Line #198 TakeThat/WesternAnimation


1	Because sometimes it's good to [[TakeThat poke fun]] at your more [[{{Pun}} two-dimensional]] competitors.
2	----
3	!!Animated series with their own pages
4	[[index]]
5	* ''TakeThat/FamilyGuy''
6	* ''TakeThat/{{Futurama}}''
7	* ''TakeThat/TheSimpsons''
8	* ''TakeThat/SouthPark''
9	[[/index]]
10	----
11	* ''WesternAnimation/EightHundredAndFiftyMeters'': One of the silhouettes that scare the knight in the foggy area looks like [[Series/{{Teletubbies}} one of the Teletubbies]]. [[spoiler:It's eventually revealed it was a dragon that intentionally put on a disguise to look like that.]]
12	* ''WesternAnimation/AladdinTheSeries'':
13	** Saleen, a mermaid character from "Elemental, My Dear Jasmine", actually pokes fun at [[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989 another famous Disney mermaid]]. She has red hair, but is more villainous and tries to [[{{Pun}} land herself a human man]] more [[ItAmusedMe for her own personal amusement]] rather than for love.
14	--->"Legs. What's all the fuss about?"
15	** She also gives Jasmine the hairstyle of said mermaid, but complains it "Looks like every other Princess under the sea".
16	* ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'':
17	** "The Treasure" goes at length to show that, due to tight money, Gumball's family can only afford the cheapest versions of products, like hamburger buns the size of doughnut holes and having to watch ''How to [[WesternAnimation/{{Ratatoing}} Ratatwang]] your [[WesternAnimation/TheLittlePandaFighter Panda]]'' [[TheMockbuster instead of a real movie.]]
18	** In "The Void", Gumball and Darwin visit the titular void where all the mistakes the world has made end up. What are the first three things they see? [[WesternAnimation/RegularShow Mullets, cut-off jean shorts and a LaserDisk.]] There's also Clippy the Microsoft Office assistant and a [[LawyerFriendlyCameo thinly-veiled parody]] of the Crazy Frog ringtone mascot.
19	** The [[RobotKid Bobert]] company in "The Upgrade" is a rather brutal burn on Apple: their expensive updates add few new features, they [[Music/{{U2}} added a terrible music album to Bobert's hard drive when he updated]], their advertising and employees are full of MeaninglessMeaningfulWords about their corporate model, and the new Bobert bent when they sat on him like the iPhone 6. There's also a jab at UsefulNotes/MicrosoftWindows 8 when Bobert's OS is ruined when he "upgrades" from version 7 to 8.
20	** The episode "The Copycats" is an entire episode dedicated to calling out the show's own Chinese [[TheMockbuster Mockbuster]] ''Animation/MiracleStar'', even having an entire musical number about how they should try and be original. There's also a surprisingly dark gag implying the copycat family killed their daughter due to China's one-child policy.
21	** "The Menu" is an extended jab at fast-food culture. When Gumball tries to blackmail Larry by taking a picture of Joyful Burger's mascot blending a chicken foot, Larry just says "What? That's just how nuggets are made. Everyone knows that." Richard learns one must eat a burger from every Joyful Burger in Elmore to learn the name of the secret burger. He becomes so obese he can't fit in his car and sweats lard, and later cheese. Gumball points out that the toy from a fast-food place has more nutritional value than the food.
22	* ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'':
23	** "Tell your father I'll be gone all night. Man, these hours are brutal. No wonder those doctors on ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' don't have time to be funny." (with Klaus, the show's [[ButtMonkey equivalent to Meg]] on ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', pitifully commenting that he likes ''Scrubs'').
24	** Another episode had Steve and Roger talking (metaphorically) about Steve's place in the family. He used to be "first class", now he was back in coach between two fat ladies from Toronto. Roger responds "Blue Jays fans are the worst!" They then go on to make fun of Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox fans.
25	** In "Great Space Roaster", when the family is captured by Roger and forced to have a roast for each other as retribution for the one they threw him earlier, Francine rails Stan accordingly: she describes him as having the undeserved ego of Creator/JeremyPiven, the annoying self-righteousness of Creator/SeanPenn, and the unbearable hypocrisy of Rush Limbaugh and that with all of those combined, he's almost as bad a person as Creator/RachaelRay.
26	*** Shortly after, Roger says that Francine cries when she watches ''Series/GreysAnatomy'', which Francine says is because she feels sorry for the actors who have to star in it.
27	* The GrandFinale of ''WesternAnimation/TheAngryBeavers'' was axed because [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhO03UHjKYs it explicitly slammed]] Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}'s re-re-re-re-rerunning practices and would have exposed them to the ignorant children. [[AdoredByTheNetwork How many slots]] do you think ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' would take on Nick's current schedule if the episode did air?
28	* The original title for ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' was ''Bonkers'', but Disney already had [[WesternAnimation/{{Bonkers}} a series by that name]]. Every so often, the characters made unflattering comments about ''Bonkers'', such as Slappy saying that her nephew is dumb from watching it, or one of the items on a scavenger hunt being a funny episode of it.
29	** ''Animaniacs'' kind of likes taking potshots at Disney in general. "Jokahontas" takes a few. For starters, a song about how formulaic and unoriginal their heroines are, John Smith has red pants with two yellow buttons and a catch on his helmet to release a pair of round ears. Oh, and John Smith is [[AnimatedActors Mel Gibson. Straight up.]] Not voiced by him, but it's still hard to miss.
30	** In one episode, Yakko asks whether Wakko and Dot know what time it is. This is followed by Dot replying, "[[LampshadeHanging Time to make fun of the]] Creator/DisneyChannel?"
31	*** That would be an installment of the "Wheel of Morality", which [[ExecutiveMeddling network executives mandated]] be included to "add educational content to what would otherwise be an entirely entertaining show". Yakko would always ask this question, and Dot and Wakko's responses would always be some form of Take That.
32	*** Interestingly, there was only one scenario where this trope was averted with the "Wheel of Morality." The moral was: "Brush your teeth after every meal." Furthermore, Yakko added "This moral brought to you by the American Dental Association."
33	** In the ''Animaniacs'' movie, ''WesternAnimation/WakkosWish'', Dot's backstory and [[DisneyDeath her big fake death]] are all a big take that at Disney's versions of classic fairy tales and its killing off of characters in movies such as ''WesternAnimation/{{The Lion King\|1994}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Bambi}}''. In an interview, one of the writers said they don't have anything against the company, they were just an easy target.
34	** One segment from 1997 had Slappy Squirrel speaking out against the FCC's demands on the three-hours-a-week increase in educational programming. In fact, Slappy would repeatedly badmouth MoralGuardians cracking down on violence, and the watered-down cartoons that resulted from it.
35	** "Back in Style" has the Warner siblings being loaned out to other studios and as a result appearing on parodies of shows like ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooWhereAreYou'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Underdog}}''. They're pretty brutal toward the shows' characters.
36	** "Acquaintances" is one long Take That at ''Series/{{Friends}}'', with the Warner siblings tormenting the characters.
37	** There's also "Baloney and Kids", a Take That episode aimed at a well-known and hated [[Series/BarneyAndFriends dinosaur]]. Which turned the beast into horror incarnate by making him a {{Nigh Invulnerab\|ility}}le [[TheJuggernaut juggernaut]] [[ImplacableMan relentlessly pursuing the Warners]].
38	** Or the "Please Please Please Get a Life Foundation" sketch, which was a major Take That aimed at the nerdier fans.
39	** Part 2 of the episode "Hooray For North Hollywood" has Thaddeus Plotz, the C.E.O. of Warner Brothers, releasing a ''Film/SpaceJam'' parody called "Jamalot". It features a Michael Jordan caricature dressed as a knight surrounded by cartoon characters, none of whom look too thrilled to be there.
40	** Also from Part 2 of "Hooray For North Hollywood", at one point Dot meets Creator/JoelSchumacher, telling them that she's seen all of his films and encouraging him to make more. As she walks away, she mutters, "Eventually one of them is bound to turn out watchable..."
41	** In one of the Wheel of Morality segments (itself a sarcastic comment on [[ExecutiveMeddling government meddling]] in children's programming), the moral of the day is: "You can teach an old dog new tricks, [[Music/{{Evita}} but you can't teach]] [[Film/SweptAway Madonna how to act]]." Another is: "If you can't say anything nice, you're probably at the Ice Capades."
42	** The episode "Morning Malaise" had an anthropomorphic tern named [[{{Pun}} Howie Tern]] that was a complete parody of Creator/HowardStern. When Howie told Yakko to go bother Rush Limbaugh, his reply is "[[FatBastard We're afraid he might eat us]]."
