Rocko's Modern Life (Nicktoons)

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.

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.