting, dangerous acts, characters gets injured, bodies ripped off, some blood shown in season one as, a body rips apart since a tough guy is working out, throwing stuff around as harder as it gets. several funny pratfalls included also. drink, smoke & drugs (3/5): several characters smoke cigarettes. and im not allowed to understand anything innuendos and it has some ren and stimpy creative veins as it gets though, and i still love this show since i was about 9 or 10 years old but now, i can keep on watching this if i ever get bored or not.

hamstergurl09
teen, 17 years old
 
Great!
I notice that a lot of parents complain about innuendos. Big deal. As if the children watching this show even understand innuendos. I didn't even notice them until I was watching this show at an older age. I really loved this show as a kid. I have it on DVD now. Recommended for kids age 5 and up.

 
Sexual Jokes Run Rampant
I recently bought season one of this show and having seen it, I can't believe that Nickelodeon got away with so much stuff we can't show in kid's cartoons today without at least (I think) a TV-PG rating. If any of you did your research, the recently released DVD is not "intact" as far as content goes. One scene in "The Good, the Bad, and the Wallaby" is completely removed as it showed, when it first aired and since has had this correction, Heffer experiencing pleasure with a milking machine. In "Skid Marks", the driving school that Rocko goes to has a watered-down video of a simulated car crash using tomatoes. The students cheer before the clip is shown and cry after the wreckage. In "Bedfellows", there is a short clip of a nudist colony formed in Rocko's backyard. What has been done is that every time the offending body parts might come into view, an object quickly blocks those parts. The censoring for nudity is a bit inconsistent. Rocko can be seen fully nude in a shower scene in one episode but then is censored in another after an animated censor spots the problem and puts a black box in front of the offending areas; at one point the box falls done when we see Rocko face-first.

Mr. Beiber
kid, 13 years old
 
Love it!
I love this show! Probably my favorite show of the 90's. Ren and Stimpy is not as good as Rocko's modern life but It is good, This show is Awesome! It's more appropriate for kids. I love Rocko's Modern Life! It never said Cr-p. I love the theme song! It's a nickelodeon classic you know. I Love it!

ilovecookiez
teen, 14 years old
 
Funny!
I remember this. I miss it:( It's really edgy though. I think this should be rated PG instead of Y7 but, whatever. I really miss this show. Me and my friend/cousin watched this on Netflix and we loved it:) I totally forgot how awesome Nickelodeon used to be. Bring back the old Nick! :'(

EmiEss
teen, 15 years old
 
Great show for everyone
Oh, geez, I can't say enough about this show. I used to watch it all the time when I was 2 and I still wake up early on wednesdays to see it. It's my all-time favorite by one of my favorite artists. Just about every single cartoon in the 90s had innuendos, you can't really get away from them, but that's kinda what made them so great, eh? X3 They all fly over little kids' heads, though. I'll argue that there was some educational values in it. One can't forget the "Recycle" song from the musical episode... tee hee A few of the voice actors and writers actually went on to create Spongebob, so, if you like Spongebob, you might enjoy Rocko as well.

Omiwako
teen, 15 years old
 
A Classic.
A perfect real-world cartoon with bubbly and entertaining characters. What more could you ask out of a show?

GoodSSJ
parent of 12 year old
 
Great Classic Nickelodeon Show
This Show Is Awesome And The Message Is Positive

TheUltimateRev ...
kid, 10 years old
 
Great Show!
I love this show, it's very funny and cool, just awesome.It has some innuendos, big deal.When do children understand innuendos?It's kinda edgy, but whatever.I think they said ''hell'' one time, but that is extremely rare, and it's just one time.Love this show, will always love this show, and the messages are really positive too.It has some actors and writers from Spongebob, so even Spongebob fans might love this show.Great Show.

 
Program was misrated!
From my examinations, this program should be rated TV-Y7!

EastmanFilms
kid, 13 years old
 
Funny show, but non-stop innuendos.
This is a brilliant children's show that appeals to adults too with it's cartoonish depictions of real life events that people go through, and they just twist it around to make it hilariously insane. The problems with this show are it's non-stop innuendos which includes scenes of a character mistakenly grabbing a bear's testicles, a scene of a character having an orgasm from a milking machine, an entire episode where a character tries to seduce another one, and tons more. On the plus side, the episodes have great messages and educates children too, a good example being an episode entirely about recycling.

 
Uses more adult humour than Ren & Stimpy.
Rocko's Modern Life is fun, yet sneaked in more adult humour than Ren & Stimpy did. I love Ren & Stimpy, but I LOVE Rocko even more. Great social behaviour, though.

Southparkfan
teen, 16 years old
 
Good for kids 10 and up
I just rewatched this show recently and it is probablly funnier than anything on the air at the moment. I do notice the innuendos now, but when I was watching reruns 9 years agi? Not so much. So, I think if your about 10 or older, you'd love it. If your too young though, the show will fly right past you

pie or pie
kid, 12 years old
 
I DONT REMEMBER THIS HOLD ON..... OH YEA NOW I REMEMBER OH I LOVED THIS SHOW BUTS ITS ON FOR AGES 10

Mariofan
parent of 3 , and 3 , 6 , 11 , 11 , 17 year old
 
So cool!
When my son was 5 he stumbled across it watching nicktoons. He thought it was awesome! It was not until he was 9 that he noticed that Nicktoons should have kept the TV-Y7 rating for this show. He didn't get it when he was 5, but he sure did when he turned 9. I brought him a Rocko DVD pack when he was 8.

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