43	* ''WesternAnimation/AquaTeenHungerForce'':
44	** Soon after ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' left Creator/AdultSwim for Creator/ComedyCentral, the show featured one relevant to that point, where Meatwad complains of wanting to watch ''Futurama'', and Shake tells him to go over to "Carl Central," where they have ''Futurama'' on all the time. He bitterly remarks that Carl didn't even like ''Futurama'' until the Aqua Teen started watching it, a reference to Comedy Central producing new episodes of ''Futurama'' after the show had already been airing in reruns on Adult Swim for several years.
45	** Another episode has Carl's girlfriend telling her kids' babysitter that the children are only allowed to watch animated programs, and therefore "No Cartoon Network". At the time, Cartoon Network was coming under fire for the increasingly large amount of live-action and reality shows being aired on the channel.
46	** Reportedly, they made an episode called "Boston" in response to the 2007 bomb scare caused by a promotional campaign gone wrong, but Turner's legal department won't allow it to air or be released out of fear of further legal action.
47	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'':
48	** One episode had an in-universe example: Buster plans to open his report with a joke, and tests it out on Binky before school starts, only to have Binky tell the joke before ''his'' report. Buster spends the rest of the episode holding a grudge against Binky for this, and later at the school talent show, his entire "comedy act" consists of a [[CharacterFilibuster long screed]] against Binky. Needless to say, the act bombs... [[NeverMyFault which he proceeds to blame Binky for]].
49	** There were also several Take Thats against ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButtHead'', which was represented in the show as ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwh_ekDGhlA Peabrain and Nutthead]]'' several times.
50	--->'''Buster:''' Laugh.\
51	'''Arthur:''' But I don't get it!\
52	'''Buster:''' Neither do I, but they don't have to know that.
53	** D.W.'s favorite show (which Arthur hates), ''The Mary Moo Cow Show'', strongly resembles [[Series/BarneyAndFriends Barney]], including the SickeninglySweet tone and annoying songs. When it's eventually cancelled, it's replaced with ''Stock Market Today'', a parody of [[BitingTheHandHumor PBS's]] ''Nightly Business Report.''
54	** In "Sue Ellen and the Brainasaurous", Sue Ellen is working with The Brain on a biology project and both of them create a model ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' skeleton. Sue Ellen's first attempt at making a skull results in a clay [[Series/BarneyAndFriends Barney]] head. She immediately smooshes it back into a shapeless blob with an irritated look.
55	* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'':
56	** The last episode before the 4 part finale was a retelling of the entire 3 seasons as a play, and consisted of a long chain of affectionate Take Thats at both their fans and [[SelfDeprecation themselves]].
57	** The July 2008 Comic Con ''Avatar'' panel included a [[http://bryankonietzko.tumblr.com/post/23328242928/an-oldie-but-goodie-we-made-this-silly-little video]] that took a good whack at overzealous {{Shipping}}. Though [[PortmanteauCoupleName Zutara]] was the heaviest hit, {{Crack Pairing}}s Sokka/Toph and Azula/Aang get skewered, too, and--for that matter--a gentle pillow is tossed in the direction of OfficialCouple Katara/Aang, [[AdamAndEvePlot concerning their relative "...inexperience." ]]
58	** In the episode "Sokka's Master", Aang tries on a ridiculously elaborate set of armor, which he's unable to move in and falls backwards while he's still wearing it. The DVDCommentary confirms that this was a swing at the type of [[RummageSaleReject ridiculous]] and {{imp\|ossiblyCoolClothes}}ractical choices in character/costume design that the series creators don't exactly agree with.
59	*** Specifically, it was Mike and Bryan's response to Mattel asking them to give Aang such a set of armor so they could use it in their action figure line.
60	** "[[CallingYourAttacks Sneak attacks don't work]] [[WithCatlikeTread if you yell it out loud]]."
61	** "There's no girls in the ''Avatar'' universe! Just ask Creator/{{Mattel}}!" whip crack
62	* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/BackAtTheBarnyard'', Freddy freaks out at the prospect of being sent away from the barn: "Do you know what they do to animals who have been bad?" Cut to Freddy strapped to a table, being [[CoolAndUnusualPunishment forced to watch]] [[Film/HighSchoolMusical something involving kids singing about being in high school and making a musical]].
63	* On ''WesternAnimation/TheBackyardigans'', in the soundtrack exclusive version of the "W-I-O-Wa" song from "News Flash," Uniqua delivers one at what often passes for the state of news-reporting these days:
64	-->'''Uniqua''': ''I'm not that sort of newswoman who sits at a desk and talks. I'm the sort who'd rather report, 'cause being a reporter '''rocks'''!''
65
66	* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'':
67	** An episode in the series itself, after the art style change, featured an episode that had a scene where a network TV spokesperson previews a new line up of shows with bad premises and bad actors meant for the "teen/young adult" group. Either a shot at the WB! or at prime time TV in general.
68	** One of the Mr. Freeze episodes of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' involved an amusement park magnate who wanted Mr. Freeze to grant him immortality through the process that had made Freeze cold-blooded, so the magnate would have time to implement nefarious long-term plans. This was a subtle dig at Walt Disney, both for the rumors that Disney had himself cryogenically frozen at death, and for the extreme political views Disney is said to have had.
69	** On an episode of ''[[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries The New Batman Adventures]]'', there is an AmbiguouslyGay teen named ''Joel'', who is playing around with a feather boa at Shoemaker's Department Store. Joel mentions that he likes "tight rubber suits" and a Batmobile that "drives up walls", to which the one of the teens say, "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmukTDE22HQ Yeah, sure, Joel]]". Even Batman pokes fun at ''Film/BatmanAndRobin''.
70	** More subtly, Baby Doll's failed version of ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}'' bears a striking resemblance to Creator/RomanPolanski's [[Film/Macbeth1971 1971 version]].
71	** The episode "Mean Seasons" is ripe with this. Donna Day, a bitchy fashion designer kidnapped by Calendar Girl, is based on fashion mogul Carrie Donovan. Day and two others who fired Calendar Girl for being "too old", a car manufacturer CEO and a TV director, are bound and gagged by Calendar Girl, who then lectures them about how "sick" America's obsession with youth is. Just in case you don't get the jab, Calendar Girl was played by Sela Ward, a former model and actress who famously launched a campaign against ageism in Hollywood after a film director made a remark about her age.
72	* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold''
73	** Episosde "Legends of the Dark Mite":
74	*** Bat-Mite confronts a group of irritated fanboys who are bashing the cartoon for not being dark enough, and explains to them that the show does adhere to Batman's comic book history and is just as valid as the [[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries previous, darker Batman cartoons]].
75	*** In the same episode, Bat-Mite briefly views the rubberized Batsuit from the much-maligned ''Film/BatmanAndRobin'' film, and dismisses it as being "too icky".
76	*** Likewise, Bat-Mite conjures up the DarkerAndEdgier Creator/FrankMiller Batman from ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'' but dismisses it as being "too psycho".
77	** "A Bat Divided" features a scene where Batman is split into several clones embodying his various personality traits, and the embodiment of Batman's rage angrily screams out "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg5QBrwKF94 Batman does not eat nachos!]]" This could be seen as a dig at the fandom's vitriolic response to the previous Batman cartoon, ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman'', after an early episode had Bruce Wayne asking Alfred to make him some nachos. The scene provoked outraged responses from a number of fans who accused the show of trying too hard to make Bruce seem young and hip.
78	** The final episode of the show features a scene where ''The Brave and the Bold'' is cancelled and replaced with a "darker", CGI Batgirl TV series. This greatly upsets Bat-Mite, who dismisses the Batgirl cartoon as a poor substitute. In real life, a darker CGI-animation Batman series called ''WesternAnimation/BewareTheBatman'' was launched as a replacement for ''The Brave and the Bold''.
79	** The "Siege of Starro" two-parter has a scene where ComicBook/BoosterGold, [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]], and ComicBook/{{Firestorm\|DCComics}} try to evade Starro's zombie hordes by removing their costumes and dressing as civilians. Booster remarks that "The toy company won't like this one bit!", a reference to Mattel, the company that provided a sizable portion of the show's budget and as such [[ExecutiveMeddling would step in and make demands pertaining to the series' content]] from time to time.
80	** There was another toy-company swipe in the final episode, where one of Bat-Mite's ploys to get the show cancelled was to load it up with over-the-top Bat-gear obviously shoehorned in for merchandising purposes, such as the "Neon Talking Super Street Batluge".
81	* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'':
82	** The first season episode "Heroes" features the Terrific Trio, a group with notable similarities to the ComicBook/FantasticFour. Judging by their rather [[FamilyUnfriendlyDeath horrible deaths]], it seems the episode's writer isn't a fan.
83	** There's also Terry's line "[[Film/ThePhantomMenace Jar Jar Lame]]" in [[Recap/BatmanBeyondS2E24SentriesOfTheLastCosmos the Star Wars-themed episode]].
84	* [[WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButtHead Beavis & Butt-Head's]] Spanish teacher reveals[[labelnote:*]]in "No Laughing"[[/labelnote]] that the only Spanish that the main duo knows is what they learned at Taco Bell, and seconds later [[EpicFail even that escapes Beavis' Mexican vocabulary]].
