Television Review: Squidbillies
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this mature cartoon (part of the
Adult Swim line-up on Cartoon Network) is so riddled with
violence, sexual references, and disturbing dialogue that it's
easy to miss what little inane plot actually exists. Human
characters often meet untimely demises, from being constricted
by a snake man to the point of decapitation to being burned by
an intentionally combustible baby's soothing toy. The main
characters are inbred squid who are appallingly stereotyped as
hillbilly inhabitants of the southern United States. This show
is completely inappropriate for kids.
Families can talk about the dangers of prejudice and
stereotyping. Why are stereotypes so often played for laughs on
TV and in other media? What groups of people are most commonly
picked on? How are they portrayed? In what ways are the
portrayals exaggerated? How might it feel to be part of a group
that's often the butt of jokes?
The animated comedy SQUIDBILLIES is part of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim lineup and tells the tale of a squid named Early Cuyler (voiced by Danny "Unknown Hinson" Baker) and his family, who all live in rural northern Georgia. Early is the product of inbreeding, extreme poverty, and illiteracy; he's unemployed and engaged to a morbidly obese human woman who is forever demanding various tokens of his love, so he holds up a store at gunpoint to satisfy her needs. He's quickly convicted of armed robbery (since the sheriff was behind him in line at the store he robbed) and sent to the slammer for a 15-year stay. Meanwhile, Early's girlfriend bears his illegitimate half-human, half-squid child and dumps him on the doorstep of Early's sister, Lil (Patricia French). After serving his time, Early is reunited with teenage Rusty (Daniel McDevitt), the son he didn't know he had. To satisfy his parole requirements, Early lands a job with local corrupt businessman Dan Halen (Todd Hanson), who markets life-threatening infant products and dabbles in espionage.
Squidbillies is little more than 15 minutes of heaped-up negative messages. Beatings, shootings, and stabbings are routine solutions to problems, and Early and Rusty's relationship is marred by physical and emotional abuse -- which, incredibly, Rusty almost welcomes, since he's so desperate for a role model in his life.
Simulated sex is common, and sexual references are both spoken and spelled out on Early's myriad of message-touting hats, one of which features the words "Booty Hunter" surrounding a silhouette of a shapely woman on her hands and knees.
Racial and otherwise derogatory slurs are harsh and unfettered. Early is especially vicious toward women and white people, for whom he harbors great hatred. Rampant prejudice coupled with issues like illiteracy, incest, and poverty are tied to the show's stereotyped "white trash" characters. While adults may be able to put the show's humor into context, its crassness makes it completely inappropriate for kids.
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