Happy Tree Friends (http://www.happytreefriends.com)

common sense media says

Gory, ultra-violent, cynical, black-humored site.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this is a violent, mean-spirited site aimed right at your tweens and teens (as ads for iPods amply prove). It masquerades as cute, but characters are routinely gutted, blood spurts everywhere, rats gnaw at bodies. Parents, don't be fooled by the fact that the DVDs are sold at tween stores like Hot Topic. There is also no warning on this site. Ask your kids if they have seen the site. Then examine what they think is so funny about this violence.

Educational value: Not applicable.
Positive messages: Dangerously violent.
Violence: Gory, ultra-violent, blood, guts, grossout decapitations and disembowelments.
Sex: Not applicable.
Language: Not applicable.
Consumerism: Embedded ads, rotating ads, you have to sit through a ton of ads.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.

More on Happy Tree Friends

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about violence in cartoons. How do you feel about seeing cartoon characters maimed, tortured, or killed? Do you think if animated characters are the object of violent acts, it's more acceptable than in live-action movies or shows?

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
This site, in spite of its cheery name, is not for kids. Frankly, it's not for anyone. It is nightmare-inducing stuff. Characters lose their guts, brains, and eyeballs. It's as intentionally gross as it can be. There is nothing redeeming about this site. It is overwhelmingly commercial as well.

This review was written by Liz Perle
 
 

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What parents & educators say

11

Most useful reviews by all members

BenjyBoy10
kid, 11 years old
 
Gory, creepy, s*xy--everything not for kids
We are not losers HTFMime. We all hate this show because it is super gross. Click "helped me decide" if you agree.

ilovecookiez
teen, 14 years old
 
I'm in love with Handy :D
WHY DOES EVERYONE HATE THIS?! Oh, and everyone loves Saw? Cartoon blood isn't very scary because you can tell it's fake. Real blood on the other hand... and I mean lot's of real/ realistic blood.... (Saw) I love animals and all, so lucky for me I know these cute critters aren't real. I agree with HTFmime, GROW UP! They're are 4th graders that watch this and aren't scared! Again, Saw is even GORIER AND SCARIER yet everyone loves it. I bet a bunch of you who say they hate secretly enjoy it, because last time I checked, HTF is popular.

JesusLuvsYew
teen, 18 years old
 
I have no idea why I love this.
Personally, I like this show. But it is NOT for children. Even though my little siblings have seen it and can handle it, I don't really think this is much of a kids show. I've watched this since I was eleven and it never scared me. Weird. Anyways, this show is really funny! When I first heard of it I looked it up on wikipedia and read about it and thought "No way am I going to like this." But curiousity got the best of me and I ended up watching this and loved it. Iffy for all ages over 9.

crayolaguy7
teen, 15 years old
 
Good for teens and pre-teens.
I love this show! Even though its not for young kids, why on earth would adults watch it?!

HTFMime
teen, 16 years old
 
Best show ever!
I had been watching this since I was 11 I'm 14 years old and still like it! All the people who hate this show are losers! Grow up! Best show ever = Happy tree friends!

Indy54789
kid, 11 years old
 
Not for young kids, tweens and up.
I personally love Happy Tree Friends, but the other people on the site bug me about my recommendations. In some episodes there is a moral at the end. I enjoy making custom characters, and my brother, Bubble435Flippy, does too. I personally love the episode where the little beaver (Toothy) gets a lollipop in his eye.

cheacky3
teen, 15 years old
 
Horrible!!!!
Loaded with blood and gore

hamstergurl09
teen, 17 years old
 
Oh Wow, Animals Getting Torn To Bits, It's SO Funny. NOT.
Even I’m at a loss for words to describe this garbage. My favorite comedy form is black humor and I usually like cartoon violence. This, to me, is not black humor. It’s pure stupidity. There’s no story, it’s just animals getting killed. How is that funny? What’s really screwed up is how successful Happy Tree Friends is. It’s not funny, clever, or entertaining in any way, shape, or form.

SFDad
adult
 
This site is Disgusting...and Sucker Punches Unsuspecting parents
Happy Tree Friends sounds so benign...so fun and innocent. Well it's not. The Common Sense review is completely accurate...this is dark and gory cartoon violence - sort of a disaffected punk mentality - And parents need to be on notice if their kids are spending any significant amount of time on this site. The message Boards reveal how young many of the users are, and the incessant advertisements make it clear that there are a number of media companies who are happy to make a buck off this stuff. As for the creators, it's a shame that Mondo Media and Atom Films have stooped to this level and invested so much in producing and distributing this garbage. This site is not funny...Indeed, it is quite scary on many levels...It's the type of site that a Dylan Klebold or an Eric Harris would have thought was funny. Buyers and Parents Beware.