85	** In the revived series, the titular duo would watch and comment on shows like Jersey Shore and Teen Mom. Unlike their riffs on music videos which basically consisted of them dismissing the music as crappy and wishing for more boobs and explosions, their critiques of the shows were constantly calling out the people in them on how vapid and self-centered they were. Remember, these are [[EveryoneHasStandards Beavis and Butt-Head]].
86	* ''WesternAnimation/BigCityGreens'': "Bad Influencer" is a complete take on internet influencer culture, whilst "Cheap Show" is a whole-plot jab at low-budget cartoons.
87	* ''WesternAnimation/BillAndTedsExcellentAdventures'' took a swipe at boy band New Kids On The Block in the episode "The Birth of Rock and Roll, or: Too Hip For The Womb." The boys are at a record store and asks Rufus what he thought of the New Boys on the Corner album. Rufus: "They stink."
88	* ''WesternAnimation/BoJackHorseman'' has a few examples:
89	** On a meta level, whenever a celebrity refuses to voice themselves as a character, the creators make sure something bad happens to their character (i.e. Andrew Garfield breaking all the bones in his body).
90	** Sarah Lynn's bear stepfather, who was implied to have been sexually abusive, is designed to look like a bear version of Terry Richardson.
91	* ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks'' has too many of these to count because it's based on a comic built around the trope.
92	** One of the recurring characters on the show, Rallo Goodluv, is an obvious take that to Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson.
93	* Nearly everyone on ''WesternAnimation/CelebrityDeathmatch'' gets at least one Take That at some point.
94	** When Creator/AdamSandler and Creator/BenStiller met, both were so used to being the underdog that they could only have a WimpFight. Mills Lane told them to fight for real by threatening to bring out the ''Series/{{MADtv\|1995}}'' cast. When the two said they could take them, Mills clarified that he would bring them out not to fight but to perform their sketches live.
95	* ''WesternAnimation/ClerksTheAnimatedSeries'' takes a shot at ''Family Guy'' in the final episode. Dante and Randal stumble upon the producers discussing ideas for what else to do with them (a la ''WesternAnimation/DuckAmuck''), and one of them is holding a book labeled "How to Write Cartoons by Creator/SethMacFarlane" and suggests that they put them in a ''Series/GilligansIsland'' spoof with gay jokes, which became HilariousInHindsight years later when ''Family Guy'' made an episode where Peter and his buddies end up as castaways on a deserted island and make gay jokes. In the commentary for that episode, Creator/KevinSmith drops all pretense and flat-out states that he thinks ''Family Guy'' is undeserving of its Emmy nomination, among other things. ''Family Guy'' would retaliate in the episode "Peter's Progress", where Peter's ancestor said he was happy to be away from the films of Kevin Smith.
96	* ''Arthur'' was on the receiving end of a Take That: the first episode of the Disney version of ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}'', themed around change, had Doug remembering his old pals Arthur and Buster in Bloatsburg...namely, how annoying they were. To drive the point home, [[https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Nz-1j08TPzo/maxresdefault.jpg the expies of the characters resembled the real thing very eerily]].
97	* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017''
98	** "The Infernal Internship of Mark Beaks!" takes shots at the various new tech companies and billionaires that have sprung up in the late 2000s and 2010s that have made money through creating buzz about their products and generating investments (e.g. Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk) through new character Mark Beaks. Beaks is introduced as the social media savvy founder and CEO of a company who's on his way to making a billion just through the hype and buzz generated by a product that turns out to literally be {{Vaporware}} [[spoiler:(it's literally nothing)]].
99	** In "Quack Pack!", after the family finds they've been trapped in a reality based on sitcoms, Gene mentions the sitcom getting an edgy reboot, a joke that pokes fun at shows like ''Series/{{Riverdale}}'' and ''Series/ChillingAdventuresOfSabrina''.
100	* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'':
101	** In one episode, a citizen of Atlantis states that the diet of his people consists of crabs, starfish and the occasional underwater squirrel. Take a wild guess at [[WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants which show they're mocking]] (hint: it's on the same network, oddly enough). The very same episode has the people of Atlantis deciding that Cosmo sinking them was a good thing after viewing ''Wet Willy'', a fictitious movie starring a very thinly veiled CaptainErsatz for ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}, who is [[ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman primarily noted for sucking]].
102	** The episode "Shelf Life" gives many stabs to the state of Missouri.
103	** ''WesternAnimation/AbraCatastrophe'' starts with several movie parody dream sequences. In the middle of the "Luke vs. Vader" recreation, a character with long ears walks out advising them not to fight before devolving into gibberish. He is promptly thrown into the abyss by both. Even better, when Timmy becomes [[ComicBook/SpiderMan the amazingly unsueable Arachnid Kid]], he catches him, solely for the sake of [[GrievousHarmWithABody using him as a weapon to smack the villain]].
104	* Berry's debut episode in ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'' takes a dump on shippers. A photo album of Berry and Bloo's "moments"? The fact Berry is [[{{Yandere}} completely delusional]]? ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998'' fanfics where the titular characters are paired with the Rowdyruff Boys must have ''really'' annoyed the creator...
105	** [[WesternAnimation/DoraTheExplorer Explorin' Lauren!]] Heh, Creator/{{Lauren\|Faust}}...
106	*** Even more hilarious because Lauren Faust has stated that she hates ''Dora the Explorer''.
107	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Freakazoid}}'':
108	** In the episode "JustForFun/CandleJack":
109	--->'''Freakazoid:''' The scariest thing in the world... would be if they gave Sinbad ''another'' TV show.\
110	'''Kids:''' AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!! run into cabin and hide
111	** Not to mention the episode where he gets teleported back in time and prevents the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He then goes to see what has changed. He finds a theater playing ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}'' with Creator/SharonStone. He is shocked to find she is good. "She's really good. Sharon Stone can act!" He also sees that Rush Limbaugh became a bleeding heart liberal. Then he picks up a paper and also learns Euro Disney is packed, cold fusion works, and there are no Creator/ChevyChase movies!
112	** In "The Chip," Gutierrez tries to get information out of Dexter and Roddy by revealing that he has Dexter's family tied up in another room and threatens to show them a videotape of "The Best of Marty Ingels."
113	---> '''Roddy:''' What kind of sadistic creature are you!?
114	** In another episode, Freakzoid is interviewing a woman who saw something horrible. When Frekazoid asks her to be more specific, she says that it was like "having to watch ''Film/{{Waterworld}}'' for a month," which horrifies Freakazoid.
115	* ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends'':
116	** [[CouchGag Usually Garfield says something different at the end of the theme song]]. In one episode, his line is "Hey, ComicStrip/{{Heathcliff}}. Eat your heart out." In another episode, he says that his show has what he calls "the Garfield Guarantee: no [[Franchise/{{Transformers}} giant]] [[Anime/{{Voltron}} robots]] or [[Franchise/TheSmurfs annoying little blue people]]." Other versions include "Maybe not as funny as pro wrestling, but a lot more realistic" and "Don't watch NBC. They don't have cartoons anymore." [[note]] In the fall of 1989, NBC began phasing out animated programming on Saturday Mornings in favor of live-action shows such as ''Series/SavedByTheBell''. The phase was completed by September 1992. [[/note]]
117	** Also, in "The Incredibly Stupid Swamp Monster", Roy calls his agent and asks "Isn't Creator/HannaBarbera casting? What about cable? I hear they're doing a ''funny'' version of ''[[WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow Ren and Stimpy]]''."
118	** In "Hare Force", Booker suggests that [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987 the tortoise in the story of "The Tortoise and the Hare" could be a ninja]], and Sheldon asks "Nah, who would want to see that?" in response.
119	** The Buddy Bears were intended as a Take That against ''WesternAnimation/TheGetAlongGang'' and, to a lesser extent, anything else that promoted TheComplainerIsAlwaysWrong — head writer Creator/MarkEvanier always found that Aesop disturbing.
120	** Then there's the episode where "Gramps' Groceries," a mom-and-pop store, is about to get swallowed up by "The Food Monster", a protest against the major chains squeezing out local competitors. The manager of the Food Monster is shown to be a fat crook who deliberately organizes the store so the stuff people want is impossible to find, and price-gouges customers by bombarding them with false promises of coupons, specials and contests, so they don't notice how much more they're paying. Oh, and he wants to buy out the mom-and-pop store so he can bulldoze it and put in more ''parking spaces''. He's finally defeated when Garfield [[EngineeredPublicConfession secretly broadcasts one of his evil speeches across the entire store]], and the customers get mad and leave.
121	** At one point in "The Automated Animated Adventure", Garfield turns into something resembling a Hanna-Barbera character. When asking if things could possibly get any worse, [[FromBadToWorse he turns into]] [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons a Bart Simpson lookalike]].
122	** An episode from the last season featured a Tyrannosaurus Rex who, having survived the comet that made his species extinct, decides to enslave mankind and TakeOverTheWorld. How does he do it? [[Series/BarneyAndFriends He paints himself pink, goes on television, and sings sappy hypnotic songs.]]
123	** In another episode from the final season, Aloysius Pig, voiced by comedian Kevin Meaney, says "This is a cartoon show, not Series/MasterpieceTheatre!" upon seeing that they are making an adaptation of Literature/DoctorZhivago.
124	* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}},'' Owen Burnett is explaining to Elisa that the stolen shipment of laser gun prototypes were tested on several Power Ranges. His deadpan tone makes the final word sound like ''[[Franchise/PowerRangers Rangers]]'' an obvious dig at the competition. In addition, the villain team The Pack could be seen as this as well.
125	* A ''WesternAnimation/GIJoeARealAmericanHero'' episode has Cobra creating a childrens' cartoon called The Likables which is a blatant ''Smurfs'' parody. It involves two green trolls turning a purple troll's color green and saying "when everyone looks, thinks, and acts the same, we can achieve world peace". Followed by Duke turning off the tv and saying "this has got to stop".
126	* ''WesternAnimation/GodRocks'' "A Blast From The Past (Anybody Got Change For A Buck?)" makes fun of ''WesternAnimation/VeggieTales'', which ''God Rocks!'' was made to be a [[FollowTheLeader rival]] to. In the TV show that the rocks watch, the bad guys are mutant alien vegetables. They also show a cucumber (Larry) and a tomato (Bob) being crushed in a "veggie masher."
127	* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/GoodVibes'', Gina asks Mondo if he would like to watch a porno with her. She turns on the TV, and Mondo exclaims "Yuck, it's all shock value and no plot!" Gina then tells him that it's ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', and then puts on the porno.
128	* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'':
129	** "Northwest Mansion Mystery" has Dipper watching "Ghost Harassers" on the "[[NetworkDecay Used To Be About]] [[Creator/TheHistoryChannel History Channel]]". (Qualifies at BitingTheHandHumor too, since Disney owns half of History and fellow decayed channel A&E, together with Hearst.)
130	** According to WordOfGod, Dippy Fresh, a false Dipper created in "Weirdmageddon Part Two: Escape From Reality" was modeled after the TotallyRadical aesthetic of Disney XD, the network where Season 2 of the show first aired.
131	** In "Dreamscaperers", part of the incantation Dipper recites to enter Stan's mind is "[[Film/{{Inception}} Inceptus]] Nolanus Overratus!"[[labelnote:Translation]]"Inception [by] Nolan [is] overrated"[[/labelnote]]
132	* ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'' had a lot of digs and Take That moments.
133	** One episode had a computer being booted up and had the faux loading message "Matrix good — Sequels: not so good", obviously a dig at ''Franchise/TheMatrix'' films.
134	** Another episode dealt with a girl named WesternAnimation/{{Dora\|TheExplorer}}, who Grim said reminded him of something. He went on to say she reminded him of "his favorite program" which Billy describes as "Is it that one about the little girl who wanders around the jungle [[FreeRangeChildren with no parental supervision]], avoiding crises and conversing with the local wildlife with the aid of her foreign language-speaking monkey?" Dora turned out to be Pandora, who had an evil plot to trick Mandy into opening her lunchbox and destroying the world.
135	* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Grojband}}'' episode "Who Are You" is one big Take That to hipster culture.
136	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Histeria}}'':
137	** One sketch featured a parody of the musical ''Theatre/{{Cats}}''; one of the featured felines is shown burping up [[WesternAnimation/ClassicDisneyShorts Mickey Mouse's shorts]].
138	** In one of the Dating Game parodies, the prize is that the couple take a trip to the deserted theme park [[Ride/DisneyThemeParks EuroDizzyland]], obviously making fun of the real life park's initial lack of visitors. When the bachelorette, Miss Information, picks him as her suitor, host Nostradamus complains that he doesn't want to go to [=EuroDizzyland=].
139	** The show also featured a fictional WB network exec named Lydia, who served as a mockery of the censors placed on cartoons. She would do things such as interrupt lessons in order to censor works of fine art that happened to depict tasteful nudity, and at one point was even beaten up and then bound and gagged so she couldn't interfere with the plot anymore.
140	* ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'' did a HUGE take that at Nickelodeon, as Zim captures a human child and implants an ENORMOUS probe in his skull that forces him to be eternally happy. The child's name? Nick. This is funny because of how Nickelodeon tried to always lighten up the plots and mood of the show, which would eventually lead to them cancelling it. To make the irony more delicious, Nick was voiced by the creator of the show and the primary victim of Nickelodeon's executive annoyance, Creator/JhonenVasquez.
141	* Christy Marx, the main writer of ''WesternAnimation/{{Jem}},'' did a Take That at her own brother, as two-thirds of his name is used to name the series' BigBad, Eric Raymond.
142	* ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyTest'':
143	** In the episode "Coming to a Johnny Near You", a television advert for a movie entitled [[Film/KindergartenCop Preschool Parole Officer]] declares it as "[[BlatantLies the best movie in the history of the world... ever]]!". Johnny and Dukey go to see it... and are instantly disappointed at its lack of comedy.
144	** "Fangs a Lot Johnny" has Susan and Mary turning into vampires in order to impress Gil and they pursue Johnny and Dukey, who attempt to evade them by entering broad daylight...only to find out the twins are unaffected because "[[Literature/TheTwilightSaga hip teen vampires glitter in the sun now]]".
145	--->'''Dukey''': I hate glittering teen vampires.
146	* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'':
147	** ''Justice League Unlimited'' had the Ultimen, who were all designed to be parodies of the "made-for-TV" members of the ''WesternAnimation/SuperFriends''. The episode also took digs at the corny [[AnAesop morals about civic responsibility]] featured at the end of every ''Super Friends'' episode.
148	** ''Justice League'' ''loved'' to take potshots at the Super Friends in early episodes. There's a scene in "Injustice for All" where statues of the widely-hated Wonder Twins are violently smashed during a battle.
149	** The first episode of ''Justice League'' takes a shot at the much-maligned plot of ''Film/SupermanIVTheQuestForPeace'', with Superman systematically destroying the world's store of nuclear weapons... because [[spoiler: he's been tricked by an alien posing as a senator, who is rendering Earth defenceless as a prelude to invasion]].
150	** Another episode centers on sleazy talking head G. Gordon Godfrey and his campaign against the League. One of his interviews was with the writer of a book titled "The Innocent Seduced", which accuses superheroes of causing moral degradation. This is a clear Take That! to "Seduction of the Innocent", the scaremongering book which led to the Comics Code Authority.
151	* Creator/BruceTimm's take on Harley Quinn in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueGodsAndMonsters Chronicles'' spun out of his dislike for some of the more {{Stripperiffic}}, DarkerAndEdgier takes on the character in the recent years. His response was to create the most Stripperiffic design imaginable (modeled after her ComicBook/New52 ''ComicBook/SuicideSquad'' look), and then make her into a horrifying [[WouldHurtAChild child-killer]] [[spoiler: who ends up getting killed horribly by Batman at the end]]. FanDisservice indeed.
152	-->'''[[WordOfGod Bruce Timm]]''': What I wanted to do in the Gods And Monsters short was to go extreme and nasty with her. It’s not the cute and cuddly Harley from the Batman Animated Series. You want skanky Harley, here you go. So it was kind of a mean spirited take on that.
153	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'':
154	** Episode 64 had Mr. Cat open up a fast-food restaurant that served actual trash from the dumpster as food. When everybody else starts protesting against this, he [[UsefulNotes/McDonalds offers them toys with their "food"]]. Everyone immediately stops protesting and buys more food for the sake of the toys.
155	** In another episode, when Kaeloo and Mr. Cat are playing a game where the object of the game is to make another person laugh, Kaeloo stands on a podium pretending to be a politician, makes a lot of promises and says she will keep all of those promises. Mr. Cat bursts out laughing.
156	** In one of the season 1 episodes, Stumpy is selling apples, and his apples are horribly rotten. When Mr. Cat points out that the apples are rotten, Stumpy replies "No, they're organic."
157	** In Episode 135, the main four try to make their own episode using figurines of themselves and a video camera. The video turns out poorly made. Mr. Cat says that the episode they made was incomprehensible, "like a Danish movie".
158	** Then there's this little exchange between Kaeloo and Mr. Cat in an episode where they're both doctors in a hospital:
159	---> '''Mr. Cat''' (''referring to Quack Quack, who is the patient''): I'm gonna book him in for surgery, but, before that... (starts throwing papers around) scanners, [=MRAs=], X-rays, colonoscopies, the whole nine yards, [[EvilLaugh muahahahaha!]]\
160	'''Kaeloo''': Is all that really necessary, Mr. Cat?\
161	'''Mr. Cat''': [[DrJerk No, but it earns weekends on the beach!]] [[EvilLaugh Muahahahahaha!]]