 
It's just... really not funny...
I don't think this is black humour. Its just a bunch of cute cartoon characters being horrible slaughtered... Is that really ironic? And is it really all that funny? I find it kinda weird how 10 year olds laugh at the pain and suffering portrayed by the characters, and when i point it out they say, 'It's just a cartoon.' I think black humour can only b found in real life situations. This is just a bunch of predicatble, gory deaths posted on an advert-infested website. Not good entertainment in the slightest. For real black humour, i recommend a movie like Little Miss Sunshine. THATS black humour.

gamemad
teen, 14 years old
 
I loved this (note only review with a problem with the language so pls look)
First is first. I am not used to much gore or blood i havent watched really any 15/18 rated movies (R) but i was at my friends house and it was rated 12 (PG-13) and i didnt have a clue what it was about. Note i was 10. I LOVED IT. The lovely music and the brilliantly made up deaths. It shows you how everyday objects could be the death of you, and it does it in a funny way. My brother saw this when he was 9 and was fine. I say 12 because i don't want people watching it if they can't handle it but 12 years old is fine. heres the review. This is very gory and very bloody but it is so violent it is funny. There is as far as i can see every kind of death there is but i actually have a feeling it could be a lot worse. Now once you watch this for a while you start to like certain characters and it makes you feel upset sometimes (not in a bad way just "lol poor Cuddles butt Lumpy is and idiot so i blame him" Now no other review says bad language as far as i looked down but one episode there is. In 2 or 3 episodes there is speaking and in one (i can't remember what it is called) but it is an interview with Cro-Marmot the interviewer says bas***d once and wa***r once. The role models would be perfect apart from one character (who i should ave mentioned earlier) is a psycho. he becomes one when an event reminds him of vietnam which is most episodes he is in. But note he is one of the most adorable animals there. i said i didnt put good rolemodels up because of him but in the last 2 episodes of the tv series (on youtube aswell) Double Whammy part 1 and 2 he realises his problem and tries to get it sorted out. I love this and probably always will but i can't say the same thing for my dad. Let your kids watch it if you are over 12. Some adults on this site over exaggerate and CSM is usually unreliable.

Metropolisforever
teen, 16 years old
 
Epic Failure
Basically, every episode of "Happy Tree Friends" consists of cute, cuddly cartoon animals being torn to bits. And... that's it. That's every single episode. There is no attempt at humor, story, or anything else, for that matter. Every single episode consists of cartoon animal gore and nothing else. Why? Well... because it CAN. That's pretty much the only reason this animated abortion exists. Because it can. And the fact that this is one of the most successful flash animations ever created - even inspiring a TV series - is nothing short of saddening. Avoid this mind-bogglingly awful trash. There is absolutely nothing redeeming whatsoever about this crime against flash animation.

SumBO
kid, 13 years old
 
HORRIBLE FOR ALL AGES!
Horrible, Just Horrible! Its completely Violent!!!! And gory! I wish i never watched it! Its truly disgusting some of the things they show!!

Code Geass ftw
teen, 14 years old
 
Sick and f**ked up
Why do people find this funny?!

Safemancam001
teen, 14 years old
 
F***ed up kids seires, NOT FOR KIDS!
My friend from Brazil showed this to me, and... wow. Happy Tree Friends is the stupidest thing ever! I thought the Christmas one were the baby dies three times was pretty funny, though, but it was because it was so unrealistic. When my friend and I think of bad things that can happen, we sometimes say "That's so Happy Tree Friends."

sunrisemusik
teen, 17 years old
 
Violence isn't this violent...
The premise, as I understand it, is to take a common quote or moral, put it into a story, and throw as much violence as possible. It is a "splatter" web series: "...uses special effects and excessive blood and guts; tend to display an overt interest in the vulnerability of the human body and the theatricality of its mutilation." I am honestly horrified at how desensitized some of these reviewers are to violence. There is one episode where this anteater is sick, and so she is taunted by the ants. So she invents some "face vacuum" so she can just suck them into her mouth. An ant breaks the on/off switch. Then they push tacks... and then acid in front of her. Then they stick the nozzle to his/her head... and then they hit reverse. And all that's left is a chunk of bloody organs. I saw that a year ago and I remember it perfectly. I just don't know how anyone could look at that and tell me there is any positive reason why I should look at it too. If you can handle it, go ahead, knock yourself out, have fun. Ijust find it highly disturbing.

connielove93
educator and parent of 5 and 10 year old
 
Cute Animals, Cynical Stories
I like this website myself but I would never let my young kids watch their videos. Happy Tree Friends may look cute on the outside but if you fully watch one of their videos you will know that these videos are only suitable for teens. It's very violent and cynical. The plot is just about cute animals who end up dying in unrealistic ways, like Final Destination. If your kid can handle Final Destination they can handle this.

ShadowClan4ever
teen, 14 years old
 
I think the show is good, but shows too much violence, especially with someone dying in at least every episode. I also think that it's a problem because the characters look like something you might see on a younger kids' show.

Treeberry
kid, 12 years old
 
Please don't watch the episodes!
This is the most disturbing thing ever. So I need something to watch so I download a Happy Tree Friends Podcast, I mean it was free in all. Then I watch Nuttin Wrong With Candy. I thought it was going to be an educational video, but noooo wa y!

PrettyNasty
parent of 3 , 5 , 9 , 12 , and 14 , 14 year old
 
This is nasty! I got disgusted watching the video (please excuse my ignorance) with the squirell and the lightbulb.

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