162	** In one episode, the characters participate on a parody of ''Series/TheVoice''. Kaeloo, who is the only female contestant, decides that the best way to win is to perform a sexually suggestive dance wearing an inappropriate outfit. After watching it, Pretty, who is one of the judges, grabs a mic, faces the camera, and criticizes Kaeloo's performance for how she just portrayed females and says that there's more to girls than that, which is a jab at how many female singers tend to sexualize themselves to get attention.
163	** In Episode 68, the gang decides to play rock music. Mr. Cat picks up a microphone and screams into it. No words, just screaming. This is then posted on the Internet and becomes an InstantWebHit.
164	** One of the season 3 episodes had a few of the characters compete in an election to become the president of [[CrapsaccharineWorld Smileyland]]. [[BigBad Mr. Cat]]'s campaign is full of lies and fake promises... and he's dressed like President Donald Trump.
165	** Episode 138 had [[TheSmartGuy Mr. Cat]] attempt to diagnose Stumpy with dyspraxia even though it's obvious that he doesn't have dyspraxia and is just being lazy. The episode is meant to be a satire on psychologists who diagnose normal kids with illnesses they don't have and then try to treat them for those illnesses.
166	** The episode ''Art Class'' was dedicated to making fun of modern art. Highlights include Mr. Cat explaining that you can put any mundane object on a pedestal and call it art, and Stumpy sitting on a toilet, taking a shit and calling it "performance art".
167	** Episode 59 calls out judges who are biased and unfair. In this case, Olaf, the judge in a cooking contest, declares Mr. Cat the winner ''without even tasting his dish'' just because the dish was something from his homeland, and he also disqualifies Eugly from the competition for "being ugly", which has nothing to do with her ability to cook. The same episode manages to get a shot at new "health" fads by having a scene where Pretty serves up a dish of [[{{Squick}} live earthworms]], claiming that they're a new type of health food.
168	** In Episode 135, around a minute into the episode the show's director tells the main four that they've gone over the animation budget for that episode. After lamenting that money is being prioritized over artistic creativity, the main four remove the special effects, the backgrounds, all the props, ''and the script itself'', leaving literally nothing for the episode. Later in the episode, they get the chance to increase the budget by doing ProductPlacement for a sausage manufacturing company but get so carried away with promoting the product that the rest of the episode is essentially a glorified sausage commercial.
169	** The entirety of Episode 112 is one big TakeThat at capitalism. Mr. Cat starts a business where he "motivates" his employees by threatening them with bazookas, gives them breaks that are literally only a few seconds long, and yells at everyone for trivial reasons.
170	** In "Let's Play Figurines", Mr. Cat attempts to file a complaint so that he can sue a company, but the administrative process is so slow that every time he calls, he gets sent to voicemail.
171	** In Episode 147, the main four and Olaf find out that the ice caps will melt in a short while and cause floods. Instead of doing something to actively combat it, they decide to "raise awareness" about it by recording a song and showing it to the public. By the time they finish their song, the whole place is flooded with water and it's too late to do anything since they didn't do anything except sing a song.
172	** In Episode 194, the characters talk to the audience about what life is like as a cartoon character. Stumpy attempts to tell the audience that he is a symbol of a generation of young people in danger and tries to talk about his passions, only for Kaeloo to cut him off and say that the most important part is that he's [[TheDitz "the idiot"]], much like a viewer who only looks for one quality in a character and refuses to see any other, deeper aspects of that particular character and their development.
173	** In season 5 the writers were forced to tone down the adult humor of the series and voiced their displeasure through Episode 226, where they mock censorship. In this episode, Kaeloo must show the show's producer a montage of clips from previous episodes to gain his approval for a sixth season, and is told by Rules that her chances of success will improve if she shows the producer G-rated content that's "just like every other kids' show", and Kaeloo goes overboard with censoring her montage, such as cutting out gentle slapstick comedy because it supposedly has the potential to severely traumatize kids. The producer shows the montage to his child, an in-universe fan of the series, and the kid sadly asks his dad why the show sucks now, with the producer agreeing that it's lost its uniqueness.
174	* InUniverse example with ''WesternAnimation/TheLionGuard'' where Bunga asks which member of the Lion Guard fanclub plays him, to which one of the responses with 'whoever chooses last', much to his disappointment.
175	* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'':
176	** The short "WesternAnimation/InvasionOfTheBunnySnatchers" could be seen as a Take That towards over-use of LimitedAnimation and the various attempts to water down the Looney Tunes franchise. It involves Bugs Bunny's rivals being replaced by [[StepfordSmiler eerily-cheerful]], [[OffModel badly-drawn and badly-animated]] clones from the planet Nudnik (named for a Russian LimitedAnimation series), including Daffy briefly being animated in SynchroVox.
177	** Another short from the 90's, "WesternAnimation/BlooperBunny" relentlessly made fun of the fuss Warner Bros. made to promote Bugs' 50th anniversary.
178	* ''WesternAnimation/TheLooneyTunesShow'': In the "Stick to My Guns" Merrie Melody, a song about all the incredibly stupid things Yosemite Sam has done, he sings about how he loves Music/MatchboxTwenty and buys all their albums.
179	* ''WesternAnimation/LoveDeathAndRobots'': "Three Robots: Exit Strategies" is a ten-minute long potshot against Elon Musk, billionaire CEO of Tesla, who has expressed a desire to terraform and develop Mars. It starts when the robots deride tech bros as being non-inclusive resulting in their doom, and becomes more explicit when they posit that all the resources poured into Mars might have better served to protect Earth's ecosystems. Finally, the society that did make it to Mars isn't even the one led by Musk, but cats...and in case that wasn't explicit enough:
180	-->'''Cat''': Who were you expecting? Elon Musk?
181	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Mad}}'' has quite a few:
182	** The writers apparently really hate the ''Franchise/{{Cars}}'' movies. One short features Lightning [=McQueen=] getting crushed in a junkyard, while "[[WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends Thomas the]] Film/{{Unstoppable}} [[WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends Tank Engine]]" features Lightning and Mater being destroyed after a run-in with Thomas.
183	** "Ko-Bee Movie" pokes fun at ''WesternAnimation/BeeMovie''. When a bee that looks like Kobe Bryant discovers that there's a human that looks like him, a bee that looks like Creator/JerrySeinfeld suggests that he sue him. The Kobe bee replies that that would be boring. Then the Jerry bee admits that ''Bee Movie'' was indeed boring. The romantic love interest also complains about the constant bee puns. "You don't see me making jokes using the word 'Human'."
184	** In ''[[Franchise/{{Transformers}} Trans-Bore-Mores]]", Optimus [[LineOfSightName comes up with the name of]] the "thing" that the Decepticons are after - the Rock of No-talent-tron by staring at a poster of Wrestling/TheRock and then staring at a poster of Music/{{Kesha}}.
185	** Speaking of Music/{{Kesha}}, in "Pirates of the Neverland: At Wit's End", [[WesternAnimation/PeterPan Captain Hook]] tells [[Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean Captain Jack Sparrow]] that the Crocodile who pursues him makes a horrible tick-tocking noise. Jack asks if he means like the sound a clock makes, to which Hook says that he actually means "that annoying Music/{{Kesha}} song."
186	** The sketch ''Star Wars: the Groan Wars'' makes fun of ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' - in particular, it starts by making fun of [[NoFlowInCGI the animation]], claiming that the characters look just as wooden as WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}}. The Anakin parody is named "Mannequin", and at one point Palpatine introduces his "[[Creator/GeorgeLucas George]] Troopers", the leader of which [[CashCowFranchise tells one of his men to create a video game and another to make an animated sitcom, then says that he wants a bounty hunter clothing line by the end of the week]].
187	** The writers also aren't too fond of ''Literature/TheTwilightSaga'' and tend to make fun of it a lot.
188	** "Super '80s" has a city being invaded by things that were popular in the 1980s (such as a Rubix cube, one of the Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles, and [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario]]). One character says that they have to stop the '80s from taking over the town, reminding everyone that the '80s gave them [[Series/FamilyMatters Urkel]] and Series/{{Alf}}.
189	** There are also quite a few slams at ''Series/JerseyShore''. For example, the sketch "S'UP" has the cast invading [[WesternAnimation/{{Up}} Carl Fredricksen]]'s house. Carl is understandably irritated by them.
190	** "Destroy, WesternAnimation/BobTheBuilder, Destroy" is a not-at-all-affectionate parody of ''Destroy, Build, Destroy''. It culminates in Bob [[BewareTheNiceOnes beating the crap out of]] Andrew W.K.
191	** ''[[ComicStrip/{{Garfield}} Garfield]] [[Film/FieldOfDreams of Dreams]]" has a bunch of comic strip characters enlisting the help of Creator/SethMacFarlane to help Hollywood remember who they are. When Seth asks why they're enlisting HIS help, Dagwood replies, "People will watch ANYTHING you make! Seriously, ANYTHING."
192	*** Then Seth says that they'll show Hollywood how entertaining they are. Then ComicStrip/{{Doonesbury}} appears and cheers, to which Seth says, "Not you, Doonesbury! I said 'entertaining'!"
193	*** At one point, Seth says that ''ComicStrip/{{Marmaduke}}'' doesn't make sense.
194	*** Long story short, the sketch becomes a TakeThat at movies based on comic strips. The comic strip characters are appalled by the movies that Hollywood makes about them, saying that they tried to make them hip by pandering to the audience and that they didn't need to be reinvented, just reintroduced.
195	*** It turns out that the sketch was AllJustADream, and Seth says that it's better to let the past stay where it is and always come up with something original. Then the sketch ends with a jab at how Seth's shows all follow the same formula.
196	** "Modern Family Circus", has the cast of ''Series/ModernFamily'' visiting the cast of ''ComicStrip/TheFamilyCircus'', who are apparently Phil's relatives. While ''Modern Family'' doesn't get made fun of that much, they're brutal towards ''Family Circus'', with Jay being the only one who finds the jokes funny.
197	** ''Outtagascar'' makes fun of ''WesternAnimation/Madagascar3EuropesMostWanted''. Near the beginning Marty straight-up says that the franchise is running out of steam, then the characters find a train car featuring characters [[{{Sequelitis}} from movies that are "totally out of ideas" and have lame sequels]] - [[WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}} Shrek and Donkey]], [[WesternAnimation/IceAge Manny and Scrat]], [[Franchise/ToyStory Buzz Lightyear]], and [[Franchise/{{Cars}} Lightning McQueen]]. Alex claims that they don't belong with them because they've got tons of new ideas, and then...
198	---> '''King Julien''': ''(singing and dancing)'' We've got to move it move it!\
199	''Beat''\
200	'''Marty''': ''(climbs aboard)'' I call window seat!
201	** The sketch also includes a slam at the multiple sequels to ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime''. Ducky appears out of nowhere and starts listing all of the sequels, and then gets thrown off the train. And on a side note, Manny refers to her as a "he".
202	** "[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic My Little]] [[Film/WarHorse War Horse]]" takes a slam at ComicBook/{{Tintin}}, having one character call his adventures "boring".
203	* In the ''WesternAnimation/MaoMaoHeroesOfPureHeart'' episode, "Popularity Conquest", when the titular character is trying for a new look, one outfit he wears is similar to Finn from ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime''. Snugglemagne rejects it, saying "That's over", because the series aired its final episode in 2018. Then, Mao Mao tries with an outfit similar to Robin from ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo'', which Snugglemagne also dismisses it, saying "I see that one all the time", a reference to that series [[AdoredByTheNetwork taking up a lot of Cartoon Network's timeslots]] in the United States.
204	* ''WesternAnimation/TheMarvelousMisadventuresOfFlapjack'' episode "Panfake" was a poke at a Disney cartoon that was being made called "Poopdeck", which was a ripoff of the series premise. The creator hoped that the ripoff would air around the premiere of this episode, but it was cancelled as soon as Cartoon Network found out about it.
205	* ''WesternAnimation/MegasXLR'' has a company by the name of [=PoP TV=]. The logo shows this is an obvious reference to MTV. If at any point there is something from a company to destroy, the first will be one for [=PoP TV=], usually after hearing a soundbyte from a show parodying one from MTV. This is because the series creators had a show called ''WesternAnimation/{{Downtown}}'' on that station, which was cancelled. Moreover, the studio making both shows, Titmouse, is known for its risque, adult-oriented shows. ''Megas XLR'' was made for Cartoon Network, who had a very strict level of censorship, to make shows fit for children to watch. Nor surprisingly, in this case, the main character (Coop) repeatedly mocks and derides children's programming as immature and sugar-coated.
206	* The ''WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse2013'' short "Eau de Minnie" took a swipe at ''WesternAnimation/MickeyMouseClubhouse''. When Minnie is trying on outfits for her date, she tries on her default outfit from the series, but decides it is "too young".
207	* The Bakshi ''WesternAnimation/MightyMouse'' episode "Don't Touch That Dial" skewers Hanna-Barbera, anime, 80s cartoons in general, and vegetating to "electronic pablum" specifically. Features an affectionate nod to ''WesternAnimation/RockyAndBullwinkle''.
208	* ''WesternAnimation/MuppetBabies2018'' , based on ''WesternAnimation/MuppetBabies1984'' has a lighter example in "Kermit's Big Show". Kermit learns there's no one right way to do something well as long as you have fun, in reference to how he was insistent on doing the play by the book and inadvertently making his friends miserable. Though the message of the episode is definitely well written, one can definitely see this as a take that to people who criticized the reboot before it even aired.
209	* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/MyDadTheRockStar'', Rock Zilla is upset that his never-before-mentioned rival, Max Hype has managed to get a reality show, despite Rock Zilla being a much better performer and singer. In addition to having a reality show, he has long black hair and is completely addled to the point that he apparently frequently gets stuck walking into walls or corners. No points for guessing who he's supposed to be a mean-spirited NoCelebritiesWereHarmed version of.
210	* In ''WesternAnimation/MyLifeAsATeenageRobot'' Jenny gets a hearing upgrade with different settings.
211	--> '''Jenny:''' Wow! This works so well! changes to sound of happy children I can hear the park down the street! changes to sound of chatting people I can hear the people in Mezmers! Changes to woman saying, "Isn't that illegal, sir?" [[ParentalBonus Wow! I can even hear]] UsefulNotes/AirForceOne!
212	* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'':
213	** The episode "Wing It Like Witches" has the main characters play a magic game, which ends with them losing after the opposite team finds the "[[GoldenSnitch Rusty Smidge]]", which immediately grants victory to the finder. Luz then goes on a rant about how that is a stupid rule for a game and how it invalidates everyone else's efforts, in a not at all subtle bash on the trope itself and ''Franchise/HarryPotter'', the work that originated it.
214	** The "Choosy Hat", a parody of the Sorting Hat (also from ''Harry Potter''), is depicted as a monster that pretended to sort the students but instead tried to feed off of them. This is likely meant as a critique against how the sorting system in ''Harry Potter'' is intensely flawed (namely, relying on assigning arbitrary traits — heroic for Gryffindor, smart for Ravenclaw [[BreadEggsMilkSquick and racist for Slytherin]], while Hufflepuff acts as a "throwaway" house for the students who don't fit anywhere else — to eleven year old children) by presenting the very idea as ridiculous overall.
215	** One of the shorts stated that Hexside no longer teaches [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic the magic of friendship]] due to budget constraints.
216	* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'':
217	** Quite a few directed at ''Literature/TheTwilightSaga'' in the episode "[[Recap/PhineasAndFerbTheCurseOfCandace The Curse of Candace]]".
218	--->'''Stacy:''' Imagine if you had to choose between a bloodthirsty undead walking corpse and a slobbering, hairy, lupine man-beast for a boyfriend.
219	** The song of the episode mocks Twihards and their habits, shopping choices, and general gothic attitude.
220	** A '''HUGE''' one toward MoralGuardians in "[[Recap/PhineasAndFerbPhineasAndFerbsQuantumBoogaloo Phineas and Ferb's Quantum Boogaloo]]", depicting Danville as a dystopia if they ran everything.
221	** "[[Recap/PhineasAndFerbSummerBelongsToYou Summer Belongs to You!]]" has a not so subtle dig at ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'', when Phineas attempts to look for things to get off the island. (Although, it should be noted that co-creator Creator/DanPovenmire was a writer on ''[=SpongeBob=]''.)
222	--->'''Phineas''': Oh, look! A sponge and a starfish! Maybe we can make something with these! Oh, no! That's ridiculous!
223	** In "[[Recap/PhineasAndFerbMommyCanYouHearMe Mommy Can You Hear Me?]]", Phineas and Ferb build a stratospheric ionizer to wish a Russian astronaut somewhere a happy birthday. Right when the kids are about to sing "HappyBirthdayToYou", the helicopter with Candace's Mindy Mimic doll falls onto the mic and gets stuck to it, and the doll delivers the recorded "turn around" message which unintentionally helps the rocket avoid an incoming asteroid.
224	* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/PinkyElmyraAndTheBrain'', titled "That's Edu-tainment!", not only mocks the FCC's demands for E/I content, but also provides two jabs at Disney's Creator/{{One Saturday Morning\|AndABCKids}}, which former head writer Peter Hastings started after he left over the [[JumpingTheShark addition of Elmyra]] — Pinky dresses up as a parody of Manny the Uncanny for Brain's educational show, and his response to "AreYouPonderingWhatImPondering" in that episode is "I think so, Brain, but ''WesternAnimation/PepperAnn'' makes me sneeze."
225	** In the same season, the original ''WesternAnimation/PinkyAndTheBrain'' series itself also provided a Take That directed at ''One Saturday Morning'' during its GrandFinale, the "Brainwashed" trilogy - Pinky makes a jab at Creator/{{Disney}}'s {{retool}}ing of ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}'' by saying that the Schmarskāhnathon will mean "another preemption for ''Brand Spanking Fresh and Shiny New Doug''."
226	** And then there was this:
227	--->'''Brain:''' One day, Pinky, we shall live in a land where the mouse is king, and it's the humans who are forced into these humiliating diversions.\
228	'''Pinky:''' You mean [[Ride/WaltDisneyWorld Orlando]]?
229	** PEATB used a similar line in an episode where they visited [[MrAltDisney Duckyland]]:
230	--->'''Brain:''' Yes, finally! The Happy Sappy Children of Many Lands ride! Where cheering music will spread the message that a mouse should rule the world!\
231	'''Pinky:''' Oh no, Brain. Narf! You're thinking of that other park in Orlando.
232	** Even the theme song for "Pinky, Elmyra & The Brain" gives a Take That! to the WB network producers with the line "Pinky & the Brain/share a new domain/ It's what the network wants/Why bother to complain?" Complete with Brain giving the camera a dirty look and then the two being shown booted from WB's headquarter building and Brain saying "I deeply resent this" as the song ends. If it wasn't clear already, the writers were ''[[WriterRevolt not]]'' happy about the ReTool.
233	** "Mouse of La Mancha" had Pinky's response to AreYouPonderingWhatImPondering as "Why would Creator/SophiaLoren do a musical?", a jab at her performance in the film adaptation of ''Theatre/ManOfLaMancha'', which even Brain agrees is "a worthy enigma".
234	* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998'':
235	** Creator/CraigMcCracken was annoyed by people who said that the show promotes animal cruelty due to the girls' treatment of Mojo Jojo. "Save Mojo" would be about an AnimalWrongsGroup telling the girls they should protect Mojo and the girls telling them he's a criminal and they should be protecting them from ''him.''
236	%%** And MoralGuardians in "Girls Gone Mild".
237	* In the MadeForTVMovie ''Re-Animated'', Sonny Appleday is supposed to have destroyed the legacy of his father, Milt Appleday, ruined the reputation of his cartoons, and nearly bankrupted his company by trying to do a TotallyRadical update of the cartoons using SynchroVox. This is attacking ''WesternAnimation/LoonaticsUnleashed''.
238	** Since Milt Appleday is a clear MrAltDisney, Sonny might also have been a dig at Micheal Eisner.
239	* ''WesternAnimation/ReadyJetGo'': In "Galileo, Galileo!", Sean makes a well-deserved jab at flat earthers in his rendition of "I'm Not Afraid of New Ideas".
240	-->'''Sean''': Some folks say that the world is flat, the edge is very scary / But me, I say the world is round, exactly the contrary.
241	* Following the success of the 1984 ''Film/{{Ghostbusters\|1984}}'' movie, Creator/{{Filmation}} cashed in with ''WesternAnimation/FilmationsGhostbusters'', a cartoon based off its 1970s TV show. Forced to cede trademark, Creator/ColumbiaPictures, which produced the ''Ghostbusters'' movie, retaliated by calling their cartoon ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters''. Except that [[WritingAroundTrademarks they really had to rename it due to a conflict with that previous show]]: ''The Ghost Busters''. It had a totally unrelated plot and was long over, but they still held the rights to the name of the TV show. So they had to rename it, and ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters'' sounds like just as good a name as any. It's indirectly justified in show, as one or two episodes explain that the movies were just adaptations of the Ghostbusters' adventures—-hence, the Ghostbusters we're seeing ''are'' the real Ghostbusters.
242	** Speaking of the Real Ghostbusters... One episode featured TV programs coming to life, among them zombified space cadets who clearly represented ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' characters, and a [[WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983 brutish barbarian]] from Planet Petunia. The episode "Guess What's Coming To Dinner" had a family of ghosts who looked suspiciously like grotesque versions of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' invade the GB headquarters. Best of them all, however, was the episode "Spirit of Aunt Lois", where the villain of the week, a phony psychic, was dressed exactly like Jake Kong, the main character of ''WesternAnimation/FilmationsGhostbusters''!
243	** In the first aired episode, Janine answers a phone call with "We're [[TitleDrop the real Ghostbusters]], not those other guys." It makes sense in the context of the episode, as a team of ghosts had started up a rival, phony ghost-hunting business, but the writer for the episode confirmed this was meant as a jab at ''WesternAnimation/FilmationsGhostbusters'' on the DVD commentary.
244	* ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot'':
245	** After ABC was bought out by Disney and dumped the show, the season 2 finale had Megabyte's ships be called "'''A'''rmored '''B'''inome '''C'''arriers". "It's the [[FunWithAcronyms ABCs]]! They've turned on us!" "Treacherous dogs!"
246	** Emma See, the program censor from ''Talent Night'' who lambasts almost every act portrayed was a Take That against a specific BS&P official, called Mary, who was "not happy about it" according to the DVD commentary.
247	* ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow'' had Ren imagine himself as the president of the United States, bombing the entire country of Australia because one person there didn't agree with him.
248	* ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'':
249	** One is fired at the {{Media Watchdog}}s and MoralGuardians in "Interdimensional Cable 2: Tempting Fate" when Morty snaps at Summer for complaining about the violence in the TV shows:
250	---> '''Morty:''' Well, Summer, maybe people that create things aren't concerned with your delicate sensibilities, you know? Maybe the species that communicate with each other through the filter of your comfort are less evolved than the ones that just communicate! Maybe your problems are your own to deal with, and maybe the public giving a shit about your feelings is a one-way ticket to extinction!\
251	'''Rick:''' Geez, Morty. I take it Cathrine Hefflefinger hasn't texted you back yet.
252	** And another one at ''{{VideoGame/Minecraft}}'':
253	---> '''Rick:''' So you're mining stuff to craft with and crafting stuff to mine with? Did your ''dad'' write this game?\
254	'''Morty:''' Mean.
255	** Rick later goes on to wonder if ''Minecraft'' is popular with autistics since he's beginning to enjoy it. It seems like a subversion, but since Rick is a VillainProtagonist that is into messed up things who you ''[[AntiRoleModel aren't]]'' [[AntiRoleModel supposed to idolize]], it becomes this and a StealthInsult.
256	** "Rest And Ricklaxation" takes a shot at Sbarro Pizza. When the toxicity wave passes over, all the customers of a Saladworks run to the neighbouring Sbarro, while the sole Sbarro customer runs around the corner and starts eating out of a dumpster.
257	* ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken:''
258	** One sketch had Creator/PamelaAnderson and Creator/StanLee discussing the latest superhero gossip. After mentioning an encounter where [[Characters/MarvelComicsRedSkull Red Skull]] shot bullets at [[Characters/MarvelComicsSteveRogers Captain America]] which were deflected by his shield and hit {{innocent bystander}}s, Anderson bemoaned all the pain and suffering. Lee told her if you want pain and suffering, try watching ''Film/Catwoman2004''. Made worlds funnier because that actually ''was'' Stan Lee providing the voice.
259	** A more playful shot at Creator/MarkHamill pops up (which crosses between this and SelfDeprecation as Hamill himself voices Luke Skywalker, among other roles, on the show, but wasn't around for this specific skit) was one sketch that featured a drunken Boba Fett, poking fun at how easily he went down in ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi''. He calls Luke Skywalker an asshole, and then...
260	---> '''Boba Fett:''' Ha ha ha I just called Creator/JodieFoster an asshole!
261	** A quick skit had a guy in school slip a "Kick Me!" sign on a buddy's back. Then a football player runs in, tries to kick him, misses, and falls flat on his back. The guy's response?
262	---> You ''suck'', Scott Norwood[[note]]The kicker of the Buffalo Bills, who missed the game-winning field goal in Super Bowl XXV against the New York Giants in 1991[[/note]]! You fucking jerk!
263	* ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'':
264	** In one episode, Heffer insults Filburt by telling him "Your cartoons aren't even funny enough to be on [[Creator/{{Freeform}} The Family Channel]]!"
265	*** In that same episode, Rocko and friends are coming up with characters for the ShowWithinAShow ''Wacky Delly''. Rocko makes a character named Betty Bologna, says "she's a girl" and leaves her entire character description at that, poking fun TheSmurfettePrinciple and how many female characters in cartoons didn't have any personality other than being "the girl".
266	** "Ed Good, Rocko Bad" contains a lot of thinly-veiled satire regarding voting and American politics.
267	* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/SolarOpposites'' has Terry trying to shoot Korvo with a Dumb Ray which makes [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin anything it hits]] [[PhlebotinumInducedStupidity much dumber]]. Not only does the first thing the now dumbified Korvo want to do is watch the ''Film/LookWhosTalking'' trilogy, but one errant shot hits a science textbook about molecular biology and ''turns it into the Holy Bible.''
268	* In the ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries'' episode, "I Really, Really Hate Clones", after he heard the Scarlet Spider's story, the main Spider-Man said, "This is starting to sound like a bad comic book plot!" This was a reference to the infamous ''[[ComicBook/TheCloneSaga Clone Saga]]'' arc, which ran [[ArcFatigue from 1994 until 1997]] due to ExecutiveMeddling.
269	* Independent animator Creator/BillPlympton did a scathing parody of abstract animation called ''Spiral''. It was actually controversial within the indie animation community and angered many abstract animators. One of them, Steven Woloshen, did a film rebutting called, well, ''Rebuttal''.
270	* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'':
271	** [=SpongeBob=] had the episode "Krabby Land", which was basically one long Take That at UsefulNotes/McDonalds.
272	** There's also the episode "Selling Out" which was an extended Take That towards TGI Friday's.
273	** [=SpongeBob=] won't let go of his boat and has to face the [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking dangers]] of giant clams, cheese graters, and educational television, much to [=SpongeBob's=] shock and horror.
274	** In "Survival Of The Idiots", a [[TalkingInYourSleep sleep talking]] Sandy says, "You're nothing but pure evil, just like NewspaperComics".
275	* ''WesternAnimation/SpyGroove'' features The Marquis, a masochist who enjoys torturing himself. Amongst the things in his personal collection are a pair of pajamas with prickly insides, a half-hammer-half-feather duster, and the DirectorsCut of ''Film/PatchAdams''.
276	* A minor character in ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' is a warmongering Senator named "Halle Burtoni." Her name appears to be a nod to the Halliburton Corporation, an American oil company that was strongly criticized for [[WarForFunAndProfit profiteering]] off of UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror.
277	* ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' has an episode where Supergirl looks through a stack of comic books given to her by a friend and reacts in disgust after seeing a comic about a certain [[ComicBook/SpiderMan spider-themed superhero]].
278	* ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'':
279	** "Weekday Afternoon Live", an episode done InTheStyleOf ''Series/SaturdayNightLive,'' featured an out-of-freaking-nowhere purple-skinned parody of Bart Simpson called "Blard Simpleton" as the guest host. In an episode commentary for one of ''The Simpsons'' [=DVD=]s Creator/MattGroening mentions that the producers of ''Tiny Toons'' requested permission to use ''The Simpsons'' theme song in the show and were denied. With that in mind, the bitterness makes more sense.
280	** ''Tiny Toons'' was loaded with Take Thats and parodies. Creator/WaltDisney, video games, Madonna and even [[TakeThatAudience their own fans]]! The writers must have been REALLY bitter...
281	** The Spring Break special had a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXaQdkTYc4w scene]] where the Tiny Toons' bus runs over animal versions of ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButtHead''. Later, at the end, they run over them again, and this time they also run over a chicken and a beaver who resemble [[WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow Ren and Stimpy]].
282	** TheMovie featured an extended take-that directed at Disney's theme parks. A subplot involves Plucky and Hampton traveling to Happy World-Land, an obvious parody of Disneyland. The capper is the Happy World-Land theme song: "[[SouvenirLand Welcome to a land where the fun never stops! We have six thrill rides and four hundred gift shops!"]]
283	** "Please take care of Buster, I'm begging you! Otherwise, ''Tiny Toons'' will be canceled and we'll all end up on [[WesternAnimation/TheChipmunks some chipmunk show!]]"
284	** After the show made the ChannelHop from syndication to Creator/{{FOX}} in the third season, the episode "Fox Trot" had the FOX network executives [[BitingTheHandHumor depicted as real foxes chasing after Babs and Buster Bunny]]. At that point, Buster comments that they could have been stuck on [[Creator/{{NBC}} the Peacock Network]], a direct insult to that network for shutting down its SaturdayMorningCartoon block at the time of the episode's broadcast.
285	* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama''
286	** Ezekiel being turned into a feral monster in ''Total Drama World Tour'' is a Take That to his unexpected popularity from ''Total Drama Island''.
287	** [[Characters/TotalDramaJulia Julia's]] arc of influencer [[spoiler:turned villain]] is this to the recent influx of aspiring influencers trying to get social media traction on reality competitions, alienating longtime fans. She's using the show to get more followers but no one really cares much about her. [[spoiler:Once she reveals her true colors and plays an active role as the villain, she has more followers than ever, largely composed of fans who find her villain arc interesting.]]
288	* ''WesternAnimation/TotallySpies'' takes an obvious dig at ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'':
289	-->'''Sam:''' What could be more embarrassing than WOOHP spies losing all their gadgets and having to hitch a ride from a pop star?
290	* ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'':
291	** After the Dinobots gain sentience, Megatron turns them against the Autobots. It ultimately results in Grimlock saying "Cars bad. Car robots ''worse''!" For the uninformed, ''Anime/TransformersRobotsInDisguise'' was originally called "Car Robots" in Japan.
292	** There's a more direct one in the script-reading "Bee in the City", where Optimus Prime states that waiting in a line for 17 hours "took longer than an ''Manga/InuYasha'' StoryArc". This is also an ActorAllusion, as Prime has the same voice actor as Sesshomaru, a recurring character.
293	** [[spoiler:Starscream's [[MesACrowd army of clones]]]] can be considered as much Take That as it is {{homage}} to [[spoiler:the Seekers and the idea of [[PaletteSwap redecoes]]]].
294	* ''WesternAnimation/UncleGrandpa'':
295	** A shot is fired at the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' PeripheryDemographic in the episode titled "Older". Billy is annoyed that a channel has been blocked and that he can't watch an ultra-violent movie. His mother says he's too young for that garbage, and suggests watching "that cute little show with the pink and purple horsies."
296	--->'''Billy:''' But ''mooooom'', that show is for little girls and '''twisted weirdos!'''
297	*** This is taken even further in "Pony Tale". The ''entire episode'' is basically an extended Take That toward MLP FIM.
298	** "The Grampies" segment, where Uncle Grandpa wins every single award against all the other Cartoon Network stars, is a "take that" to the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards and their practice of giving out awards to ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' at the expense of all other TV kids cartoons. [[note]]The [=KCAs=] are nominally channel-agnostic, and Cartoon Network shows are regularly nominated in their category.[[/note]]
299	* Even ''WesternAnimation/VeggieTales'', of all shows, wasn't above taking a potshot from time to time. In the Silly Song "Oh, Santa", Larry bakes three cookies for Santa, while he's waiting for Jolly Ol' Saint Nick to arrive. Suddenly a robber breaks in, but Larry gives him the cookie anyway out of generosity. The robber is followed up by a Norse Viking, and Larry does the same for him too. Then an agent of the IRS shows up, and Larry ''slams the door in his face.''
300	* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'':
301	** The Monarch is asked why he isn't trying to TakeOverTheWorld, and answers "I'd rather leave that to [[TheFundamentalist the religious nuts]] or the Republicans."
302	** H.E.L.P.e.R insults Music/LedZeppelin, calling them "jock rock", leaving Brock Samson to defend them rather lamely, saying "they've got other stuff...like [[FilkSong Hobbits]]".
303	** The entire [[MrAltDisney Roy Brisbey]] episode.
304	---> '''Rusty Venture:''' This is that giant beehive next to your mansion, isn't it? [[MundaneUtility You trained a panda to knock me out and put me in a bag to bring me fifty yards?]]
305	* ''WesternAnimation/WishKid'': The prologue to "Gross Encounters" delivers one to ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987'', [[DuelingWorks the show that shared the same time slot]]. In it, Creator/MacaulayCulkin asks the audience if they're tired of ''Ninja Turtles'', tells them he is, and uses [[InkSuitActor his animated persona Nick McClary's]] baseball glove to wish for something new. [[note]]Ironically, ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987)'' lasted ten seasons, whereas ''Wish Kid'' only lasted one, and being on the lowest-rated children's programming block at the time certainly didn't help ''Wish Kid'''s case, especially when NBC got rid of its Saturday morning animated programming block altogether in September 1992.
306	* ''WesternAnimation/XMenEvolution'' has one episode reveal that a sports drink causes harm to mutants, Powerade...[[SerialNumbersFiledOff Power 8]] rather. Seems reasonable, until the CEO makes the discovery and actively begins marketing it as a weapon.
307	* ''WesternAnimation/YinYangYo'':
308	** An episode has the show turned into a bad {{sitcom}} by Carl the Evil Cockroach Wizard. It's quite visibly modeled on ''Series/TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody'' with a lot more generic elements grafted on, and is titled "The Sweetified World of Yin and Yang."
309	** Another episode is a whole-episode Take That against ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans''; unfortunately, it's much more [[ShallowParody shallow and poorly-done]] than the above, or their AffectionateParody of ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes''.
310	[[/note]]
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Context TakeThat / WesternAnimation